Mike Dressler on Green Building, Buying and Living

I have a confession to make. My home is not as green as it could be. “You call yourself an Agent for Sustainability and haven’t done EVERYTHING you can??!” I know, for shame. Truth is, like many folks out there we don’t own our home. My wife and I are happily renting a house here in Belmont Shore until we have sufficient funds to write that big 20% down payment check. We’re working on it.

But just because we’re renting doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do what we can to make the home we live in more sustainable. There are many things we can do as renters to green-up our homes. In our household, we’ve switched over to compact fluorescent lighting and have installed faucet aerators and high-efficiency showerheads. We are very mindful of our energy and water usage and do all that we can to reduce our draw. And of course, we diligently mind the three R’s - reduce, reuse and recycle.

However, admittedly one place our sustainable living efforts have been lacking is in the indoor air quality department. In our ever-evolving path to sustainability, my wife and I have taken the next step in greening our household, doing away with synthetic household cleaners.

We have made the jump from your standard multi-purpose and bathroom cleaners to a more natural way of keeping tidy. Our old cleaning arsenal of store-bought cleaners was composed of potentially harmful chemicals and VOC’s (volatile organic compounds). Ever walked down the cleaner aisle at the grocery store and noticed a very different smell than the rest of the store? Welcome to off gassing! Instead of bringing those chemicals into our home, we've gone au-natural. And so far, we like the results.

Instead of the various cleaners we used to use (toilet bowl cleaners, kitchen and bathroom cleaners, glass cleaners and furniture polish for dusting), we now employ various mixtures of white vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, and baking soda. These four natural ingredients can be used to clean just about anything in our home. We now use them for kitchen counters, toilets, windows, hardwood floors and even for dusting the furniture. The goal is to reduce the amount of potentially harmful chemicals in our indoor air, while still enjoying a clean and fresh-feeling living space.

The results have been surprising. The new cleaning agents seem to be just as effective as the old stand-bys. While yes, the vinegar concoctions do have a quite powerful smell, I have to remember that the old cleaners did as well. However, the vinegar odor dissipates quickly and I’m left knowing that the air I’m breathing is just a little bit healthier than before.

Another pleasant surprise was that I found that cleaning with natural products can also be a cost-effective way to keep our house ship shape! For example, we simply go to our local bulk-style store and pick up inexpensive gallons of white vinegar. A one-gallon bottle, once diluted will refill one spray bottle several times over. Plus vinegar is such a versatile cleaner, it replaced several of the old products we used to use. Compare the cost of one large bottle of vinegar to the several small bottles of various cleaners you usually buy. It's a no-brainer!

While it has taken some getting used to, I have to say making the transition was a very satisfying experience. Just knowing that there are less harmful chemicals, not only in our home, but being washed into our local environment made the decision to tackle this step all the easier. And the fact that we’ll be saving a little change makes it all the sweeter! 

Below you will find the mixtures that we use when cleaning our home. Feel free to post and questions or suggestions you might have. We are always looking for new ideas!

Mulit-purpose cleaner:  1 part water + 1 part white vinegar. This is great for disinfecting and deodorizing and can be used in most areas of the home including kitchens and bathrooms. Use for sinks, counters, toilets, and mopping tile floors.

Toilet and Tub cleaner:  Straight vinegar applied with a sponge or toilet bowl wand. Use a scrub brush with a little baking soda added for tough water stains.

Glass cleaner:  1 cup water + 1 tablespoon white vinegar + 1 cup rubbing alcohol. Mix ingredients in spray bottle and use for windows, glass, chrome, and ceramic tile.  

Furniture polish (wood): 1 cup olive oil with ½ cup lemon juice. This is great for cleaning and polishing wood furniture. Put ingredients in a bottle and shake well. Apply small amounts to a rag and spread evenly over the wood. Use a dry rag to polish dry.  

Hardwood floor cleaner:  ½ cup of white vinegar + 1 gallon warm water. This is a great mixture for regular cleaning of wood floors. The vinegar will disinfect and loosen dirt leaving your floors shiny and clean.

Abrasive scrub:  Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle baking soda on exposed lemon. Use to scrub tubs, sinks or baked-on dishes. When finished, grind lemon peel in kitchen sink disposal.