The Organic Consumers Association website has a great page to get us started. According to their article How Toxic Are Your Household Cleaning Supplies, "Cleaning ingredients vary in the type of health hazard they pose. Some cause acute, or immediate, hazards such as skin or respiratory irritation, watery eyes, or chemical burns, while others are associated with chronic, or long-term, effects such as cancer."
And as for the environment, "After bubbly cleaning liquids disappear down our drains, they are treated along with sewage and other waste water at municipal treatment plants, then discharged into nearby waterways. Most ingredients in chemical cleaners break down into harmless substances during treatment or soon afterward. Others, however, do not, threatening water quality or fish and other wildlife. In a May 2002 study of contaminants in stream water samples across the country, the U.S. Geological Survey found persistent detergent metabolites in 69% of streams tested. Sixty-six percent contained disinfectants."
Here is what I'd like from everyone who visits this page. Please share your story! Let me know if you have had problems with traditional household chemicals or what is in your green cleaning bucket. I have been a Swiffer user for years. We finally ran out of the wet pads recently and decided to make the switch to a different mop. We picked up a sponge mop and now I'm looking for a homemade green cleaning solution. My two favorite things to use in many household cleaners are vinegar and borax so I'm sure I'll end up using one of those. I'd love to hear suggestions though!
