Did you know that indoor pollutants can be far higher than those found outside, sometimes up to 100 times higher! Much of the pollutants come from home decorating and cleaning products, so finding a way to make your home clean and green, really is the best way to achieve a healthy life, healthy home and happy environment.
How to make your home clean while being green:
One way of getting rid of harmful pollutants within your home is to fling the windows open and watch them disappear, but if the season doesn’t permit this, why not take some other simple steps to eliminate the pollutants instead?
Look at air fresheners, for example. In seasons when it isn’t possible to open windows and let the outdoor fresh scents come inside, and let pollutants out, many people opt for synthetic air fresheners that are chock full of toxic chemicals. These can even cause skin, eye and respiratory reactions, and when a simple vase of freshly cut flowers will make your home smell fresh, why would choose a fake product that can harm your health?
What we always need to look at when cleaning without harming the environment and our own health is to choose genuine green alternatives. Take note that not all products which claim to be natural, are non-toxic; the word ‘natural’ is undefined and unregulated by the government and can be applied to almost anything.
So, how can you tell if a product is truly green and safe for the environment?
The only way to really know if a product won’t be harmful to you or the environment, is to read the label very carefully. Look for such things as ‘grain alcohol’ instead of toxic butyl cellosolve when shopping for solvents, or natural plant oils like coconut or eucalyptus when searching for detergents or disinfectants.
Bear in mind that many household items such as baking soda, lemons, vinegar and bicarbonate of soda can clean things just as effectively and are not at all harmful to humans or the environment. Not only are they easy to find if you don’t already have them at home, but they are cost effective, too.
Remember that keeping your home clean and free from germs and bacteria, need not be costly or harmful to the environment, and there is no need to be obsessive over germs either. Your home is not a hospital, and ironically, some toxic cleaning products can land you with a visit to the hospital, and they can be particularly harmful to infants and vulnerable adults.
If you are using the services of a cleaning company and they don’t already use green cleaning products, why not suggest that they use them in your home, at least?
