Going Green

Al Gore recently won the Nobel Peace Prize. Maybe we can all do a little more to help the enviornment.

Easy steps that don't take much effort in the long run can help, not only our pocketbooks, but our resources too!

Levels of pollutants in indoor air can be two to 100 times higher than outdoors, according to the EPA. That indoor pollution is due, in large part, to volatile organic compounds that evaporate from home decorating or cleaning products. By following these green cleaning suggestions, you can breath quality air into your home:

• Use fragrance-free laundry detergents, which don't contain phthalates, which is known to cause cancer.


• Baking soda and vinegar get the green light, as all around cleaning alternatives. They can do anything from deodorizing to cleaining the oven to removing stains on countertops, bathtubs, and toliet bowls.


• Mix your own stain removers. Soak stains in water mixed with borax, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, washing soda or white vinegar.


• For sparkling drinking glasses, ocassionally soak them in solution of vinegar and water.


• Use the dishwasher! Handwashing dishes actually wastes more water . Adding one cup of white vinegar to your dishwasher's rince compartment will leave your dishes spot free.


• Skip the antibacterial soaps. The FDA has found that these work no better than good old soap and water.


• Don't throw out your old cleaning products. What's bad for your home is also bad for drains and landfills, so check to see if your community holds toxic and electronic recycling days and discard them there.

You can even GO GREEN at work. My team at Real Living Upper Arlington has reduced its paper by emailing contracts, not printing out emails, and keeping scanned copies of documents by creating electronic customer files instead of paper files.

I might not win a Nobel Peace Prize, but I am doing my part by GOING GREEN!