If spring cleaning conjures images of blue toilet bowl cleaner and white surface cleaners, it's time to think green. From the chemicals in standard cleaning products that are washed down the drain and into our water supply to non-reusable packaging and personal exposure to toxic solutions, there are plenty of great reasons to opt for natural cleaning products.
In 1988, the government of Canada released the "Environmental Choice" Eco-Logo, a mark that brands cleaning products that improve energy efficiency, reduce hazardous by-products, or use recycled materials, among other criteria. The logo is three doves intertwined to form a green maple leaf. Environmental Choice has approved 1,400 products for household use. The cleaning products they approve must follow strict limits and requirements for phosphates, chelating agents, aquatic toxicity and biodegradability.
Look in your kitchen cupboards to find just about everything you need to make your home sparkle. Not only are these products less taxing on the environment, and helpful for people with sensitive skin, but they're also lighter on your budget. The three best ingredients to get your home spotless without using chemicals are lemons, baking soda and vinegar. And a little elbow grease never hurts.
Lemons
Nothing says spring like the refreshing scent of citrus. But there's no need to run out and buy chemical-laden lemon-scented cleaning products -- just check the produce section of your grocery store for real lemons.
Because lemons are acidic, you can use them to eat away at just about any hard surface stain in your house, so they make a great chemical-free cleaner and a great way to reduce your impact on our water sources. "Around 54,000 tonnes of general purpose cleaners are used in Canadian homes each year," says Tanya Ha, author of the book Greeniology -- a good reason to cut back.
To cut back on the amount of chemicals you use to clean, create your own all-purpose cleaner. Ha suggests the following mixture:
• one teaspoon of baking soda
• one teaspoon of soap
• a squeeze of lemon
• 1/4 litre of water
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