Green cleaning involves using methods and products with environmentally friendly ingredients designed to preserve human health and environmental quality. As advocates of green cleaning at Great Green Cleaning, we’re eager to share some of our top tips with you.

Why Clean Green?

Green cleaning is not just about being kind to the environment. It’s also about creating a safe, non-toxic environment for you and your family. Traditional cleaning products often contain chemicals that can cause health issues such as allergies, asthma, skin irritations, and more. Green cleaning products, on the other hand, are made with natural ingredients that are safe for both humans and pets.

Green Cleaning Tips for a Healthier Home

1. DIY Green Cleaning Products: You can make effective, non-toxic cleaning solutions with common household items. For example, a mixture of vinegar and water can be used to clean windows and mirrors, while baking soda and lemon are great for scrubbing surfaces. For scrub powder, we use Barkeepers Friend, which is unbleached and uses all-natural ingredients.
2. Eco-Friendly Air Fresheners: Synthetic air fresheners can contribute to indoor air pollution. Instead, try natural methods to keep your home smelling fresh. Simmer herbs and spices on the stove, use essential oils, or open your windows to let in fresh air.
3. Regular Dusting: Dusting is crucial for maintaining good indoor air quality. Use a damp cloth to trap dust instead of sending it back into the air. Don’t forget to dust hard-to-reach areas like ceiling fans and baseboards.
4. Green Laundry: Make your laundry routine more eco-friendly by washing clothes in cold water, line drying when possible, and choosing laundry products with plant-based ingredients and minimal packaging.
5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Try to reduce waste by using reusable cloths instead of paper towels. If you have to use paper towels, you can always compost food-soiled paper towels. Re-usable sponges are also great and save you money as well, and can usually be cleaned in the laundry or in the dishwasher.
6. Compost Food Scraps: Keep a bowl next to your cutting board for all the food scraps. Composting also keeps your garbage from smelling, improving indoor air quality. If they don’t collect compost on your street, there are numerous food scrap drop-off sites located at Greenmarkets, certain subway stations, and other locations throughout the city. You can find the nearest drop-off site using the NYC Compost Project website.

At Great Green Cleaning, we’re committed to providing our clients with top-notch cleaning services that don’t compromise on environmental responsibility. We understand that every home is unique, and we tailor our services to meet your specific needs.

If you’re interested in making the switch to green cleaning but aren’t sure where to start, we’re here to help! Give us a call at 718-369-9000 for a free estimate. We’re available 7 days a week to assist you in creating a healthier, happier home.

Remember, green cleaning is not only better for the environment, but it also creates a healthier home by reducing exposure to toxic chemicals. Start implementing these green cleaning tips today for a cleaner, healthier home. With Great Green Cleaning, you can have the best of both worlds.

Stay clean, stay green!

A Word of Caution: Beware of ‘Greenwashed’ Cleaning Products

As you embark on your journey towards a greener, healthier home, it’s important to be vigilant. Unfortunately, not all products labeled as ‘green’ or ‘eco-friendly’ live up to their claims. This phenomenon, often referred to as ‘greenwashing’, can mislead consumers into purchasing products that are not truly environmentally friendly or safe for health.

One common pitfall to watch out for is the inclusion of fragrances in cleaning products. While a pleasant scent may make cleaning more enjoyable, many fragrances are synthetic and can trigger allergies, asthma, and other health issues. Some products may also contain hidden allergens and irritants, even though they’re marketed as ‘green’ or ‘natural’.

Always take the time to read labels carefully. Look for products that are fragrance-free, and that list all their ingredients transparently. If you’re unsure about a product, do some research or consider making your own cleaning solutions from natural, household items.

Remember, a truly green cleaning routine is about more than just using products labeled as ‘eco-friendly’. It’s about making informed choices that prioritize both your health and the health of our planet.

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It’s as simple as the discovery in the mid 1800’s by Doctor Semmelweis, who found that by encouraging hand washing and cleanliness in the clinics, he saved millions of lives. When they started disinfecting and hand washing, the death rate abruptly dropped from 30% to near 0% in only two months following the cleanliness discovery.

We like to think of our homes as “safe” but the truth is, if you haven’t taken the time to sanitize and get the germs out, germs are thriving on every surface in your home. If you had a microscope and you could look around your home with it, you probably wouldn’t want to touch anything.

Tidying up is nice and makes for a stress free environment, but it’s just as important to make sure every surface has been sanitized and all organic matter removed, so that the germs have nothing left to eat. And this should be done on a regular basis to keep your home clean and germ free. Germs don’t exist in an environment that has no organic matter, germs have to eat too!

Great Green Cleaning takes charge of the cleaning chores for you. We know about sanitizing and making sure your home is cleaned green, and left allergen and scent free. And, of course, regardless of how well someone cleans, it’s also about having someone trustworthy cleaning and sanitizing your home, “caring for your precious belongings the way you would.”

Great Green Cleaning uses green earth safe products to make your home clean and safe for your family. Our clients are smart, busy New Yorkers who choose eco-friendly products, live a Green lifestyle and live on the earth gently and responsibly. The products being used at your home or company have no Petroleum distillates, chlorines, ammoniates, among many other contaminants.

Again, it’s not just about cleaning; it’s about safe cleaning, green cleaning, and your health. And that can make a big difference in the quality of your life this winter during flu season. You can call Great Green Cleaning and a client care specialist will be happy to give you a free cleaning assessment so you’ll know what you need to do to get your home in shape for flu season.

The post How to Stay Healthy During Flu Season appeared first on Great Green Cleaning.

These 7 habits are quick and easy to pick up:

Hit The Lights

You don’t have to walk around with a candle, but any small effort in consuming less energy will reduce the amount of toxic fumes released by power plants. Not to mention the fact that shutting off your lights when not in use, and replacing your bulbs with CFL or LED bulbs can save you over a hundred dollars per year.

Easy on the Water Waste

Using water you don’t need wastes energy and money, but also diverts water from our rivers, bays, and estuaries which help keep the environment healthy.

Here are few things you can do to reduce water usage:

• Skip the Bath

  You don’t have to ban them completely, but choosing to shower instead will use half as much water.

• Use a Car Wash

  Seriously, if everyone in the US had their car washed professionally just one time instead of hand-washing, we’d save up to 8.7 billion gallons of water.

• Don’t Leave it Running

  whether you’re brushing your teeth or cooking in the kitchen, never leave the water running unnecessarily.

• Scrape, Don’t Rinse

  Instead of rinsing each dish before it goes into the dishwasher, just scrape it well with a scrubby pad or utensil.

Skip the Harsh Chemicals

Besides being bad for your health, traditional cleaning products also hurt the environment. Harsh chemicals found in things like Febreze, Comet, and Chlorine-based cleaners pollute the air you breathe and the oceans we depend on.

There are many alternatives available made with natural components that are affordable and effective.

Recycling & Compost

We all know recycling is vital in stopping the waste of non-renewable resources, but throwing out unprocessed food also contributes to landfills where it has little chance of properly biodegrading.

Composting is easy and even minimizes the smell coming from your trash bin. Simply keep a container with an air-tight lid in your kitchen. If you don’t have a yard where you can dig a hole, you can always drop it off at your local farmers market.

Here’s a great infographic on composting.

Bring Your Bags

The world uses 500 billion plastic bags per year which end up in lands fills and pollute oceans. Cutting down on plastic bag use is easy and affordable. Reusable bags are usually just $1 each, and they even have insulated bags which keep your food cold.

To get into the habit simply keep them in your car or by your front door to help you remember to use them on your next shopping trip.

Get a Reusable Water Bottle

Recycling the plastic would be a solution if not for the fact that 90% of plastic water bottles are not recycled at all. These bottles take thousands of years to decompose and, among other non-recycled plastics, are a major cause of the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch“. Moving towards a world without plastic water bottles would be a great place to start.

Getting a reusable water bottle and refilling it from filtered tap water is great for the environment and in the end, saves you a lot of money.

Go Digital

It’s surprising that so much, which could otherwise be handled by computers, is still being shipped and thrown out all over the world. If everyone in the US alone handled bills online it would save 18.5 million trees every year.

There’s a number of things one can do to cut down on material waste in a now digital age. You can stream your movies, download your software, buy books on a tablet, receive and pay bills online, have receipts sent to your phone or email, and find services that stop junk mail from reaching your mailbox; all helping to stop the use of trees, plastics, and the fuel used for transportation.

A Good Start.

This article isn’t a guilt trip; it’s here to empower you toward creating a better environment for all creatures here on this dome we call home.

We can often make a huge difference without having to lead protests or write letters, because our behaviors themselves are contagious. Just stick to it, and even if you see others treating the environment without care, remember: it begins with you.

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