Spring cleaning often means having to use harsh, toxic cleaning compounds that are not only damaging to our environment but physically hazardous as well. As a result of more attention being given to organic and environmentally friendly household products, more and more people are preferring to use cleaning compound that are made without toxic chemicals. Nowadays, a growing number of these products are available and are not only being offered in whole foods and organic products stores, but in well known supermarket chains as well, including Krogers, Safeway, and even WalMart Super Stores.
For cleaning dishes, companies like Clean Environment Company are offering products such as ones which do not contain any petroleum based or carcinogen type chemicals and are completely bio-degradable. These products are made for both automatic dishwashers as well as for hand dishwashing, and are chlorine and phosphate free. They are designed to not only get the cleaning job done, but will not contaminate our ecological and water systems once they are flushed down the drain.
For the laundry, phosphate free liquid and powdered detergents are available that not only thoroughly clean your laundry but will not “suds up” in streams and lakes afterwards. Some of the ingredients in these detergents are linear alkyl sulfonate and alcohol ethoxylate (completely bio-degradable) and natural, citric acid based compounds. Since ordinary laundry detergents have been claimed to be leading contributor to environmental pollution, natural “bio-compounds” are much more friendly to our environment
For floor, furniture and appliance cleaning, environmental friendly cleaning products are available to take care of virtually any kind of cleaning job, including removal of lime scale and grease. Even oven cleaners are available which do not contain petroleum distillates, ammonia, or formaldehyde. All of these products, including ones like oven cleaners for “heavy” cleaning jobs are bio-degradable and do not contain previously mentioned toxic compounds
When throwing away trash, special “bio bags” are available which are biodegradable and won’t contaminate landfills and garbage dumps (that’s done enough already with ordinary polyethylene plastic bags). Pet owners should consider using environmentally friendly pet shampoos and litter bags.
Although these products cost more than ordinary cleaning products (between 20 – 50%) the fact that using them helps our environment is reason enough to “go green” when doing household cleaning chores.