Top 10 Reasons to Go Green with Home Cleaning Today

Why go green with home cleaning? I have found that there are a number of ways my family and I can benefit from cutting out the commercial cleaners and going green today. I feel much better about using alternative cleaning products in my home; these are just ten reasons to go green with home cleaning. 

1. You can save money. I haven't purchased cleaning products from the store since I started making my own at home. By using items I find in my own kitchen, which costs just pennies (or less) per use, I have saved a substantial amount of money. Many stores sell green cleaning products, but if you learn how to make your own, you can save a lot of money. 

(c) Tonya Mickelson 2014

2. Your health will benefit. Most commercial cleaning products, including laundry detergent, glass cleaner and bathroom cleaners, contain harmful ingredients that, when inhaled, can be toxic to your health. You might not even realize their impact until you stop using these products and go green with home cleaning. 

3. Your family will be healthier. Everyone in the house benefits from green cleaning: your spouse, the kids and even the family pets. The toxic chemicals have a much stronger impact on animals and small children than healthy adults. 

4. You can preserve the environment. Toxins from these cleaning products may directly or indirectly impact the environment. For example, when they are washed down the drain, these chemicals remain in the water that reaches local aquatic life, potentially killing them. 

5. Cleaning is much simpler. You won't need to buy a different product for each task; many household items can be used for cleaning multiple areas of the house. Vinegar, for example, is the main ingredient in almost all of my homemade products, from glass cleaner to floor cleaner. 

Click to learn more about green all-purpose sprays

6. You will save a trip to the store. When you run out of your homemade all-purpose spray, there is no need to make a trip to the store. Instead, simply whip up a new batch using ingredients that can be found in the kitchen for mere pennies. 

7. Your immune system will benefit. By avoiding harsh cleaning agents, your body will be able to build up a natural defense system and, therefore, will be able to fight off the flu and common colds much more effectively. 

8. Indoor air quality will be improved. Every time they are used, chemicals from commercial cleaning products seep into the indoor air you breathe. By removing these products from the home and going green with home cleaning, you can breathe easier knowing that your home has cleaner air. 

9. They are just as effective. Too many people associate the strong chemical odor with a "clean" smell. Because green cleaners don't smell so strong, does that mean your house isn't getting clean? I've haven't yet had a problem with my homemade products getting the house clean. 

10. You will be a role model. When others, particularly the younger generation, see that you are cleaning your house with healthier products, they will be inclined to do the same. Today, you can teach them the benefits of using green products to clean the home.