Green Cleaning minus the Greenwashing BS

In this module, we cover what the current situation is in terms of  chemical use and safety testing for chemicals on the market in the  United States. You’ll learn about the history of the USA’s pro-industry  law and how risk factors for chemicals are determined. Finally, we will  compare the United States’ approach to Europe’s when it comes to  regulating toxic chemicals sold on the market.

Exposure to toxic chemicals in cleaning products carries the risk of  certain acute and chronic problems, including respiratory difficulties,  breast cancer, neurological issues, hormonal imbalance, and infertility.

In this module, you will learn that manufacturers of US cleaning  products are not required to disclose their ingredients list on labels,  and often fail to fully disclose to their workers what the exposure  hazards are.

Effective  homemade cleaners can be made with ingredients that are cheap, safe, and  widely available. Some of the ingredients on our list are plant-based  ferments (including a DIY version), others are fruits, plant extracts,  left-over plant materials that would otherwise be discarded, basic  soaps, and simple industrially-produced products that are non-toxic to  the environment.  

Some of these ingredients will be more “eco-friendly” than others. Cleaning  consciously means being aware of the resources it takes to produce your  cleaning products like the production methods, required transportation,  and packaging, and then making the best decision you can, based on your  situation.

Part 1: Vinegar, kombucha vinegar, baking soda

Part 2: Washing soda, Marseille soap, Castile soap, Lemon

Part 3: Citric acid, salt, cornstarch, essential oils, ash, coffee grounds, saponin-rich plants: soap nuts and English ivy

In addition to the 3 saponin-rich plants I mention in the video,  there are 7 other saponin-rich plants that can be used for cleaning.  Check out our guide to cleaning with 10 saponin-rich plants in Module 5 of the workbook.

Soap nuts are likely going to be the easiest choice when it comes to cleaning with saponin-rich plants.  While they do have to be shipped from the foothills of the Himalayas,  their carbon footprint is lower than other laundry cleaning alternatives  like baking soda or washing soda. They are also reusable and require  little packaging.

The ingredients in the previous module are  all relatively easy to find, whether you live in the US, Europe or South  America. These next ingredients are mostly widespread and cheap in  Europe. Wherever you live, these can be useful cleaning ingredients to  know about! There may be equivalents near you.

Below, in the associated class document, you will find your master list of all common and uncommon cleaning ingredients as well as your product guide.

NOTE: When I refer to lye in the video, I am talking about sodium hydroxide, specifically.

When we filmed this class in 2017, we focused on many environmental reasons to choose one ingredient over another or one cleaning tool over another. What we didn't fully take into account for all the ingredients was the plastic packaging associated to them. Since then, we have made changes to package-free and zero waste packaging ingredients.

Here is an update on where to find vinegar, Castile soap, Marseille soap, and citric acid zero waste, as well as information about black soap and sodium percarbonate.

You may have expected to see these next cleaning ingredients on our safe  list. I used these products myself until I realized they had associated  health risks and could easily be replaced by safer products. See the  workbook for several more ingredients that didn’t make the cut and why.

Indoor air pollution is often worse than outdoors. Here are common  volatile organic compounds that are polluting your home and 4  houseplants that can filter them out of the air.

In this course, we put a lot of value in existing resources to minimize  waste. A topic that we felt it was necessary to delve deeper into is  packaging waste and plastic packaging in particular.

Here's an extra video, starring my mother-in-law! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdCbH_fwE7k

This Conscious Cleaning 101 course was  created for you to have a safer home free of toxic chemicals. While the  products we use are safe when used correctly, this doesn’t mean that  accidents won’t happen. These ingredients are not meant to be consumed, to be applied to your skin, to get into your eyes, or even to be used in excess (in some cases). There are common sense safety rules to follow, and also some precautions you may not have considered. Please listen carefully to this section and read the accompanying safety guidelines in your workbook as well.

In  the workbook, there is additional information not mentioned in this  video about reusing cleaning containers for your DIY products. To  be clear, DO NOT REUSE CONTAINERS PREVIOUSLY CONTAINING DANGEROUS  PRODUCTS. This includes containers for rodent poison, insecticide,  insect repellent, weed killer, drain openers, car cleaners, and oven  cleaners.  

We have worked with  the products in this class for some time and know which ones do or don't  cause dermal sensitivities to us in particular. If you see us  foregoing gloves in this class, this does NOT mean you should do the  same. Our recommendation is for you to follow our safety guidelines at  all times.

When it comes to cleaning consciously,  it’s not only the ingredients that we make use of in our homes that we  need to examine, but our cleaning gear as well. In this section, we help  you determine how to choose the appropriate cleaning gear while  minimizing your carbon footprint, your waste, and your overall  environmental impact. We will encourage you to be resourceful by reusing  or repurposing items you already have, to use secondhand gear whenever  possible, and to beware of greenwashing.

Check  the workbook for additional information about cleaning gear such as pan  scrapers, hampers, plungers, plumbing snakes, clothes drying racks,  etc.

In the workbook, there is additional information not  mentioned in this video about reusing cleaning containers for your DIY  products. To be clear, DO NOT REUSE CONTAINERS PREVIOUSLY  CONTAINING DANGEROUS PRODUCTS. This includes containers for rodent  poison, insecticide, insect repellent, weed killer, drain openers, car  cleaners, and oven cleaners. 

CORRECTION:  In the video, I tell you that despite their flaws, you can keep using  microfiber cloths if you already happen to have them. In light of new  research, my suggestion is to stop using microfiber cloths altogether.  They  create microplastic contamination in our oceans and our tap water.  Simply washing your microfiber cloth releases tiny plastic particles in  water which harms marine life when it reaches the rivers and oceans. The  US also has the highest microfiber tap water contamination rate at 94%.  The health implications for humans of microfibers in our tap water  remains unknown, but based on the implications it’s been having for  marine wildlife, the situation is very concerning.

Watch the Story of Stuff's video on microplastics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqkekY5t7KY

Here's a separate video tutorial to make your own tawashi sponge:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLpSldN2e3M

Now that you  have the basic information about the cleaning ingredients’ properties  and the safety instructions to keep in mind, you can create your own  recipes from scratch. In the next 4 modules, I will be going over your  list of cleaning cabinet essentials for each room of your home, as well  as cleaning tricks. These cleaning cabinet essentials are the products  you’ll want to make in bulk to have a steady supply of basic cleaning  products on hand.

I suggest you make a small batch of each recipe first,  to ensure you’ve gotten the proportions down correctly and that you are  satisfied with the product. Then, I recommend putting aside an  afternoon to make about a year’s supply of all of these recipes. That  way, you won’t have to worry about making new products for quite some  time. You might even want to make extra for your friends and family!

Below, you’ll find:

-      List of cleaning cabinet essentials

-      Printable labels for each product you’ll make

-      Reminder: which ingredients to not to mix together

Let’s start in the kitchen! It’s crucial to use nontoxic products on  surfaces where food is being prepared for you and your family. Let’s  make kitchen cleaner, dishwashing soap and dishwasher powder.

Here are some helpful kitchen cleaning  tricks to help you get ideas for how baking soda, vinegar, lemon and  other basic ingredients can be used to sanitize your kitchen space.

Let’s move on to the laundry room! Using  products that are eco-friendly protects local water supplies and  protects us from being exposed to toxic chemicals on our clothing. But  if we aren’t using harsh chemicals, then how do we wash our clothes  effectively? Let’s review some basic recipes and items to ensure your  clothes are well taken care of.

We will  be making a hamper ball, pre-treat stain remover, laundry powder,  whitener, fabric softener, laundry perfume and dryer sheets.

Check out these tips for cleaning your clothes.

Here's a separate video tutorial to make your English ivy detergent.

WARNING:  Contact dermatitis is relatively rare with this plant. Use gloves to be  cautious and avoid the sap and berries if you have sensitive skin. Note  that we are of course not talking about poison ivy... always be 100%  certain of your plant identification. This traditional recipe has been  safely used for generations in France.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA0CuiC2t4s

Here's a tutorial to make your own horse chestnut laundry detergent. Find details in our blog post on Permacrafters: https://permacrafters.com/horse-chestnut-laundry-detergent-zero-waste-cleaning/. Always be 100% sure of your plant identification. Horse chestnuts are toxic if ingested - be sure to store safely away from children and pets and to label appropriately. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QpWudiopp0

Here's how to make wool dryer balls, as detailed in your Workbook.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ua2tC96pYk

Our bathroom can harbor bacteria, mold, and  mildew and can get unpleasant odors if we aren’t careful. It doesn’t  need to be sterile to be safe and pleasant. With some simple habits and  basic products, it can be cleaned effectively and efficiently. 

Together,  let’s make our daily shower spray, a mildew-fighting mix, scouring  paste, toilet fizzies, toilet cleaner, and learn about beewax candles  and essential oils diffusers.

Here are some tips and tricks for cleaning in the bathroom!

Your living areas are where you spend time  with family and friends, socialize with guests, maybe even run a  business, and lounge and recharge after a long day. Keeping those spaces  inviting (and drawing the line before “hospital-clean”) makes it all  the more enjoyable.

Here are the products  we will be making: multi-purpose cleaner, floor cleaner, window  cleaner, air fresheners (tea tree oil spray, using a vaporizer,  pot-pourri), and wood polish.

In this video, I mention using microfiber cloths for cleaning your  windows if you happen to still have some of these cloths in your home. I  have since retracted that recommendation due to the microplastic  pollution associated to using them. See the cleaning gear section for  details.

Here are some tricks for cleaning your living areas.

Congratulations, you made it! We hope this  workshop has motivated you to start making your own nontoxic cleaning  products from scratch and to phase out toxic cleaners. Remember, the  toxic-free adventure doesn’t have to stop here: spread the word about  what you’ve learned to your friends, invite them for a DIY cleaning  products party, and take action in your local community! Speak up! Get  involved with a local Savvy Women’s Alliance chapter (or start one!) to learn more and share about nontoxic living  & detox other areas of your life (cosmetics, food, etc.). And if  you’ve enjoyed this class, encourage your friends to sign up too! The  more students we get, the easier it is for us to keep our classes  affordable and accessible.

We hope  we have inspired you to clean your home with safe products that will  bring you peace of mind. Remember you can always refer to your workbook  for information on ingredients, recipes, tricks, recommended gear and  safety instructions! And stay involved with our exclusive online Facebook community for students.  

We sincerely hope to see you again soon for future workshops on nifty  skills for self-reliance. And remember to be kind to yourself!  Sometimes, life gets in the way. So, if you’re hosting a dinner party  but have no time to clean, just ask your guests to bring dark socks and  low expectations. 

Private Facebook Group for Students: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2024516617799123/

Savvy Women's Alliance: https://www.savvywomensalliance.org/