Green Cleaning Tips - from the Unity with Nature committee

Many household cleansers contain ingredients that pose health and environmental problems. These include chlorine, phosphates, phthalates, ammonia, lye, formaldehyde, petroleum distillates and all kinds of other toxic things. They are also expensive and often smelly. There are non-toxic replacements for most of these cleansers and many can be replaced with inexpensive solutions made from every day ingredients. Some ways to detoxify your home:

• Dishes - There are several dishwashing soaps and dishwasher powders on the market, many made from citrus extracts. Bi-O-Kleen makes a particularly effective dishwashing soap and dishwashing powder. For pots and pans, use a paste of baking soda and water.
• General cleaning - Again there are several products on the market; Citra-solv is one. And here's a recipe: For each quart of a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water, add a tablespoon each of citrus cleaner and liquid soap. Works on counters, appliances, floors, even woodwork and furniture. It smells good. Most insects seem to hate citrus cleaners.
• Tubs, Sinks, Toilets - Use a chlorine-free scouring powder like Bon Ami. Or use Borax or baking soda. Ecover's Toilet Cleaner is another good product.
• Drains - Drain cleaners are some of the most toxic compounds available. To de-grease sink and tub drains, pour a ½ cup of baking soda down the drain followed by 1 cup of vinegar. Let it bubble for 15 minutes and rinse with hot water. For really difficult build up, repeat the procedure or leave the baking soda and vinegar overnight and rinse with hot water the next day.
• Glass - A 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water works great. To avoid streaks, put a little dishwashing soap in the first time to get the old chemicals off the glass.
• Mildew - Spray undiluted white vinegar on mildew and it wipes right off. Let it sit overnight if it hasn't been done in a long time.

Whole Foods in Baltimore (Fells Point and Smith Avenue) and the Health Concern in Towson are places that carry many green cleaning products.

The Stony Run UWN committee site has some articles on green cleaning and the Homewood committee page has a link to it. There are also many, many web sites; here is a small sample:

• Children's Health Environmental Coalition
• Environmental Media Services
• National Institutes of Health-Household Products Database
• A Real Life, the magazine where many of the tips above appeared

With this piece, the Unity with Nature committee is starting a series of short articles on environmental issues. Please contact Liz Entwisle or Polly Heninger with comments or suggestions for future topics.