Green Cleaning for

the Home

2015 Leader Lesson

By: Martha Keel, Ph.D., Professor, Housing and Environmental Health Specialist

At a Glance:

Many of the chemicals we bring into our homes have never been tested for health effects. A growing body of research is showing a link between chemicals and health problems, such as cancer and in reproductive health. In addition to health concerns, there are many reasons to sometimes keep toxic cleaners out of the house! This lesson will explore why.

Time Required:

Approximately 20 minutes

Objectives:

Participants will. . .

Learn why reducing the number of chemicals in our homes is healthier and smarter

Be able to create their own cleaning solutions

Materials needed:

Green Cleaning for the Home Lesson Plan

Power Point Presentation This can be used as a PowerPoint presentation, or the individual slides can be printed and used as small posters. Handouts Recipes for Green Cleaning Bleach MSDS Concentrated Clorox In-Depth Resources

__Choosing safer products to clean and sanitize your home __What’s so great about microfiber? __What is green cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting? __How to reduce the spread of infectious diseases at home

Slide 1

The more we advance in our knowledge,

sometimes the more we go back to past

ways of doing things. This is especially true

as we examine the types of chemicals we

freely bring into our homes and thereby

exposing our families. Green cleaning is a

popular movement now among old and

young alike as we strive to stay healthy,

wealthy and wise.

Slide 2

Green cleaning refers to using cleaning

methods and products with

environmentally friendly ingredients

designed to preserve human health and

environmental quality

Activity:

Ask FCE members to discuss

how their mothers and

grandmothers use to clean their

homes.

Slide 3

There are many reasons to clean green. The

first is the value. Household cleaners setting

on the grocery shelf are expensive. Most of

the ingredients in make-it-yourself cleaning

recipes are very inexpensive, plus you use

just a small amount of each ingredient.

You can also find most of the ingredients in

a variety of stores. So, for the most part, it’s

one stop shopping.

Slide 4

In most cases, green cleaners work just as

well as their commercial counterparts,

sometimes even better. There are occasions

you have to add a little elbow grease, but

it’s worth it to limit your’s and your family’s

exposure to toxic chemicals. Besides, you

sometimes have to use elbow grease even

with the commercial products!

All products eventually end up in the

environment. Some evaporate, affecting

the indoor air quality in your home, and

eventually the outside air quality, and some

get washed down the drain through rinsing.

Not only are you affecting your health, but

the health of rivers and streams, thus the

wildlife living in and around them.

Slide 5

Most importantly, in most cases, green

cleaners are safer to use, easier to store

and their disposal is better for the

environment.

Toxic cleaners can cause eye, skin or

respiratory irritation.

Some products can trigger asthma attacks

in people with sensitivities.

And some ingredients are known as, or are

likely human carcinogens or reproductive

toxicants.

You should never use a product with the

signal words Danger or Warning. Also avoid

aerosols and products labeled flammable.

Slide 6

Buying cleaners in concentrations and with

reusable, reduced or recyclable packaging,

reduces packaging waste and

transportation energy.

Buying less hazardous cleaners may also

reduce costs when it comes time to

properly dispose of any leftover cleaners.

Slide 7

Most cleaning jobs only need soap or detergents, water and a little elbow grease!

Cleaners remove germs, dirt and impurities from surfaces or objects.

Sanitizers reduce, but do not totally eliminate germs; but are usually safer to use.

Disinfectants destroy or inactivate germs, but tend to be more toxic and must be used with care.

**Remember, surfaces must be clean before applying sanitizers or disinfectants in order for them to be effective. Sanitizers and disinfectants must be used appropriately (per instructions) to be effective.

Slide 8

We know that exposure to bleach can make

asthma worse in people who have asthma.

Research shows workers exposed to bleach

can develop new asthma with exposure to

bleach over time.

Children are at greater risk from breathing

bleach vapors because their lungs are still

developing.

Bleach irritates the skin and eyes, and it was

the cause of 34,000 calls to U.S. poison

control centers in 2011; 12,000 of them

were for children under the age of 5.

Bleach has a short shelf life and should be

used within 3 months; and solutions should

be mixed daily.

Mixing bleach with other chemicals

containing ammonia, quaternary

ammonium compounds, vinegar or other

acids can create a toxic gas.

Bleach corrodes many metals and should

never be used on stainless steel, aluminum,

copper, brass, marble or granite.

Bleach is also neutralized by dirt and other

organic materials, so it isn’t very effective

when used on a surface that hasn’t been

thoroughly cleaned.

Activity:

Show a bottle of bleach, if

possible. Show on the label that

it is a registered EPA

disinfectant/pesticide. Show

the Material Safety Data Sheet

to stress the potential dangers

involved with using bleach.

Distribute the Concentrated

Clorox Regular-Bleach handout.

Discuss that bleach, like most

laundry detergents and fabric

softeners are now concentrated

for use in HE washing machines.

Stress the importance of looking

when you buy to be aware of its

concentration!

Slide 9

Basic Ingredients:

1. Vinegar

2. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)

3. Borax (sodium borate)

4. Hydrogen peroxide (3%

concentration)

5. Lemons

Slide 10

6. Olive oil

7. Salt

8. Cornstarch

9. Washing soda (sodium carbonate)

(Yes, there’s a difference)

10. Vegetable oil-based liquid soap

The vegetable oil-based liquid soap,

such as Castile Soap, may be the most

difficult to find. It can be ordered on-

line.

Activity:

If possible, have as many

samples as possible to show

club members.

Slide 11

Remember, clean is not a smell!!

But, if you like a slight scent, use essential

oils. They come in a variety of scents. These

are natural oils, with no added chemicals.

This is a much better alternative to room

deodorizers, such as sprays, plug-ins,

burning oils. All these do is fill the air with

chemicals.

Even some labeled “natural,” “green,” or

“organic” may still contain chemicals that

have been found to be unsafe even in very

small amounts.

How to avoid fragrances and their health

effects:

Choose third-party certified

products that are labeled unscented

or “free and clear”

Look for products that do not have

“fragrance” listed as an ingredient

(but remember that fragrances are

not necessarily listed on the label).

Avoid products with a strong smell

Use ventilation instead of air

fresheners.

Look for items marked “phthalate-

free”

It’s not just the cleaning product that’s important when green cleaning. It’s also the proper tools. Using the right tool can make cleaning easier and often requires less cleaning products.

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) vacuums may cost a bit more, but they do a much better job. Other vacuums just stir dust around and don’t catch the smaller particulates. WARNING: Buy a true HEPA vacuum – not HEPA-type or HEPA-like. Read labels carefully!!

Microfiber mops and cloths are flooding the market, with good reason. Microfiber truly works better. Why? It’s the van der Waals forces. (That’s how geckos can stick to ceilings using zillions of tiny hairs on their toes.) Although there is only a microscopic amount of van der Walls force between one microfiber and a particle of dirt, remember that there are millions of microfibers in a cloth, so the overall sticking effect is magnified dramatically. That’s why dirt, dust and other stuff can be “hovered up” by microfiber cloths and mops.

NOTE: Generally, it’s best to boil a microfiber cloth in a saucepan and avoid washing it with normal detergents. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions if you’re unsure what to do.)

Reusable spray bottles work well with many green cleaning recipes.

The best way to keep your home clean is to prevent dirt from getting inside in the first place. Walk-off matts will catch dirt from shoes. Put one outside the door and another just inside the door.

Activity:

Ask FCE members to summarize

reasons to Clean Green. You can

also discuss some

disadvantages.

If you have ingredients. Each

FCE member could make one of

the cleaners from the recipe

cards to carry home. In a future

FCE club meeting, they could

share with other club members

how well (or not) the green

cleaner worked for them.