Can a product that’s eco-friendly really be good for the environment (as the term would suggest) if there’s a warning not to drink it? EnviroCitizen.org believes that if something is safe for the environment, it should be safe for you in most cases, too. For example, if you’re using a harsh chemical to clean your floors you may assume that the risks and warnings associated with that chemical do not extend beyond your floor. The fact is, once you’ve finished cleaning your floor those chemicals remain on the surface. You then walk on the floor, spreading the chemicals throughout your home. If you have a little child, they might drop something on that floor and then pick it up with their hand. Their hand now has the chemicals on it. They may even eat the item they dropped on the floor which is now coated with the chemicals!

There are many links between environmental health and your own personal health. It’s a very intuitive idea. If a chemical pesticide is meant to kill pests, like bugs and bacteria, that same chemical will likely kill other things, too. Most pesticides aren’t designed to only target one species of pest. If that were the case, farmers would need to purchase multiple chemicals. Instead, most pesticides are a universal killer. So, if the pesticide will kill another living organism like a bug, one might reason that it is capable of killing or doing harm to other organisms.

A good rule of thumb to rule out these harmful chemicals in your environment is to look at the safety of ingredients in the products that you use. Many people are now adhering to the rule that, if you can’t drink it, don’t use it. That’s not to say that you should guzzle down a  household cleaner. It’s more an idea that the products that you use in your home should be safe enough to go inside of your body, since they will end up on your body in some form. In fact, EnviroCitizen.org has found many eco-friendly, safe alternatives to conventional household cleaners and products that really are safe to drink!

For example, two classic cleaners that have been around for decades are baking soda and vinegar. Baking soda is completely edible as you add it to recipes when baking and cooking. It’s a wonderfully abrasive product, which means that it can help you get rid of tough stains or stuck-on food. For example, if you mix baking soda with enough water to form a paste, the paste effectively cleans crusty, tough grease off of your stove!

Vinegar is also completely edible, also used in many common recipes. You can clean practically anything with a diluted mixture of vinegar and water. It’s a disinfectant, so it works great to clean counters, floors and windows. To make sure that your windows have a streak-free finish, wipe them with newspaper and a vinegar mixture.

These are great examples of how you can clean (and even disinfect) your home with products that really are safe enough to consume. By doing so, EnviroCitizen.org believes you’ll have a healthy, clean home without the environmental and health risks associated with conventional cleaners and products.

EnviroCitizen.org strives to deliver everything you could possibly want that’s green along with tons of information, complemented by a strong sense of community. Always check www.EnviroCitizen.org first when searching for anything green.

It’s surprisingly easy to be green in the kitchen. Recycle your cans, eat organic and bring your own reusable totes to the grocery store. However, when it comes to kitchen cleaning, a lot of us still choose old-school methods to do the dirty work. With a little know-how and terrific new products, clean and green can go hand-in-hand. Take, for instance, the Lindley™ pullout faucet (on the left) or the Anabelle™ pullout faucet (on the right) in the new Mediterranean bronze finish from Moen.  Both feature a low-flow setting to conserve water for everyday tasks, such as dishwashing. But with a touch of the button, you can easily switch to a higher flow rate when you need it—like, for filling big pots of water quickly.

Other ways to green your KITCHEN routine:

• Mix white vinegar and water in a spray bottle to make a natural streak-free cleaner.

• Mix baking soda, a little dishwashing liquid, and water for a natural, non-abrasive oven cleaner.

• Skip the pre-rinse cycle on your dishwasher to save water. Instead, give plates a quick rinse with the spray stream of the pullout wand before loading.

• The patented pause button is another handy way to conserve the flow of water. Instead of running the water constantly, hit pause and pull the wand out beyond the sink to perform tasks like watering plants.

Anabelle is available at Lowe’s, and Lindley is available at The Home Depot.  Visit moen.com for more product details, features and information on where to buy.

In this NY1 segment, Marlene shares simple tips we often overlook when we take on our home’s annual Spring cleaning challenge!

To watch the segment, click on the image.