"Our house is clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy."
The wellness focus this month is on cleaning – a rather
unglamorous activity yet still necessary, like plenty of daily life. And maybe also
cleaning is beginning to be on our minds as spring hints at unfolding?
Below are a few tips and numerous links for green cleaning: a
little nudge to reduce our exposure to synthetic chemicals. This ‘green’ world
is a big one so what I offer here is barely a glimpse.
*Experiment with making your own cleaners.
It’s economical
and relatively easy to use natural and common ingredients such as vinegar, baking
soda, lemon juice, and borax. Add essential oils for their
antimicrobial properties along with pleasant scent.
[see some recipes here: Aura Cacia's “Green Cleaning with Essential Oils”]
An example of a basic recipe for an all purpose cleaning spray is 1 part white vinegar to 1 part water in a spray bottle (but avoid using vinegar on marble as it can damage the surface or using straight vinegar on tile grout). Add essential oils or lemon juice (fresh squeezed or from squeeze bottle). See more recipes at simplehomemade.
*Read product labels.
Avoid
-products with a signal word stronger than “Caution,” -petroleum distillates or phosphates, -products with artificial fragrances
or dyes (not needed and potentially harmful).
You can research the chemicals listed on product labels
through the NIH Household Products Database or Toxnet, the Environment Working Group's
Cosmetics Database, or Scorecard [more at Green Clean Certified].
Look
for biodegradable, septic-safe, non-toxic.
(Note: “The term "nontoxic" is not regulated, so read the ingredient
label on household cleaners. For
example, alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs), which are found in some detergents and
disinfectants, may cause hormone problems. Ammonia can irritate breathing, burn
skin, and is poisonous if swallowed.”)
(Note: “The term "nontoxic" is not regulated, so read the ingredient
label on household cleaners. For
example, alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs), which are found in some detergents and
disinfectants, may cause hormone problems. Ammonia can irritate breathing, burn
skin, and is poisonous if swallowed.”)
Find
and purchase cleaning solutions that bear the Green Seal logo. (Green Seal
certifies cleaning products to be effective at cleaning yet safer for human
health and the environment).
Find yet more ideas at these links:
I readily admit that I don’t much like household
chores, so I’ll be
the first to remind myself of benefits of cleaning and using safe
ingredients: to name just a few, cleaning reduces toxic exposure, offers
good exercise, provides a pleasant
environment.
"Housework is something you do that nobody notices until you don't do it." ~ Author Unknown
"I've always enjoyed doing dishes. Maybe it was the fashionable yellow gloves that I loved so much. It's weird, I know, but I find cleaning cathartic." ~ Rachel Nichols
PS: if you’re
interested, below I offer a link for more lemon juice uses, and a couple of stats/studies.
Stats/Studies
According to the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than the air
outside. In some cases, indoor air can be up to 50 times more polluted. The
pollution can be caused by a number of sources – gas stoves, building materials
and furniture, carpet, household cleaning products, personal care supplies,
dust, air fresheners or pesticides.
A
study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
(Volume 44, Number 7, July 2002, p 685 – 691) measured the incidence of bladder
cancer for study participants in 32 different industries and occupations as
compared to a control group of the general population not employed in any of
the occupations studied. The study further isolated the data by how long each
participant was employed in that industry or occupation. FINDINGS. Housekeepers
and butlers were found to have an increased risk of bladder cancer as compared
to the general population, 3:2 for those subjects who had been employed in this
occupation for 10 years or more. The elevated risk was thought by the study
authors to be attributed to exposure to solvents, which are often found in
household cleaners, particularly all-purpose cleaners, de-greasers, and
furniture polishes. Other occupations with increased risk include those with
high exposures to metals, rubber, plastics and solvents such as tire workers,
mechanics, painters, printers, plumbers and dry cleaners.
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