As you walk down the grocery store cleaning aisle, you will notice the many cleaning solutions offered. We spend billions of dollars each year in cleaning supplies and trillions of litres of chemicals are flushed down the drains.

Listed below are a few healthy alternatives that avoid harmful chemicals from being released into the environment:

• Instead of using an air freshner, use a cup of vinegar or charcoal which absorbs odours in the room.
• An all-purpose cleaner can be mixed together with a cup of vinegar and baking soda in 2 litres of water.
• To prevent mold, vinegar or lemon juice can be used or you can make a mixture of one part hydrogen peroxide and two parts water.
• To clean wooden floors, you can mix together two teaspoons of washing soda and two litres of hot water.
• To clean pots and pans in the kitchen, you can use salt as the abrasive agent and lemon to scrub with.
• Painted surfaces can be cleaned with baking soda and a sponge.
• Lime deposits in kettles can be cleaned by boiling a half cup of vinegar with two cups of water for five minutes.
• To clean your drains, pour one cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar down the drain, wait five minutes then pour down boiling water.
• Use microfiber cloths for dusting as they attract dust without the need for additional chemicals.

Source: Article by Maggie Calloway in the column "Smart Choices for Our Future"

Clean Green using household ingredients

 If you want to avoid using toxins and non eco-friendly cleaning products, there are green cleaning alternatives that can be formulated at home.

Kitchen Cleaning

You can use household ingredients such as baking soda, lemon juice, Borax, vinegar and salt to create your own green version of kitchen cleaners. Not only will you save a little bit of money but you will be reducing the need for toxic cleaners.

• if you combine salt with water and vinegar, you can use the solution on your kitchen counters and other surfaces such as microwaves and lino floors. Salt grains act as an abrasive and help remove dirt from hard surfaces.
• a mixture of salt, vinegar and baking soda has the effect of deodorizing while disinfecting at the same time.
• Borax is a white powder that was used in the 1950s to soften water during a load of laundry. It can be used as an all-purpose cleaner and it can act as a cockroach and ant repellent as well.

Bathroom Cleaning

You can keep your bathroom clean and free from bacteria by using baking soda and vinegar instead of bleach and other chemical based solutions.

• to clean bathroom tubs and tiles, pour vinegar over the surface then sprinkle in baking soda on top; then you can use a sponge to scrub the surfaces
• to clean the toilet bowl, pour in one cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of baking soda, let it stand for a few minutes before cleaning the bowl with a toilet brush

Window Cleaning

 Windows accumulate dustbunnies and a bit of moisture with dirt over the winter months but there isn't a need to get harmful cleaning supplies.

• an all-purpose window cleaner can be created using 3 tablespoons of vinegar and one quart of water. You can put the mixture in a spray bottle for easy application
  
• a half teaspoon of liquid soap can be used in the mixture created above for extra-soiled windows
• to get a streak-free clean window, use newspapers to wipe the windows down

Resources:

EarthEasy.com 

GreenerChoices.org 

 
Source: Article by Jennifer Preyss titled "Clean green this spring" 

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Rona has new "eco" brand products that are "eco-friendly, non-toxic and efficient"; From biodegradable bags to cleaning products for glass and fabric.

They are currently promoting their recycled bags, where partial proceeds from sales go to the Canadian Olympic team athletes.

They also carry CIL Eco-Colour paint which has no solvents and is virtually odourless.