Green Cleaning Explained

There is still some confusion, I think, about what it means to be "green" in our cleaning habits.  At Naturally Maid Cleaning, we've learned through trial, error and education exactly how to be green, natural and leave a home disinfected and spotlessly clean. So how exactly do you "green clean"?

 What It Means to Be Green

 Being green means that we consider our environment. Certainly we must concern ourselves with our home. That is our first environment. Is it clean? Are we leaving toxic residue on our floors, walls, countertops, dishes, etc? Are we taking care to ensure that we're not polluting the air we breathe inside that home? After all, inside air quality fares far worse than outdoor air with its factories and cars. That should tell us something is seriously wrong in our homes! Cleaning with toxic cleaners is the cause of indoor air pollution.

Next, we consider our effect beyond those walls. When we rinse our cleaning cloths and dump our mop buckets, the water goes somewhere. Once the water arrives into the streams, is our cleaning product having a negative impact on aquatic animals? Are we killing fish and harming birds?  If I pour the mop bucket outside, what impact does that have on the ground, the plants and the water sources?   It also means reducing our use of water and other natural resources.

 It's Easy Being Green

  Reading through those questions and considerations, you may feel a bit overwhelmed at the thought of being "green" in your cleaning! No worries. It's a lot easier than you think. If you make a habit of the following techniques, you'll be helping your environment and not taking a lot of time to worry about how to do so. Also, you'll greatly diminish the time that you spend cleaning and I think we can all appreciate that!

  1. Microfiber: Using microfiber cleaning cloths offers you a variety of benefits.

• First, they hold dust and dirt better. This improves air quality because, obviously, the dirt and dust are not being "kicked up" into the air. This is great for everyone but especially those with allergies!
• They retain water (and lots of it) better. This reduces trips to the sink which saves time and water.
• Because they can be used without cleaning products, this is a great benefit to the environment and your family.
• They're reusable, therefore not being thrown into a landfill.
• They clean better. Plain and simple. I've never seen chrome and stainless steel shine better than when I use microfiber!

2. Use natural products. I won't go into a long explanation of green washing, but know that a few key ingredients around your home will prevent you from having worry about whether a product is or isn't "green". I have several articles containing green cleaning tips and natural recipes. If you'd like to stick to the basics, vinegar and baking soda cure all that needs to be cured in a home.

 3. Cleaning with vinegar and other such ingredients eliminate the need for rinsing thereby saving water. There is simply nothing dangerous left behind if you don't rinse. Everything sparkles and is disinfected by vinegar.

4. Use dish cloths, not sponges. Did you know that salmonella bacterial split (multiply) every 20 minutes or so? That means if one bacteria cell is on a sponge, in 4 hours you'll have 4,096 of them on your sponge! If it came with a few hundred friends, then in that 4 hours, you'll have approximately 1.23 million potential killers on your sponge. So ditch the sponge!  Instead:

• Purchase 12 dish cloths and put them in a drawer or basket near your sink.
• Place a small pail under the sink with water and vinegar in it.
• Wash your dishes and IMMEDIATELY toss the cloth into the vinegar and water. (The vinegar will inhibit the growth of mold)
• Place a new cloth on the sink decoratively for the next load of dishes.
• When you wash towels, dump the pail (vinegar and all!) into the washer.

 5. Keep a spray bottle containing 50/50 water and vinegar in each bathroom and the kitchen. This will save you time as it's always handy and you can do a daily spray and wipe thereby reducing cleaning time overall.

6. Ditch papertowels and use your microfiber for wiping spills. Use cloth napkins in the same manner as the dish cloths .. just use and toss into the bucket.

These are your basics of green cleaning. You will be amazed at the time and money you save in your efforts to be kind to the environment and your own health!