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20 April 2009
Posted in
Green Spring Clean
As the old saying goes: “All you really need for cleaning is a little elbow grease”. A little soap and water will go a long way too. But the soap, or cleaning agent, need no longer be laden with chemicals in order to make your surfaces clean.
Yes, it’s true. You can now breathe deeply AND freely while you clean when using green cleaning products. So why use nasty chemicals in order to clean something when there are many, effective, natural alternatives to choose from.
From hand soap to dish soap; laundry stain removers to grease cutters; glass cleaners to room deodorizers; and even automatic dishwasher detergent; the selection of natural cleaning products and deodorizers is endless. And they are even made locally!
What are you waiting for? Green clean!
- Locally-made Cleaning Products & Where to Buy Them
- Soap/ Cleaner Re-fill Center @ Home Grown Organics
- Canadian-made Cleaning Products
- Air Freshener or Aromatherapy?
- Green Cleaning Services
Locally-made Cleaning Products & Where to Buy Them
Natural, locally-made cleaning products are made right here in our backyard. Who knew we were so lucky?
As much as we’d like to delve into the wonderful locally-made personal hygiene “cleaning” products, we’ll save this for our summer or fall guide. For now, we’re sticking to effective household cleaners especially important for spring cleaning.
Companies like Down East are doing a fantastic job at producing local products. These and other locally-made products used to be sold in less ubiquitous locations. Lucky for us, now the major grocery chains are starting to carry some of the product lines as well.
If you’re not already using local, green cleaners, here’s some of the many stores you can find them:
- Home Grown Organic Foods (Allan St.)
- Planet Organic Market (Quinpool St.)
- Natural Food sections of local major grocery store chains such as:
- Atlantic Superstore
- Sobeys
Soap/ Cleaner Re-fill Center @ Home Grown Organics
You may be surprised and delighted to know there is a Down East soap/ cleaner refill center here in Halifax. It is located at Home Grown Organic Foods (HGOF) on Allan St. They refill all-purpose soap and laundry detergent.
- Down East All Purpose Cleaner is a mild, yet highly versatile all purpose cleaner. It can be diluted for use on floors, walls, porcelain, windows, carpets and as a spray cleaner.
- Down East Liquid Laundry Detergent is formulated with an extremely mild biodegradable detergent carefully selected for its cleaning ability. It leaves clothes free of detergent residues and perfumes that can be left behind by other detergents.
Neither product contains added dyes, perfumes, preservatives, caustics or petroleum solvents. They, like most of HGOF products can be purchased on line at www.hgof.ns.ca.
By buying the soap in bulk for its re-fill center, HGOF prevents the mass-manufacturing of smaller containers and related packaging, as well as its multi-location distribution. By providing this service, it means you, the consumer, can purchase your soap by re-filling the same container multiple times. What a great and noble reducing and re-using service HGOF enables in our community!
Visit Home Grown Organic Foods (HGOF) today for the soap refills and the multitude of other fresh and local food products they keep on hand.
Canadian-made Cleaning Products
If you can’t find a locally-manufactured cleaning product, try to buy a Canadian-made one. Lucky for us, there are several natural Canadian-made cleaning product manufacturers. Here are a few to look for:
- Nature Clean
- Simply Clean
- Or visit Verve Naturals to download their Pure Washing Products pdf (www.puresource.ca/vervenaturals/EcoPioneer.htm) for recipes to you’re your own home-made cleaners.
Of course, natural cleaning products are better for the environment. But also remember, using a more natural cleaning agent that was manufactured closer to home, will reduce your carbon footprint all the more. So try to buy local first. Or if you can’t, buy Canadian-made.
Air Freshener or Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy has long since been practised soothe our soul. It is the “practice of using volatile plant oils, including essential oils, for well-being. Essential oils, the pure essence of a plant, have been found to provide both psychological and physical benefits when used correctly and safely” according to www.aromaweb.com, who has details of well over 90 essential oils. Nature’s purest essential oils create olfactory based sensation that awaken our senses.
So when you’re thinking of freshening your air, why grab for the chemically-laden pressurized spray can? Why not get the benefit of a little “aromatherapy” in the process? Fresh air and a soothed mind. How wonderful! Not to mention a hugely reduced carbon footprint related to producing the commonly pressurized deodorizer cans; transporting them to you from far away manufacturing plants; and disposing of them.
If sweeter aromas are too much for your sensitive nose, there are other options like burning incense or soy candles to help deodorise the air without adding much scent. There are also some wonderful essential oil-based floral waters (from Beach Lane Lavender Farms) or herb-based and mostly scent-free spray-bottle deodorisers (fr Nature Clean), for those of you who don’t want to burn anything for a fresher space.
Then there’s always cracking open a window in order to freshen the air… truly the best air freshening technique!
Green Cleaning Services
It’s no fun cleaning on your own. But if you get someone else to help you out, be sure you provide green cleaners for them. Or, hire Holisticlean, a Hlaifax-based cleaning company that not only uses green cleaners, but also operates in a carbon-neutral fashion by riding their bike to your home, all year long!
6. CRUSISIS Everyday EnvironmentalistTM for Spring Cleaning & Purging
So use this as your guide for greener cleaning this spring. If for no other reason them perhaps to summarize the previous greener spring cleaning ideas, we present the CRUSISIS Everyday Environmentalist™ for Spring Cleaning & Purging:
- Recycle what you can when purging &/or take to your community groups that recycle
- Separate refuse diligently so that organics/ compostables, recyclables and garbage can be disposed of properly.
- Teach your children (or your parents) how to do the same.
- Properly dispose of electronics and household hazardous waste per ACES (Atlantic Computers and Electronics Stewardship) requirements and those of HRM’s HHW (Household Hazardous Waste) requirements.
- Use green cleaning products.
- Buy Canadian-made green cleaning products preferably locally made when possible, thus further reducing your cleaning carbon footprint.
- Refill your liquid hand soap &/or laundry detergent at the Homegrown Organics re-fill center.
- Attend a spring clean-up like those held on Earth Day or for clean-ups with the EAC or other organizations.
- Throw your own clean-up party any day in your neighbourhood, your school, your local park or beach, or otherwise.
- Clean with the earth in mind and help educate others on how to do the same.
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