Spring is on its way, which means cleaning is around the corner. These days it’s reasonable for people to question the safety of cleaning products. Some of the products that are made to clean the home actually lower air quality and dirty up the environment – two things that certainly don’t align with a green lifestyle.

Living green means making cleaner choices every day. Using green products for your spring cleaning is a great place to start. They’re not only healthier for your family and the planet, some green cleaning products are also cheaper than their chemical-filled counterparts.

DIY Green Cleaners

Minimize your eco-footprint by going DIY with your cleaning products. The truth is there are a number of natural products that can be combined or used on their own to clean just as well as chemical laden products that are in stores.

White Vinegar and Baking Soda

Stainless steel, tile, glass, carpet – it seems like a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda can clean just about everything. White vinegar is so powerful it can prevent mildew growth when it isn’t watered down. When it’s diluted it’s also perfect for cleaning wood floors.
Baking soda, which is a non-toxic mild alkali, has properties that break down dirt and grease so that it easily dissolves in water. The slightly gritty texture also helps remove build up and neutralizes odors.
Add a twist of citrus to your baking soda and white vinegar mixture for natural fragrance and extra cleaning power.

Borax

If you have scum to remove in the bathroom reach for Borax. When mixed with baking soda it’s a powerful scum remover.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Anyone with pets or kids that are in the potty training phase should keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide handy. One of hydrogen peroxide’s many cleaning properties is removing urine stains and smells when it’s mixed with baking soda and dish soap. Just make sure to use a dish soap that’s free of chemicals.

Grove Collaborative Complete Cleaning Concentrate Kit

Eco-conscious cleaners that want an easy DIY solution should check out the Grove Collaborative Complete Cleaning Concentrate Kit. It has everything you need to DIY your own green cleaning products including reusable bottles.

Cleaning Essentials Glass Spray Bottle

It’s reusable and recyclable, but what’s really great about Cleaning Essentials Glass Spray Bottle is that the bottle tells you how much to mix when you’re making your own natural cleaner.

Multipurpose Green Cleaning Products

The more purposes a product has the more use you’ll get out of it and the greener it will be. Here are some of the top multipurpose green cleaners and products on the market.

The Laundress Surface Cleaner

Clean all the hard surfaces in your home with a single green cleaner. The Laundress Surface Cleaner is biodegradable, safe and effective.

Ode to Clean Wipes

These chemical-free wipes use plant starch to clean surfaces quickly. They’re also safe enough to use on your hands and face after you’re done cleaning.

Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner

The name says it all. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner is non-toxic, biodegradable, environmentally friendly and it really works. It’s especially good at removing stains, degreasing and deodorizing. Plus, Simple Green is safe to use on more than a dozen surfaces.

Bon Ami

Bon Ami has been around since 1886 long before chemicals started finding their way into household cleaners. This old school product is made of all natural minerals that act as a mild abrasive to clean just about every surface in a home.

Greener Versions of Mainstream Cleaners

Many manufacturers of mainstream cleaning products know that there’s demand for greener products. As a result, you can now find eco-friendly versions of products that have been around for decades.

Lysol Daily Cleanser

Kill 99.9% of germs without chemical residue, ammonia, fragrances and dyes when you use Lysol Daily Cleanser. It’s a gentler version of a product that’s been used to disinfect countless homes and businesses.

Green Works All Purpose Cleaner Spray

The smell of Clorox tells you that chemicals are present. So the company came up with Green Works All Purpose Cleaner Spray as an alternative.

Windex Multi-Surface Vinegar

Windex created this product as an ammonia-free option for the company’s traditional glass cleaning products.

Mainstream Green Cleaning Brands

You can also get green cleaning products from mainstream brands that have been eco-friendly since they launched. These brands include:

• Seventh Generation
• Mrs. Meyers
• Method
• Ecos
• Simple Green
• Ecover
• HomeLogic

The brands above are safe bets when you’re looking for green cleaning products. Some like Simple Green have even received the U.S. EPA Safer Choice product designation.

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