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health
Keep your Home and Office Clean…Naturally!
5 easy tips to try
By Dianna Gallant
Natural cleaning may seem a little overwhelming as you
prepare to take that first step away from conventional
cleaning products in which a pungent synthetic fragrance
automatically signals a sense of ‘clean’. However, as awareness
grows about harmful chemicals and their negative effects to
human health and the environment, we begin to question
these potentially harmful cleaners and actively seek a natural
solution. This change is one of the most important decisions
you will make for the loved ones in your home and office.
As a very busy woman, where should you begin? Here are
five easy tips to make the transition to natural cleaning!
Tip #1: Find a natural cleaner
There is an abundant number of green cleaning products
on the market. Ignore misleading propaganda and look
at the ingredient list. If this list is missing or contains the
all-encompassing word “fragrance”, which can refer to as
many as 600 different chemicals in the formula (and 95% of
chemicals used in fragrances are derived from petroleum),
keep shopping.
Products that disclose all ingredients and are plant-based,
biodegradable, chlorine/ammonia/phosphate free with
no synthetic dyes or fragrances are good choices. Another
great alternative is to make your own cleaning products with
natural ingredients you may already have in your home.
Vinegar, baking soda, lemons, hydrogen peroxide and salt as
well as essential oils can be used in a variety of combinations
to clean up any mess. This is also a great opportunity to
let children help out around the house without the fear of
handling harmful chemicals.
Tip #2: Don’t clean a lot,
just clean often
This is the ultimate secret to cleaning your home naturally!
Instead of letting things pile up and wait until “cleaning day”
keep on top of the daily mess. This proactive way of cleaning
will not require harsh chemicals to combat stains, soap scum
or tough dried on food. It will reduce the number of toxic
chemicals in your home and make cleaning more enjoyable
when there is less to clean at one time.
Clearing clutter is also an important process that goes
hand in hand with natural cleaning. Organizing is not only
about having less to clean but is also about finding clarity
in our physical surroundings and our minds. Similarly,
natural cleaning is not only about cleaning but also about
experiencing peace of mind by knowing our homes and
offices are toxic-free.
Tip #3: Take care of modern
dust naturally
Photo by Janet Pliszka at visualhues.com
Regular dusting is an important way to keep your home
and office naturally clean. Forget using dusting polishes in
aerosol cans. Instead, microfiber cloths make cleaning less
toxic because they have the ability to clean, dust and polish
without the use of any cleaning chemicals. Most of the dust
50 MOMpreneur ® � July/August 2010