Clean Green

Inspired by Green Mommy's very first comment, I'll share some green cleaning tips.

First, when I just came home from the hospital after having a C-section (and moving into a new 4 bedroom house), I was in no shape to clean. Not only did I want to find a cleaning solution that would be good for the environment, I also didn't want my 3 week old exposed to lots of harsh chemicals. While it took some searching, I found a great cleaning service that uses earth-friendly products (Mrs. Meyers). The house smelled and looked fantastic. I'd urge anyone who uses a cleaning service to check out the green alternatives - I searched on the web and found Purity Power cleaning in the PA area, which is not only green, it also pays its cleaners living wages and was only $5/hr. more expensive than the cheapest non-green cleaning service we found.

Now that I've decided to stay home a little longer before returning to work, we're saving money by not having a cleaning service. So what do I use. Well, the most versatile product I've found is baking soda - sinks, counters, walls, everything - the stuff is amazing and CHEAP. I've heard adding vinegar to baking soda makes it even more potent but I haven't found a need yet. I've also switched to using Seventh Generation (click for coupons) laundry, dishwasher and liquid dish soap - I bought all of this at Diapers.com where you can save a lot of time and money by ordering by the case.

I also bought one of the GreenWorks product - the glass and surface cleaner. Aside from some greenwash concerns, I don't find it works very well. I washed my windows with it and they got all streaky - I should have just stuck to the diluted vinegar. If you've tried this and had bad luck in the past, read these tips.

The other thing I've done - no more paper towels for cleaning. Only sponges or clothes that can be reused. I am going to start cutting up old T-shirts (ones that are not donatable) to use for rags.