Clean, Lean and Green

Want to save money on cleaning products? Don’t just head over to the dollar store and load up on a slew of off-brand scrubs and sprays. If the global environmental repercussion of chemical cleaners don’t seem like enough of a motivator, let’s face it, sometimes organic has to take a backseat to cheap – consider your health. The fumes of corrosive cleaning products will stick around in a sealed environment, causing air pollution inside the home. The good news is that “green” cleaning products don’t have to be expensive, quite the opposite. Stick with a few multitasking basics and you’ll actually spend less.

If you are looking to green up your cleaning regimen but don’t want to go broke in the process, baking soda and vinegar will be your new best friends; but Castile soap is also a good product to know about.

The typical liquid dish soap or laundry detergent bought at the grocery store today is made from a petroleum distillate, a toxic and nonrenewable resource. Castile is made from coconut or olive oil, both renewable resources and is a natural and readily biodegradable alternative.

Castile can go anywhere: in the washing machine (1/4 cup per load), in squirt bottles for hand, dish and body washing and in garden remedies and natural cleaning formulas. Castile soap can be expensive, but just think of it as an investment up front. Cleaning formulas made with castile require only a few tablespoons of the stuff at a time.

You can find Castile in liquid or solid form in health food stores and some supermarkets.