USE NON-TOXIC BIODEGRADABLE CLEANERS

GREEN TIPS
(Brought to you by the MdTL Green Committee)

*Toxic cleaners pose a direct threat to the health of our children and pollute our environment, destroying our waterways and precious ecosystems.
The products we use to clean our surroundings have an impact on our personal health and the environment. Household products can contain hazardous ingredients such as organic solvents and petroleum based chemicals which can release volatile organic compounds (VOC's) into your indoor air. Some ingredients in household cleaners are known to cause cancer in animals and are suspected human carcinogens. Inappropriate use, storage and disposal of these hazardous household substances may impact your personal health and the health of our environment.

Children are uniquely vulnerable to toxins because:

* pound for pound children take in more contaminants than adults

* they have certain behaviors like lying on the floor or hand-to-mouth behaviors which expose them to more toxins

* most schools are cleaned every day with industrial strength cleaners which leave behind residues

* researchers have found that early exposure to environmental toxins appear more likely to produce chronic disease than similar exposures encountered later in life

* many conventional cleaners contain asthmagens (asthma triggers)

Household hazardous products have a negative impact on our health and the environment in at least 3 ways:
Usage - When hazardous products are used in household cleaning, chemicals are released into the ground and wastewater stream which may contaminate our soil and groundwater. Their use may release toxic and hazardous vapors into the indoor air which can be inhaled. Contact with chemical solutions can be absorbed through the skin. Overall exposure can produce acute (immediate) or chronic (long term) health problems such as:
Headaches
Fatigue
Allergic Reactions
Chemical Sensitivity
Cardiac Damage
Nervous System Damage Burning Eyes
Skin Rashes
Runny Nose
Cancer
Respiratory Tract Irritant
Liver and Kidney Damage

Manufacture - The purchase of potentially hazardous products creates a demand for toxic chemicals which contributes to environmental pollution due to the development, manufacture and transportation of these chemicals.
Disposal - Hazardous chemicals present a problem to wastewater treatment facilities that may not have the ability to remove these chemicals. Most often, hazardous products are not disposed of properly and are land filled or incinerated. Individuals with septic systems that pour chemicals down the drain are introducing these chemicals directly into the soil and groundwater and kill the beneficial bacteria in septic systems that break down waste. Overall, improper disposal of hazardous and toxic household chemicals has a detrimental impact on our air, soil and drinking water quality.
*Using natural and homemade cleaners means that our children can work with us side by side. (If you think that your children won’t like cleaning just watch their eyes light up when they mix the vinegar and the baking soda: pretty cool indeed).
Here are some other key benefits of using natural and less toxic household products:
Super Concentrated - Products provide more uses per size than conventional products. This allows economical use, reduces packaging and reduces the impact on the environment of manufacturing and transportation of the product.
Environmentally Safe - Products are readily biodegradable, contain no known carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens or pollutants. Will not harm beneficial bacteria in septic systems. Containers are recyclable and/or have recycled plastic content to minimize solid waste generation.
Non-Toxic - Products contain no hazardous ingredients or fumes. These products are safe for workers, aquatic life, animals and families. More compatible with people that have chemical sensitivities and allergies.
Natural Ingredients - Products use the highest quality, naturally derived ingredients that do not deplete our non-renewable resources.
No Animal Testing - Products contain no animal ingredients and have not been tested on animals.
Performance Tested - Products work as well or better than conventional hazardous products.
The Environmental Health Foundation, in its book Toxic Turnaround, compiled a list of the top four chemical groups we should reject and eliminate.
These four are pesticides, toxic gases (such as chlorine and ammonia), heavy metals (such as lead and mercury), and volatile organic compounds (such as formaldehyde and solvents). These guidelines are an excellent starting point for us all.
Learning to clean from scratch—making homemade recipes—is rewarding and effective. Here are five basic natural cleaning agents:
Baking Soda:
A commonly available mineral full of many cleaning attributes, baking soda is made from soda ash, and is slightly alkaline (its pH is around 8.1; 7 is neutral). It neutralizes acid-based odors in water, and adsorbs odors from the air. Sprinkled on a damp sponge or cloth, baking soda can be used as a gentle non-abrasive cleanser for kitchen counter tops, sinks, bathtubs, ovens, and fiberglass. It will eliminate perspiration odors and even neutralize the smell of many chemicals if you add up to a cup per load to the laundry. It is a useful air freshener, and a fine carpet deodorizer.
Washing Soda:
A chemical neighbor of baking soda, washing soda (sodium carbonate) is much more strongly alkaline, with a pH around 11. It releases no harmful fumes and is far safer than a commercial solvent formula, but you should wear gloves when using it because it is caustic. Washing soda cuts grease, cleans petroleum oil, removes wax or lipstick, and neutralizes odors in the same way that baking soda does. Don’t use it on fiberglass, aluminum or waxed floors—unless you intend to remove the wax.

White Vinegar and Lemon Juice:
White vinegar and lemon juice are acidic—they neutralize alkaline substances such as scale from hard water. Acids dissolve gummy buildup, eat away tarnish, and remove dirt from wood surfaces.
Liquid Soaps and Detergent:
Liquid soaps and detergents are necessary for cutting grease, and they are not the same thing. Soap is made from fats and lye. Detergents are synthetic materials discovered and synthesized early in this century. Unlike soap, detergents are designed specifically so that they don’t react with hard water minerals and cause soap scum. If you have hard water, buy a biodegradable detergent without perfumes; if you have soft water you can use liquid soap (both are available in health food stores).
Mold Killers and Disinfectants:
For a substance to be registered by the EPA as a disinfectant it must go through extensive and expensive tests. EPA recommends simple soap to use as a disinfectant There are many essential oils, such as lavender, clove, and tea tree oil (an excellent natural fungicide), that are very antiseptic, as is grapefruit seed extract, even though they aren’t registered as such. Use one teaspoon of essential oil to 2 cups of water in a spray bottle (make sure to avoid eyes). A grapefruit seed extract spray can be made by adding 20 drops of extract to a quart of water.
Caution: It is still important to make sure that all homemade formulas are well-labeled, and out of the reach of children.

Sources:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/five-basics-for-nontoxic-cleaning.html
http://www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm
http://www.ecocycle.org/hazwaste/recipes.cfm
http://www.womenshealth-naturalsolutions.com/Toxic%20Home.htm
http://www.naturalparenting.com.au/flex/childrens-health/7851/non-toxic-housecleaning-simple-safe-and-effective.cfm