Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Options For Your Home

Most cleaning products available these days rely heavily on caustic and toxic chemicals that seriously damage the environment. They often aren't good for your health either.

If you're thinking about not using these harsh chemicals, you could use an equivalent but more environmentally friendly cleaner. There are various options for cleaning your home in a way that’s environmentally friendly. Here are some ideas to consider:

Simple Green. Simple Green is an excellent industrial strength cleaner that happens to carry the Green Seal certification for environmental responsibility. The Green Seal guarantees that a product meets strict standards of environmental stewardship in the way it’s manufactured and used. It also indicates a product that is easily biodegradable. Simple Green is versatile, extremely effective and will clean the toughest jobs. It’s so strong in concentrated form that you may want to dilute it in one or more parts of water. This has the positive benefit of allowing you to control its strength when cleaning more delicate objects. Use it in your bathroom, kitchen, to wash your car, or just about anything else--while being confident you're using a product that won't harm the environment.

Baking Soda. Baking soda has great cleaning, scrubbing and deodorizing properties. It's also environmentally friendly. It has a large number of uses, including many you may not have thought about. In addition to its popular use for removing unpleasant odors from the refrigerator, it can be sprinkled on carpets and rugs to deodorize them. You can sprinkle it on a sponge and clean your counters without fear of scratching them. You can dilute it in water and clean your mop. It's a wonderfully versatile product.

Tea Tree Oil. If you’re attacking mold, there are several natural ways to get rid of it. One of the best is tea tree oil, which has great antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Mix a teaspoon of it with two cups of water, spray it on the affected area and allow to dry. The scent can be very strong, but it will dissipate in a day or two.

Going green often requires sacrifice, but not when it comes to cleaning. You shouldn’t have to put up with toxic chemicals when cleaning your home. You can do a great job with a green cleaner that will spare the environment and won’t put your family’s health at risk.

Technorati Tags: green cleaners, green cleaning, green home