Most things will biodegrade … but what do they biodegrade into?
The most important question to ask yourself about the products you buy is, "What does clean really mean?" How important are polished silverware, absolutely white linens or shining floors? Are you trying to extend the useful life of the items or are you engaged in chemical warfare against dirt and germs at any price?
An amazing number of toxic products have made their way into the places we eat, sleep, bathe and relax. Just look under the kitchen sink! Floor cleaners, drain and oven cleaners, furniture polish, stain removers, bleaches, pesticides and air fresheners can all have serious health and environmental effects over time.
Consumers should be wary of products which claim to be environmentally-friendly without providing a list of ingredients on their label. Be particularly cautious if a product's sole claim is "100% Biodegradable." Most things biodegrade. The relevant question is: Biodegrade into what? Some products biodegrade into chemicals even more harmful to the environment than the original product!
A good alternative is to set up your own Safe Cleaning Kit with baking soda, pure soap, washing soda, vegetable or olive oil, and white vinegar–cheap, effective ingredients that only require a little elbow grease.
Here are some ways to keep your house clean while protecting the environment and your health.
Air Fresheners
STOP using all chemical commercial air fresheners, including chemical sprays, aerosols, plug-ins or pumps.
USE herbs, incense or pot pourri, open windows and doors to air out the house, use baking soda in the refrigerator, garbage cans and kitty litter pans, place white vinegar or baking soda in small dishes to absorb odours, boil cinnamon and cloves in a pan of water to scent the air. Houseplants also absorb pollutants and purify the air.
All-Purpose Cleaners
STOP using: products containing chlorine, ammonia, butyl cellosolve, DEA, TEA, morpholine, or chemical dyes, including products such as Top Job, Clorox Cleanup, any brand of domestic ammonia or cleaners such as Ajax Ammonia Fresh Liquid.
USE Nature Clean Cleaning Lotion, Shakalee Basic H All-Purpose Cleaner, or, even better, make your own cleaner by mixing 125ml pure soap (such as Dr. Bonner's Castile Soap) with 4 litres of hot water.
To cut grease add 60ml reconstituted or strained, freshly squeezed lemon juice, or dissolve 60ml of baking soda in 1 litre of hot water, or mix equal parts vinegar and salt.
Dish Washing Detergents
STOP using products containing phosphates, petrochemicals, chlorine, dyes, fragrances, ammonia or powdered dish washing soaps, including brands such as All Dishwasher Detergent, Cascade (liquid or powdered), Electrasol, Palmolive liquid and Sunlight (Auto Dish liquid and powder).
USE Nature Clean, Shaklee Basic D, or, even better, hand wash with soap flakes dissolved in hot water–add some vinegar for tough grease. Lemon juice can also be used for grease.
Bathroom Cleaners and Disinfectants
STOP using all chemical disinfectants, and especially those which contain cresol, phenol, ethanol, formaldehyde, ammonia, chlorine, sodium hypochlorite and phosphoric acid . Some of the most hazardous household disinfectants are Lysol Disinfectant (Fresh Scent), Shaklee Basic G, X-14 Mildew Stain Remover and Tilex.
USE Nature Clean Cream Cleaner, 20 Mule Team Borax, or, even better, clean surfaces regularly with soap and hot water. For tub and tile, use a firm bristled brush with plain baking soda or a mixture of 125 ml pure soap and four litres of hot water with baking soda added. For mould and mildew, rub tiles and grout with a cloth moistened with vinegar then scrub with an old tooth or nail brush.
Drain Cleaners
STOP using all commercial chemical drain cleaners which contain lye, hydrochloric and sulfuric acids, including products like the chlorinated Liquid Plumber, Drano Liquid and Pressure Plumber, which uses hydrofluorocarbons to blast out clogs.
USE prevention techniques because there are no safer commercial alternatives. The best method is to prevent the problem in the first place by covering sink, tub and shower drains with screen or drain baskets to keep out food scraps and hair. Never pour grease down the drain. To maintain clean drains, mix 125 ml baking soda, 125 ml salt and 30 ml cream of tartar; place this in the drain and immediately follow with hot water. To remove hair, food and grease clogs, use a plunger or metal plumber's snake. If none of these methods work, call in a plumber.
Glass Cleaners
STOP using commercial products which contain ammonia mixed with water and blue or green dye.
USE Nature Clean Glass & Window Cleaner, or, even better, make your own formula by mixing 65 ml vinegar OR 15 ml lemon juice to a one litre spray bottle filled with warm water. Polish with newspaper, which doesn't streak!
Oven Cleaners
STOP using most commercial products which contain lye, a powerful caustic substance that can burn and disfigure. Products to avoid include Dow Oven Cleaner, most Easy Off brands and SOS Oven Cleaner.
USE preventative measures by wiping away grease and spills in the oven after each use, or put an aluminum foil liner on the oven bottom to catch spills. Sprinkle baking soda on moist surface and scrub with steel wool. Or add baking soda to a mixture of 250 ml pure soap, 120 ml lemon juice and 4 litres of hot water–remember to wear gloves while scrubbing. For extremely resistant black spots, remove with steel wool or a pumice stone.
Bathroom Cleaners
STOP using commercial scouring cleaners which contain silica and/or chlorine, which can be very dangerous if inhaled. Some of the worst products are Comet and Ajax. Also avoid toilet bowl cleaners as they contain strong acids, including 2000 Flushes, Clorox Automatic, Lysol, Sani-Flush Crystal, and Vanish.
USE Borax powder, Nature Clean Cream Cleaner or Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Shaklee At Ease Liquid Scouring Cleanser, or, even better, use baking soda or a paste made with pure soap and baking soda. For toilet stains, clean regularly with pure soap and water or, for stubborn stains, rub carefully with fine wet/dry sandpaper. For calcium stains, drop 1000ml of vitamin C into the bowl, leave overnight, then scrub.
Laundry Detergents
STOP using most commercial products which contain petrochemicals, phos••• phates, surfactants (such as nonylphenol ethoxylate which biodegrades into nonylphenols, a 'gender-bender' chemical) and chlorine bleach. Products to avoid include Clorox Powder, Oxydol with Bleach, Tide Powder and Bold Powder.
USE liquid based detergents such as Nature Clean, which use coconut oil as their surfactant or 125 ml of Borax per laundry load enhanced with washing soda. Or, even better, add 80 ml washing soda to water as the machine is filling. Put in clothes then add 375 ml of pure soap flakes or powder (not detergent). If the water is hard, add 60 ml vinegar during the first rinse–this is also a good fabric softener.
For heavily soiled items, pre-soak in warm water with 125 ml of washing soda or rub soiled areas with liquid soap or mixture of washing soda and warm water.
Note: When switching from deter gent to pure soap, wash items once with 80 ml washing soda only. This will remove detergent residues which might react with soap and cause yellowing.
Laundry Bleach
STOP using all chlorine bleaches which give off hazardous gases when mixed with ammonia or other acids. More importantly, chlorine itself is the basis of dioxins and other deadly chlorinated compounds that have been linked to cancer and long-term damage to growth, development and reproductive systems in humans and wildlife.
USE Nature Clean or other hydrogen peroxide bleaches. (Although hydrogen peroxide is a strong chemical, it breaks down in the environment into oxygen and water.) Or, even better, 125 ml of washing soda in each load of laundry will whiten whites and brighten colours. If you need additional cleaning power, add 125 ml of borax.
Feature sponsored by Friends of Cortes Island Watershed Sentinel Development Fund
* Excerpted from the Georgia Strait Alliance's Community Household De-Tox Challenge pamphlet series.
* For more information contact:
Georgia Strait Alliance, #201-195 Commercial St., Nanaimo, BC V9R 5G5; ph: (250)753-3459; fax: (250)753-2567; email: gsa@island.net; www.island.net/~gsa
Toronto Environmental Alliance, #209 – 122 St. Patrick St., Toronto, ON M5T 2X8; ph: (416)596-0660; email: tea@web.net