Green Cleaning 101

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Green Cleaning 101

• For BIRCH and RAVEN
• AmeriCorps members

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Why use natural products?

• More economical
• Better for your communitys land and water (they
  are biodegradable)
• Less toxic healthier for your body

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Save Money

• Ready-made products

Natural products

• 409 All-Purpose Cleaner
• (32 fl. Oz.) 3.39
• Drano 4.69
• Windex (26 fl. oz.) 2.50
• Fabric Softener 4.99
• TOTAL 15.57

• Baking Soda (4 lbs.) 3.09
• Lemon Juice (15 oz.) 2.39
• Vinegar (1 gallon) 2.99
• Total 8.49

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Toxicity (many household chemicals are
poisonous, flammable or carcinogenic)

• 90 of all accidental poisonings occur in the
  home.
• Thousands of children under the age of 4 are
  given emergency treatment for poisoning by
  consumption of household cleaners every year.

• The air in the average American home has chemical
  contamination levels 70 times greater than
  outdoor air.

• Half of all illnesses can be linked to chemical
  contamination of indoor air.

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Chemicals and Cancer
Non-Smoking Increases in this Generation

• 156 increase in rate of malignant melanoma
• 104 increase in liver cancer
• 71 increase in thyroid cancer
• 54 increase in post-menopausal cancer

½ of the worlds cancers occur among people in
industrialized countries, even though we only
represent 1/5 of the global population!
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Environmental Impact (to vegetation and wildlife)

• The typical American household is the number one
  violator of chemical waste per capita, according
  the EPA.

• These chemicals eventually seep into the soil,
  contaminating groundwater and surface runoff
  leading to lakes and streams.

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Your Green Cleaning Kit

• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Castile soap

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Baking Soda (bicarbonate of soda)
Comes from the mined mineral, trona, found in
large amounts in Green River, Wyoming

• Cleans (use as a soft scrub)
• Deodorizes
• Removes stains
• Softens fabrics and adds whitening power
• Fire extinguisher (small fires only!)

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Vinegar (acetic acid)
Used for thousands of years - made by fermenting
fruit or wine.

• Cuts grease
• Antibacterial agent
• (kills bacteria, mold and germs)
• Removes stains
• Cleans glass

• Excellent water softener
• Reduces soap residue (add to rinse cycle)
• Helps to prevent static cling in the dryer.

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Lemon Juice (5 acid)

• Cuts grease
• Removes perspiration and other stains from light
  clothing
• A bleach alternative
• Disinfectant
• Mouthwash
• Air freshener

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Liquid Castile Soap

• In earlier centuries, an all-vegetable based soap
  was made in the Castile region of Spain from
  local olive oil. By the turn of this century,
  "Castile" had come to mean any vegetable
  oil-based soap, versus animal (tallow) fat-based
  soap.
• Dr. Bronner was born in 1908 into a Jewish
  soapmaking family in Germany. He immigrated to
  America and began his company in 1948.

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Castile Soap (continued)

• Dr. Bronners soap is safe and natural - made
  from coconut or olive oil.
• Certified organic
• Concentrated
• Comes in assorted scents peppermint, almond,
  citrus, and lavender
• Typical liquid dishwashing soap today contains
  petroleum distillate a toxic pollutant and
  nonrenewable source!

(12.99 at Target.com for 32 oz.)
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Other Green Cleaning Ingredients

• Borax all purpose cleaner, mold inhibitor,
  deodorizer
• Washing Soda grease and grime-cutter, wax
  remover, deodorizer
• Tea tree oil antibacterial, antifungal, and
  antiviral agent deodorizer
• Club soda removes stains
• Any favorite essential oil

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Its Up to You!!

• The decision to stop using synthetic chemical
  cleaners is one of the most important ones youll
  ever make for the health of your family and the
  safety of your home AND community.