Green Cleaning

No, green cleaning doesn’t mean when you go around and only clean the green items in your house.

It is the catch phrase that people now use for cleaning in a way that helps keep the earth’s environment clean.

The idea behind it is to clean in such a way that there is no harm to the environment or humans by the cleaning products when they are made, when they are in use, or when they are disposed of.

Reduce and Reuse:

While most people think of green cleaning as just using green household cleaners it also extends to the idea of not wasting other resources.

Stop for a second and think about how many paper towels you use in a year.

Instead of using paper towels to clean up messes, use old wash rags that have seen better days. These can be used with cleaners when you clean up your kitchen or bathroom.

Damp Dusting:

Take that old wash cloth and slightly dampen it, wrap the wash cloth around the end of a broom stick and tie with string. This can get all the dust and cobwebs just as well as a duster.

Use a Micro Fiber Mop:

Buy a microfiber mop. Microfiber mops are durable and can last a long time. The micro fiber mopheads can be washed and reused over and over again. If you’re looking to save money, reduce water usage, and faster cleaning – give one of these mops a try.

Green Cleaning Products:

When looking through the cleaning aisle of the store for a cleaner, it is now common place to see on the front labels “environmentally safe” or any other phrase to indicate how environmentally friendly a product is to get you to buy it.

But, how environmentally safe can a product be if you are directed to use rubber gloves to protect your skin from the cleaner itself?

If you are looking for ways to clean and not worry about the damage you are doing to the environment or yourself, try making a homemade cleaner instead.

Lemons:

Lemons can be used in place of chlorine bleach to get out stains on white clothing just by rubbing a sliced lemon on the stain and letting the material dry in the sun.

Lemons can also be used to clean stains from your counter tops.

• Simply put lemon juice on the stain and let sit for a couple minutes.
• Sprinkle stain with baking soda and scrub.

Lemons also have antibacterial capabilities as a cleaner due to their acidic nature.

The antibacterial properties of lemons are nowhere near the level of the chemical cleaners you could use, but unless you are cleaning up biohazard materials, the lemons will most likely work for the messes around your house.

Vinegar:

Another great cleaner that you probably have in your kitchen cupboards already is vinegar. The best thing that vinegar can do for your household cleaning is to be used as a window cleaner.

A word of advice though, do not use straight vinegar to clean the windows they won’t look as good as they would if you used a glass cleaner. Instead mix:

• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid dishwashing soap

Put mixture in a reusable spray bottle to spray on windows and wipe clean with a lint free kitchen towel, plain brown wrapping paper, or newspaper.