In general, many home cleaners contain chlorine or amines (think ammonia) bound to other molecules. Chlorine and amines, in some forms may not be bad, but when bound to other molecules, the resulting by-products may actually harm human health. To help you rid your household of these and other toxins, we investigated the ingredients of common cleaners.

·Mr. Clean Top Job All-Purpose Cleaner: This cleaner contains ammonia, a chemical that is highly irritating to the lungs when inhaled and can irritate the skin.

·Pine Sol Brand Cleaner: This cleaner contains triethanolamine, which is a severe irritant to the eyes, skin and lungs. Long exposure to this chemical can lead to liver and kidney damage as well as ulcers.

·Windex Multi-Surface Kitchen and Glass Cleaner: This cleaner contains glycol ethers, a substance known to irritate the skin and cause liver and kidney damage. It may also cause nerve damage when absorbed through the skin. It is also classified as a hazardous air pollutant.

See our green home blog,YourGreenFriend.com for more common products you should be wary of.

As you can see, the general theme is most cleaners contain substances that could potentially lead to harmful effects on humans. They can irritate the skin, cause liver and kidney damage and affect the nervous system. You might now be wondering,  "What can I do to reduce exposure to these chemicals?"

First, before you purchase a product that is widely used, you should check with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Household Database, which contains extensive information about most mainstream cleaners. In the database, you can learn more about what these cleaners contain and potential risks.

Why not make a spring cleaning resolution this year to have a cleaner, greener set of cleaning supplies? You can make a healthier and safer impact for you, your family and pets. The Green Irene Toxic-Free Cleaning Kit (on the left) is a great way to green all of your household cleaners at once!

To learn more, you can ask your local Green Irene Eco-Consultant, who offers a $99 Green Home Makeovers that will also give you access to our Ask Green Irene Greenbase. Ask Green Irene subscribers also get access to information regarding specific chemicals to avoid and further tips on cleaning up your cleaners!
 
Our Lead Green Researcher, Rebecca, has a Chemistry degree from Yale, which, as you can see, comes in handy as we decode labels for our clients.

With the recent passing of the stimulus packages, you might be wondering, "What does this mean for my home and business?"

The Stimulus Packages, officially known as the Economic Recovery Act of 2008 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, were signed by Presidents George Bush and Barack Obama to address the economic recession.  We want you to capitalize on these incentives as much as possible.  If there ever was a time for homes and small businesses to go green, this is it.

For example, under the 2008 bailout, the federal government offers tax credits for home energy efficiency improvements of up to $1,500. You can get this money by adding qualifying windows, doors, insulation, roofs, heating and cooling equipment, and water heaters to your house in 2009 or 2010. There are also renewable energy tax credits (not just deductions), of up to 30%, for solar and small wind energy systems. If you are looking into solar water heaters, a less-expensive system would cost around $4,111 instead of $9,135 after a 30% federal credit and a 25% state credit. (Note that state credits for solar vary.) If you purchase a hybrid car, you can get a tax credit ranging from $250 to $3,500 depending on the characteristics of the car.

Remember, a tax credit lowers our tax bill dollar-for-dollar, versus a tax deduction, which takes money off of your taxable income.

The federal government will easily help you go green much more cost-effectively. Make sure you take advantage of this opportunity!

Visit YourGreenFriend.com more information about tax incentives for your family.

Visit GreenOfficeMakeover.com for information about tax incentives about your business.

Visit www.energystar.gov to see specific on all of the energy efficiency credits. 

Most soft toilet paper in the United States comes from second-generation forests. While second-generation forests are well managed, their use contributes massively to our ecological footprint. The impacts associated with the pulp and paper industry are big; they include greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion, water contamination, air pollution and loss of biodiversity.

In the United States the majority of toilet paper comes from virgin pulp, while in other regions of the world (including developing countries) recycled paper is used in a significant proportion of toilet paper. Using recycled paper products reduce the impacts mentioned above and also saves land resources for other important uses.

Greenpeace released a guide for choosing your toilet paper. View it at www.Greenpeace.org/tissueguide.

Green Irene encourages you to use products with as much recycled content as possible. Whether that is copy paper or toilet paper! Ask your local Green Irene Eco-Consultant for our products that help you reduce paper use, such as our European Sponge Cloth, which works as well as a paper towel. Each $1.50 sheet replaces 17 ROLLS of paper towel use! As we like to say: GO GREEN and SAVE GREEN!