Keeping a clean and healthy home is necessary if we’re to keep ourselves clean and healthy, too, but with harsh chemicals often used, could we be doing more harm than good to ourselves and the environment?
If you want to maintain a clean home but hate the thought of polluting your own environment, and the one outside your door, you should consider going down the green cleaning route.
What are the benefits of green cleaning at home?
With its focus on eco-friendly products for cleaning, and methods that minimize their impact on the environment, green home cleaning can be done by homeowners themselves, or by paid cleaning services.
- Derived from natural and sustainable sources, green cleaning products enable you to reduce not only your own exposure to harmful chemicals (such as those commonly found in regular cleaning products), but the environment’s, too.
- Without the presence of harmful, toxic chemicals, the air inside your home can be significantly improved; of particular importance for anyone suffering from allergies or respiratory conditions.
What are green cleaning products?
Essentially, a green cleaning product is anything that doesn’t contain chemicals such as bleach, ammonia and phosphates, but it’s not enough to simply say that a product is effective for cleaning just because it doesn’t contain chemicals. Fortunately though, there are some thrifty store cupboard staples that do the job excellently well, and are not at all harmful to humans or the environment, such as white vinegar, citrus extracts, baking soda and essential oils.
What are green cleaning techniques?
As well as using products to clean your home that are free from chemicals, you can adopt some green cleaning techniques, too. From recycling and proper waste management, to reusable materials and reducing your household’s water consumption, there are plenty of easy ways to minimize your impact on the environment when cleaning your home.
Tips for cleaning your home the green way
Follow these tips if you’re new to green cleaning, or simply hire a green cleaning service, and let them do it all for you!
- Begin by removing as much clutter as possible; this will make cleaning your home quicker and easier
- Use things like vinegar, baking soda and water to clean your home naturally, making an all-purpose cleaner that you can use safely throughout your home
- Swap any disposable cleaning products with reusable ones
- Improve air quality in your home by opening as many windows as you can following a cleaning session
Green cleaning recipes you can make at home
Using a few simple and cheap ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen; you can make the following green cleaning recipes:
- All-purpose cleaner – take a spray bottle and add equal parts of water and vinegar to it; if you wish, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to make it smell better
- Toilet bowl cleaner – begin by sprinkling a generous amount of baking soda into the toilet bowl, before add a good dowsing of vinegar and scrubbing with a toilet brush
- Window cleaner – take a spray bottle and fill it with equal parts water and vinegar. Spray on windows or any glass surface and use a microfiber cloth to achieve a streak-free finish
There has been a significant shift in attitudes towards healthy cleaning right across the spectrum, and as such, more and more cleaning companies are offering green cleaning services to their customers. If you like the idea of a home that’s clean and green, but don’t have the time or inclination to achieve it yourself, simply hire a cleaning service, sit back, and prepare to breathe in the healthy clean air of your home!