Most cleaning products at the store these days rely heavily on toxic chemicals that seriously damage the environment. They can sometimes be bad for your health too.

If you're thinking about not using these unnecessarily harsh products, you may want to consider an equivalent but more environmentally friendly cleaner. There are many ways to clean your home while being gentler on the environment. Here are some ideas to consider:

Simple Green. Simple Green is an excellent industrial strength cleaner that happens to carry the Green Seal certification for environmental responsibility. The Green Seal guarantees that a product meets strict standards of environmental stewardship in the way it’s manufactured and used. It also indicates a product that is easily biodegradable. Simple Green is versatile, extremely effective and will clean the toughest jobs. It’s quite strong in its original concentrated form, so you may want to dilute it in water. This has the positive benefit of allowing you to control its strength when cleaning more delicate objects. Use it to clean your kitchen, bathroom, car, or just about anything else. You can be confident of not harming the environment.

Baking Soda. Baking soda has great deodorizing, scrubbing and cleaning properties. It's also gentle and environmentally friendly. It has a large number of uses, including many you may not have thought about. In addition to its popular use for removing unpleasant odors from the refrigerator, it can be sprinkled on carpets and rugs to deodorize them. You can sprinkle it on a sponge and wipe your counters without scratching them. You can dilute it in water and wash your vegetables. It's a product with many uses.

Tea Tree Oil. If you’re attacking mold, there are several natural ways to get rid of it. One of the best is tea tree oil, which works great against fungus and bacteria. Mix a teaspoon of it with two cups of water, spray it on the affected area and allow to dry. You may find the scent to be strong, but it should dissipate in a day or so.

Going green often requires sacrifice, but not when it comes to cleaning. You shouldn’t have to put up with toxic chemicals when cleaning your home. You can do a great job with a green cleaner that won’t harm the environment or put your family’s health at risk.

Originally posted 2009-05-13 16:33:13. Republished by Old Post Promoter