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You return from your latest shopping trip and are putting your purchases away.  As you unpack your reusable shopping bag of the latest cleaning wonder, you look at your cleaning cabinet.  It may actually qualify as a miniature superfund site.  

You have specialty cleaners for wood, cleaners for stainless steel, glass cleaners, carpet cleaners, pet stain cleaners, drain cleaners and on and on.  You admit that as a clean freak, you have always had a soft spot for the latest cleaning tech. But is this an eco friendly way to live?

Municipal water systems have two things to contend with; organic waste and chemical waste. Organic waste is the easier of the two to handle. The waste is settled into tanks and natural bacteria and enzymes do the rest. Chemicals on the other hand need to be taken out with filters and by monitoring the water and adding in chemicals to counterbalance and destroy harmful chemicals.  Municipalities don’t purify the water to drink; they purify it enough to put it back in a river or lake.

While business and manufacturing facilities can and are closely monitored for chemical pollution, the biggest problems come from homeowners. With thousands of people on a local water system, and millions on a big city system it is impossible to control what gets washed down the drain or flushed down the toilet.  While some offenses are blatant, such as pouring antifreeze or other used car chemicals down the drain, most comes out of ignorance, as most people assume that the manufacturer of the product is selling you something that is safe and look no further.  But enzymes and cleaning boosters can have effects from altering the algae growth to reducing oxygen in the water, all of which can harm marine life.

The solution is education and choices.  Cleanup around the house can be accomplished with a few relatively safe cleaners; Simple detergent, bleach, vinegar, ammonia, oils soap, and alcohol. These of course are used in different areas and not mixed, which would be dangerous!

A simple detergent, with few boosters and extra chemicals is all that is needed for most clothes washing. Bleach without added scents are best for whites. Soak heavily soiled clothes instead of using boosters.   Alcohol can remove grass stains and protein stains and it’s biodegradable. Vinegar added to the wash can cut grease as well.  A solution of vinegar, ammonia and water in equal parts is probably the oldest recipe around for window cleaning and it has been around since glass was invented. A gentle oil soap solution cleans wood and delicate surfaces.  Use simple cleaners with simple formulas for all but the most specialized of stains.

The rule of thumb is if there are more than seven to ten ingredients in a cleaner, there is probably a better and more eco friendly choice.  Next time you are shopping for home cleanup products you may want to remember that it’s not just buying or bringing your reusable organic cotton shopping bag, its what you put in, or don’t put in it.