Real Estate News

Improving Your Home with Eco Friendly Products

Since climate change is a real concern these days, it is a great idea to keep your home clean using environmentally friendly products. Below are some environmentally friendly products you can use in replacement of your existing not so eco friendly products.

1. Using biodegradable products. Nowadays it’s quite easy to determine if a product is biodegradable or not as most of the time it is indicated on the label. Make sure to read the label carefully before purchasing any item. Harsh cleaning materials such as bleach are not only harmful to hands but also to the environment.

One alternative to replace this product is to use lemon juice or white vinegar to wipe out those stains and remove odour. A salt and water or a cream of tartar and hot water combination are also useful as cleansers and very environmentally friendly.

Another common biodegradable product that can be used everyday is the recycled paper bag. Instead of using plastics as storage containers, you may opt for cartons or recycled paper bags to store your items. Besides being eco friendly, you can even decorate them or personally customize them in accordance to your homes decor.

2. Using natural disinfectants. In recent years, viruses, germs and bacteria that cause illness and disease seem to be spreading faster than ever. One way to protect yourself from some of them is by keeping your home clean using disinfectants. It is wise to use alternative natural disinfectants which can be quite inexpensive and may even be available in your home already. Eucalyptus oil, vinegar, borax, grapefruit seed extract, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and lemon juice are all alternative natural disinfectants. It is important to note that it is still advisable to use commercial disinfectants to clean common bacteria-induced areas such as toilets and doorknobs, but again there are several products on the market which are more environmentally friendly than others – just read the label.

3. Avoid using cleaning products that contain phosphate. Phosphate is a common ingredient in detergents which come in powder, gel or tablet form. Phosphate is known to promote algae growth in lakes and oceans which kills fish and other underwater creatures due to suffocation. The good news is that there are phosphate-free detergents available on the market which are safe for the environment. You may also opt for phosphate free liquid detergents rather than using powder detergents for cleaning your clothes – the same is true for your dishwasher detergents.

These are just few tips to help you start using environment friendly and safe products in your home. If you cannot avoid having toxic or poisonous products in your home, be sure to label them properly and keep them well out of the reach of children to avoid unnecessary accidents.

Again, it is useful to read the labels of all the products you buy for your home to determine if the product is environmentally friendly or not. With the use of environmentally friendly products I’m sure you will not only achieve the same cleaning effect as with toxic products but you may also save some money!

Jamie Dann is with B.J. Roth Realty Ltd. in Barrie, ON.