Conservation Tips - A Greener Way to Clean Your Home

by Amber Ellis, JRA's Watershed Restoration Associate/Volunteer Coordinator

Did you know that what you are using to clean your home may actually be harmful to your health as well as to our local waterways? Our household cabinets hold a plethora of cleaning supplies that may contain volatile organic compounds that wash down the drain as pollutants. This is one type of non-point source pollution, but can easily be avoided.


One option is to buy green cleaning products that are certified by the EPA. There are several brands out there now that use safe and fully biodegradable substances that will not harm our families or our waters. Some of the most popular brands are Clorox Green Works, Sun & Earth, Seventh Generation, Simple Green, Mrs. Meyers, and several others.

Even better, there are cheap and readily available items that you may already have in your home to create homemade cleaners. The major ingredients are baking soda, white vinegar, and lemons. Some other ingredients that are helpful to have around are borax, hydrogen peroxide, and liquid castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap). Take an extra green step and reuse your old spray bottles, old t-shirts and towels, and worn out toothbrushes as cleaning tools! By making your own cleaners you will save money, reduce waste, and do your part in conserving the health of our local waterways.

Here’s a simple DIY All-Purpose Cleaner recipe that you can start with:

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Baking Soda or ½ Cup White Vinegar
1 Quart of Warm Water
1 Spray Bottle

 Directions: Dissolve baking soda or vinegar with the water in a spray bottle. It’s that easy!


For More Information:

Guidelines to Green Cleaning
Green Cleaning Products (video)
Top 10 Environmentally Friendly Home Cleaning Product Companies
EPA’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
Zukowski, Shea. Salt, Lemons, Vinegar, and Baking Soda. (book)
Logan, Karen. Clean House, Clean Planet. (book)