It is no surprise that ordinary cleaning products are toxic--that's the reason you keep them under your sink locked away from your children and pets. As the holidays roll around, you'll want a clean home to make your visiting friends and relatives feel comfortable, which is one of many reasons to stock your home with green-friendly cleaning supplies this holiday season.
If cleaning products pose a potential danger in the bottle, imagine what they can unleash when spread throughout your home. They can be dangerous when ingested, pollute indoor air and outside water supplies, and can even damage the surfaces they are cleaning.
Maria Onesto Moran, president of Green Home Experts in Oak Park, has dedicated her business to providing eco-friendly alternatives to anything in the home because "we believe in making it accessible and affordable to do what's good for the earth and good for families," says Moran. Some brands of cleaning products available from Green Home Experts are Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, Earth Friendly, Seventh Generation, Ecover, Charlie's, and BioKleen.
Moran can attest to the effectiveness of the products she sells because she tests them all herself. "If the decision is to choose between products that are harsh on our homes, ourselves, animals and the planet or biodegradable, non-toxic products that haven't been tested on animals and come in recyclable containers," asks Moran, "Isn't it an easy choice?" Moran also points out that many of the products she sells are highly concentrated, and thus you save money and space by not having to use as much at a time.
If you're curious about whether the products that you've found are really Earth-friendly, Moran says you shouldn't be fooled by "anything that prides itself solely on being all natural. Fossil fuels are a natural resource, but we know that it's not eco-friendly to use them." Instead, she says, "You want to see things that are non-toxic, biodegradable, not tested on animals, concentrated, made from renewable resources and that come in recyclable containers."
If you don't want to purchase a slew of new supplies, there are also some homemade cleaning products that you can create by using items around your home. Things such as baking soda, vinegar and regular soap can combine to create a cleaning solution that is can make your home clean and safe for holiday visitors.
Even if you're not planning on having any guests over this winter, the eco-friendly products available at Green Home Experts or simple items around the house can take you one step further to having a home that is both clean and green home.
