News Details (Posted: April 1, 2008):

How To Go 'Green' When You Clean!

Full Description:

Waste Management offers environmentally friendly tips for spring cleaning.

It's that time of year - flowers are in bloom, spring is in the air, and it's time for spring cleaning. This year, Waste Management of Orange County encourages you to "think green" when you spring clean by using eco-friendly cleaning products and finding a new life for items you no longer need.

Many common cleaning products are hazardous to the environment when flushed or thrown away and, according to the EPA, fumes from household cleansers and other products make indoor air in the typical home two to five times more polluted than the air outside. Today, many cleaning products have reduced toxins, are made with natural ingredients and can be purchased at grocery and retail chains. Green cleaning products can also be made at home using baking soda or vinegar and lemon juice.

"Green cleaning products can help keep chemicals out of the waste stream and groundwater," David Ross, senior district manager for Waste Management of Orange County, said in a statement. "Green products also typically come in recycled packaging, which is an extra bonus for the environment."

Some examples of green cleaning products include baking soda and white vinegar.

- Baking soda can be used as a gentle non-abrasive cleanser for kitchen counter tops, sinks, bathtubs, ovens, and fiberglass. It is a useful air freshener and carpet deodorizer. Because it neutralizes or absorbs odors, baking soda can also be added to litter boxes, left open in the refrigerator or freezer, or included with the laundry detergent.

-When white vinegaris mixed in equal parts with salt it removes mildew, and added to water it is a good floor cleaner. Used straight, white vinegar can remove stains from the coffee pot, and is a good fabric softener.

RECYCLE ITEMS

Another way to "go green while you clean" is to find a new life for items piled up in the garage or basement that you no longer need. Each spring, millions of reusable items are sent to the landfill, but there are many other ways to give your older items a second life.

Some ideas include:

-Non-profit thrift stores will gladly take gently used items and usually give donors a receipt to use for tax purpose.

- www.freecycle.com allows members to give and get items for free. Freecycle is a web-based, nonprofit organization made up of individual city groups that promote waste reuse among their members.

-Have a yard sale or sell your older items online. Try craigslist.org or ebay.com.

-Re-gift old clothing, lawn care items, etc, to a neighbor, friend, or co-worker who may need them.

-Recycle what you can. Many items in your garage that are currently gathering dust, such as books, small pieces of unfinished wood, or glass jars, are recyclable.

Waste Management of Orange County serves Lake Forest, Mission Viejo and Coto de Caza, and Modjeska, Silverado and Trabuco Canyons.

For more information, please visit www.wmorangecounty.com