easy green cleaning

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WIN $100.00 Worth of Earth Friendly Products for the Home

July 24, 2009 in Contests & Giveaways, Green Cleaning by Jennifer | No comments

You may remember that we’ve looked at Earth Friendly Products here before, such as their Orange Plus Surface Cleaner and their All-Natural Ice Melt.

I really like most of the Earth Friendly Products I’ve tried and right now you can win some! They’re giving away $100.00 worth of their award-winning eco-friendly products on Facebook to 10 lucky winners – product they’re giving away include…

  • ECOS laundry detergent – the #1 selling green laundry detergent in the US and Canada (I love their detergent BTW)
  • Wave Auto Dishwashing Gel
  • Oxo-Brite Non-chlorine bleach
  • Eco Breeze fabric refreshener
  • Dishmate Hand Dishwashing Detergent
  • And more…

To enter to win all you have to do is become a fan of Earth Friendly Products on Facebook then, on their fan page, tell them why you should win. The winners will be picked on August 1, 2009.

If you enter and win let me know!

Testing your home air quality

July 8, 2009 in Air Quality, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | No comments

Poor air quality is rampant in many homes. It’s smart to test your home air quality, plus not even that expensive. Most homes don’t need fancy testing solutions. Two kits you can pick up at your local hardware / home & garden shop include a basic carbon monoxide detector and a radon testing kit.

Talking Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm

A carbon monoxide detector will sound an alarm if gas levels in your home rise to an unsafe level. Carbon monoxide can leak from any poorly maintained fuel burning appliance and an appliance can go wacky without you knowing. Other places carbon monoxide can come from include, kerosene and gas space heaters; leaking chimneys and furnaces; back-drafting from furnaces, gas water heaters, wood stoves, and fireplaces; gas stoves; generators and other gasoline powered equipment; automobile exhaust from attached garages; and tobacco smoke, worn or poorly adjusted and maintained combustion devices (e.g., boilers, furnaces) or nearby auto, truck, or bus exhaust.

If you’re exposed to carbon monoxide at low levels you may feel fatigue or chest pain. At high concentrations, carbon monoxide can cause impaired vision and coordination; headaches; dizziness; confusion; nausea, flu-like symptoms, angina, impaired vision, and reduced brain function. CO exposure can be fatal. A carbon monoxide detector can actually save your life and all homes should have at least one.

The U.S. Surgeon General and EPA recommend that all homes be tested for radon. Radon, a radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste, can pose a danger to your family’s health. Radon is the most common cause of lung cancer (after smoking) and claims about 20,000 lives annually. Studies show that it’s found in all 50 states and that one out of every 15 homes has an elevated radon level.

According to the EPA, radon can creep into your home through…

  1. Cracks in solid floors
  2. Construction joints
  3. Cracks in walls
  4. Gaps in suspended floors
  5. Gaps around service pipes
  6. Cavities inside walls
  7. The water supply

Luckily testing for radon only takes minutes and is easy to do. Learn how to test for radon.

Testing your home air quality is just one part of the puzzle. You need to also keep mold in check, keep icky chemicals out of your home, and take daily steps to improve your indoor air quality.

New Ways to Solve Indoor Air Pollution

February 26, 2009 in Air Quality by Jennifer | 1 comment

Indoor air pollution is fairly common. Here at Best Green Home Tips, we’ve looked at many ways to keep the air in your home clean and healthy. To catch up, read…

Today, some extra tips that can help keep your home green and your indoor air clean.

Be an Apple user: I’m actually a PC girl, but Apple computers are free of PBDE which makes them a green step above if you can go that route.

Use a cloth shower liner: Vinyl shower liners suck to keep clean and worse can release icky chemicals into your home air and in some people these chemicals can even cause allergic reactions.

Opt out of dry cleaning: Dry cleaning, in most cases, is super bad for your health and the earth’s well-being. If possible only buy fabrics and home items that you can clean yourself. If that’s impossible, go with a greener dry cleaning option. Also read, “Green” Dry Cleaners to Be Leery Of.

Don’t forget your pets:  Most people don’t consider their pets when it comes to greening their home, but your dog’s bed may be releasing chemicals if you haven’t gone organic. That said, a good dog bed can do double duty for your air quality. Dog and cat beds capture a lot of dander and if you go organic (or buy beds made with natural materials) the bed won’t release chemicals found in conventional cotton.

Some healthy pet bed options: Read the rest of this entry »

Clean Green With A Twist Cleaning Kit

December 15, 2008 in Green Cleaning by Jennifer | 1 comment

Green cleaning doesn’t always mean cutting up our old tee-shirts or cloth baby diapers. If you want a less thrift-looking, but still green home cleaning cloth or sponge, take a look at TWIST products.

TWIST is a nice looking line of eco-friendly home cleaning products like Bamboo Cloths, Naked Sponges, Euro Sponges, European Sponge Cloths, and Loofah Sponges.
Read the rest of this entry »

Create A Healthier & Greener Home

October 23, 2008 in Air Quality, Green Cleaning by Jennifer | 1 comment

Even if you think you have healthy habits; not smoking, wearing sunscreen, eating organic, your health could be at risk due to some basic home hazards. You can cut some of the damaging effects of home hazards by doing the following:

Take your shoes off: Studies show that a major cause of pesticides in the home is due to shoes. Shoes pick up everything and then drag that everything (pesticides, pollen, and other icky air polluters) to all the rooms of your house.

Don’t dry clean: Or at the very least try a greener dry cleaner. Dry cleaned items can release chemicals that cause cancer, plus, dry cleaning in itself is not a green process.

Grow some fresh air: If growing fresh air producing plants is not your style, invest in an Energy Star HEPA filter air purifier.

Light cleaner candles: Soy or beeswax candles are better for your health than wax candles. They burn cleaner, and produce less soot.

Buy sustainable real wood: Fake wood furniture is usually partially particleboard, which contains a chemical called formaldehyde, which can make you sick and cause allergy flare ups. When considering this tip also think about your wooden floors. Real, sustainable wood can be more expensive, but in the long run you’ll be healthier and so will the earth.

To learn more about cleaner, greener, healthier homes read:

What are you doing to decrease toxins in your home?

[image: Beeswax candles from Bluecorn Naturals]

Quick Green Tip: Salt Your Oven

October 14, 2008 in Green Cleaning, Quick Green Home & Garden Tips by Jennifer | No comments

Besides drain cleaners, oven cleaners are at the top of the list when it comes to dangerous home cleaning products. Oven cleaners are totally toxic – why else would you need gloves and a well ventilated work area to use the darn stuff.

Instead of toxic harsh chemicals, try plain old salt. If you notice oven spills, sprinkle table salt liberally on the spill before your oven cools down. After the oven is cool, take a damp cloth and rub off the spill. This even works on tough greasy stains; but you have to work with a warm oven. I’ve tried this on col ovens, and had less luck.

For more green cleaning tips, read: