Green Cleaning – a breath of fresh air
Many cases of asthma, dermatological and respiratory problems can be related back to the increase in the use of toxic cleaning products and air fresheners, which has recently been further confirmed by Asthma UK. Examples of what can be included are Butyl cellosolve, common in all-purpose, window and other types of cleaners. It can cause harm to bone marrow, liver function, the nervous system and the kidneys. Formaldehyde a chemical found in spray and wick deodorizers is a respiratory irritant and a possible carcinogen. This is only scratching the surface of the potentially harmful ingredients. Manufacturers are not required to list all the ingredients although they could if they were at all concerned about their end users. Unfortunately a number of cleaning product manufacturers are now concerned that the public are becoming aware of the dangers and some have chosen not to list the full ingredients list, rendering the user unable to make an informed choice.
Thankfully we do have choices.
Although this is a modern term, green cleaning products are not a modern concept in house cleaning. Before the advent of detergents and other toxic domestic cleaning products, our elders were predominantly using natural cleaners which would now be considered as ‘eco products’ with little or low toxicity. Popular cupboard items included bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice, vinegar and the fantastically useful tea tree oil.
The articles in this section will give you some ideas and cleaning tips of how to use these ingredients in your household. Check out floor cleaning, grout cleaning, kitchen cleaning and steam cleaning.
