Aqualog, Spring 2007 Tips and advice on how to identify environmentally safe cleaning supplies. Includes recipes for numerous home-made cleaning products. Sidebar highlights the three ingredients that should always be avoided: chlorine, ammonia and antibacterial products.

1. Aqualog
Inside:
Green Cleaning: Which
Cleaning Products Are
Earth Friendly?
Plus...More Animal
Rescue Stories

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3. Safe Cleaning Supplies for You and Our Blue Planet
—by Cristina Santiestevan
Essential green
April showers must mean it’s time for
spring cleaning. But, before you grab
cleaning supplies
that mop and bucket, consider what
First, you will need
products you will be using to clean
to stock up on a few
your home. supplies. You probably
Many of today’s most popular have most of these
cleaners contain chemical irritants items in your home
already, and anything
and toxins that are bad for you and
you need to buy will
the environment, especially when
be inexpensive and
they are disposed of improperly. And you’ll save paper by residue at the bottom of
easy to find.
avoiding the paper towels. your oven. Moisten baking
To make matters more confusing,
soda with enough water
Spray bottles
commercial cleaners are not well Newspaper to form a thick paste,
You will need several
regulated, which makes it difficult Old, crumpled newspapers and spread it all over
spray bottles for your
are the secret to absorb-
to identify safe, natural cleaners. the bottom of your oven.
homemade cleaning
ing spills and getting
Phrases like biodegradable, Let sit overnight and
solutions. Look for ones
streak-free windows. Save
non-toxic, hypoallergenic and use a sponge to wipe it
with measurements along
a stack of newspapers for all away in the morning.
fragrance free don’t mean much their sides—this will make
window-washing day, or
it much easier to mix the
because companies are not required Hydrogen peroxide
for unexpected messes.
solutions. Avoid the
to prove these statements or list Hydrogen peroxide should
Baking soda
temptation to reuse
be in everyone’s home
their ingredients.
spray bottles from Left in an open con- cleaning kit. It’s a disinfec-
Several companies recognize commercial tainer, baking soda tant, antiseptic and a nat-
that people are becoming increas- cleaners—the makes a fine air fresh- ural, non-chlorine bleach.
ingly more aware of their impact on chemicals ener or refrigerator Spot treat your clothes
may linger even deodorizer. Add a
the environment and now offer safe, with hydrogen peroxide
after a washing half-cup to your
natural cleaning products. Some to remove all manner of
with soap and washing machine stains—including blood
of these companies include Ecover
water. to eliminate odors stains—or add up to a
(www.ecover.com), Seventh on clothing, or cup to your laundry as a
Cloth towels
Generation (www.seventh sprinkle it on natural bleach. Since
or rags
generation.com) and method your carpet as this is a bleaching agent,
You can buy
a deodorizer.
(www.methodhome.com). But if you be careful with colors.
special cleaning
Baking soda can
really want peace of mind, try mixing cloths, but rags
Lemon juice
also be used
your own cleaning solutions at home. made from old
as a non-abrasive Try using fresh lemons
t-shirts, sweatshirts
It’s quick and easy, better for you cleanser, and or bottled lemon juice to
and socks will
and the planet, and will save you works wonders at cut through grease, clean
work just as well.
money. Don’t be daunted—you’ll removing baked-on windows, polish brass
be green cleaning in no time.
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4. and copper, or as a in vinegar for a few odors. For stubborn if you are worried about
natural bleach. Lemon hours or overnight. smells, simmer water color loss.
juice can also be added Freshen up your trash- with cinnamon or other
Furniture polish
to cleaning solutions for can by spraying the spices on the stove.
Lemon juice mixed in
a lemony-fresh scent. inside of it with straight Open windows and fresh
equal parts with olive
Add a half-cup of lemon vinegar and letting it breezes work wonders
oil works wonders for
juice to the rinse cycle evaporate. for clearing away old,
unvarnished wood. For
to brighten clothes. stale smells. House-
varnished wood, dilute
Recipes & plants naturally remove
the solution with water.
odors and small
solutions Use a soft cloth to
particles from the air.
spread.
Now that you have
Floor cleaner
your supplies, it is time
Drain cleaner
and polish
to get cleaning!
Pour about a half-cup
All floors are all easily
of baking soda down
All-purpose and effectively cleaned
the drain, followed by
spray cleaner with an equal mix of
a half-cup of vinegar.
Mix one part vinegar white vinegar and warm
The resulting reaction
with four parts water and water. Add lemon juice
(foaming) will break
a splash of lemon juice for a fresh citrus scent.
Opt for plain soap and
down accumulated soap
in a plastic spray bottle. To preserve and polish
water to wash your
scum, which often clogs
This is the first bottle to linoleum or vinyl floors,
hands—skip the
drains.
reach for when cleaning add a splash of baby oil
antibacterial products.
After 15 minutes,
just about any mess. It to the cleaning solution.
pour hot or boiling water
works on kitchen coun- Polish freshly cleaned
Liquid soap down the drain to clear
ters, sinks, windows, wood floors with a thin
Use a natural, vegetable any remaining residue.
sticky messes on dining coat of equal parts
oil based soap—also If you have plastic pipes,
room tables, spills on vinegar and baby oil.
known as castile soap— skip the boiling water.
stoves and much more.
to scrub away dirt and Mold remover Caution: Do not use
For stubborn stains,
stains. Dr. Bronner’s is Mix one part hydrogen this method if you have
allow the solution to sit
a popular brand. You peroxide with three parts already tried a chemical
for a few minutes before
will find this in most water in a plastic spray drain clearer. The vine-
wiping it up. Use news-
grocery or natural food bottle. Spray over the gar may react with the
papers to dry your
stores. entire affected area, and drain clearer, releasing
windows, and cloth rags
let sit for at least one toxic fumes.
for everything else.
White vinegar
hour before rinsing.
This multi-use Metal polishes
Safe scrub Straight vinegar will also
ingredient cuts grease,
Mix baking soda with Silver: Line a saucepan
kill many types of mold.
removes dirt and tar-
liquid soap to make a with aluminum foil and
As with the hydrogen
nish, dissolves solids
gentle scrub for minor fill with water. Add a
peroxide mix, let the
and absorbs odors.
clean-up jobs. For teaspoon of salt and
vinegar sit for at least
Straight vinegar will
tougher jobs, combine baking soda, and bring
an hour before rinsing.
kill more than
equal parts baking soda to a boil. Once boiling,
80% of mold Clothing stain fighter
and coarse salt with add your silver for a
spores and Mix equal parts
enough water to form minute or two. Remove,
germs, hydrogen peroxide and
a thick paste. Spread and dry with a soft cloth.
and liquid soap in a small
the scrub using a brush, Brass and copper: Use
nearly bowl or plastic spray
sponge or rag. Either a soft cloth soaked in a
100% bottle. Lightly cover
scrub will clean bath- solution of lemon juice
of all the stained area, and
tubs, sinks, toilets, tile, and baking soda
bacteria. let sit. Gently rinse the
ovens and anything else. or vinegar and salt.
Add a solution away after
For tough stains, allow
quarter- Gold: Clean with a
15-45 minutes. Repeat
the paste to sit for
cup of paste of salt, vinegar
as necessary. This may
several minutes
vinegar to the and flour.
take several applica-
to several hours.
rinse cycle to soften Stainless steel and
tions, but keep with it—
fabrics and eliminate Air freshener chrome: Clean with a
it can even remove red
static cling. Use vinegar An open container of cloth soaked in vinegar.
wine stains. Caution:
to remove lingering baking soda or vinegar Hydrogen peroxide is a
odors from food storage with lemon juice will bleaching agent. Test
containers and more— do an excellent job this solution on a small
simply soak the item removing most airborne section of the garment
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5. What to avoid
There are a few especially nasty products out there that deserve special mention.
The top three to avoid are chlorine bleach, ammonia and anything labeled antibacterial.
All three are linked with known health risks and/or environmental consequences, and none
are necessary for standard cleaning chores.
infection, absorb
Chlorine bleach Ammonia Antibacterial products
calcium and other
Chlorine bleach can Low levels of ammonia These products seem
minerals and produce
burn skin and eyes, occur naturally, and will like a great idea—
essential vitamins. This
cause respiratory not cause any health antibacterial soaps
means antibacterial
problems, lead to liver problems. However, and disinfectants are
products could be
or kidney damage concentrated ammonia advertised as the
making us sicker, not
and interfere with the used in many household essential ingredient for
healthier, because we
immune system. The cleaners can cause eye, every clean home. But
kill essential beneficial
fumes can interfere with throat or nose irritation, the advertisements are
bacteria every time we
fetal development, and headache, nausea and misleading. Most bacte-
use them.
the liquid can be fatal vomiting. High concen- ria are not bad for us.
Most frightening,
if swallowed. Chlorine trations can lead to Antibacterial products
the overuse of antibi-
bleach may combine serious burns or eye are no more effective
otics and antibacterial
with natural substances damage. Repeated or than vinegar at control-
products may be leading
or commercial products prolonged exposure to ling bacteria and do
to the development of
to create toxic gases ammonia fumes may not kill viruses—which
antibiotic-resistant
or known carcinogens. slowly damage the eyes, cause the common cold
super-bacteria. While
Liquid chlorine bleach liver, kidneys and lungs, and flu—and cannot
antibacterial products
is the most common and may led to bronchi- prevent the spread of
kill many bacteria, a few
cleaner accidentally tis. Children and people contagious diseases.
always survive. These
swallowed by children. with asthma or emphyse- Antibacterial soaps work
survivors are stronger
Chlorine may ma are most sensitive no better than regular
and more resistant.
lurk in all manner of to ammonia. soap, and are generally
Already, doctors and
commercial home- Ammonia is most harsher and more drying
scientists have noticed
cleaning products, commonly used in glass, to our skin. Also, ingredi-
that certain strains of
including laundry window, metal and ents in antibacterial
bacteria—which can
detergent and bleach, oven cleaners. Cigarette soaps have been shown
cause infections—are
disinfectants, scouring smoke and many to last through waste-
able to resist antibiotic
powders and toilet chemical-based water treatment and
treatments that once
bowl cleaners. Luckily, fertilizers also contain accumulate in municipal
worked to control them.
alternatives are ammonia. As with sludge, which is later
Many worry that some
available. Hydrogen chlorine bleach, safe used as fertilizer for
bacteria will eventually
peroxide is a safe and effective alterna- crops. So essentially, we
be able to resist every
non-chlorine bleach. tives exist. Vinegar and wash this stuff down the
known antibiotic treat-
Vinegar is an excellent lemon juice clean glass drain, it doesn’t go away
ment, resulting in uncon-
disinfectant. Baking and most metals even after the water is
trollable super-bacteria.
soda mixed with coarse extremely well, and a treated, and then we
For all of these
salt is an effective paste of baking soda eat a portion of it in our
reasons, it is best to
scouring solution and salt will remove produce.
avoid any product
and will work wonders baked-on messes on Antibacterial
labeled antibacterial.
cleaning your toilet your stove or in your ingredients are common
These products should
and bathtub. oven. in soaps, disinfectants
only be used in special
and cleaners, and are
circumstances, such
now becoming available
as in hospitals and
in trash bags, sponges,
doctor’s offices. Plain
plastic wrap, disposable
soap and warm water
cutting boards and
is still the best way to
more. As unlikely as
wash your hands and
it sounds, we need
clean up—even after
bacteria. Beneficial
working with raw meat
bacteria help us digest
in the kitchen. •
our food, fight off
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