Five Areas for Green Cleaning

Organic living is not only recycling, buying organic, and growing your own food. There's green cleaning to help the environment, too. Here are five tips to get a little greener.

1. Personal Hygiene the Natural Way: Soaps and Toothpaste
Soaps come in all-natural, organic formulas that will gently cleanse your skin without irritating or damaging it.

Select toothpastes that are safe and natural. Natural, organic toothpastes freshen your mouth and clean your teeth without all the harsh abrasives and chemicals, like fluoride, that are included in conventional toothpastes.

2. Steer Clear of Antibacterial Products
Antibacterial soaps, cleaners, tissues are all the rage, especially for flu season, but they're not so helpful. They don't clean your hands any better than regular soaps and cleansers. They actually cultivate a stronger bacteria strain by causing the surviving bacteria to reproduce a more resistant strain.

3. Clean Indoor Air: Open Windows
Indoor air can become stagnant and filled with toxins to the extent that outside air is less polluted. For quick action, open your windows and air out your home or office. Keep them open whenever you can to keep fresh air coming in.

4. Natural Ways to Scent the Air
Baking soda is good for brushing your teeth and for absorbing odors in the refrigerator and freezer. Did you know that it can take odors out of carpets too? Shake some on your carpet; let it sit for a few minutes and vacuum up unwanted odors.

Boil your favorite herbs to freshen the air. Skip the aerosols and solids, and don't plug in anything. The boiling herbs give off a fresh scent. Variety is plentiful as are the herbs in your pantry.

Plants are natural oxygen-producing air filters. Green leafy plants are the best for removing toxins.

5. Green Laundering
Natural laundry detergents don't have all the harsh chemicals of traditional detergents. And, they're safer for your skin since not all soap gets rinsed out completely. Also, you can generally use less detergent than the recommended amount and still clean your clothes quite effectively.

When you take your clothes to the dry-cleaners, ask them if they employ green cleaning practices. One popular cleaning method is carbon dioxide.