Cleaning products are everywhere in our homes. They are on dishes, countertops, furniture, clothing, floors, carpet, windows and floating through the air in our homes. Most cleaning products on the market are made with petroleum and other harsh chemicals, which can be toxic to you, your family and pets. As the health and environmental impacts of conventional cleaning products become more understood and many people today are rethinking the things they bring into their homes, they are searching for greener solutions and health products are more available on the market.
Switching to green products means chemicals will not be absorbed into your skin or breathed in by the person cleaning or any person/pet in the vicinity. Chemicals from cleaners linger in the air and sit on surfaces. Studies have shown that using a household cleaning spray, even just once per week, increases the risk of developing asthma. Using clean products can reduce the changes of developing asthma, which reports indicate is the most chronic illness today and the leading cause of school absences across the nation.
Using greener methods for cleaning also helps to reduce the pollution to our waterways and the air and minimizes the impact on ozone depletion and global climate change.
Aside from the risk of inhaling chemicals, conventional cleaning products pose risks such as chemical burns to skin and eyes. Green cleaners are not corrosive and meet strict standards regarding inhalation, combustibility and skin absorption.
Antibacterial and antimicrobial cleaners are now known to not clean hands better than soap and water and also add the risk of breeding bacteria-resistant super germs. The FDA has said they do not work more efficiently than soap and water and should be avoided.
For cleaning the home with more natural ingredients, such as vinegar, salt, baking soda, olive oil, and lemon juice, you can use things you already have in your pantry, which is more cost effective on top of being better for your health and the health of the environment.
As concerns for the environment and our health become more widespread and we all become more aware of the harsh effects of cleaning chemicals, it is time to go back to the basics – using natural products and greener ways to clean.
