Green Cleaning
Ahoy Green Spring Cleaning, Bon Voyage Pirate Chemicals
By: Kellee K. Sikes
Labels full of biodegradable, eco-anything, green, natural, and organic words splash out with salty phrases like non-toxic, non-pollutant, non-hazardous, no ammonia, no chlorine, and no phosphates in an ocean of new green cleaning products. If that is not enough to induce label reading seasickness, bring on a slew of certification seals—
Cruelty Free, Green Seal, USDA Organic, and the Good Housekeeping Green Seal that cling like barnacles to green-cleaning product labels. What does it all mean? Which products are the right catches to bring home? Which can swab the deck to a sparkle, keep you, your crew, pets, and your buried treasure healthy; while having as low an impact on the planet as possible?
Well Ahoy maties! There is a strong, green, spring-cleaning wind ready to set sail to a healthy clean house. No need to buy a bunch of supplies, fight with pirate chemicals, or wear an eye patch, unless you just want to. Get that skull and cross bones symbol off your cleaning supplies!
To get started on a green cleaning voyage, make five main pirate chemicals walk the plank. Sure, some will say they are technically natural (occurring in nature) or organic (free from artificial or synthetic chemicals), but lets face it, oil and anthrax are technically natural and organic. Ammonia vapors irritate eyes and noses and can be dangerous for those with respiratory issues. When mixed with chlorine-based cleaners, ammonia produces a toxic gas. Used as a poisonous gas in World War I, inhaled chlorine gas can affect throat and lungs with irreversible damage. At high concentrations chlorine is toxic to insects, plants, and bacteria vital to the breakdown of human waste. Naturally occurring in vegetables, glycolic acid, also known as alphahydroxy acid (AHA) or hydroxyacetic acid, is considered a moderately toxic chemical when inhaled or absorbed through skin. Taken orally it is toxic to the kidneys. Phosphates drained into fresh water sources accelerate algae growth that can choke out oxygen and thereby the natural environment. In extreme cases, the phosphate algae relationship kills off all but putrefying bacteria. Petroleum based cleaners are all too common and in the distillate form petroleum can be nerve-damaging. From an environmental standpoint, using petroleum in every thing from plastics, to cleaners, to pesticides and herbicides is a wasteful and toxic use of a finite natural resource when many alternatives exist.
Yo ho ho and a box of baking soda, bag of soap nuts, a bottle of vinegar, and magnetic and microfiber cloths are the mainstays of a green cleaning life for me!
As we all know many scallywags lurk in the dank corners and broad surfaces of our homes. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar take scum and bacteria to the brig without sending harsh pirate chemicals down the drain. Baking soda is a gentle abrasive removing dirt and grime with some antibacterial action. Baking soda will not harm surfaces and has no environmental effects. Vinegar, created by alcohol oxidation, is a strong antibacterial with its acetic acid. Studies demonstrate that common, grocery-shelf, five-percent vinegar solutions of white vinegar kill 99% of bacteria, 82% of mold, and 80% of germy viruses. Vinegar made from plant ingredients (and not petroleum) in small amounts has negligible environmental effects especially when diluted by water, and does not persist, and biodegrades quickly. Here are some tips to use these inexpensive cleaning tools to charter a green cleaning course.
Keeping the Galley and Bath in Ship Shape Condition
For general cleaning and disinfecting of tiles, counter tops, basins, chrome, mirrors and most kitchen and bath surfaces, mix a half cup of vinegar and one fourth cup of baking soda into a half gallon of water. Spray cleaning solution on surface to be cleaned, use a sponge and elbow grease for scrubbing action, then rinse or whip off with damp cloth. The solution can be kept in a plastic bottle for future use.
Tackle soap scum by spraying a fifty/fifty mix of vinegar and water on shower doors and basins, let sit, then rinse. For mold, use straight white vinegar, spraying the affected areas will kill the mold. Boiling hot white vinegar is known for clearing surly drain clogs. Two table spoons of baking soda sprinkled down the drain with hot water from a running tap can also dissolve drain blocks.
Spy Glass with Sparkle:
To clean glass, a good microfiber magnet cloth will do the trick lint-free and streak-free. It will clean glass, mirrors, and glassware dry or moistened with water. No chemicals needed and it can be machine washed and hung dry for hundreds of uses.
Swabbing the Deck:
No-rinse hard floor cleaners are more challenging. Biokleen All Purpose Cleaner is an excellent option and a stellar example of what a solid green cleaner label and ingredient list looks like. Everything is clearly defined and not a single pirate chemical is on the list. This and other similar products can be found on line and at local green stores like Home-Eco and Whole Foods. To deodorize carpeting in the house or car, sprinkle baking soda lightly on the carpeting, wait 15 minutes, and vacuum.
Polishing the Captain’s Chair:
A very tight weave, fine nap, microfiber cleaning cloth and a little water removes dust, dirt and grime from stem to stern, no cleaning chemicals required. It’s simple. Dampen the cloth, ring out all excess water and wipe over glass, stainless steel, chrome, tile, and wood. When the cloth is dirty simply rise, wring, and repeat. Like the magnet cloth, the microfiber cloth can be machine washed and hung dry for hundreds of uses. The MysticMaid brand is currently rated as one of the highest performing brands available.
When wood looks dull and dry from too much salty sea air, consider a little beeswax to add moisture and shine. Vinegar can be used to polish chrome and stainless steel.
Scrub-a-dub-dub in the Laundry Tub:
Soap nuts do in fact grow on trees. Five to six shells of these nuts will wash one to three loads of laundry chemical free and the shells can be composted when they are done. If you are worried about germs or bacteria or wanting a fabric softener, add a quarter to half cup of vinegar to the wash. Soap nuts are available from many online retailers.
Drying in sunshine is best. No cost, no energy wasted, and the sun brightens whites. If the community is anti laundry line or space is tight, keep the static at bay and add a fresh scent via the dryer by using a small cheese cloth pouch filled with lavender (can be home garden grown) topped off with a few drops of lavender oil every few drying cycles.
Additional Tips
To add a pleasant sent to any of the green cleaning options above use a drop or two of essential oils like lavender, sandalwood, or lemon grass. Many natural pure Castile soaps that are good for cleaning house and body have pleasant smelling oils and can also be added to the cleaning options above. Dr. Bronner’s has a full line of organic, fair trade Castile soaps available online, in green stores, and even conventional retailers like Target. If getting the elbow grease in gear to take full advantage of green cleaning is daunting, consider investing in a rechargeable battery powered ScumBuster from Black and Decker or a similar tool to help get the job done.
You can get mesmerized by the green cleaner labels or taken in by not so green promises, but why buy when a low-cost bottle of vinegar and box of baking soda will do!
To learn more about this topic, where to buy, and read sources for this article visit Kellee’s Delicious page www.delicious.com/kelleeksikes and type "VV0904" in the tag search box. Kellee K. Sikes transitions companies from a single to a triple bottom line for people, profit, and planet at P3 Strategies www.p3strategiesinc.com.
