Terri Bennett's Prescription for Making our World Cleaner and Safer

Terri Bennett, a nationally recognized earth scientist, is the keynote speaker for the Women's Resource Center 2009 Gala on May 7. Here is a recent article she published on her blog that provides practical advice for those of us interested in keeping it clean without harming the environment with toxic chemicals.

Cleaning with Less Waste

Most of us have that under the sink cabinet or pantry closet overflowing with cleaners of all varieties. We think we need all of these cleaners to cut through grease and grime and provide a cleaner, less germy environment for our families. I certainly fall into this category...or at least I used to. That's before I discovered vinegar and baking soda. Now my cleaning cabinet has a 2 gallon jug of vinegar, a couple of spray bottles that I recycled from other commercial cleaners and several boxes of baking soda.

There are many benefits to cleaning with fewer chemical cleaners. Of course there is the obvious health benefit. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the air inside our homes is on average two to five times more polluted than the air outside, largely due to household cleaners. The EPA has also found that toxic chemicals in household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than other air pollutants. And it's not just the air that we are polluting with these chemical cleaners. The Clean Water Fund estimates that the average American uses 40 pounds of toxic cleaners every year and much of that finds it way into the water supply where we spend billions of dollars trying to remove the toxins from our drinking water.

But there is another benefit, you'll also be creating less waste when you clean with fewer chemicals. In 2006, the United States generated about 14 million TONS of plastic waste. A large portion of that is from plastic containers and packaging including all of those cleaners in plastic bottles. It's estimated that on average we each generate 190 pounds of plastic trash every year and the recycling rate for plastics are around 20 percent, at best.

When you choose to clean with fewer chemical products, you create a healthier environment in your home or business. You will also buy fewer products, so naturally you'll create less waste. One two gallon jug of vinegar mixed with two gallons of water can fill one spray bottle about eight times! And a two gallon jug of vinegar costs about 2 bucks. That's what I call a savings! I'm also keeping harmful chemicals out of my house and creating less plastic waste by buying one jug instead of eight.

Finally, you're all wondering "But does it really work?" The answer is YES! I now use a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water to clean everything except marble. It's great on glass, countertops and undiluted vinegar cuts grease too (just let the vinegar sit for a few minutes). Vinegar also naturally kills germs, bacteria and mold so you don't have to worry that you're not really cleaning. Baking soda works great anyplace you need an abrasive to remove dirt (do not use it on stainless steel) or to remove odors in shoes, carpets, even pets and pet beds! You can find many more uses for vinegar and baking soda by checking out the Do Your Part section of our website.

So finish up those plastic bottles of chemical cleaners, rinse them out, and reuse them when you can for a natural solution of vinegar or vinegar and water (I keep a spray bottle of each under the sink). And remember to recycle those plastic containers when you can. The energy saved making one plastic bottle from recycled content rather than virgin materials can power a 60-watt light bulb for six hours!

Published with permission from Terri Bennett.

Posted by Kate Tinnan, WRC volunteer