Ben Keningale on spring cleaning the green way
The 'ideal' day to do your spring cleaning is said to be March 31st, so it you're reading this now and haven't yet done it, you'd better get down to it asap. To help you do this in an ecologically-sound manner, Hippyshopper's green answer to Kim and Aggie, Ben Keningale, is here to get you on the right track.
So it’s that time of year again when you’ve realised that the inch-thick build up of grease on your cooker NEEDS to go and that there are new life forms lurking at the back of the cupboards that really shouldn’t exist.
But spring cleaning invariably involves using household cleaners that contain chemicals that are harmful to both us and the environment - I highlighted some of the dangers associated with them last week. So are there alternatives? There certainly are...
Baking Soda can be used as a mild abrasive and deodorant. A bowl of this stuff in your fridge will neutralize odours; while pouring down your drains and adding vinegar will help to keep them clean and fresh smelling.
Borax is a mould inhibitor, so can be used to effectively combat the unsightly black spots of mildew that inhabit the grouting around the bathroom. Again, like baking soda, borax is a deodoriser, and is particularly useful when put at the bottom of bin bags.
Vinegar has been used for centuries as a cleaning product. When added to baking soda, it can be used to scour surfaces without damaging them (except for marble!), and clear drains. Placing bowls at various spots in the house will clear cooking smells, and it is so good at cleaning glass without smearing, that many commercial window cleaners contain it!
Lemon Juice, like vinegar, is an acid, so is great at cleaning surfaces and smells good too. From personal experience, it is the best thing to clean that stubborn ring of dirt found in the bath. Add loads of lemon juice (the bottled stuff is fine) to a bowl of salt and baking soda, then use a cloth to apply and scrub at the bath ring. It really works!
Soapnuts are increasingly being used as an alternative to washing detergents. A few nuts, which are literally nuts obtained from trees, can be loaded into a washing machine with your clothes. They are supposedly as effective as regular washing powders, and are in no way harmful to the environment. The can also be used to clean tarnished jewellery!
If you don’t fancy messing around with “home made” cleaners, there are companies out there that specialise in environmentally friendly commercial cleaners. Living Clean is a company that adheres to a strict rule that means none of their products contain toxic or harmful chemicals. In addition, they ensure that anything they sell is not tested on animals,
Ecover was established in 1980 and is still expanding its huge range of ecologically sound products, which already includes everything from shower gel to dishwasher tablets. Its policy emphasises a need for all its products to be completely biodegradable, with environmental factors considered from the source of the raw materials, all the way through to production.
But for a one stop shop for green cleaning products, and more besides, check out the Green Shop, which stocks loads of stuff that you can use to stay ecologically friendly!
