When it comes to cleaning your home, you would never knowingly choose products that are toxic or contain chemicals that could harm you or your family. But unfortunately, many products that are sold to clean and sanitize your home can actually cause more harm than good, exacerbating allergies, causing skin irritation, or even creating breathing problems. Fortunately, there are safer alternatives to clean, disinfect and protect your home. In this article, we’ll provide you with information on safer, greener alternatives for your most commonly used household care and cleaning items.
We hope sharing these green cleaning alternatives with you will assist you in making more informed decisions about the chemicals and methods you choose to degrease and disinfect surfaces, purify air and seal surfaces in your home.
DEGREASING SURFACES
The standard: Bleach-based sprays The green alternative: Hypochlorous acid spray Many of us grew up associating the smell of bleach with the “smell of clean”—or at least the smell of sterile disinfection. But bleach can cause irritation to skin and airways, and harm your surfaces; you should not use bleach on granite or natural stone countertops as it can dull the surface and weaken your application of sealant. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need harsh degreasing chemicals to get an effective clean. A newer technology more widely available today is hypochlorous acid, a disinfectant made from electrolyzing specific proportions of salt, vinegar and water. Hypochlorous acid is extremely gentle (it’s used as a wound cleaner and in eye care products) but powerful enough to cut through greasy, sticky messes.DEODORIZING AIR
The standard: Scented room sprays The green alternative: Air purifying fans Did you know that most nasty odors are caused by bacteria? Scented or perfumed room sprays can mask dirty-smelling odors, but don’t do anything to tackle the source of the smell. Moreover, perfumed room sprays can contain artificial fragrances that can cause headaches for those sensitive, and most are not recommended for use around pets and small children that could inhale the spray. An eco-friendly alternative is to run an air purification device or fan to cycle dirty-smelling air through germ-killing filters that remove odors in your home. These devices kill airborne bacteria particles and capture pollutants that can cause lung and sinus irritation. Seasonal allergy sufferers will rejoice; some devices also filter over 99% of allergens.SEALING SURFACES
The standard: High-VOC sealers The green alternative: Non-toxic sealer Surface sealing, especially natural stone countertops, has become a more important home-care step as more and more homes include these surfaces. Conventional care for these porous surfaces required application of heavy-duty, high-VOC chemical surface sealers to shield and protect against liquids and stains, but came at the price of noxious odors and a time-consuming application process with serious safety measures. But new advances in the surface-sealing industry have brought consumers multi-purpose sealers that are just as effective in preventing liquid and moisture penetration, shielding from stains, and imparting a glossy shine without the toxic chemicals or lengthy, complicated application. Look for a sealer with NSF Certification to know right away if it’s safe to use around food, family and pets.DISINFECTING ITEMS
The standard: Bleach or ammonia cleaner The green alternative: UV light machine or wand While bleach has been a go-to chemical for sterilization for many years, it’s not the best choice for many reasons, especially when it comes to spraying it on or around items that pets or young children will put in their mouths. Most bleach cleaner applications also require a rinsing step, making it a more time-consuming cleaning choice. UV light sanitation technology has continued to advance, especially as people sought alternative disinfection methods when traditional cleaning chemicals became hard to obtain in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. While UV-light boxes and containers are easier to find, there are UV light wands on the market that have been shown to kill up to 99.9% of germs, including MRSA and E. coli, in three minutes.We hope sharing these green cleaning alternatives with you will assist you in making more informed decisions about the chemicals and methods you choose to degrease and disinfect surfaces, purify air and seal surfaces in your home.
