what will you find in this blog?

Do you want to clean green?
In the greener cleaner you will find posts on a variety of green cleaning products, tools and techniques. Because the topic is so vast, there will probably be two main, cross-referenced categories:

1) eco-friendly products, tools and techniques
2) a room-by-room or task-by-task guide to eco-friendly cleaning

So in other words, I will have posts on products like baking soda, tools like washable cloth rags, posts on how to use baking soda and rags to clean a surface, and posts on how to tackle cleaning challenges with baking soda in specific rooms such as bathrooms or kitchens.

My emphasis will be practical, first-hand "how to" knowledge.

If you have a look through the list of blog topics in the sidebar on the right, you can find posts on specific products, tools or techniques, as well as posts on how to clean specific objects, areas or rooms.

If you can't find the information you want, feel free to contact me and ask. It would probably make a great subject for a future blog post.

why don't more people clean green?

Do you want to clean green?
After I closed down my full-time eco-friendly cleaning business in London, Ontario, I was surprised (and a little disappointed) to realize that most of my clients were not continuing to use the green cleaning techniques and products I had introduced into their homes.

Curious, I asked one of my former clients (a retired schoolteacher and a very perceptive, well-spoken man - who just happens to love toxic cleaning products) for his insight into this phenomenon. His answer rang true to my experience with my other clients.

He suggested two possible reasons for continuing to use toxic cleaning products:

1) They work.
2) Most people don't think their individual actions have much impact on the environment as a whole.

I would add to this that most people don't recognize the long-term hazards of toxic chemical use on themselves, their families, their homes and their environment.

If you are curious to know what's really wrong with standard commercial cleansers, have a look at the websites I've listed in the sidebar at right, or the ones below:

Toxic Nation - Pollution. It's in you. (a room-by-room description of environmental toxins)
Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia - Guide to Less Toxic Products
VanessasGift.com - Toxic Cleaning Products

Do standard commercial cleansers work? Yes. They work quickly and well to remove dirt and other unwanted residues.

Do the cleaners you use in your home have an impact on the environment? Yes. They affect you and your family and pets, and they affect the larger ecosystem through water runoff, air pollution, garbage disposal and other contamination routes.

Are eco-friendly alternatives just as easy to use? Not always. Sometimes the least-toxic products and methods demand time and elbow-grease. Is the trade-off worth it? You decide.

Will eco-friendly cleansers have a positive impact on your health, and the health of your family? Almost definitely. I lived with my parents for several years as an adult, and over time I gradually transitioned the household's cleaning products to eco-friendlier choices. Both my mother and I (who suffer from migraine headaches) noticed that the heavy scents in commercial cleansers would trigger almost-immediate migraines. When we used unscented or naturally-scented eco-friendly cleansers, our headaches were reduced.

Many people feel overwhelmed at the thought of changing their long-standing habits and routines. Where do you start? How do you prioritize? How do you adjust to the changes?

I hope the information in this blog will help people realize that every action they take - no matter how small - is important. And that green cleaning techniques and products are not as alien or difficult as you might fear.

In many cases, the difference may delight you.

have you got green cleaning questions?

Do you want to clean green?
If you don't see something mentioned on my site, feel free to send me an e-mail (click on "View My Complete Profile" in the sidebar at right to find my address) and I'll try to answer your questions.

There's also a great eco-friendly Q&A blog by eco-consultant Debra Lynn Dadd - find it here. If you're looking for information on a particular topic, click on the large purple "Search" button in her site's right-hand sidebar, and you will likely find what you're looking for. The great thing about Dadd's blog is that readers can respond to the questions of other readers, sharing practical information and tips based on their own experience.

A great resource!

why eco-friendly cleaning?

Do you want to clean green?
It's not my intention with this blog to delve too deeply into the hazards of standard commercial cleansers. Suffice to say, most of them are made from non-renewable petrochemicals, and are toxic in their manufacture, use or disposal. There's a lot of reliable information out there for those who are interested, and I encourage you to explore the links I've listed in the sidebar to the right.

As consumers, you should beware of products which are labelled "natural." There are many cleansers on the market now (such as Method products) which claim to contain natural ingredients, but also contain scents, colours or other ingredients from petrochemical sources. (For a more in-depth discussion of Method products, see this blog post by consumer advocate Debra Lynn Dadd.) They may be preferable to traditional commercial products, but certainly don't go far enough in their attempts to be truly "green."

Read your labels well. True eco-friendly companies readily list all ingredients of their products, and often indicate sources for each ingredient. Look for ingredients that are vegetable-based whenever possible. Avoid artificial perfumes and colours.

Why go eco-friendly? It may be better for your health, and the health of your family and pets. Children and small animals with their lower body weights can harbour greater concentrations of toxic chemicals in their bodies. They also spend a lot of time on the ground, putting all sorts of objects in their mouths.

If you or someone you love suffers from allergies or chemical sensitivities, switching to eco-friendlier products may alleviate some of the symptoms.

Finally, using non-toxic products that are natural and renewable is better for our environment.

my journey in eco-friendly cleaning

Do you want to clean green?

About twenty years ago I first became aware of the "green" movement as it grew popular in the media. I was young (twenty) and cared about my planet. I became interested in sustainable living, and over the course of several years I did a lot of reading and a lot of experimenting on my own - with everything from diet to cleaning, reducing, reusing and recycling, and consumer practices.

In that time I found some great resources that have become my "bibles" for sustainable living and eco-friendly cleaning. I've listed some of them below.

Debra Lynn Dadd is one of my all-time favorite eco-friendly authors. I read a book of hers called Non-toxic, Natural, and Earthwise which changed the way I looked at consumer products. I believe it's now out of print, but it's worth getting used if you can find it. She explains the hazards and alternatives for all sorts of household products, breaking them down by the categories "natural," (i.e. found in nature) "non-toxic," (i.e. not hazardous to human health) and "earthwise" (i.e. sustainable in their manufacture or use).

Dadd has revised and updated her most recent book, Home Safe Home, which also explains the hazards of and healthy alternatives for household products. I highly recommend it as well.

Dadd used to write a column for the magazine Natural Home, which is a great resource if you're interested in greening your home. I've subscribed to it for several years, and keep all my back issues. The magazine offers articles and news tips on topics that include green renovation and home building, eco-friendly cleaning, green gardening and green decorating.

My other favorite book on eco-friendly cleaning is Annie Berthold-Bond's Clean and Green. Her book is full of wonderful recipes for eco-friendly home cleansers, and I still use some of her favorites in my own cleaning.

I started using eco-friendly products because I was concerned about the health and environmental effects of modern commercial cleansers. I would use a popular spray tub-and-tile cleanser and wonder why my breathing felt so congested afterwards. The strong perfumes and odours of many commercial cleansers left me with migraine headaches, nausea and dizziness. I got contact dermatitis from using commercial cleansers without gloves.

When I first started eco-friendly cleaning in my own home, I was pretty clueless. I read that borax was a good cleanser, so I'd sprinkle some on a sponge and try and scrub a toilet with it. After a lot of trial and error I realized that some eco-friendly cleansers work better than others, and many of them don't act at all like the modern commercial cleansers we consumers are used to.

When I started my cleaning business there was never any doubt that I would use eco-friendly cleaning techniques and products. I was exposed to the cleansers eight hours a day, five days a week, and I refused to do anything that I feared might endanger my health. The few times I gave in and used a product that a client preferred, I always regretted it. In the end I used eco-friendlier products and techniques exclusively, and was much happier for it.

Switching from regular commercial cleansers to eco-friendlier alternatives can seem like a daunting task, which is why I've created this blog. I want to encourage people to try different things, and see how much better they feel afterwards. Like me, I'm sure you'll never want to go back.

introduction to eco-friendly cleaning

Welcome to my new blog!

Do you want to clean green?

I've created the greener cleaner to feature advice and tips on eco-friendly home cleaning. For eight years I was owner/operator of an eco-friendly home-cleaning business in London, Ontario, and I've been actively searching for and experimenting with eco-friendlier cleaning products and techniques for about twenty years.

There are plenty of books and websites out there offering eco-friendly cleaning advice, and I will always point readers to further resources whenever I can. I aim to help individuals who are getting started on the eco-friendly cleaning journey, sharing my own personal experience with products and techniques that I've found especially helpful.

Enjoy the blog, and feel free to drop me a line or add your comments!