Spring has finally sprung!
This might mean that you’re taking on some spring cleaning. Why not seize the extra time at home by greening your cleaning routine? We at Green Action Centre get tons of questions about which cleaning products are the safest and most eco-friendly. We find that it’s often just as easy (and good for the wallet and environment) to make your own! Most of these recipes require only a few ingredients and a couple of minutes. Bonus: you probably already have a lot of the ingredients hanging around the kitchen.
Make Your Own
Basic ingredient list for green cleaning products:
- vinegar
- baking soda
- washing soda
- borax
- lemon juice
- castile soap (commonly found at health food stores)
- olive oil
- essential oils (lavender, peppermint, lemon, etc.)
Aside from the recipes we’ve formulated, our favourite recipe sources can be found at Eartheasy, Greenpeace, and David Suzuki Foundation (tested by Canada’s own Queen of Green). Of course, even home-made cleaning products should be used carefully.
Here are a couple of common recipes:
All-Purpose Cleaner
Ingredients
1 tablespoon Borax
1/2 cup liquid castile soap
4 litres hot water
Directions
Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle for easy use. Works on multiple kitchen and bathroom surfaces, including shower mildew.
Simple Glass Cleaner
Ingredients
1 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or 1 teaspoon lemon essential oil)
3 cups water
Directions
Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle for easy use. Works on glass, countertops, tile, and stainless steel.
Other Environmentally Friendly Options
- In Canada, the Ecologo certification program helps consumers identify cleaning products that are less harmful to the environment. Look for an Ecologo symbol on the package.
- Shop at stores you know carry earth-friendly products.
- Opt in to refill your containers to avoid excess packaging! In Winnipeg, Generation Green and Public General Store provide household product refills for BYOC (Bring Your Own Container).
When Choosing Products
- Pay attention to text or symbolic warnings indicating the product is poisonous, corrosive, flammable or explosive. If it is, maybe don’t buy or use the stuff.
- Look for products that are safe for children, biodegradable, non-toxic and not tested on animals.
- In many cases, manufacturers are not required to list specific ingredients, so you may not be able to tell if a product contains chlorine, formaldehyde, or phosphorus, for example. This is another reason to look for simple products from manufacturers that share your environmental concerns.
- Consider whether you really need to use items such as air fresheners and fabric softeners. If so, wool dryer balls and some essential oils may be a great substitute for you.
Resources
Chemicals in some household cleaners are toxic to people and harmful to the environment. Chemical residues often end up in our air, water and bodies, where they can cause problems for human and ecosystem health. For the average consumer, it can be hard to know which substances are dangerous and which are safe.
For various chemicals, human health risks may include endocrine disruption, immune system disruption, development disorders in children, allergies, neurotoxicity, and liver or kidney damage. A number of synthetic chemicals biodegrade slowly or not at all, so it makes sense to choose cleaners that are safe and environmentally friendly. Pollution of rivers, lakes and groundwater is a serious problem, as we’ve seen with Lake Winnipeg. This is where trusty online resources and DIY come in to play! Check out some of our favourites below:
