14 Tips for Health-Friendly Cleaning

You may not realize it, but your house is hazardous to your health.

Beyond the Usual

Insect droppings, dust mites, spoiled food -- all can contribute to a plethora of health problems. In fact, germ guru Charles P. Gerba, Ph.D., a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, says you're more likely to get sick going home than nearly anywhere else in your life (except maybe hospitals).

What's scarier is that the cure for a dirty home can be worse than the problem as we attack germs with enough toxic chemicals to make the EPA shudder. Green Seal, a nonprofit environmental standards organization, estimates that cleaning products contribute approximately 8 percent of total nonvehicular emissions of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These can cause eye, nose, and lung irritation, as well as rashes, headaches, nausea, asthma, and, in some cases, cancer.

There is a solution. We talked to some of the leading "green" cleaners in the country about how to clean your house to minimize health threats to you, your family, and the environment. Here's what they recommend:

1. Clean in an organized manner. There's no point in mopping the floor only to then dust the ceiling fan and deposit a gray film over everything again. To clean well -- and that means to clean healthily -- you need to clean efficiently. That means avoiding going back and forth around a room. Instead, work using a systematic approach. Think in terms of left to right, top to bottom. Begin with ceilings and walls, and work your way down to windows and furniture, finishing with the floors.

2. Clean the things you'd never think to clean. For instance, your mattress is a magnet for allergy-causing dust mites. Washing the mattress cover in very hot water (140°F or more) every month, and wiping down the top of the mattress with hot water, can go a long way toward reducing morning stuffiness. Other never-thought-they-needed-to-be-cleaned areas:

• Telephone receivers. Dr. Gerba found significant numbers of illness-causing bacteria and viruses on telephone receivers, which could easily be spread to your lower lip and then, with a quick lick, into your mouth.


• Indoor garbage cans. Particularly those in the kitchen and bathroom. Emptying them isn't the same as cleaning them. Regularly scrub them to make sure germs aren't germinating.


• Shower curtains. They get wet most every day, and they often stay wet, making them a perfect home for mold.


• Automatic dishwashers. Take a close look at the edges of the door on your dishwasher. Many are breeding grounds for mold and mildew. The same is true of the rubber cushioning that surrounds some refrigerator doors.


• The fireplace. A clogged chimney is not only unhealthy, it can kill you if it ignites or, in the case of a gas fireplace, becomes blocked, sending dangerous carbon monoxide fumes into the house.


• HVAC filters. These filters are designed to filter allergy-causing dust from the air, but if they're clogged, they're more harmful than helpful.

3. Dust with worn-out wool socks or a corner of an old wool blanket or sweater. Wool creates static when rubbed on a surface, says Kim Carlson, who gives earth-friendly advice on the air for the NBC affiliate in Minneapolis/St. Paul. One wipe can keep your furniture dust-free without polishes or sprays.

4. Polish silver with toothpaste. Some silver polishes contain petroleum distillates, ammonia, or other hazardous ingredients. Instead, Carlson recommends dabbing on toothpaste with your finger or rubbing it on with a cloth. Rinse with warm water and polish with a soft cloth. For larger trays and bowls, use a baking soda paste (baking soda mixed with water) on a wet sponge.

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“ Pull a large pair of rubber gloves over your woolen ones. They can keep your gloves dry for shoveling snow or making snowballs. ”

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