Google "green cleaning tips" and you will get a myriad of websites showing you how to "do it yourself".
Great! but before you Google ask yourself these questions:
1. Do I want to find an all natural way to clean my house and keep it chemical free?
2. Am I willing to be committed to this new change?
3.Do you know what surfaces can be cleaned with what?
4.Are you wanting to make the change for your family's health and well being or is it because you are concerned about the chemicals and waste generated by typical household cleaning or both?
5. Are you doing it for financial reasons?
Ok, let's address these questions one by one:
1.Do I want to find an all natural way to clean my house and keep it chemical free? Keeping your home chemical free is great, no matter what your intentions are, but are you doing it properly?
Cleaning with all natural products is a bit different than cleaning with bleach, 409 and Soft Scrub. It takes a little finess. You cannot just take a bottle of vinegar pour it on any surface and voila! .
Have you ever sprayed vinegar around your house? I can tell you from experiance the scent is less than soothing . Yes, it evaporated after a half hour or so, but do not be surprised if your spouse or children wonder who tipped over a bottle of Italian Dressing.
Cleaning with all natural products takes a little time to understand how they are working.
Most of the time you do not to let them sit and eat through the grime like other cleaners.
Vinegar and alcohol are surprisingly effective when it comes to loosening baked on grime. Are you using sponges, rags, paper towels, micro fiber? Which works best with your new cleaners?
With a little trial and error, a bit of research and patients- you will be able to learn the techniques and methods of cleaning with natural products. Is this green- sort of, but we will get to that later.
2. Am I willing to be committed to this new change? It's an honest question. You can do all of the research and mixing in your kitchen, but if you do not commit to the change, you would be better off spending you time (and money) with your family or looking for loose change in the couch cushions.
Do I sound cynical? Maybe a little. I have a lot of people in my life that like to make the statement "We have gone Green!" and they show me their little canvas grocery tote.
Within a week, that lonely little canvas tote is buried beneath a pile if plastic bags in the dark reached of my friend's pantry.
I am not saying that they do not have the best of intentions, but sometimes it is not the intention, but the execution of the plan that determines success or failure.
When I decided to begin "green cleaning" my home, I knew it would be hard for me to stop reaching for the All Purpose Bleach Spray and the Swiffers , but my husband was a whole different story!
Cleaning is right below a root canal in his To-DO List. He would grab a towel and some bleach and BAM! it was clean (in his book). So, I had to trick him into using the new "green" products.
If you are committed, try this easy method of incorporating the new green cleaning products into your family's everyday life-
Step 1: Remove all toxic cleansers from the house. Find an organization that could use the donation or find a drop off facility in your area that will dispose of them properly. ( Never dump the contents out and try and reuse them, seriously!)
Step 2: Take you new spray bottles filled with your new cleansers and put them where the old ones used to be. Be sure they are labled and you have directions as to what surface they could be used on. For example:
This solves the "What the heck is this stuff for?" questions.
Step 3: Move the paper towel. In its place, add a stack of natural cloths such as SKOY or Twist or just a pile of clean absorbant rags will do to start. A small basket or bucket nearby will help corral the used cloths.
(Yes, I did not say "Get rid of the paper towel". Paper towels are sometimes needed. Anywho who has pets or kids will tell you that there are certain things you can NEVER get out of a towel. Besides- paper towels can be added to your compost pile)
There will be resistance, but eventually, you and your family will begin to incorporate these new practicing into daily life.
3.Do you know what surfaces can be cleaned with what? Its true. Do your research.
Speak with a Professional Green Cleaner. Green Frog Eco offers in-home Green Clean Audits and will show you how to make and use the green cleaners.
4.Are you wanting to make the change for your family's health and well being or is it because you are concerned about the chemicals and waste generated by typical household cleaning or both? Both are equally valid reasons for choosing green cleaning methods (is there really ever a wrong reason?) but the motivation behind the two are very different.
Your family's health is always your top priority, so if you are doing it for that reason only- kudos to you! but why not take it a step further?
Have you ever wondered what happens to the chemicals you used to clean the kitchen counter or the toilet bowl cleaner that you flushed after cleaning? What about all of the paper towels, Swiffer cloths ( wet and dry) , empty bottles from cleansers, air fresheners, discarded plug in air fresheners, old vaccuum bags? The list goes on and on.
Cleanser end up back in our water supply. Paper towels and the rest end up in landfills. Sure, some of it is biodegradable ( eventually) by why throw your money away and damage the the enviroment in the process? This brings us to question 4.
5. Are you doing it for financial reasons? Huh? What does this have to do with being green or the enviroment? Tons!
First of all, let's look at the hard numbers:
Natural Options:
1-gallon of white vinegar is $1.69
1- 16 oz bottle of alcohol is $1.00
1 box- baking soda is $2.50 for the jumbo box
Borax is $3.50
3-32 oz spray bottles are $6.00
8 pack of Skoy-$10.00
1 roll Paper Towel-$2.00
Rags- Free
= Total $26.69
Traditional Method
1-24oz All Purpose with bleach $3.00
1-24 oz Glass Cleaner $2.50
1- Soft Cleanser- $3.50
1- Toilet Bowl Cleaner -$3.50
1 box Swiffer Dry refills-$4.50
1 box Swiffer Wet Refills - $4.50
1-Disinfecting Wipes-$2.50
4 Rolls Paper Towels- $8.00
=$32.00
First of all, let's look at the hard numbers:
Natural Options:
1-gallon of white vinegar is $1.69
1- 16 oz bottle of alcohol is $1.00
1 box- baking soda is $2.50 for the jumbo box
Borax is $3.50
3-32 oz spray bottles are $6.00
8 pack of Skoy-$10.00
1 roll Paper Towel-$2.00
Rags- Free
= Total $26.69
Traditional Method
1-24oz All Purpose with bleach $3.00
1-24 oz Glass Cleaner $2.50
1- Soft Cleanser- $3.50
1- Toilet Bowl Cleaner -$3.50
1 box Swiffer Dry refills-$4.50
1 box Swiffer Wet Refills - $4.50
1-Disinfecting Wipes-$2.50
4 Rolls Paper Towels- $8.00
=$32.00
Now, the intial $5.31 difference does not seem like that it is that big of a savings, right? Well, think again. The Traditional method would last the average family of four approx 1 month. The Natural option would last the average family of four 3 months. So, we are intitally looking at a $15.93 difference per month, then you need to add into the equation that the bottles are paid for and the Skoy are paid for. The average 8 pack of Skoy if handled properly will last about a year. So..
After the intitial investment, the Natural option would save the average family of four $255.72 in cleaning costs a year. Not too shabby,ehe?
Also, the paper towels and the Skoy (when the time comes) can be added to the family compost heap. The vinegar bottles can be kept to carry grey water out to the yard or to store large batches of pre-made cleaners for eay refill. The ends can be cut off to make large plastic scoops/shovels for dog food or yard work. Or, they can just be recycled. You chose.
As you can see, there are number of reasons to "go green" when it comes to cleaning your home. They are all valid and hopefully you have discovered that no matter what your reason, it really IS easy being green!
Stay Green!
Kate @ Green Frog Eco
