Green Cleaning

This article includes some tips and information about green cleaning from Bethany, who has an earth-friendly cleaning business.

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No green cleaning bucket is complete without Bon Ami, Whole Foods Soap Scum Remover, and a spray bottle with vinegar, water, and a dash of Mrs. Meyers Multi Purpose Cleaning Solution. Also don’t forget a scrub brush and sponge!

Always clean backwards, so clean yourself out of the room so you don’t leave any footprints. When cleaning ceramic tile, I like to use Bon Ami on tough stains because it doesn’t scratch, but gets up grime with little elbow grease!

I like to clean the stove top, including all knobs, with an ammonia free cleaner such as Method or my homemade vinegar spray.

I love using Hepa filters on vacuums to keep the allergens down.

Sealed wood floors will shine like new with warm water and a natural vinegar solution; I add a dash of Mrs. Meyers Multipurpose Cleaner. When washing wood floors, I clean myself out of the room as usual and like to go with the grain of the wood.

Shiny fixtures and debris free counters are a must for a bathroom! I use a vinegar solution or an ammonia free cleaner to disinfect and cut grime. The best green tool is elbow grease!

To remove soap scum, I like to use Whole Foods Brand Soap Scum Remover (but I dilute it because it is very concentrated.) I alternate this with Bon Ami or Method.

My second favorite green tool: a strong grout brush for getting in those hard to reach places!

Glass shower doors can be very tricky, so the best trick is to let them soak in a soap scum remover and then scrub with a sponge.

Another way to get rid of soap scum is to smile at it.

Good ole vinegar is a great disinfectant!

It’s a wrap!

My favorite part of cleaning is when I get to play with my clients' furry friends!

This one is sad to see me go!

RELATED LINKS

Wikipedia on "green cleaning:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_cleaning

Recipes for home-made green cleaning:
http://www.cleaning-green.net/

Green Cleaning Toolkit: http://informinc.org/toolkit.php

Green Cleaning Report: Cleaning for Health: Products and Practices for a Safer Indoor Environmenthttp://informinc.org/cleanforhealth.php

Suggested Topics/Questions to Explore/Discuss

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of earth-friendly cleaners?

Q: What kind of effect can cleaning chemicals have on people? Pets? The environment?

Q: What are some of the easiest, least expensive changes we can make in cleaning that can have the most impact?

Learning Techniques

Try searching for more information using Google, YouTube or Wikipedia, by coming up with words and phrases for questions or concerns. You can also add depth to your learning by pursuing opposing viewpoints.

Ex: Try searching for "green cleaning" on YouTube, or "green cleaning" + "benefits" on Google

Good luck!