APRIL TIP: GREEN SPRING CLEANING

Ahhhh SPRING!...or shall we say ahhhh SPRING CLEANING! Yes it’s that time of year again, to get out your cleaning supplies and wipe down those fans, baseboards, and all the nooks and crannies we missed throughout the winter. Well, before you get your gloves on, pull out your cleaning supplies and ask yourself: Are they eco-friendly? Are they toxic, hypo-allergenic, do they contain phosphates, dyes or fragrances, and are they biodegradable? These are questions that I’m sure most of you don’t ask or ever even wondered. But they are crucial. Why? Well as you’ll read from the facts below, non-eco-friendly supplies are extremely damaging to our environment, water supply and over all well-being.

As a personal testament, I can say that switching over has done wonders for my allergies, budget, and the cleanliness of our house hasn’t suffered.
I have compared prices and, believe it or not they are either the same price as other name-brand cleaning products OR cheaper. I couldn’t believe it, but it’s true.

Think about it: no toxic odors, so I don’t feel as if I'm suffocating myself every time I clean. The NATURAL freshness is better for the indoor air, and since we live in a somewhat small home, our air quality (as everyone else’s) is important. One last note of personal testament, they do clean and clean well! I’m quite the clean freak, so I can vouch for them being totally legit.

I promise once you clean and smell the natural, fresh difference, you’ll never want to go back. But as reading Rainbow says “But don’t take my word for it, let’s hear from some other viewers!

• Many cleaners can cause severe respiratory and skin irritation (just read any warning label on your cleaning supplies).
• In a study of contaminants in stream water samples across the country, the U.S. Geological Survey found persistent detergent metabolites in 69% of streams tested. Sixty-six percent contained disinfectants.
• Alkylphenol Ethoxylates (APEs). APEs, in some laundry detergents, disinfectants, laundry stain removers, and citrus cleaner/degreasers do not readily biodegrade in soil and water. APEs have been shown to mimic the hormone estrogen and harm salmon and other fish.
• Automatic dishwasher detergents can contain phosphates, help the explosion of algae growth in waterways and kill off fish and other marine life.
• The chemicals that make up fragrances in cleaning supplies don’t have to be disclosed on the packaging and they often contain strong elements that may cause acute effects such as respiratory irritation, headache, sneezing, and watery eyes in sensitive individuals or allergy and asthma sufferers.
  

Some product lines to look for when making the switch to CLEAN GREEN!

• Seventh Generation
• Method
  
• Earth Friendly Products
• Bi-O-Kleen Products
• Publix “Green Wise” Products (such as Market Chlorine-Free Bleach)

Some Department and Grocery stores who stock Eco-friendly cleaning supplies: Target, Home Depot, Publix, Pavilions/Vons, Whole Foods, Trader Joes etc..

(Side note, most Wal-mart Department stores do NOT carry eco-friendly cleaning supplies.)

Please leave comments of stores and Eco-Friendly products you know of too!

We hope this has encouraged you to go out and make the change.
Enjoy the spring, enjoy the cleaning, and we hope you enjoyed this
SIMPLE GREEN TIP!

Source: www.thegreenguide.com