Cleaning Goes Organic

I'm rarely in my own apartment, and when I am I feel like I'm doing a bunch of cleaning. I bought a bunch of cleaning supplies when I first moved in...dish washing soap, toilet cleaner, wood polish, stain remover, hand soap, tile cleaner, and the list goes on and on. These are all products that I've never used myself before moving out on my own, so I knew little about them other than they made yucky bad stain thingys go away. Then I was doing an interview with the principal of Catalina Foothills High School and on a completely unrelated topic, he mentioned to me that the district had decided in an effort to go green, the schools were seeking more environmentally friendly products to use for cleaning the facilities in their district. This had me intrigued. I was wondering what kind of products are out there on the market right now that would qualify as environmentally friendly cleaning supplies.

Seventh Generation is a company based in Vermont that specializes in organic and environmentally safe cleaning products. They stress products that are chlorine free and free of harmful chemicals often found in cleaners. Many cleaners contain chemicals that add a fresh scent, but these chemicals can be dangerous in larger quantities, and harmful to air quality and to pet. Also, some products contain oils that as opposed to renewable resources. Seventh Generation makes products that are largely recycled, like their toilet paper and paper towels, and cleaning products based in vegetable oil as opposed to chemicals or oils. The offer a line of products for your dishes, your laundry, your carpet and tile, and even some products that our safe for you baby. The one downside I found is that their product is not carried nationwide like other major brands, so finding it nearby can be a problem. They do however offer online ordering, and their website is full of information on their products and green tips as well.

An interesting discovery I made while looking into this issue is that dish washing detergent can be very dangerous. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, dish washing detergent causes more poisoning than any other home cleaning product. And some striking facts I found at healthrecipes.com include...Airborne pollutants in your home are 25 to 200 times higher in the home than they are outside. Also, you're more like to get cancer from in home care products than from outside air pollutants. Also dish washing detergents contain nervous system depressants and potential liver poisons. And we wash our dishes with these products! Healthrecipes.com suggests using natural lemon oils as a safe and effective alternative to common home care products.

So all in all, there are many ways you can clean using organic materials, and as I learned, you might even be adding years to your life if you do so!