As I mentioned in Part I of my mini Green Cleaning Supplies series, the air inside our houses is many times more polluted than outdoor air, and according to the EPA, indoor air pollution is among the top five environmental health risks.

If you (like me) live in a climate that forces [...]]]> Happy Earth Day!

As I mentioned in Part I of my mini Green Cleaning Supplies series, the air inside our houses is many times more polluted than outdoor air, and according to the EPA, indoor air pollution is among the top five environmental health risks.

If you (like me) live in a climate that forces you to stay inside with the windows closed a large part of the year, it is extra important to choose cleaning and household products that don’t add even more toxins to your home. (Check out my “10 Toxic Cleaning Product Ingredients And How They May Harm You” post for more info on which ingredients to avoid.)

Also, try to open a few windows for just 10 minutes a day (if it’s too cold to keep them open longer). Every little bit of fresh air helps.

In my last post, I talked about my favorite green cleaning product for kitchens and bathrooms. Today, it’s all about laundry, glass cleaning, and making your home smell fabulous without resorting to toxic plug-ins and air fresheners with synthetic fragrance.

Laundry
First of all, if you read my previous post, you’re probably wondering if I’m working for Method. I am not, nor do they pay me to endorse their products in any way. I just happen to love them and think they work really well.

I’ve tried many of the “green” laundry detergents on the market – some were very disappointing, some I was allergic to. Then I found Method’s Squeaky Clean Free & Clear detergent and finally hit the jackpot. It works great, I’m not allergic to it, and it’s non-toxic.

Dryer Sheets
I can’t stand the smell of most scented dryer sheets, and while it seems like the jury is out on just how bad they are for you, I prefer to not use them. If the ingredients are indeed as toxic as some people say, then there is bound to be some of that left on your clothes, and consequently transferred to your skin. Also, many are made with animal fat which not only is gross; it leaves a residue both in your drier and on your clothes. We use Static Eliminator Re-Usable Dryer Sheets (they’re just woven fabric cloths) and they work great!

My dream, however, would be to not have to use the dryer, period. If I had any outdoor space (and lived in the country and not on a heavily trafficked city street) I would always be drying my laundry on a line outside. My Mom always did (we didn’t even have a drier), and everything smelled so fresh and was so crisp. Sleeping on sheets that have dried in the sun and wind is wonderful! I actually read that in some states, or areas, you are not allowed to hang laundry outside! What a messed-up world this is!

Floor Cleaner
We have been using Ecover Floor Soap, which works fine and smells good, but what I would really like is a steam cleaner that works on both rugs and hardwood. Just using steam and no chemicals at all is the ideal solution in my opinion.

Windows & Mirrors
I use Seventh Generation’s Ruby Grapefruit & Herb Glass & Surface cleaner. It works great and smells really good too. I think the next time I buy one though, that I will get their Natural Glass & Surface cleaner, which has fewer ingredients and is totally unscented.

Home Fragrance
Many mainstream air fresheners and plug-ins and scented candles are packed with toxic ingredients such as VOCs, petroleum distillates and phthalates. There are other great ways to make your home smell good using natural products. Here is what we do:

When vacuuming, put a few drops of organic essential oil on a cotton ball and drop it into the bag of your vacuum. I use peppermint and tangerine, and it gives the whole house a wonderful, fresh smell. I also always vacuum with at least a few windows open, even in the midst of winter.

Candles can make the house smell wonderful, even when not lit, but make sure they’re not scented with synthetic fragrance oils. We love the beeswax candles from Big Dipper Wax Works and always keep one out in our living room. Everyone who walks in our front door always ask what smells so good. They make them in lots of scents (using essential oils, no synthetic fragrances whatsoever); our favorite is “Sensual” (palmarosa & geranium) which smells sort of vaguely “new agey”.

I hope I’ve given you some inspiration for cleaning your house in a less toxic way. If you want to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals even more, check out my favorite natural soaps and moisturizers as well as shampoo, deodorants, sunscreen, etc.

Since, [...]]]> As much as I hate cleaning (it just seems so pointless since you have to do it over and over again), springtime does bring on the urge to purify ones home a bit more thoroughly than usual. The sun finds all those little areas you managed to ignore all winter long, and the windows… sigh.

Since, according to the EPA, indoor air is many times more polluted that outdoor air, using as few harmful products as possible around the house, not just for cleaning, is essential. For the past few years, I’ve been on a personal mission to replace all my harmful cleaners and products with non-toxic ones, and after trying lots of them, I’ve found some that really work and you can use without holding your breath and squeezing your eyes closed while cleaning.

But watch out even when buying “natural” cleaning products – as with body care products, many that appear to be non-toxic do in fact contain harmful ingredients. Always read the label! Avoid anything that contains ammonia, MEA, TEA, DEA, glycol ethers (often listed as 2-butoxyethanol), APE, 1,4-Dichlorobenzene, chlorine, dichloromethane, formaldehyde, naptha, and synthetic fragrances. Read more about these in my “10 Toxic Cleaning Product Ingredients And How They May Harm You” post.

I also always look for the leaping bunny symbol, which means that the company does not use animal testing in any stage of creating the product, nor do they buy ingredients from companies that use animal testing. However, there are cruelty-free companies without the leaping bunny logo, such as Method (which is vegan and not tested on animals), so it’s worth it to check each company’s website to find out what their animal testing policy is.

One easy way to cut down on indoor pollution is to do like the Swedes: take your shoes off at the door and never wear outdoor shoes inside (and ask your visitors to do the same). Think about what you could be depositing on your floor: pesticides, fertilizers, oil, anything else you walked across that day. This is especially important if you have small children or pets. As a bonus, you won’t have to clean as often, and your floors and rugs will have longer lives.

Below is a list of some of my favorite household products, and you will see that Method is prominently featured in many categories. Their products really do a fabulous job, BUT they do contain a few ingredients I’m not so sure I’m entirely happy about: SLS (coconut derived, but anyway) and synthetic fragrance (blended with natural). On the upside, you can avoid the fragrance issue by using their unscented products, and none contain other terrible ingredients like phthalates (not even the packaging) or animal by-products.

Kitchen

For cleaning anything in the kitchen, I use a little bit of Method’s Go Naked dish soap in some hot water and scrub with a sponge or sponge cloth.

Method also makes the best automatic dishwasher detergent I’ve tried. We tested many others but the Method Go Naked Smarty Dish is by far the best one. Some of the others left lipstick stains on glasses, and one brand did such a poor job that we thought it was time to get a new dishwasher. They used to carry this at Whole Foods, but I haven’t seen it there for quite some time now. We get ours from drugstore.com

Paper Towels. I always rinse lettuce and herbs when I get home from the store and wrap them up in paper towels so they’re ready to use whenever (thanks for that tip, Rachael Ray!), so the last thing I want is toxic chemicals in my paper.

Not only is non-recycled paper made from valuable wood pulp resources, but when white paper products are bleached using chlorine, tons of toxins (such as dioxins, lead, arsenic, mercury) are released into the environment.

A much better choice is paper bleached using a non-chlorine process, but best of all are unbleached products. My favorite is Seventh Generation 100% recycled unwhitened (brown) paper towels. The unwhitened can sometimes be hard to find, and when I can’t, I get their white ones, which are whitened without chemicals.

Napkins: Again, Seventh Generation 100% recycled unwhitened is my top choice. Not super fun and colorful, sure, but they will come in contact with your mouth and possibly your food…

Bathroom

Bathroom Cleaners
After years of trying green bathroom cleaning products, we declared Method a clear winner. We use their Tub n’ tile bathroom cleaner (spray), le scrub (for the sink and tub), and lil’ bowl blue (toilet cleaner).

Drain cleaner
We have battled blocked drains for years in our home (turns out the pipes that were installed when the place was built are too narrow) and tried many natural brands with varying degrees of disappointing results. Finally, we found one that does the job beautifully without poisoning us: Earth Enzymes Drain Opener. We used it overnight on a totally clogged bathroom sink full of standing water, and it worked like a dream. I will never go near Liquid Plumber ever again.

Facial Tissue
We like 365 Everyday Value (Whole Food’s brand). They are 100% recycled (80% post-consumer) and non-chlorine bleached.

Toilet Paper
Again, look for recycled, non-bleached (or non-chlorine bleached) products. We like 365 Everyday Value double rolls. They’re 100% recycled (80-95% post-consumer), and non-chlorine bleached. Another good option is Trader Joes’, also 100% recycled (80% post-consumer) and non-chlorine bleached.

Q-Tips and Cotton Balls
Don’t forget about these – many are bleached using chlorine. We use Whole Food’s 365 brand products which are made with organic cotton and bleached using hydrogen peroxide.

In part II of this mini-series, I’ll share more of my favorite non-toxic household products (laundry, glass, air freshening, etc.).