Gradually Green

When I first began to "green" my home, I wanted to run from room to room and toss out everything that contained nasty chemicals and toxins.

However, this was not practical for a number of reasons:

1. It would be too expensive to replace everything all at once.



2. It would create a lot of waste.



3. I didn't have the time to toss and replace it all right then.



4. I was very pregnant and I wasn't running ANYWHERE!

So, I instead decided to take a more gradual (and less insane) approach.

I began with my household cleaners. First, I looked for the most toxic. I found an ancient container of oven cleaner (I don't remember ever even using oven cleaner, since I don't "do" ovens, and a couple of years ago I purchased a self-cleaning one anyway). Who knows where the heck it even came from?!

Two other highly toxic household products are drain cleaners and toilet bowl cleaners. Would you want your child to accidentally ingest these items? If the answer is "no", then get them out of your house. Drain cleaner - we had none. Toilet bowl cleaner - since I already had it, and it was already locked high out of reach, I decided to use it until the bottle was finished, and then find a less-toxic alternative. I figured that the environmental damage had largely been done, and made sure that I used it on the rarely-used downstairs toilet where neither children nor dogs would be inclined to play in the water.

What about other household items? This is what I did. Anything that I was already using, I decided to continue using until it was gone - and I would then find better alternatives. The exceptions were anything that I used that gave me headaches when I used them. I think that is my body's signal that there is something in there that I don't want near me. I found the remains of a tub and tile cleaner, as well as a particularly smelly dish soap.

What do you do with these items to dispose of them? Don't just toss them in the trash or down the drain. Most communities have some sort of household hazardous waste collection days. Here on Manitoulin, the communities teamed up with a hazardous waste collection day in the summer, and you could bring a variety of items to be disposed of properly. Check this link for items that you can save up for the next disposal date.

The rest of the items in my home, I decided that I would gradually replace as needed. This would give me time to research products so that I didn't get greenwashed (still happens occasionally though). It also meant that I wasn't dropping a pile of money all in one shopping trip. Going green should be about saving money, not breaking the bank.

So is my household completely green? Let's just say it is a work in progress. There is still a cupboard, way up in the back of the laundry room, that has a very few assorted items that I haven't decided what to do with, couldn't yet part with, or both. There are a couple of "technical" washes for sports clothing, a dryer "dry cleaning" set, an assortment of screwdriver bits and things from pants pockets when doing laundry...(not toxic, I just couldn't be bothered to find a proper home for them, so there they sit....hubby, go look there for any missing bits you haven't been able to find!).

I just left these items there for the time being, rather than make a decision or try to find a replacement. If they are still there, untouched, by the time the next hazardous waste collection day rolls around, they will be gone too. So far, out of sight, out of mind - and I certainly haven't missed them.

Many of my current cleaners I can now leave in unlocked, bottom cupboards, if I wanted to, as they are not hazardous to my family: vinegar, lemons, baking soda, soda water. These do the majority of my household cleaning. Most often I use my simple spray bottle with a vinegar and water solution.

Products that I purchase include dish soap, dishwasher detergent, and laundry soap. See? Green is definitely cheaper.

My hygiene and cosmetics products? Check back in the near future so you can read about what a disaster (aka mess) that stuff is...