Green cleaners

These products have been tested as non-toxic green cleaners for your home. They are recommended by the writer of Gorgeously Green. This is a good resource book for the green-minded person, referencing health, beauty and home care products.

• Mrs. Myers All-purpose cleaner and lavender toilet cleaner
• Orange Glow Great for counter-tops
• Citrus Magic 5 in 1 Strong for stains, carpets, grease, glue
• Citri-Solv Good dishwasher detergent
• Bon-Ami Top of the list for scrubbing, with no bleach
• Orange Guard Miraculous pest control for ants, roaches and fleas
• Daddy Van’s All Natural Beeswax and Lavender Furniture Polish
• Seaside Naturals all Natural Non-Toxic Dusting Spray
• Lifetime Bathroom Cleaner
• Ecover The best lime-scale remover
  

Maintenance for your healthy home

No chlorine bleach

Chlorine is a poisonous gas and hazardous chemical. Never mix it with acid or ammonia containing cleaners as it will give off a highly toxic gas. It is best to avoid using bleach in your home.

Why use phosphate-free dish-washing and laundry detergents?

Phosphates, while making the product more effective, are the cause of algae bloom. Algae love to consume phosphates as they drain into our lakes and rivers. The algae, after gorging themselves, reproduce and eventually die. Next the microorganisms feast on dead algae; they quickly reproduce and strip water of oxygen. This cycle eventually will cause our lakes and rivers to dry up. Years ago phosphates were eliminated from many products except for a few. Do your part in protecting our water sources and use only eco-friendly products. Watch for phosphate substitutes that are added to detergents, liquid soaps and water softeners to improve cleaning, as they are not biodegradable and are suspected carcinogens.

Hidden chemicals

Glycol ether (2-butoxyethanol) is found in window cleaner and floor cleaner that have a strong pine/citrus smell. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Act, this chemical is classified as a hazardous air pollutant and can cause serious health effects such as nose, throat and lung irritation, dizziness, headache, and lung or liver damage.

Laundry detergents

Laundry detergent can contain alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs), a chemical used for stain removal. This chemical can damage your immune system and disrupt your hormones. It could also be contaminated with the carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane, which can penetrate the skin. Be wary of crafty wording on labels. Products that claim to be non-toxic, natural or biodegradable can be misleading.

Household product stuartship

Our advice for a healthy home is to go green. Meanwhile, be aware that household items found in any room of your house, from the garage to the kitchen, may contain harmful materials like lead or mercury, that do not belong in a landfill. You can also find them in your medicine cabinet. Since they are used on a daily basis, product stewardship of any household waste is a must. Click this link "Earth 911" to find recycling centers in your neighborhood.