by Kristin Urbauer

Created on: December 13, 2009

Green cleaning is quickly growing in popularity as more people realize the advantages of such cleaning methods. Harsh chemicals can harm people and affect indoor air quality. Additionally, the storage and disposal of such chemicals can be difficult and can easily harm the community and environment in general. Below are the top 3 tips for green cleaning to avoid these dangerous chemicals and quickly and easily get started with healthy cleaning.

Tip #1 – Use microfiber for cleaning.

Microfiber cloths are the perfect solution for green cleaning. Using microfiber cloths, most of the home can be cleaned without any cleaning chemicals at all. If you choose to use any products, you will find that the amount used will decrease greatly when using microfiber cloths. They are widely available and are not cost prohibitive; once purchased, they are long-lasting, and often outliving cleaning cloths made of other materials. Other microfiber equipment is available, including mop heads.

Tip #2 – Clean the air in your home.

It wasn’t that long ago that a common part of the weekly housecleaning was to open the windows and air out the house. It turns out that this was a wonderful green cleaning method used by our mothers and grandmothers. Opening the windows lets stale air out and fresh air in, a valued commodity in newly built, air-tight homes today. Even in cold weather, opening the windows for just a few minutes each week will allow fresh, clean air into your home without freezing you out or costing a fortune.

Another way to easily and quickly improve indoor air quality is through the use of live plants in the home. Plants remove carbon dioxide and other impurities from the air while releasing oxygen. This makes live plants a wonderful boon to any green cleaning efforts. To gain the most advantage from this idea, place two or more plants in each room of the house, depending on the amount of space in each area.

Tip #3 – Make your own cleaning products.

There are many so-called “natural” cleaning products on the market today. Both the effectiveness and safety of such cleaners varies widely from one brand to the next, and sometimes even from product to product within the same brand. Though these are better alternatives than traditional cleaners, they do not compare to the safety of homemade natural cleaners. Making your own cleaning supplies can be easy and requires only a few products which you probably already have in your cupboards. Take advantage of this simple method to reduce and remove harmful fumes and chemicals from your home.

Baking soda and white vinegar are the two easiest and most commonly used products in green cleaning. Using these two products, most items in your home can be thoroughly and safely cleaned. Other ingredients useful for green cleaning include essential oils, which provide antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.

Using these 3 tips, you can be up and running in no time, on the way to a healthier home environment. Green cleaning is safe, easy and effective; it often costs less to clean green than it does to use harmful

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