Saving Us From Ourselves: Green Cleaning

Scary fact: There are 17,000 petrochemicals available for home use, but only 30% of them have been tested for exposure to human health and the environment. Nobody likes scrubbing the bathroom – that in itself is scary enough. But if you stop and think for a minute, you really won't want to do another second of cleaning when you realize the potential damage you could be doing with the products that you've selected. So step away from those Scrubbing Bubbles and try something a little greener.

There should be no complaints about how the natural products don't clean the windows efficiently or leave your whites dingy. These products have come a long way in recent years, so give them a shot. We can assure you that at the very least you won't get an awful chemical headache while using them. Not sure where to even start looking for a substitute for the toxic nightmare of mainstream products currently available? Well sit back and let Phillyist do the leg work for you.

On the heels of reading Ed Begley, Jr.'s new book Living Like Ed, the first product we suggest is Begley's Best, an all-purpose household cleaner made from extracts of pine, palm extract, de-acified citrus, maize, fermented sugar cane roots, and olive seeds. Sounds almost good enough to eat, but instead try it on your dirty floors. No, Ed is not down on his luck and being forced to peddle wares, he just believes so strongly in the value of this product that he's made it a mission of his to get it out there to the public.

Another great company is Seventh Generation. Named after the ecological concept that current humans should be considering the impact of their actions on the people inhabiting Earth seven generations into the future, this company does seem committed to that mission. Their products have been around for years and are a reliable choice for non-toxic cleaning, including laundry detergent, tub & tile cleaner, and even diapers for your littlest environmentalists.

For those of you non-hippies out there looking for safe yet mod products, Method puts out a great line which includes laundry, dish, aircare and more. We're hooked on their aroma ring, a futuristic looking tiny contraption that sits on your counter and chases away bad odors, replacing them with the subtle smell of vanilla apple, lavender lemongrass, peppermint vanilla and more.

Or if you are concerned with plastic packaging just as much as you are with harmful chemicals, try making your own cleaning supplies at home.

Replacing harmful household chemicals with less harmful products is another one of these things that takes little sacrifice to do. Just don't forget to check your local recycling center to find out how to properly dispose of those nasty old chemical cleaning products that you won't be using anymore.

Image via Method website