Employ better tactics. One of the cornerstones of sustainability is to avoid the need to consume resources and expend energy: If you can take a bus to work, for example, why buy a car? A great place to start cleaning green is to consider the stuff you need to clean. A white carpet takes more effort to maintain than a tile floor. Dry cleaning is more costly (from environmental damage to personal budget) than washing at home. You get the idea.

This advice parlays to housekeeping in a bunch of ways: from implementing routines to prevent your home from getting dirty (taking off your shoes at the front door), to recognizing that you don't need separate cleaning formulas for each surface and room in your home.

Stock better tools. Choosing tools and cleaning aids that do the least amount of damage to the environment is another important component of sustainable cleaning. Mop systems, for example, are a great convenience for modern housekeepers. But their throwaway mop heads are a green strike against them. Single-use wipes, likewise, are wasteful when an old towel or diaper can do the job again and again.

Simplifying your tools - gathering a few that serve many purposes rather than dozens that all perform a single specialized task - and investing in durable items that last are steps for greening your utility closet.

Switch to better ingredients. Cleaning formulas made of petroleum-based chemicals may rid your home of undesirable elements (dirt, mold, grime, germs), but may also introduce unhealthy chemicals into your home. If the same cleaner that kills the germs that were making you sick now emits a fume that makes you sick, are you really ahead?

An easy and inexpensive way to reduce the fossil fuel in your cleaners is to make your own with common household items such as vinegar and salt.

Formulating a New Green Clean

Reducing reliance on fossil fuels is a key step toward sustainability. It's an effort that requires the cooperation of big government and big industry. But individuals who want to be part of the solution are discovering that manageable changes in their own lives can bring about big-impact changes, include cutting down on use of gasoline - whether that means downsizing from an SUV, trading in for a hybrid car, or taking the bus to work - and making their home more energy-efficient.

Changing housekeeping habits also helps reduce carbon impact at home. Petro-whittling moves such as the following can help melt off the pounds:

Trade in for a newer model. When it comes to cleaning machines, new is better. The difference in energy efficiency between a 20-year-old washer and a just-off-the-assembly line model is huge. Look for the Energy Star designation on major appliances, including washers and refrigerators. (Visit www.energystar.gov for a full load of information about ways to reduce energy consumption.) Although not Energy Star-rated, the newer models of clothes dryers, vacuum cleaners, and air cleaners rate dramatically better on the energy-efficiency scale.

Degrease your cleaning formulas whenever possible.  ....read more