Eco-Friendly Guide | SAVE Our Planet | Save Environment | Join Our Green Movement
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Filter by Categories
Uncategorized

Green Cleaning Guide & Why YOU Should Care

Benefits of Green Cleaning

GREEN CLEANING and Why YOU should be a part of the revolution?

We the message GO GREEN all the time and in everywhere we go. There are a lot of brands, companies both small and large, and even certain countries and cities that have adopted green alternatives in every little thing that they do. Why though? The reason is simple yet alarming and we don’t want to be all mopey especially at the start of this article but we kinda have to do so, to make a point – the world that we live in is slowly yet definitely deteriorating.

That’s why we need to take part in this green movement. In every little thing we do, change starts with us. And yes, even when it comes to cleaning our homes and surroundings. This is where Green Cleaning comes into the picture.

This is where we buy consciously and choose to use green products to help make the world a much better place to live in. little by little and day by day. Want to be part of the movement? Why not, right? Let’s talk about Green Cleaning and how it can change your lives.

What is Green Cleaning?

Green Cleaning

Green Cleaning does have a lot of meaning and in our context right in this article is about the aim of utilizing cleaning solutions as well as processes that are in turn, environment or eco-friendly by means of eliminating the use of toxins. In short, it’s the process of using non-toxic products towards us and nature.

These are the harmful chemicals as well as toxins that can cause irreparable damage not only to the world that we live in but to us directly. Chemicals and toxins that once our bodies are constantly exposed in will have long term health-related negative effects.

These toxins and chemicals that we are talking about also pose dangerous risks to the very air that we breathe in, the water that we drink, and the whole ecosystem. The goal of Green Cleaning is to create a world that won’t only be habitable for anything or anyone currently but for the years to come.

The movement or should we say the practice of Green Cleaning will have both direct and indirect effects that 99.9% of the time positive. A huge objective of Green Cleaning would be to eliminate as much waste generated by our daily living as possible and for other tenants in this world such as fish, wildlife, birds, etc. to have a sustainable world to live in.

Sound promising or too ambitious? Well, we can’t accomplish anything by being mediocre when it comes to our goals, right? Especially if we are talking about saving the world from utter deterioration. Green Cleaning should be practiced by anyone and the time is NOW.

There’s always ALWAYS a better way to do things and since you’re here, we know that you want to be informed and learn what else can you do to make at least your home a Green place.

Core Concepts of Green Cleaning

At its very essence, Green Cleaning is basically using practical and natural products such as vinegar, baking soda, or lemon when it comes to cleaning. These are just examples of what you may consider as green cleaners and we will discuss more about the products that you may use for Green Cleaning in a later section.

Typical green cleaning products would not have any phosphate, chlorine, artificial fragrances, and colors. These are products that will have biodegradable as well as recyclable packaging and at the same time, ingredients that are organically grown and farmed using sustainable practices.

These are the products that you’d normally get from green brands companies that are consciously making the effort for this kind of green drive. Generally, household items are considered good for the environment.

(Some companies entice buyers to choose their products by making sure to make it clear that they only do environment friendly practices and use only eco-friendly ingredients.)

You will then see certifications in these products that they’ve passed certain requirements to be deemed as green household items as well as stamps from different organizations that set the standards and governs for this drive.

There will also be products that may be considered green even if they contain harmful chemicals or certain additives. These are companies that usually donate a part of their profit to environmental causes. Probably products that can’t afford to not use certain additives or chemicals in a way that won’t be effective for its purpose anymore.

So in essence, Green Cleaning or green products are not just justified or judged by their ingredients but instead, it’s the entire process. Raw materials acquisition, processing, manufacturing, packaging, and marketing. It’s the whole deal or process that is involved to be deemed as a sustainable and green cleaning product.

This is where we become active agents of environmental causes. This is where our conscious decisions to read that label or to research certain brands, or even buying local or from small businesses that will then affect or should we say, impact our environment greatly.

So from here on forward, we encourage anyone to buy SMART and buy GREEN.

What are the Benefits of Green Cleaning?

Green Cleaning

You can be sure that Green Cleaning does have tons of benefits. Going green has got immediate and lasting rewards, big and small. BUT FIRST, why are people oftentimes discouraged from using green products, to begin with? Which is the biggest challenge of any environmental advocacies? We can think of two things in particular.

  • The very first thing that’s discouraging people to go green is that they think it’s inconvenient. Let’s destroy that notion now, it’s NOT! Second is that it’s more expensive, again, it’s NOT. They would think that it’s inconvenient because if you use alternative cleaning products then they think DIY and so that’s a lot of work. A lot of mixing a lot of concocting and cleaning with natural agents just requires a lot more work. NO, that’s wrong.
  • Also, one might think that since you’ll be using natural products then it would be more expensive. It’s normal for non-green brands to cut corners and use what’s convenient to be more effective thus making their products a lot cheaper. That may be right BUT green products are so much more cost-efficient or the better choice budget-wise in the long run.
  • So it’s not more expensive and no, it does not require more work to use green products. Besides, let’s not be lazy when it comes to preserving our environment.

Now, to the benefits.

1. A healthier and cleaner home equals a happier family

There’s no doubt that standard cleaning products can do quick and effective work when it comes to cleaning your home. But, it’s also important to point out that their effectiveness does not come with a price. Sometimes a price too hefty that our environment suffers for it in return. These products contain toxic and harmful chemicals and lead to harmful waste products that are the very reason why Green Cleaning came to be. There has got to be a better way, right? Well, lucky for us there is not just one but a lot of ways to get around this problem.

Green cleaning products will not contain all of the toxic and harmful chemicals that standard cleaning products do. That means that A) it’s safer for the environment as you flush it out into the sewers and B) you don’t expose yourself or anyone in your house to said harmful chemicals and toxins.

Toxic waste harm the environment. Plus, green cleaning products are effective and easy to use. Natural is always better and not only will your house be squeaky clean, but your family will also be healthier. Did you know that a lot of skin irritations, coughing, runny nose, and other side effects are caused by these harmful chemicals usually found in cleaning agents?

So without them, everyone should be healthier thus happier and more productive.

2. It is better for the environment

The very reason why we do Green Cleaning is to save the environment from all these toxic wastes. Without much toxic wastes getting dumped into our waters, land, and fumes getting released into the air then our environment is just a better and more habitable place for anyone and anything.

Remember, we don’t live alone in this and we share it with all sorts of creatures that deserve a better, sustainable, and habitable world to live in as much as we do. So green cleaning is just one way for us to ensure that it won’t ruin any ecosystems all over.

Greener methods would also minimize pollution or emission of greenhouse gases thus curbing pollution. Little by little, we help our ozone layer recover and better yet we fight or the effects of global warming. As we all know, global climate change has brought about countless incidents and has wreaked havoc on countless lives around the world.

Better air quality, cleaner waters, and land are the goal of this green drive.

3. It is friendly on your budget!

As mentioned above, whoever said that going green on your household products is more expensive does not know a thing or two about what they are saying.

What’s so expensive about using everyday or normal household items? Vinegar, lemon, baking soda, are these expensive? You can use so much more practical cleaning products that are just lying around in your house.

While we admit that there’s a learning curve to learning the basic tricks when it comes to green cleaning, it’s not too steep and sooner rather than later, you’ll be a master of it. We will list down a few green cleaning recipes in a later section so don’t worry, you’ll get a few tips from us on how to come up with the cheapest and ingenious way to clean your household guilt-free.

Because that’s what green cleaning is, after all, it’s like going on a guilt-free diet, it is guilt-free cleaning. And it’s so much easy on the budget!

Lastly, green household products are so much more effective that they do deeper cleaning and so it’s the more cost-effective choice. Not mentioning the indirect effects of going green for household cleanings like no longer getting sick due to harmful chemicals and toxins and whatnot.

4. You are in complete control of what you utilize for your household

Knowing every product that you use to clean your household means that you don’t expose yourself and your family to anything you are not familiar with. You are in complete control.

This applies to the ingredients that you use for your cleaning formula, this makes sure that what you use is not only good for the environment or that no animals were tested and harmed in the entire process, this is to eliminate any indoor pollution that may have had to deal with before with standard cleaning products, and lastly, this is to make sure that everything fits your budget.

Enjoy natural and pleasant smells anytime you want and use only ingredients that you’d need thus making your household cleaning regimen more efficient. Allergy-free, circulatory system friendly, respiratory system healthy, and better for any stakeholders.

5. Green Cleaning has got so many indirect positive effects

We’ve mentioned the reasons why green cleaning is being done worldwide and its direct positive effects but there’s so much more that it does for us and the environment that it won’t be so obvious.

For example, did you know that by using these natural green cleaning products you lessen your usage of antibacterial ones? Okay, maybe you’re asking, well is that a good thing or a bad thing, right?

Well, actually, it’s a good thing because as per the US Food and Drug Administration or the FDA, using too much anti-bacterial products is actually bad for you. Simply put, the overuse of antibacterial products will reduce the effects of antibiotics. It may also lead to hormonal issues such as thyroid disease for full disclosure.

Also, in a way aside from saving more money you also get to give back to your community and be an active agent of going green. You become a role model for the community and if you can only influence one family to practice green cleaning then you’ve already dealt a ton of help towards the mission of having a cleaner and greener environment.

6. It is the safer way to go

Lastly, green cleaning is just the safer way to go about things. No more warning labels, no more inflammable labels, or toxic labels. You get to feel a lot safer, cleaner, and greener.

You just don’t yourself and your family at risk by using natural products. You don’t know how much of a hassle toxic products are especially when it comes to the protection of small children and even for your pets.

You also get to do a lot of recycling and reusing of a lot of materials should you choose green cleaning and that’s just on top of all the benefits that we’ve already mentioned.

So stay safe, choose green!

What are the products that you’d need?

Green Cleaning

And now we shall discuss the products that you may use for green cleaning. You may already know some and you may already be using some. But this time we urge you to really take advantage of them and throw away those harmful and toxic chemicals (responsibly).

Vinegar

Nothing is as readily available for you as white vinegar, right? Every household has got it and uses it regularly so there’s no excuse while you can’t use it for cleaning either.

A lot of people already know the versatility of vinegar and how effective it is as a cleaning agent. The ever reliable multipurpose formula of vinegar can get rid and effectively, at that, of any stain caused by grease, odors, dirt, mildew, and mold.

So, what’s the best solution against the strong smell of vinegar? Easy, essential oils.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is also one of the most versatile and reliable cleaning agents that you might just have lying in your kitchen somewhere. Not just for cooking, baking soda is perfect for neutralizing even the smelliest of odors and also the perfect solution for both grease and grime.

It’s also easy to use especially if you need to remove stain on hard to reach areas like your microwave, oven, and tile grouts.

Lemon

Does anyone hate the smell of lemon? Because we don’t know anyone who does. Lemon always indicates cleanliness and that’s exactly why it’s on our list of green household products plus, it’s obviously natural.

Lemon or its juice is very effective when it comes to cleaning and shining surfaces including hard ones. It’s also quite effective when it comes to mold, mildew, and grease.

Rubbing Alcohol

Needless to defend why alcohol is the perfect way to use to clean your household. For one, it can really disinfect any surface. And yes, rubbing alcohol is considered a green cleaning product.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Nothing sounds more chemical-ly than Hydrogen Peroxide. But we assure you, just like alcohol, it’s green. The only by-products from this mixture are oxygen and water. If you come to think of it, it’s the ultimate green product and it’s a very effective disinfectant to boot.

It can also remove stains from fabrics as well as grouts to boot with a mild bleaching effect.

Essential Oils

Nothing feels clean more than when it smells clean, right? Essential oils will get your home smelling nice and at the same time, get it clean as these oils are natural cleaning formulas that can get rid of bacteria effectively.

Top choices would be lavender, lemon, eucalyptus, tea tree, and wild orange. Mix and match and surely you’ll get the result that you’ve been looking for. Salt and soap nuts are also top considerations if you think about green cleaning products. Explore them and surprise yourself with their effectiveness.

Plus, you can mix it all up. Use these green household cleaning products in combo for best results. And apart from these daily household items that we discussed, there are also several readily available products in the market that you can take advantage of that are deemed as green cleaning products.

Are Green Cleaning products really safe?

There’s no doubt that there are a few hesitations about going for green products instead of standard ones. So are they really as safe and effective as claimed?

The answer is YES. BUT you need to read the labels carefully before purchasing an item. Take note that products with labels only saying non-toxic or environment friendly is shady and should not be trusted 100%. Most of these products are misleading and will still contain harmful ingredients.

Look for labels of the US’s EPA or Environmental Protection Agency if you’re looking for criteria for chemicals. It should have a DfE label or no to low-VOC label to be deemed green. If it’s for killing germs that you are looking for then go for products that are trusted disinfectant like bleach or go for the disinfectant list of the EPA.

And, green cleaning products will cost a little bit more than standard cleaning products but again, as we said above, you’ll reap a lot of benefits from using them and in the long-term they’d prove to be the better choice.

How dangerous are standard cleaning products?

Speaking of which, how dangerous are non-green household cleaning products?

  • VOCs or Volatile Organic Compounds are notoriou8s for impacting the quality of air around us indoors or outdoors. VOCs are normally found in standard cleaning agents as ingredients.
  • A lot of ingredients in non-green cleaning products can cause irritation of the eyes and skin. They also pose respiratory health related risks.
  • Overexposure to these will cause pretty acute ailments especially on the ones that are exposed to them all the time. Think about your health if you clean and deal with these substances daily. If you run a building or a company and employ janitorial or utility personnel, think about their health. Go green and protect yourself and everyone.
  • These products once dumped and disposed of will add up to the pollution in our environment.
  • Will trigger asthma, headaches, throat irritation, and other ailments.
  • Chemical burns, inhaling fumes, and the risk of poisoning are just a few of the risks you put yourself and anyone in if you continue to use certain products.

Green Cleaning Recipes that you should know about!

All right, this last section is dedicated to making sure that you have the right recipe to use for your daily cleaning regimen. Here are a few formulas you can play around with.

1. Multipurpose Cleaner

Very easy to make. You just need water, white vinegar, ad some essential oils. Just combine equal parts of both water and vinegar and then try to drop essential oils in it. You’ll have yourself a safe and effective mixture that you may use for any cleaning purposes.

2. Grease Remover

Remove grease effectively with the help of a gallon of water and ½ cup of sudsy ammonia. Having issues removing all that food grease from your microwave, oven, or grill? This is the solution that you’d need. Practical, effective, and really affordable.

3. Floor cleaner

Get your floor to be squeaky clean with an easy concoction. Just get a bucket of water and then add in vinegar and soap. That should clean your floors fast and efficiently.

4. Bathrooms

Looking to clean your sinks, tubs, and enamel surfaces? No worries. Use half a lemon and dip it in borax powder to scrub these delicate surfaces. For your toilets, go for vinegar, baking soda, and then mix in some essential oils. Make sure to mix it all properly.

Pour the concoction in your toilet basin, let it sit for some time, and then scrub it thoroughly.

5. For glass

For your windows, tables, and mirrors, you may use rubbing alcohol mixed in with water and vinegar. You may also utilize this mixture for chrome surfaces as well as tiles.

6. Wood

Mix olive oil and vinegar in lukewarm water. Put the formula in a spray bottle and then clean your wooden surfaces with the concoction.

Final Thoughts

It’s always hard to make conscious decisions and realize the steps necessary to live a green lifestyle. But, as they say, the first step is always the hardest and we encourage YOU to take it now.

Now is the right time to take part in the Green Cleaning Movement. Don’t wait until tomorrow for we need to set the world up for a bright future for the generations to come. Green Cleaning is more than just some fad and on the contrary, it’s far from that.

In a nutshell, it’s basically just a conscious effort to choose the right products and to live the right lifestyle with the right choice for the environment. So CHOOSE the right path, CHOOSE Green Cleaning.