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Green Cleaning is good for your home
Why a Green Home is Good For You
Certain ingredients in cleaning products and air fresheners can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are a common source of indoor air pollutants and can result in irritation of the eyes, skin and respiratory system and contribute to other health issues long term. Immediate health effects often include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat; headaches; dizziness; and fatigue. Certain chemicals may result in disorders of the nervous and reproductive systems or be associated with cancer and heart disease.
Health effects from indoor air pollutants are sometimes experienced immediately upon exposure but they may possibly only become evident years later. A good resource for more information is the EPA Indoor Air Quality website. The EPA has pointed out that levels of certain pollutants to be two to five times higher inside homes (where people spend 90% of their time) than outside.
In 1999 New Scientist published a report indicating that in homes where aerosol sprays and air fresheners were used frequently, mothers experienced 25 percent more headaches and were 19 percent more likely to suffer from depression, and infants under six months of age had 30 percent more ear infections and 22 percent higher incidence of diarrhea.
Products with fragrances may also trigger asthma and allergic reactions, with symptoms including skin and respiratory irritation, headaches, and watery eyes.
Why a Green Home is Good For The Planet
Most conventional dish and laundry detergents and fabric softeners contain a line up of hazardous compounds. Dish and laundry detergents are made from petroleum which is a nonrenewable resource and some contain alkyphenol ethoxylates that don't readily biodegrade. They are thought to disrupt hormone activity and can threaten wildlife after they go down your drain . Ethoxylated alcohols in liquid detergents can also contain cancer causing 1,4-dioxane.
Fragranced detergents and fabric softeners can contain chemicals which have been linked to cancer and reproductive-system harm. Most dish and laundry soaps no longer used phosphates which were known to clog waterways but they can still be found in dishwasher detergents. They are highly caustic and can be fatal if swallowed.
There are other harmful chemicals which when combined can be carcinogenic and harmful to our water resources.
Chlorine bleach commonly found in scouring powders and cleaning solutions is highly caustic. These products travel down our drains in to the environment where they can create organochlorines, which are suspected to be toxic to the reproductive, neurological, and immune systems and are also considered to be carcinogens.
Drain, oven, and toilet-bowl cleaners contain corrosive ingredients. Furniture and metal cleaners can contain nerve-damaging petroleum distillates or formaldehyde, a carcinogen.
New Green House Cleaning Product Line
When it comes to housekeeping there is no more recognizable name than Martha Stewart. Will the launch of her new line of all natural, fragrance-free cleaning products Martha bring new awareness to the green cleaning category and convince a whole new group of people of the benefits of eco friendly cleaning?
The Martha Steward Clean line has some formidable competition in method, Seventh Generation and more mainstream ones like Clorox GreenWorks. Their tag line "Finally, green equals clean" implies that none of these competitors had been able to get a handle on green and clean.
The range, Martha Stewart Clean includes Dish Soap, Dishwasher Detergent, Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softener, All Purpose Cleaner, Glass & Mirror Cleaner, Carpet Stain Remover, Wood Floor Cleaner, Bathroom Cleaner, and Toilet Bowl Cleaner. All products are completely non-toxic, 99+% plant and mineral based, free of fragrances and colors and have been certified by the EPA/Design for Environment Program. Prices range from $3.99 to $17.99
The HDPE packaging is recyclable.
The products can be purchased from Martha herself, from Amazon.com and Home Depot.
If you want to find someone to help out with your cleaning and you want them to be green then don't forget that at Bidmycleaning we help you find green cleaning services in your neighborhood that are pre-screened and customer reviewed. Get instant bids and then easily schedule online.
Naturally Green And They Clean
A toxic chemical often found in household products (including furntiure, mattresses, particleboard, carpet backings, some grocery bags, facial tissues, paper towels) is Formaldehyde and fortunately there are plants which are highly effective at reducing levels of formaldehyde. The common the Gerbera daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) is a beautiful flowering option as are Florist's mums (Chrysanthemum morifolium). Other good choices are the Boston fern (Nephrolepi exalta 'Bostoniensis') and the Dwarf date palm (Phoenix roebelenii). The Dwarf date palm is also effective at reducing levels of xylene and toluene which are harmful organic chemicals that are emitted from computer screens, paints, stains and varnishes, upholstery, adhesives, ceiling tiles, and other other common household products and materials. Also consider an Areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens) or the Moth orchid (Phalenopsis). To significantly improve your air quality you only need to add about 10-20 plants to your home and there are many to choose from including English Ivy (Hedera helix), the indoor dracaenas (Dracaena 'Janet Craig," D. marginata, D. massangeana and D. warnekii), bamboo palm (Chamaedorea), Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema) and Mother-In-Law's tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata laurentii). If you have infants, toddlers or pets in the house remember that some plants, including some listed above, can be toxic if ingested so be sure to check your selection in a published or online plant directory or when you purchase the plant at a nursery or local garden store. A great resource is How to Grow Fresh Air (Penguin Books, 1996) from Amazon.
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