Clean

What's the problem with regular household cleaners?

Phosphates are no longer a common ingredient in laundry detergents and household cleaners in the United States because they get into water streams and cause algae growth that deprive fish of oxygen. Phosphates are still in some dishwasher detergents because they keep dirt from re-depositing on your dishes, which I have to admit is a good thing. NPE, or nonylphenol ethoxylate, is another harmful ingredient. It helps water mix with dirt but also somehow harms fish (actually, it has been shown to feminize fish!). Chlorine, as in bleach, is an irritant, among other things (hydrogen peroxide is a safer replacement).

Are "green" cleaners better?

Brands like Seventh Generation, Clorox's Green Works, and Method are better for the environment and healthier than the alternatives, but they have their own problems. The natural ingredients they contain have increased the demand for things like palm oil and have put environmental stress on places that grow them. One solution to this conundrum is to advocate for sustainable agriculture everywhere.

The greenest way to clean...

is to use natural ingredients such as white vinegar and baking soda. White vinegar (diluted or as is) is a mild disinfectant, is cheap, and is good for non-greasy messes. The vinegary smell disappears after a few minutes. Baking soda is good on more greasy stains and soap scum. I spread a little bit of powder on a wet sponge and I go at it. Some ambitious folks make their own laundry soap, such as on the blog Cheap Like Me.

Other green cleaning tips

Buy in bulk (less packaging).

Wash full loads. Make sure the dishwasher and the washing machine are full before starting a load, wash in cold water and clean the dryer’s lint filter after every load.  

Choose concentrated detergents (less packaging, less transportation pollution and less water used).

Use a sponge instead of paper towels or wipes. Kill 99 percent of bacteria in your sponge by microwaving it for two minutes.

Leave your shoes at the door. There will be less to clean.

Recycle. Most detergent bottles are marked with a 1 or a 2 inside a triangle; those can go into your blue bins. To dispose of bottles that still contain some of your old, toxic cleaners, take them to a Citizens Collection Site.