The holiday season is in full swing, and if you’re like me, you’re out and about, shopping for that perfect green gift. So as I’m making my list and checking it twice, I’m making sure all of my gifts this year fit into the green category. It’s easy to know if my product is green because The Green Consumer has provided some guidelines to follow:

A green product is one that:

1.     Is not dangerous to the health of people or animals.

2.     Does not cause damage to the environment during manufacture, use or disposal.

3.     Does not consume a disproportionate amount of energy and other resources during manufacture, use, or disposal.

4.     Does not cause unnecessary waste, due to excessive packaging or to a short useful life.

5.     Does not involve the unnecessary use of cruelty to animals.

6.     Does not use materials from threatened species or environments.

If you still have a few questions about a product, you can always check to see if it’s listed on the Good Guide. This is a site that rates popular products just so that you can ensure that your gift is as green as possible.

Now you’ve got some great information to help give green products this holiday season. And of course, the simple + smart cleaning kit should be at the top of your list! Happy shopping everyone! Be safe and remember to give green this year!

Making your own household cleaners improves your quality of living immediately. It also helps you do your part to lessen your impact on the environment.

Here is a list of the top ten reasons to get your own simple + smart™ cleaning kit and start making your own cleaners:

1. Save Money – You can make your own cleaners at a fraction of the cost of brand-name products. You’ll save money right away because most of the ingredients you need to create your own cleaners (e.g., vinegar and baking soda) are already lying around your house.
2. Decrease the amount of indoor air pollution in your house - Almost all chemical household cleaners contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that linger in your house long after you’re finished cleaning. The TEAM study conducted by the EPA found VOC levels to be 2 to 5 times higher indoors rather than outdoors.
3. Non-Toxic cleaning is safe for your children and pets – All of the ingredients used to make your household cleaners are non-toxic and safe to be used around children and pets. Most cleaning supplies contain many ingredients that are harmful, and bear toxic warning labels. Why have such hazardous chemicals in your house?
4. Stop polluting local surface water and soil – Pouring hazardous chemical cleaners down the drain, or out in your backyard ultimately seep into local water streams and soil in the surrounding area. You can reduce your Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) by creating safe and effective cleaners on your own.
5. Reduce the risk of eczema, asthma and allergies - Cleaning green helps you avoid spraying hazardous chemicals that linger in the air of your house. These chemicals can cause eczema, asthma and allergies. Reducing indoor air pollution is a highly recommended method to cut back on eczema, asthma and allergy attacks.
6. DIY house cleaners are cruelty free - Feel good about using cleaners in your household that have not been tested on animals.
7. Cut back on extra waste - By reusing our simple + smart™ cleaning kit bottles, you cut back on the thousands of cleaning bottles thrown into our landfills each year.
8. Make room underneath the sink - You’ll quickly find out that you don’t need a different product for each cleaning task, green cleaners are very versatile, and you’ll quickly learn you’ll use just a few basic recipes to do just about everything you need.  It’s even easier when using our small, lightweight bottles found in our simple + smart™ cleaning kit.
9. Reduce the amount of antibiotic immune bacteria - Using antibacterial cleaners actually promote antibiotic immune bacteria. You can battle against bacteria by using store bought vinegar; it kills 99% of bacteria, 82% of mold and 80% of germs on contact. It’s safe and affordable.
10. Freshen your air and beautify your home - Many household plants such as the Chlorphtum (Spider plant), not only make your home beautiful, but will help remove chemicals from the air like benzene and formaldehyde

Making your own cleaners is easy, and green cleaning will help you create a clean, safe and healthy home. Don’t hesitate, buy your simple + smart™ cleaning kit and start making your own cleaners today!

Distilled White Vinegar

One of the most common ingredients used to make your own cleaners is regular ol’ distilled white vinegar. I know many people who have white distilled vinegar somewhere in their house. So, you are probably pretty familiar with vinegar, and probably have used it for either making salad dressing, or for making your volcano erupt at the science fair in the 3^rd grade.

We may be familiar with vinegar, but did you know that vinegar has been around for about 10,000 years? Who would have thought that it has such a rich history? Everyone’s used vinegar, and it can be traced throughout history. People like the Ancient Babylonians, powerful kings, sailors, famous conquerors, and WWI medics all have used vinegar.

What is it about vinegar that makes it so special? It is inexpensive and does not contain preservatives or additives and is made from all natural ingredients. It can be used for hundreds of things such as; cleaning, gardening, pet care and even health care – you name it! It contains a high level of acidity so it kills most mold, bacteria and germs. It’s a great natural disinfectant. In addition, it cuts soap scum, and dissolves scale. All this, and if your child accidentally swallows it, you don’t have to worry – it’s edible.

The most popular question I get is, “when I clean with vinegar, will it make my house smell like vinegar?” That’s a valid question, I mean I love salad, but who wants their house to smell like salad, all of the time? The best thing is that the vinegar smell doesn’t linger. We use it in our window cleaner recipe that comes with our kit. It works very well, and the smell does not last very long. It’s actually a natural deodorizer, so after a few minutes, the smell goes away. Some good green cleaning recipes also call for some essential oils, which also help mask the smell.

With that said, I do caution you not to use straight vinegar in very low ventilated areas. My bathroom has terrible ventilation, and is prone to mold as a result. As I was creating our recipes in our book, I was working on a bathroom cleaner that fights against mold. The recipe called for straight vinegar and lemon juice. I must admit, the smell was so strong, and it filled up my entire bathroom. It was recommended that I spray the mixture of straight vinegar and lemon juice on the moldy areas that are difficult to clean, and let it sit for about an hour before washing away. It did a mediocre job cleaning the mold and my husband, who tries to be patient with my cleaning endeavors, was complaining about the smell. We decided to put a fan in the window to help ventilate the bathroom, and use our regular scrubbing powder to clean the bathroom. Tea Tree Essential Oil is also very good for cleaning mold, but that is an entirely different blog!

I have successfully used it to clean my floors, kitchen, and windows. It also works well cleaning up pet messes. It is a safe and powerful cleaning agent that can be employed in so many ways. Sandra Bullock even uses it in her green window cleaner. Don’t be afraid to experiment with cleaning solutions that call for vinegar. I think you’ll find that you love working with it just as much as I do!

From the kitchen to the bathroom and beyond, vinegar is one of the most useful ingredients in your household. So start cleaning with this amazing green cleaning ingredient today!