Green Your Indianapolis Holiday Season: Part 1

Photo By: Mattindy777

Ahhhhh, I love the holidays, don’t you? There’s just something about the sights, sounds, and smells that’s just so…well…festive. That’s especially true here in the city of Indianapolis. Soon, families in this town will be hanging Christmas decorations, children will be helping their parents light their Manora, Nat King Cole will be singing “The Christmas Song” on the radio. But, during this wonderful and often hectic time of the year, it can be difficult to stop and think about how some of the ways we celebrate the holidays can actually have a negative affect the environment. Below is one simple way that you can help make this season a bit greener for you and those you love.

A Greener Way to Clean
We all like a clean home, especially around the holiday season when guest visits increase exponentially. But, before you put on your trusty Depeche Mode work shirt and take out your cleaning supplies, have you ever thought about what exactly is in those supplies? While they may help remove dirt and dust, most of the common cleaning products that are probably in your cupboard contain toxic chemicals that can harm your eyes, lungs, and skin! Beyond harming our bodies these cleaners can also have a harmful affect on the environment. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at some of the “best” of these toxic chemicals.

Photo By: Xrrr

• Butyl Cellosolve: commonly found in all-purpose cleaners, cleaning wipes, degreasers, floor polish, carpet shampoo, toilet, bath and tile cleaners plus some window cleaners. It can cause irritation and tissue damage by inhalation.
• Chlorine: typically found in bleach, dishwashing detergent, laundry soaps and powders plus some cleaning gels. Chlorinated dishwasher soap poisons over one million children in the US annually. Even the steam from a dishwasher contains chlorine fumes.
• Ethylene Glycol: a highly toxic liquid most commonly found in antifreeze, but which is also found in some window cleaners, spot removers, and jewelry polish.
• Phosphates: found in many soaps, gels, and powders, Phosphates have a hazardous effect on the environment as they help weed and algae to grow in lakes and rivers.

Scared yet? You should be because this is only a partial list ( there are even more dangerous chemicals out there ). So what can you do to become a greener cleaner this holiday season? One suggestion is to simply buy eco-friendly products. Be careful though, not all cleaning products that market themselves as eco-friendly truly are. Look for products that carry the EPA’s “Design for the Environment” (or “DfE”) label. Check out this complete list of cleaning products that carry the DfE label.

You can also save some money by making your own green cleaners using such common, nontoxic ingredients as water, baking soda, soap, lemon juice, and vinegar. They’re safe and really easy to make. Happy green cleaning!

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