From choosing natural building materials or those without harmful chemicals to building and maintaining an energy-efficient structure that allows for fresh air exchange, environmental practices support a healthy home.
But green cleaning techniques, despite their kinder-to-the-planet characteristics, can be just as tough in room-to-room combat with indoor pollution and offer one of the best ways to get toxins out of your space. Here are a few cleaning practices that have a positive effect in reducing poor indoor air quality and other environmental risks:
Eliminate the usual chemical suspects. Avoid cleaning products that contain the most offensive compounds
• Choose safer cleaning agents. Because most manufacturers don't list all the ingredients in the product, this one can be a challenge. Stick with cleaners that disclose all the ingredients or make your own simple and safe formulas
• Get the dirt to stick. Conventional dusting and sweeping can actually make air quality worse by stirring up sleeping dust and dirt into the air. The best solution is to replace your old shaggy-headed dust mop for one with a microfiber pad - dirt sticks to it like Velcro.
• Suck it up. Vacuuming regularly helps keep pollutants at bay - as long as the vacuum is actually sucking up dirt instead of spewing it out. A HEPA filter is a critical component of a good vacuum. Look for one that traps 99.97 percent of particulates 0.3 microns and larger, which include some chemical contaminants that bind to household dust.
• Clear the air. Use an energy-efficient air purifier to remove dust, pollen, and tobacco particulates from your home. Conventional air cleaners can drain a lot of energy, but to keep it under control, choose an Energy Star-rated model. (You can find listings on www.energystar.gov.) Select the smallest model that meets your needs based on area size.
Counting the Cost of Cleaning Green
In some respects, going green demands a lot more green - you know, the kind with dollar signs? A neighbor just got a quote on installing solar panels to generate his home's energy. The estimate was almost as much as my first home! Tankless water heaters. Hybrid cars. Even free-range eggs and grass-fed beef cost more than their conventional counterparts. Organic towels and sheets? Before you look at the thread count, better count up the extra expense.
Of course, cost is relative. The organic, locally grown tomatoes are a good $1 a pound more than the hothouse brand. ....read more
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