Greener Cleaners

(Page 6 of 6)

April/May 2004
By Annie Berthold-Bond 
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The `Good' Antifreeze

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A less-toxic antifreeze than the commonly used ethylene glycol is available and sold by automotive supply stores. The "good" kind is made of propylene glycol, which is safe enough to be used as a food additive; ethylene glycol is so toxic it's a household hazardous waste.

Here's an additional caution regarding ethylene glycol: If you have a septic system, do not pour ethylene glycol down the drain. If you are on municipal water, dilute this antifreeze before pouring it down the drain or, better yet, save it for your community's household hazardous waste pickup day. Some service stations recycle this antifreeze, too.

Bring home the best brands...

At times, all of us need to buys readymade household cleaning product; following are a few recommendations for commercial products that work effectively and are considered environmentally safe. This listing is based on my 20 years of learning to live without toxins by reading labels and studying reports from reputable organizations. A primary resource is Green Seal [(202) 872-6400; www.greenseal.org ], a nonprofit organization that gives a "seal of approval" to products that meet its high standards. Carefully choosing the safest commercially available cleaning products to supplement homemade cleaners considerably reduces the use of toxic cleaners in our homes. You can find these products in health food stores, some supermarkets and online.

—Annie Berthold-Bond

All-purpose Cleaners Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Pure Castile Soap Seventh Generation
Carpet Cleaners Granny's Old Fashioned Products and Infinity Heavenly Horsetail liquid detergents
Floor Cleaners Infinity Heavenly Horsetail Life Tree Home Soap Murphy Oil Soap Sodasan All-purpose Cleaner
Disinfectants Power Herbal Disinfectant and Deodorizer
Automatic Dish Detergents Life Tree Seventh Generation
Bleach Seventh Generation
Hand Dish-washing Soap Ecover
Laundry Products Earth Friendly Products Ecover Life Tree Seventh Generation

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