Household Cleaners That Go Green

With the changing of the seasons comes the settling of dust in once-clean nooks and crannies. Once summer turns to fall, many households also get restless and pick up shop to inhabit a new apartment or cozy dwelling. With all these uncovered dirt pockets also brings the need for a little touch-me-up cleaning. However, with the overabundance of green claims these days, which products are the healthiest and most environmentally-friendly?

While the scent of lemon or pine conveys a sense of cleanliness, we now know that smelling clean doesn’t necessarily mean something is sanitary. An easy clean also doesn’t make for environmentally-friendly cleaning either. How are you to make up your mind when browsing the endless aisles of marketing claims on the shelves? The Learning Channel offers some insight by discerning the degree of “lack of federal oversight.” For one thing, manufacturers are not obligated to tell consumers all the ingredients included in a product. This information is sealed tightly under a vague secret-sauce type of clause. TLC says, the “EPA only requires manufacturers to warn of toxicity.” Additionally, though no company can legally mislead the public, there is not an actual definable characteristic set for what constitutes a “green” product. If you can’t be pinned down for not actually being “green,” you can pretty much say anything but the most outrageous of claims regarding your eco-friendliness.

Treehugger suggests making your own household cleaning products stating, “most of your home can be cleaned with recipes that are a combination of hot water, vinegar and baking soda or washing soda; add a few drops of essential oil for scent if you prefer.” Personally, rose or lavender are always nice, homey scents for a well scrubbed floor. Note these alternative recipes, some incorporating that familiar aroma of lemons, from Green Living Magazine.

Stubborn drains are also a common problem in many older (quirky) houses. Sierra Club posted an at-home solution, originally from eHow.com:

• Mix 1/4 cup salt with 1 cup baking soda and pour down the drain. Let it sit for 3 to 6 hours.
• Boil 1 cup vinegar with 1 cup water in a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl.
• Pour the boiling vinegar solution down the drain. The mixture will fizz, and quite a bit of foam may come up the drain and into the sink. Boil more of the mixture and repeat 1 to 2 more times after the fizzing stops.
• Turn on the faucet and flush the vinegar and baking soda out of the drain to avoid damage to the pipes from the acid solution.

Another resource to try is Eco Salon’s list of household products you probably already have on hand to help green up your home.

If making your own green cleaner does not interest you, give our Vermont Soap Organics Liquid Sunshine Non-Toxic Cleaner a try. Liquid Sunshine is an organic cleaner that is safe to use throughout your whole home! Use it for stain removal or laundry detergent, or clean bathrooms, carpets, cars, floors, walls, woodwork and counter tops with it.

Mother Earth… Would You Be Mine?

Love… whether it’s exciting, fresh, eternal or simply just nonexistent, love deserves a day of recognition. This year, show your love of each other and your love for the earth by mixing red with green. Here are a few ways you can enjoy a relaxing, eco-fabulous Valentine’s Day:

If you’re going to love your honey like you love the planet, show it with flowers, make sure they are organic. Flowers grown organically are best for the environment because of the reduced toxic chemical usage, which creates a safer environment for the farmers and for our earth. Not to mention organic farms promote long term sustainability on farm lands which support the health of our planet. Be picky about where you buy your flowers because many flowers found at the supermarkets and other floral departments come from other countries. By doing this they are generating a larger carbon footprint since they have to import them by plane using large amounts of fuel and energy. Make sure to invest in socially responsible flower companies by buying organic or fair trade flowers. Sierra Eco is a fair trade flower company, which vows to change the world… one flower at a time. There are also ways to extend the life of your freshly cut flowers without the use of chemicals, here’s how.

Buy fair trade organic chocolate and pair it with your favorite organic fruits. Play your part in a more equitable trading partnership by purchase fair trade chocolate from companies like Divine. Look for chocolate that has a certification logo for Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, or some other indication on their packaging that assures the item to be produced both sustainably and ethically. Chocolate itself is considered and aphrodisiac and causes your brain to release serotonin which makes you feel like your falling in love, which means it’s clearly needed for Valentine’s day.

Finally, send love letters…online of course! Sending the ones you love e-greetings is a great way to reduce the need for paper consumption but still let people know that you are thinking about them. We like Evite or Punchbowl because of the variety of cool designs. Reducing the amount of cards you send drastically reduces your carbon footprint. This year, we challenge you to think outside the card stock and be considerate as to how your card sending impacts the environment as well as other traditional Valentine’s Day practices. This is the only earth we have, so let’s love it as much as we can. Happy Valentine’s Day