How to Clean Green by Treehugger.com's Green Guides
What's the Big Deal?
Cleaning products are everywhere in our homes and offices: on dishes, countertops, furniture, clothes, floors, windows, and floating
through the air. In our war on dirt and germs we may often actually be making things worse. Most of the conventional cleaning
products we all grew up with are petroleum-based and have dubious health and environmental implications. Instead of opting for
cleaning products that annihilate everything in their path, there are plenty of natural products and methods that keep a house clean
and fresh-smelling without the toxic side effects.
Top Ten Tips.
Here are ten highly effective ways to go greener. Hit it:
1. Cleaner, greener, meaner
As the health and environmental impacts of conventional cleaning products become more thoroughly understood, more and more
brands of healthy, green, and effective cleaning products have started hitting the market and competing for that coveted place of
honour under your sink. Many of these products are non-toxic, biodegradable, and made from renewable resources (not petroleum).
But if designer labels aren't for you, home-mixed cleaners can get the job done and then some. Vinegar and baking soda can be
used to clean almost anything. Mix in a little warm water with either of these and you've got yourself an all-purpose cleaner.
2. Healthy airflow
It is not uncommon for the air inside a home or office to be more toxic than the air outside. This is because of the presence of toxic
materials and substances and the fact that homes and buildings are better insulated than ever before (which is a good thing from
an energy standpoint). Keeping windows open as often as possible allows fresh air in and keeps toxins flowing out. This is especially
important when cleaning your home.
3. Are we breeding super germs?
The antibacterial and antimicrobial cleaners that many people think are necessary, especially during cold season, don't clean hands
better than soap and water, and also add to the risk of breeding 'super germs', bacteria that survive the chemical onslaught and
have resistant offspring. The FDA has found that antibacterial soaps and hand cleansers do not work better than regular soap and
water, and should be avoided.
4. Help your home smell soda-licious
Baking soda not only removes those strange smells coming from your fridge, it's also a great odour-eliminator for your carpet. Just
sprinkle on a little baking soda to soak up some of those odours and then vacuum it up.
5. Clean peace
Skip the store-bought air fresheners and instead try boiling cinnamon, cloves, or any other herbs you have a fondness for. Fresh
chocolate chip cookies also have been known to create a friendly aroma. Also, plants may not make your house smell different but
are good for filtering interior air. Pretty much any broad green leaf plant will do. Peace Lilies are a favourite choice.
6. The toxic toss
When replacing your cleaning products, don't just throw the old ones in the trash. If they're too toxic for your home, they won't be
good for the drain or the landfill either. Many communities hold toxics & electronics recycling days and will take all of these off your
hands. Throwing chemicals in the trash or down the drain means they might end up back in your water supply and come back to
haunt you.
7. Drycleaners
Conventional drycleaners are the largest users of the industrial solvent called Perchloroethylene, or perc, which is toxic to humans
and also creates smog. The two most common green drycleaning methods are carbon dioxide cleaning and Green Earth. Seek out
cleaners that use green methods. If you do take clothes to conventional cleaners, be sure to air them outside before wearing them
or putting them in the closet.
8. Green house cleaning service
For people don't have the time to clean their own homes, fortunately there are an increasing number of green cleaning services out
there to help get things spic and span. If you can't find one in your area (or their rates are outlandish), call around until you find a
service willing to use the products and methods you specify.
9. Leave the toxins at the door
Imagine what's on your shoes at the end of the day. Bringing that oil, antifreeze, animal waste, particulate pollution, pollen, and
who knows what else into the house is not good news, especially for kids and other critters that spend time on floor level. Keep the
sidewalk out of your home with a good doormat or a shoeless house policy. Many green buildings now include entryway track-off
systems as a means of maintaining a healthy interior environment. Less dirt also means less sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming,
which means less work, water, energy, and fewer chemicals.
10. Clean design
Designing houses and other building with cleanability in mind can create spaces that are cleaner, healthier, and require fewer
substances to maintain. In larger buildings, good cleanability can also be a big money-saver as cleaning costs can often add up to
as much as half of a building's total energy costs.
Domestic cleaners, office cleaners and carpet cleaners covering Leeds and its surrounding areas including:
Roundhay, Shadwell, Cookridge, Moortown, Adel, Headingley, Burley, Armley, Pudsey, Bramley, Beeston, Morley, Tingley, Oakwood
Crossgates, Halton, Holbeck, Ardsley, Meanwood, LS1, City Centre.
Cleaners in Wakefield, Pontefract, Wetherby, Harrogate & Yorkshire. Domestic Cleaning, Cleaning Services, Cleaning Companies,Cleaning Contractors UK, Cleaning Business, Commercial Cleaning, Industrial Cleaners, Domestic Services Leeds .
Bradford Cleaning Services | Wakfield Cleaners | Wetherby Cleaners | House Clearances & Waste Removal Services In Leeds
Free Index | Premier Directory | Search Engine | Cleaning Service Finder | Add Url | UK Business Directory
Home |About Us |Office Cleaning |Carpet Cleaning |Recycling |Health & Safety |Contact Us |Cleaning Vacancies |Bradford |Wakefield |Wetherby |Links
