Entry bubble Green Spring Cleaning

By: Sommer | March 21, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

cleaning solution, orange rubber gloves, sponges, and scrub brushYesterday was the first day of spring so it’s time for annual spring cleaning again. But, how many of you, like me, dread the process because of the smell of traditional household cleaning products? Fake pine, lemon and orange just don’t make me think “clean” they make me think “hard to breathe” and “headache.” And the residue some cleaners leave behind is just gross!

I’ve recently tried to learn about less toxic products I can use to clean the house. Luckily, my research turned up tons of ways to clean without using toxic chemicals and store-bought cleaners.

Some basic staples to keep on hand for green cleaning include:

  • Vinegar: My favorite product to use around the house, plain white vinegar, works as a fabulous all purpose cleaner and it doesn’t leave behind toxic smells or residue. I mix equal parts water and vinegar and keep it in a spray bottle. A couple squirts and a clean rag go a long way to sprucing up the house. Vinegar with a sheet of newspaper works great for cleaning windows and mirrors while a spray of the water and vinegar mixture on the bathroom sink in the morning freshens it up for the rest of the day.
  • Baking soda works great as a mildly abrasive scouring powder. Used on a damp sponge it can even get a kool-aid stain off the kitchen counter! This natural deodorizer can also work wonders in a refrigerator, pantry or clothes closet to keep the air fresh. Hey, any product that can keep kitty litter smelling fresh is a miracle-worker in my book.
  • Lemons and lemon juice are nature’s bleach and disinfectant. I love to use lemons to freshen my garbage disposal. Sprinkling some salt on a lemon you've cut in half makes a great disinfectant and deodorizer for a cutting board.

When making your own cleaners use caution. Make sure you read all labels closely and follow recommendations. Never mix products that turn toxic when combined including bleach with ammonia or vinegar.

Here’s to a clean, green house this spring!

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Entry bubble Painting Weekend!

By: Sommer | November 23, 2007 | Category: Health

This weekend, instead of traveling or shopping like crazy, we’ll be painting the bedrooms in our townhouse. I’m really excited to finish this project so I can focus on the other decorating and organizing that I’ve been putting off for about 6 months. Also, since I’m one of those people who can’t stand white walls, I’m doubly excited to paint! (I inherited this case of “white-wall-itis” from my mother…) painter

Although I’m excited to paint and do some other minor home improvement projects I’m also concerned about the quality of our indoor air, both since our townhouse is about 60 years old and because the Environmental Protection Agency reported that the air in America’s homes contains 2 to 5 times more volatile organic compounds (VOC) than the air outdoors.

Products like paint, carpet, building materials, cleaning products, and dry cleaned clothing all contain VOC’s which include chemicals like benzene (in glues, paints and furniture wax), methylene chloride (in paint strippers and aerosol paints), and perchloroethylene (in newly dry cleaned clothing). Obviously, products with lower levels of these chemicals are better for your health and home and they’re better for the environment, too, since they’re typically produced with more environmentally friendly processes.

Remembering back to how bad the fumes smelled after we painted in the spring led me to look into using low VOC paints this time since they release fewer dangerous and stinky fumes into the air. I think they’re a little more expensive but the difference in price is definitely worth the added comfort and peace of mind.

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