Making your home healthier and greener doesn’t have to be expensive, or overwhelming. Here are two changes that can improve the health of your home and our planet.
Use non-toxic cleaning products. Most coventional cleaning supplies under your sink have warning and poison labels on them, which means those products contain a potent mix of chemicals. These chemicals, like ammonia, have a very powerful effect on kids with asthma and they pollute indoor air. When washed down the drain, they also pollute rivers and lakes.
Look for green cleaners that don’t contain chlorine or ammonia. Choose ones that say petroleum-free, biodegradable, or phosphate-free.
Or, make a cleaner yourself.
- Use vinegar instead of bleach, baking soda to scrub your tiles, and hydrogen peroxide to remove stains.
- Vinegar also removes grease and soap buildup.
- Need a window cleaner? Try diluted lemon juice or vinegar. Use borax to inhibit mold growth, boost the cleaning power of soap or detergent, remove stains — even kill cockroaches, when sugar is mixed in.
Keep house dust under control. House dust aggravates allergies. It also contains more hazardous chemicals than you might think, including lead, fire retardants, pesticides, and other chemicals.
Vacuum frequently, getting into corners, along the floorboards, and moving furniture to get those dust bunnies.
Make sure your vacuum has strong suction and a HEPA filter so that dust and dirt go into the bag.
- Vacuum at least two times each week.
- Clean the vacuum bag and filter every time, so dust isn’t spewed back into the air.
Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about the health of you and your family. For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please log on to greencleancertified.com or maidbrigade.com. For more information on "Household Cleaning Products and Breast Cancer", please watch our video at greencleancertified.com/greentv.
