Green and Clean!
Hi everyone,
Happy October! If you are in the Michigan area, hopefully you were able to enjoy some of that rare, autumn sun today! Also, just as a reminder, you may email me scanned or digital images of your artwork or contact me for snail mail options.
I received a great suggestion for this months behavior change from a fellow Earth Day Book-er (I think I need a better title?) who has a particular interest in infectious diseases. She suggested a green cleaning month and this idea seems especially appropriate with the onset of H1N1 prevention. Everywhere I look on U-M's campus, I see signs reminding me to wash my hands, use hand sanitizer, cover my mouth and nose (with my handkerchief of course), etc. Thus is seems that green cleaning would be a relevant topic for this month in terms of both health and the environment.
So what's this month's pledge?
Make a "green" (aka non-toxic, non-polluting, biodegradable, non-dioxin forming, etc.) cleaner!
Before I get into the questions, let me give you two recipes that should be very helpful. I also have additional resources listed at the bottom of this email.
All Purpose Cleaner
Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda into 1/2 gallon water, and scrub!
This is a very easy (and cheap!) recipe that takes almost no time to make. It is also very effective. I have a feeling many of you may already know the great power of baking soda and vinegar (it's volcanic!), so just in case I have also included a recipe for hand sanitizer. I haven't tried it yet, but am looking forward to it.
Hand Sanitizer
Mix 1/4 c. Aloe gel, 3/4 c. isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, 2 Tbsp mineral oil, 4-8 drops peppermint (or other fragrant oil). Shake well before using.
Note: Beware of online hand-sanitizer recipes. The CDC recommends using recipes with at least 60% alcohol in order to effectively disinfect, but many online recipes don't quite make the cut. However, sanitizers that you might purchase from a store often contain other additives that have questionable environmental consequences.
1) What are the environmental and health benefits of using homemade cleaners like these?
Many conventional cleaners contain chemicals - ammonia, chlorine bleach, triclosan, aerosols and petroleum-based ingredients - that are harmful to our health and can enter our air and water as pollution. In addition, by making cleaners yourself, you also cut down on the energy resources used to create and transport your cleaning product.
2) Do these alternatives really work?
See for yourself! While they may not have all the snazzy labels or compelling comercials (although maybe making some would be an interesting art piece to submit for this month?), they do have the historical support of decades of use. :)
3) I am so excited! What else can I do?
For the ultra-enthusiastic:
Replace your paper towels with rags to cut down on waste. You can also use old newspaper for window cleaning.
Opt for green dry cleaning - a lot of cities now have companies offering non-toxic dry cleaning.
Have a green cleaner party and share your fun recipes with others that you care about!
4) Where can I find additional recipes/information?
Check out these websites:
http://www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-cleaning/
http://www.epa.gov/epp/pubs/products/cleaning.htm
Also, if you have comments/questions, please share them.
