More and more people all over the world have started “thinking green”. But what does it mean? In a short word, thinking green is prompting people to think about everyday items in more environmentally friendly ways.
Our planet desperately needs our attention to its ecological problems caused by our actions. And green thinking, even in such commonplace moments like home cleaning, can become a lovely first step to positive changes.
You may already use some of the most environmentally friendly cleaning supplies in your house on a regular basis, without even realizing what wonderful cleaning materials they are. Some tools may surprise you. So, without further ado, let’s get acquainted with the most popular and simple «green» cleaning supplies.
Home-Made Cleaning Solutions
Using green cleaning supplies is something that is actually very easy to do. To start with, you can try to replace purchased cleaning solutions with home-made formulas. Believe us, you don’t have to spend a fortune or centuries on their preparation while cleaning efficiency and the ecological benefits of such a step will please you.
First of all, the industrial production of cleaning solutions cannot do without powerful chemicals. Their extraction, processing, and emissions are fatal for the environment. Secondly, their ingredients may cause respiratory problems and allergies for kids and people with weakened health. On the contrary, traditional cleaning formulas are made of well-known natural elements that can be found in every house. The examples are lemon acid, plain white vinegar, yeast, and baking soda.
So, what can we clean with natural solutions? The answer is literally every house surface from microwaves to windows.
Here is a simple way to clean your microwave without all that scrubbing or using chemical cleaning products. Simply put two cups of water in a microwaveable glass container along with a quarter-cup of white vinegar. Place in your microwave, turn it on at high power for approximately five minutes (so the water boils). Then allow it to sit for about two to three minutes so the steam can seep into the ceiling, walls, and bottom of the microwave. Take out the container (carefully so you do not get burned) and wipe out the microwave with a soft cloth. It is that easy and there are no chemicals to dispose of. Lemon acid will also suit.
Good old-fashioned vinegar and water in a spray bottle – about three-quarters water and one-quarter vinegar – is an excellent window cleaning solution as powerful as any bought product. As usual, spray it on your windows and dry off with the newspaper or paper towel.
Baking soda is another wonderful biodegradable, safe and reliable environmentally friendly item that allows “green cleaning” for everything from your teeth to the faucets around your house. Heck, it is even a great cleaner for the battery cable connectors on your automobile!
Energy-Saving Cleaning Devices
Irrational energy contribution is another serious environmental problem. You can face it everywhere, from car usage to house cleaning. Some of our common cleaning devices require too much electricity, increasing our bills and environmental damage. But the modern market has realized this problem and offered several nice decisions.
Floor vacuuming is a necessary yet energy-consuming task. Recently, many people have started to replace their common bulky vacuums with compact robot cleaners. Though at the moment, we cannot completely reject common vacuums, robot vacs provide much easier and more energy-efficient everyday floor cleaning. Robotic vacuums need two or three times less electricity. Besides, they require a minimum of human attention and participation, so you can dedicate your time to more important things than cleaning.
Some high-tech cleaning devices allow users to save not only energy and time but also other resources like water. Robots for window cleaning are an excellent example of compact and saving appliances. A person will never be able to wash windows with such a small quantity of water. Besides, the models with ultrasonic technology can do without detergents.
Power of Steam Instead of Chemicals
In some cases, the power of boiled water can provide incomparable cleaning results that surpass even solution and robot usage. Steaming devices are applied for various cleaning tasks, need as little energy as robots, and are as environmentally friendly as home-made natural formulas.
For recent years, engineers have designed steamers for cloth ironing, upholstery sanitation, hard floor processing, and even carpet cleaning. Besides, one and the same product may be used on several surfaces (like laminate in the bedroom, tile in the bathroom or kitchen).
Steamers are surprisingly efficient for stubborn stains and dry dirt spots. Special solutions significantly increase their performance, but even pure water power eliminates over 90% of pollution and hazardous elements. Steamers are completely hypoallergenic, kill all bacteria and germs, get rid of any odors.
This is an especially helpful machine for those who have carpets and pets running around the house. Depending on what carpet and stain situation you have, there are carpet cleaning machine options that can cover them. The diversity of choice may scare at first. So in order not to waste too much time and money on products that you might not end up using, do a little research and maybe go through some product tests before deciding on what machine to invest in.
Anyway, as you see, you’re free to pick up a suitable device for almost any type of house cleaning. A properly chosen item can save you money on other cleaning tools and become a perfectly environmentally friendly purchase.
Green Cleaning: Conclusion
The decision to use green cleaning supplies will not only benefit the health of your family, but it will benefit the environment as well.
There is a large variety of green cleaning products on the market today. Replacing the harsher chemicals that are frequently found throughout the home with those that are easy on the environment will help ensure that children for generations to come have a healthier environment to grow up in. More saving cleaning machines can also change both our bills and the planet for the better. After all, we are only borrowing this earth, and we truly need to keep it in as pristine condition as possible for the generations that follow us.
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