Green Cleaning in 3 Easy Steps
When I was a kid, I knew the house was clean because it smelled like fake lemons and pine. But it may not have been as clean as my family thought: The EPA estimates that the air inside our homes can be as more polluted than the air outside, in part because of chemical cleaning products.
Indoor air pollution can lead to serious health problems like allergies and asthma; childhood asthma rates are now at epidemic levels, with more than seven million children affected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s one in 10 kids. So I’ve spent the last few years replacing those familiar from childhood with green cleaning products that I know are safer.
I have a homemade arsenal of cleaners concocted from olive oil, baking soda and vinegar. To my family, vinegar smells clean. I weeded out anything containing ammonia, chlorine, nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), triclosan, DEA, TEA, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide or sulfuric acid. First to go were labels that showed the words “warning” and “danger” or—god forbid—a skull-and-crossbones.
Because if something is dangerous to put on your skin or eat, then why in the world would you want to put it on something that you touch or eat from?
I also try to avoid artificial fragrances, which can contain hundreds of individual chemical ingredients, including phthalates that have been linked to hormone disruption. That one is tricky because it’s often listed as “fragrance” or even “natural fragrance,” but typically unless a label lists the components of what scents the product—such as lavender essential oil, etc.—then the word “fragrance” means it’s synthetically derived.
I have a homemade arsenal of cleaners concocted from olive oil, baking soda and vinegar. To my family, vinegar smells clean. And that’s a good thing, because grandmother-approved cleaners like vinegar and these other household staples don’t contribute to indoor air pollution, but they still leave your house sparkling.
And they save you money: A $10 investment can clean your house for months—even a year! Want to get started? Follow these steps:
1. Clean your cupboards of anything that contains the toxic substances listed above. Check Earth911.org to find out where to safely dispose of these products.
2. Replace your cleaners with things you can eat: Vinegar cleans surfaces and glass, baking soda makes a great scrub and olive oil leaves wood shiny.
3. If you buy natural cleaners, avoid those that contain “fragrance,” which is a red flag for additional chemicals.
Happy—and healthy—cleaning!


28 Comments
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maria smith
I have just gone through my cupboards and gotten rid of anything that didn’t make the cut. Now I’m learning all I can about green cleaning.
Rachel Sarnoff
Great, if you’re in San Diego, this looks like a good service to look in to!
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solid hardwood flooring
Hmm is anyone else experiencing problems with the images on this blog loading?
I’m trying to find out if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
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Linda Knight
Hi, What do you think of Enjo cleaning products?
Rachel Sarnoff
You know, I’ve never used them, so I can’t attest to their efficacy. Also they’re not listed on the EWG Cleaners Database, possibly because they’re new or maybe because they’re Australian? It looks like the company here in the US is Zabada, which isn’t listed either. I don’t see any chemical ingredients of concern, but I also don’t know how well they work. Have you tried them, Linda?
Leah Allen
Very informative and I will start going natural with my cleaners. Would love to win the basket.
Rachel Sarnoff
Good luck Leah!
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denise burgin
on home and family today you made a safe lemony cleaner…what is the recipe…really want to give it a try…thankj you denise burgin
Rachel Sarnoff
Sure! It’s two cups castille soap, one-half cup lemon juice and one-half cup water. You just have to test it out to see how it works with your water, adding more lemon juice if you need more acid. Let me know how it works and thanks for checking out Mommy Greenest!