Green and clean
This is an excerpt from an article in Sanctuary magazine issue 3.
If you believed the advertisements on TV the only way to have a safe, clean home for your family is by constantly applying cleaning products and disinfects to your benches, floors and walls. However be spraying, wiping and flushing all these products around the home could amount to a chemical cocktail. Research has linked the exposure to chemical from ultra-cleanliness with health problems such as asthma. Chemicals also leave a toxic trail after there use when they go down the drain into sewage, are released into the air and the packaging ends up in landfill.
How to clean green
According to Bridget Gardner from FreshGreenClean there are four easy steps to green cleaning: wipe it, soak it, add it, and dry it.
“Most of the cleaning is achieved with the action of wiping the surface with a damp cloth or mop, There is often no need to add a product,” says Bridget.
“Water is a very effective cleaning agent so soak stubborn grime and stains before cleaning. If there are any trouble spots left then add a non-toxic cleaning agent such as bicarbonate of soda and pure soap or use a stronger tool such as a scrubbing brush, toothbrush, painter’s razor blade or my favourite – scourers made from orange net-bags tied into a knot,” adds Bridget.
After cleaning shiny surfaces with these methods, Bridget recommends a quick polish with a flannelette rag or a microfibre glass cloth to avoid the toxic solvents found in many glass or surface cleaners and open your windows to let in the fresh air.
“A clean and dry surface will deter bacteria growth and UV rays are a natural disinfectant, so hang your cloths and mops outside to dry.”
Design for green cleaning
One of the best ways to clean green is to eliminate the need for cleaning in the first place. There are a number of clever ways to design you home so that it cuts down on the cleaning workload.
Dick Clarke from Envirotecture designs bathrooms for his clients so that they need very little cleaning. “The trick is to design a bathroom without silicon, and to eliminate shower screen frames and fittings. By taking away the things that harbour dirt and grime you eliminate the need for cleaning.”
