Green This! Volume 1: Greening Your Cleaning

Change the way you clean and keep your family's home wholesome and healthy with the help of expert and activist Deirdre Imus.

We all grew up thinking chemical smells like bleach and ammonia signaled "clean." But as Deirdre Imus reveals, some of the chemicals we use to maintain our homes are doing us and our families much more harm than good. In Greening Your Cleaning, the first in her Green This! series, Deirdre shows how cleaning house the environmentally responsible way can be as effective and often cheaper than the more traditional, toxic, means. This volume includes:

• Simple, efficient cleaning methods for every room of the house
• Spotlights on everyday products (all purpose cleaner, glass/window cleaner, laundry detergent) and the toxic ingredients you should be wary of
• Summaries of the latest research on the toxic effects of ordinary chemicals
• Resource lists of widely available "green cleaning" products and retailers

Filled with tips and testimonials, Greening Your Cleaning will show you how to streamline your cleaning products and practices, and how easy it is to make "living green" your way of life.

The founder and president of the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology offers this guide to keeping one's family healthy by cleaning the home in an environmentally friendly way. (House & Home)

Deirdre Imus is the founder and president of the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology(R), part of Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) in New Jersey. She is also a cofounder and codirector of the Imus Cattle Ranch for Kids with Cancer, and the author of the bestselling book The Imus Ranch: Cooking for Kids and Cowboys.

contents

one: why green?

1 A NEW MEANING OF CLEAN

Our Most Precious Natural Resource

Going Off Autopilot

Less Is More

2 MY COMMITMENT

The Web of Life

The Imus Ranch

Greening Hackensack and Beyond

Expanding the Mission

Toxic Interruption: Chlorine/Chlorine Bleach/Chlorine By-products

3 THE FACTS

Knowing the Dangers

Breaking It Down

Protecting Our Children

Health Problems Associated with Environmental Toxins in the Home

Understanding Indoor Air Pollution

The Science of Housekeeping

Different Shades of Green

Toxic Interruption: Petroleum Distillates

two: one change at a time

4 THE HOME

Nesting

Some Cautionary Notes

Improving Your Indoor Air Quality

Back to the Basics

Flooring

Toxic Interruption: Dioxin and Triclosan

5 THE KITCHEN

Eating In

The Kitchen Sink

Countertops

Doing the Dishes

Other Kitchen Essentials

Toxic Interruption: Ammonia

6 THE BATHROOM

Ventilation

Cleaning Tubs and Showers

Toxic Interruption: Phthalates

Cleaning and Deodorizing Toilets

Bathroom Floors and Mirrors

Unclogging Drains

Toxic Interruption: Formaldehyde

7 THE BEDROOM

Your Sanctuary

Vacuuming and Dusting

Closets

Cleaning and Deodorizing Carpets

Bedding and Linens

Toxic Interruption: Phenols

8 LIVING AREAS

Home Sweet Home: Deodorizing Naturally

Polishing Up

Cleaning Drapes and Upholstery

Toxic Interruption: Butyl Cellosolve

Pest Control

Keeping Your Pets Clean and Healthy

9 THE LAUNDRY ROOM

The Art of Laundry

The Basics: Washing and Drying

Softening Fabrics

Stain and Spot Removal

Ironing and Starching

Dry Cleaning

Toxic Interruption: Alkylphenolics

10 THE GREEN REVOLUTION

three: resources

GREEN CLEANING

RETAILERS

READING LABELS

GENERAL TERMS USED IN

THIS BOOK

GLOSSARY OF CHEMICALS

A NOTE ON SOURCES