Green Purse Alerts
In This Issue
Sign Up
Quick Links
woman cleaning house
Dirt doesn't scare me.

In fact, generally speaking, I like dirt.

Dirt under my fingernails means I've been working in the garden.

Dirt on my kids' faces means they've been out having a good time.

Dirt on my dog's nose means she's been happily digging for her hidden treasure -- bones -- in the backyard.

According to my mother, when I was a little kid, my favorite kind of gum was the dirty kind - the kind I'd scrape up off the sidewalk or sneak from under the church pew when the sermon got boring. Yes, I chewed it all, and I'm still alive to tell about it. None of that dirt did me any harm.

In fact, my theory is that my family and I are as healthy as we are because we all ate so much dirt growing up.

I share my passion for dirt with you today because it's March -- spring cleaning season -- and people are about to get a little crazy over every mote of dust and mark of grime within eye-shot.

Now, don't get me wrong. I prefer eating on clean dishes to dirty ones, I usually favor wearing clean clothes to ones that stink (unless, of course, I'm gardening), and I like sleeping in a clean bed.

But I don't think everything has to be clean all the time. And I certainly don't believe that "clean" means antiseptic, germ-free, and smelling like roses or whatever synthetic fragrance is in the air fresheners being marketed today to make us feel like our homes just popped out of a spic-and-span bottle.

In fact, I take issue with the glorification of "clean" that goes on, as if cleanliness were next to godliness. I'm pretty sure it's not. Cleanliness is next to the cash register, at least in the minds of most companies that produce cleaning products -- which is exactly why they produce them.

For example, how much money are you wasting on products that kill germs.? We've been made to fear modern "germs" as if they were the ancient bubonic plague. Having eaten probably trillions of germs in dirt over the years with nary even a stomach ache, I'm living proof that marketers are mostly marketing fear when they encourage us to buy the latest anti-bacterial this-or-that.

A lot of doctors think so, too. Dr. Stuart Levy, Director of the Center for Adaptation Genetics and Drug Resistance at the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, says, "No current data demonstrate any health benefits from having antibacterial-containing (i.e., germ killing) cleansers in a healthy household."

Or consider "extra strength" cleaners, especially the ones that include nasty ingredients like phthalates, ammonia, and chlorine bleach.

Whatever happened to good old soap and water? Water carved the Grand Canyon, for goodness' sake. Surely, it can tackle the dirt on my kitchen floor!

Yes, I dust my tables and sweep the floors. I vacuum the carpets and wash out the toilet, too. But I certainly don't obsess about it.

If I did, I wouldn't have time to get my hands dirty!
bon ami
I save a lot of money on cleaning products by using simple soap and water. When I need something stronger, here's what I try:

Counters, Walls, Bath Tub, Sink, Toilet: Bon Ami - These pulverized crystals works on everything except glass and wood. It's a dream cleaner that's cheap, comes in a recyclable cardboard container, and contains no phosphates, bleach, or synthetic fragrances. NOTE - If your store doesn't carry it, ask the manager to order it.

Drain Cleaner: Baking soda and vinegar, followed by a kettle or two of boiling water - Use once a week and your drain will never back up.

Windows - Water. That's all. Sprayed from a simple spray-pump bottle and wiped down with a lint- free towel. Really.

Got to have an all-purpose spray cleaner? - Check out EcoStoreUSA available online or in stores in the Midwest.

For a variety of cleansers you can buy in almost any grocery or hardware store, see the GreenWorks brand by Clorox.

For polishing silver or floors, see m y DIY recipes here.
sponge
Throw-away cleaning cloths may be all the rage, but they sure trash the planet. Why not give a sponge a try?

One sponge may last as long as 17 rolls of paper towels -- saving you $30 over the life of that sponge.

Wonder how to keep the sponge clean? I toss mine in the dishwasher every night, then zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Works like a charm.

Could you do me a favor? Pass this e-mail along to a friend, work colleague, sister, parent, aunt or anyone else you think might enjoy it. Simply click on the Forward button right below my signature.

Talk to you again soon,

 Diane's Photo
Diane MacEachern
Big Green Purse

Email Marketing by