How to Clean Floors the Eco-Friendly Way
You probably already know that the products that you use in your home have a big impact on indoor air quality and the environment. Maintaining your home can be hard when you know that many staple cleaning products are releasing toxins into the air every time you clean up. No one wants to live in a home that isn’t clean, but you also want to do your part to reduce your environmental footprint. Luckily, there are many ways to simplify your cleaning processes and get it done the green way, literally from the floor up!
Greening your floor cleaning process can be difficult, especially when you know that using the wrong products can lead to expensive and ugly damage. Many homeowners are led to believe that only specifically formulated cleaners with loads of chemicals work to clean their floors, but this is not the case. By reducing the amount of chemicals you’re using to clean floors and choosing greener alternatives both in cleaning equipment and formulas, you can transform floor cleaning into an eco-friendly practice.
- When redecorating, work to select green flooring options in all areas of your home. This will help prevent your floors from releasing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your home.
- Try to avoid bringing outside dirt into the home in the first place by removing shoes at the door and/ or wiping them on a doormat.
- Quit being wasteful by using disposable floor wipes and tossing them in the trash. Use reusable rags or a mop to clean the floors instead.
- Shop for a cellulose mop that is made from natural plant fibers and free of dyes, plastics, and Triclosan, which is toxic to aquatic animals and has been causing harm to water ecosystems.
- Upgrade your floor-cleaning electronics like vacuums and floor cleaners to make sure you have an energy efficient model that doesn’t waste a ton of electricity. Choose a bag-less vacuum to reduce landfill waste.
- Work to reduce the amount of floor cleaning product that you use. A little goes a long way with most cleaning solutions.
- Switch out floor cleaning products with chemical ingredients to simpler, greener alternatives.
- Add a drop of essential oil if you prefer a cleaner with fragrance, rather than buying a scented version with lots of additional chemicals.
- Try to switch from storebought cleaners to homemade remedies, such as:
- Warm water for tile, granite, slate, or marble floors
- Boiling water and black teabags for hardwood floors
- Dishwashing detergent and water for carpets
- White vinegar and water for hardwood floors or carpets
