We all love for our homes to be sparkling clean and beautiful. For me, enjoying the reward of a crisp citrusy-fresh scent after cleaning my floors almost negates the disdain I have for mopping…almost. I will even admit to being that person who quite enjoys the smell of Scrubbing Bubbles and Lysol Disinfectant Wipes, though I question how healthy that stuff is to sniff. In addition to the potential of certain chemical cleaning agent fumes robbing us of a few brain cells, some of the elements which comprise common household cleaners can be quite harmful not only for us, but also for our environment.
Around seven years ago, during my first pregnancy, one of the questions I asked my Doctor at that first OB visit was actually more of a hopeful statement; “So I guess this means that I definitely don’t need to be scrubbing the bathtubs, cleaning the windows, or mopping the floors while I’m pregnant because the chemical fumes from the cleaning products might harm the baby?” Let me set the stage by remarking that my wide-eyed, dutiful, Daddy-to-be husband just happened to be right by my side in perfect earshot while I offered this sly declaration to my doctor.
While it is true that some home cleaning agent fumes are best to be avoided by expectant mothers (really by anyone for that matter) “Green Science” has now opened the floodgates to a wide array of environmentally-friendly cleaners that are completely free of toxins which could be harmful to breathe and/or dangerous to our surroundings. Here are my favorite store-bought eco-conscious household cleaners and a few suggestions for home-made cleaning options that work lovely, smell wonderful and won’t do damage to Mother Earth, Mom-to-be, or any other member of the family if they are exposed to them.

All-Purpose Cleaners
• Greenworks Natural All-Purpose Cleaner (from the makers of Clorox) Available at local discount, grocery stores, and Haynes Ace Hardware in Conway.

• Nature’s Source Natural All-Purpose Cleaner (S C Johnson and Company) Available at local discount, grocery stores, and Haynes Ace Hardware in Conway.

• Home-Made All Purpose Cleaner Recipe : Mix ½ Cup of Vinegar and ¼ Cup of Baking Soda into ½ Gallon water, store and keep. Use to remove water deposit stains, and to clean mirrors, glass, etc…

Bathroom Cleaners
• Greenworks Natural Bathroom Cleaner (from the makers of Clorox) Available at local discount, grocery stores, and Haynes Ace Hardware in Conway.

• Seventh Generation Natural Shower Cleaner (available at www.drugstore.com )

• Home-Made Cleaner for Bathroom Mold Recipe: Mix 1 part Hydrogen Peroxide (3%) with 2 parts Water in a spray bottle, spray on moldy areas and wait at least 1 hour before rinsing

Carpet Cleaners
• Earth Friendly Concentrated Carpet Shampoo Available Haynes Ace Hardware in Conway.

• Seventh Generation Natural Carpet Cleaner Available at www.kokogm.com/Green_Market

• Home-Made Carpet Stain Remover Recipe: Mix equal parts White Vinegar and Water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on stain and wait several minutes before cleaning with a brush or sponge using warm soapy water

Well, I’m now at the finish line of another pregnancy and have these new environmentally friendly cleaning products to “thank” for allowing me the ability to continue checking off my list of weekly household chores with no chance of adverse effects, therefore no chance coercing help to complete my tasks - so much for having a nine-month hiatus from tub-scrubbing and dust mopping! At least I can take heart that the Environment is able to reap rewards from my switch to eco-friendly cleaning agents, and I still enjoy the reward of whiffing newly cleaned floors without the worry of compromising the health of my family or environment!