For more information on green products or how to dispose of hazardous household waste in your area, visit these helpful sites.

EPA — epa.gov — Go here to find locations for hazardous waste drop-off, recycling centers in your area. You can also learn more about what’s in household cleaners.

Earth911.com — earth911.com — Learn more about softening your environmental footprint by using the three R’s: Reduce, reuse, recycle.

Household Products Database — householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ —This database links over 8,000 consumer brands to health effects cited by Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), which are provided by manufacturers.

Habitat for Humanity Restores — habitat.org/env/restores.aspx — Retail outlets where quality used and surplus building materials are sold at a fraction of normal prices.

Sierra Club — sierraclub.org — The Sierra Club is an environmental organization. 
 

Phone interview on March 18, 2009, between Twinkle VanWinkle, associate podcast producer for Angie’s List “List-en Up!” and Amy Hartstock, public information officer for Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Amy Hartsock: My name is Amy Hartsock. My position is public information officer and I work for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Twinkle VanWinkle: What are some of the more hazardous household products?

Hartsock: Products that contain mercury, gasoline, used motor oil, antifreeze, oil filters, automotive batteries, otherwise know as spent lead acid batteries, and unwanted electronics. Also old paints, stains and varnishes and pesticides.

TVW: That is a very broad range of things. Do you have a specific topic for those?

Hartsock: Actually household hazardous waste, if it’s helpful for your listeners, ordinary household products that contain hazardous substances become hazardous waste once we no longer have use for them and we need to dispose of them. So if you read the label, you’ll see keywords. There are cleaners, automotive supplies, and various fluids — even beauty products. Also, pesticides and herbicides, swimming pool products are also included, that if discarded carelessly can cause environmental harm.

TVW: What are the categories of toxicity?

Hartsock: The categories are toxic, and that means that the materials are poisonous or could cause long-term illness. You can look for words like harmful or fatal if swallowed, or use only in a well-ventilated area.
Another category is flammable which means that a material can be combustible. You would look for words like, “Do not use near heat or flame,” or, “Do not smoke while using this product.” Another category is corrosive. That means that the material could eat through some other material. You would look for words on the label like, “Causes severe burns” or “Can burn eyes, skin or throat.” The last category is reactive, and that indicates that the substance can explode. There are few products on the market now that are explosive, except for fireworks. But, some older products that may still be stored in homes could be reactive.

TVW: You may have already answered this, but how do you know if something is hazardous.

Hartsock: Well, actually the label will tell you, and there are three key words to look for. Look for the words danger, warning or caution. If you see danger, that is an indicator of the most toxic or most hazardous type of material that you would find as a consumer. Warning or caution would still mean you would need to manage that specially, use caution when you use it around the home, but especially when disposing of it.

TVW: What do you recommend to dispose of household waste?

Hartsock: Well first and foremost, never pour hazardous household waste down the drain and never pour it on the ground and never pour it in the gutter.  If you are going to dispose of household hazardous waste, make sure you keep it in its original container. Place it safely in your trash for pickup. However, what we really recommend is people to look for local collections. In Indiana, communities around the state hold what we call “Tox-Away Days,” and they’ll hold those routinely, and people can take their substances there when they are cleaning out in the spring, it’s a perfect time. And you can see them all over the state. So if you can check with your local city, town or county and find out if there are local collections for old things such as paints, old cleaners you might have around the house, old gasoline that might be gummy, pesticides you no longer need or want to discard. That is the perfect way to manage those substances so they are not accidentally released into the environment or so that neighbors can’t come into contact with something in the trash.

TVW: What are some of the dangers of pouring down the sink, or on the ground?

Hartsock: Our wastewater treatment facilities are not … let me start over.
In large quantities, hazardous materials can cause problems at our wastewater treatment plants. If these products are poured out on the ground or poured in the gutter or accidentally spilled they can actually contaminate local streams or lakes because they can find their way through the storm sewers in our waterways. So that is the reason we want to prevent improper disposal or accidental release and make sure they are properly managed.

TVW: What are some resources about disposal for homeowners?

Hartsock: In Indiana, we have IDEM’s recycling website. Folks can visit us online about general info on household hazardous waste and that address is www.recycle.in.gov. You can also go to U.S. EPA’s website for its office of solid waste and click on the link for household hazardous waste and that is address is www.epa.gov/osw.

TVW: Great! Us there anything else you would like to add for our listeners?

Hartsock:  As far as what to do with these old materials old products, another idea is to donate or reuse items to friends or community organizations, if there are items that are not expired and still in good condition. Some neighborhoods hold exchanges, or community organizations will accept those things, so that’s another idea.

TVW: Well, thanks so much Amy!

Hartsock: Thank you!


Phone interview on March 18 , 2009, between Twinkle VanWinkle, associate podcast producer for Angie’s List “List-en Up!” and Arin Blair, owner of FiFi’s Earth Friendly Cleaning in Columbus, Ohio.

Twinkle VanWinkle: What are your name, company and location?

Arin Blair: My name is Arin Blair, my company is FiFi’s Earth Friendly
Cleaning and we are in Columbus, Ohio.

TVW: What does your company do that would define them as “green friendly”?

Blair: Well, the core of our earth-friendliness is our cleaning products. We use all-natural, non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning products. On top of that, the company that makes them is certified carbon-neutral company. Also they are super-concentrated so that decreases their weight, which decreases their carbon emissions. Sending them to us. Then also we use unbleached, recycled towels and our vacuum decreases indoor air pollution with a HEPA filter.

TVW: What services do you offer?

Blair: Our services? We do moderate dusting. We do full cleaning of all bathrooms and kitchens. We do floors, mopping. We do also, when we first come, we wash all woodwork in people’s houses. Keep up on the baseboards, cobwebs, and ceiling fans. We do window cleaning upon request and microwaves and other custom things when our clients discuss those things with us.

TVW: Do you have to be certified?

Blair: You just have to have a service vendor’s license, that’s all.

TVW: Do you have to be bonded or insured?

Blair: You don’t have to be. We’re insured. But you only have to have a service vendor’s license and be registered as a business in your state.

TVW: How do you dispose of chemical substances that you use or that you come across as you are doing a job?

Blair: Well, we don’t use any, so I do know how homeowner might do so. All conventional cleaning products are considered hazardous waste, so it’s very important for people to understand that. You have to take them to a facility for hazardous waste. I know that here in Columbus, they do events around the city several times a year so that you can take your chemicals to a designated place and find that online at waaco.org. That’s our trash company here. And also they have a permanent facility here now and it’s down by the fairgrounds that you can take chemicals to. Although they do recommend that if you have paint, if you can keep it away form children and domestic animals obviously. If you can open up your paint and let it dry, it’s then safe to then peel out of the container and throw away, if it’s completely dry.

TVW: For someone who has never had a cleaning service, is there anything they must do to prepare themselves before you arrive?

Blair: Well, the biggest thing we tell people is not to clean before we come. A lot of people are tempted to clean up, to vacuum before we get there because they’re embarrassed. So we give some of our clients a hard time about that because they are embarrassed about their dust bunnies. The biggest thing you can do is pick up as much clutter as you possibly can. The more accessible surfaces you have the cleaner your house is going to get when you have a cleaning service.

TVW: Do you know of any other resources for homeowners?

Blair: I do know that if you are curious about your cleaning products and what they have in them, there is a website you can look up. The chemicals that are in cleaning products which is really interesting information to see what you have in your house. It’s www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ingredients

TVW: How much of your clientele is environmentally conscious?

Blair: I would say about half. It’s less than you think. I think that a lot of people don’t see cleaning products as being dangerous. When you walk into the super store there they are, a huge aisle. Every single brand, every single product has chemicals that are hazardous to your health, hazardous to your children and animals. People don’t really understand it, though, I think.

TVW: Have you seen a rise in clients who are green conscious?

Blair: I have. Absolutely, I see especially with the Method brand, a lot of people have gotten that into their homes. And you see just a smattering of here and there of hand soaps or hand sanitizer or spray bottle here and there that people are kind of making choices and trying new products. So I have definitely seen a rise in that.

TVW: You mentioned, about your products that your company used, that they were carbon neutral. Can you explain that?

Blair: The company that we get our cleaning products from is called Shaklee. It’s their “Get Clean” line. They are a certified carbon-neutral company. I’m sorry I can’t tell who certified. I know it’s a reputable institution, but I don’t have that information right now. Whatever carbon emissions they do produce they offset them by doing other works. There is a town, I think in Sri Lanka, where they went and replaced all their kerosene lanterns with solar lanterns. So they do different environmental works. They plant tons of trees. So it offsets so they have a net zero impact on the environment. They also do things to reduce their footprint. In their new facility they used all 100 percent recycled lumber and recycled fiber carpets, and solar panels. As a company as a whole they are very ecologically conscious.

TVW: Is there anything you would like to add?

Blair: We have a Shaklee website that I’d love to direct people to. It’s www.shaklee.net/earthfriendlyworks. We do our best to get the information out there about cleaning products and how easy it is to switch from regular cleaning products to earth-friendly cleaning products. And that they are effective and they are safe and how important it is for your health as well as the environment. That’s kind of our biggest thing I think more than cleaning people’s house, which we also enjoy.


Phone interview on March 19, 2009, between Twinkle VanWinkle, associate podcast producer for Angie’s List “List-en Up!” and Julieth Garcia-Kontos, owner of Organic Cleaning Services of Charlotte, N.C.


TVW: Let me start of by getting your name, where you are located and what your company is, if you don’t mind.

Julieth Garcia-Kontos: My name is Julieth Garcia-Kontos. My name is hyphenated. I own Organic Cleaning Services, which is located in mainly, Charlotte. We service five different counties, which includes Mecklenburg County, Lincoln County, Gaston County, Union County and York County in South Carolina. We are right on the border of South Carolina and North Carolina. We are like 20 minutes form South Carolina.

TVW: What do you do you do that would define your company’s practices as “green-friendly?”

Garcia-Kontos: Pretty much, Organic Cleaning Services practices what it preaches. Not only do we want to offer the best house and office cleaning experience a client can have but also we want to make sure the customer becomes more self-conscious about the cleanliness of their homes, because of how if it smells clean, it doesn’t mean it’s clean. We use products that are green-seal certified. We use micro-fiber cloths that require less use of cleaning supplies. Green cleaning is more than just using cleaning solutions, because if you are spreading germs from room to room with your cleaning cloth, or blowing dust mites back into the air when you vacuum, then your families health could still be at risk. We also the practice the three R’s, which are: reduce, reuse, and recycle. The benefit of green cleaning products is verified by the increase of indoor air quality. Less toxic products positively can directly affect your indoor quality and your family’s health can improve dramatically.

TVW: How do you dispose of chemicals that you may come across when you are cleaning a home, such as unused paint or other hazardous waste?

Garcia-Kontos: What we do is contact each county. Each county has its own local solid waste and recycling center. We can conveniently locate it through the Yellow Pages or a search engine. We can either set up an appointment for them to come and pick it up or we can deliver it the materials to them. Things like old paint, if it is dry and it doesn’t have the lid is can be disposed of in the public works. If you still have paint in it, it is better just to call the county and see which one of their centers is accepting that specific item. Also when we have any doubts about something, we contact or check the website for the EPA.

TVW: Why should you hire a green-friendly cleaning company?

Garcia-Kontos: Just because a product at the store says natural or green, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is safe.  It could still contain ingredients that could be harmful. A good rule of thumb is, if you can’t pronounce it — don’t buy it. My company is constantly doing this research and more and more people have the desire to adopt an environmental friendly lifestyle. American families are overworked, especially during this time of economic recession. They have to work really hard leaving then with very little time for their families and friends and grocery shopping — doing stuff like that. This is where a housecleaning business will come in. Now the question is which one to hire because there are so many out there. To me the answer is obvious. Why would somebody hire a company that is using traditional cleaning products versus organic companies that we offer a cleaning service that is also to clean the environment inside the house? We are taking over this responsibility for the family. Why wouldn’t someone hire a green-friendly company? Because we do the work that any other traditional cleaner company is doing but more than that we are also cleaning the air and helping the environment as well.

TVW: What services do you offer?

Garcia-Kontos: I offer residential services, office cleaning window and blind washing, garage clean up, refrigerator, oven cleaning and power washing. We also do party services. We also remove furniture and we do aromatherapy.

TVW: Do you have to be certified?

Garcia-Kontos: The cleaning service does not have to be certified. The product does. The EPA recommends environmentally friendly products that fit the green seal standard. I know that to be certified with a green seal a product must go through extensive testing to prove that it positively effects the individual’s behavior and standard of life.

TVW: For a cleaning service, do you have to be licensed or insured?

Garcia-Kontos: Organic Cleaning Services is licensed in North Carolina. We are not licensed in South Carolina because less than 10 percent of our clientele is from there. Our main business is located in North Carolina and we are licensed in North Carolina. A cleaning business doesn’t have to be bonded or insured, but my company is. My bond is for $10,000 and my general liability is for $1 million.

TVW: Do you recommend that?

Garcia-Kontos: Definitely. Because in the event that one of the cleaners breaks an item that is very expensive, the bond is going to cover the company, to make sure that item is either fixed or replaced. The liability is more like say the one of the cleaners leaves a vacuum somewhere and the customer is passing by, trips over, falls and then breaks a hip. Then the liability is going to cover that accident for the customer. None of this is going towards the homeowners insurance.

TVW: For someone who has never had a cleaning service, is there something that you would suggest to prepare before you come into their home?

Garcia-Kontos: Someone who has never had a cleaning service, they don’t know what to expect from a cleaning service. I always ask that they be prepared with questions. We are here to serve customers. We are constantly serving customers and likewise we want to know specifically from the customer what they are expecting form us. No two households are alike. No two customers are alike. So we want to make sure that we know what their specifications and priorities are. When I go to a house I ask as many questions as I can just to make sure that we can fit that necessity for the customer. We like to meet all the members of the household as possible because, this is going to make customers feel more comfortable since we are going to go into their home and be handling their possessions. When it comes to switching from traditional cleaners to organic cleaners, I tell customers to not be afraid of the switch. In many circumstances, we have to walk the customer through this whole process because they have this misleading idea that if there is no Clorox involved then it is not effective.

TVW: What resources do you suggest for homeowners for disposing of hazardous waste such as old paint, automotive waste and old cleaners?

Garcia-Kontos: Whatever you do don’t put them down the drain, do not throw the products down your sink or the sewer line or don’t throw them away in the garbage. I would say that is the first thing not to do.  If these items are not disposed of properly they may end up contaminating lakes, streams or soil. In time they may pose a threat to the environment or the public health. Your local solid waste service depending on where you live will collect and recycle these items — such as paint, thinners, flammables, oils, pesticides, batteries, full chemicals, and even cooking oil they will collect. Whenever a customer is in doubt, I tell them to go to the EPA website which is www.epa.gov.

TVW: How much of your current clientele is environmentally conscious?

Garcia-Kontos: We are constantly receiving referrals from customers who are happy with our services and they just want to tell their friends and families. Many of them are not so green-conscious. People still use chemical cleaning products and a big possibility that contributes to this problem is that individuals are not well educated on the harmful effects of the product on the environment and nature. Not only that I have heard like, if you don’t use bleach, then how do you know it’s good? Customers like this I like to slowly introduce them to green cleaning. I still have a small percentage of customers that are completely organic, but definitely working there way there.  On the other hand, customers that find me on my website or search engines are clients that are more self-conscious about green cleaning and they specifically know what they are looking for.

TVW: Have you seen a rise in clients who are green conscious?

Garcia-Kontos: Yes. Absolutely. A high percentage of my clients have picked up my card from organic marketplaces. And more clients are approaching me just for the fact that I am organic. Actually I had a client that sold his house because his real estate agent had noted in the package that his house was a green-cleaned house.

 TVW: Is there anything you would like to add that maybe we missed?

Garcia-Kontos: I think it’s important like I stated before, that a lot of people are not educated about green cleaning. They believe that if your house doesn’t smell like Lysol or there isn’t Clorox or bleach involved that the house is not clean. A lot of these products are there at the organic market place or even at your local grocery store. They have a lot of products that are green friendly. A lot of them still have chemicals, but the percentage is very small compared to traditional cleaners. Switching is so easy. It’s a matter of getting used to a new product. Not only is this going to help the environment that we live in but the people that live in the house, including pets, children and senior citizens. I have had people and customers who had asthma problems or allergic reactions to different things and they didn’t know what it was until they switched and they really noted a dramatic increase in their health. So it’s not just about a green cleaning, it’s also about how your health is optimized.






Phone interview on March 19, 2009, between Twinkle VanWinkle, associate podcast producer for Angie’s List “List-en Up!” and Antoinette Nue,  green living consultant of Atlanta, Ga.

TVW: Will you please tell me your name, location and what makes you the Green Goddess?

Antoinette Nue: My full name is Antoinette Nue and I am professionally known as the Green Living Goddess. I work from a home office in Clarkston, Ga., which is a saucy little suburb of Atlanta, which is about 2 miles wide and 2 miles long. What makes me the Green Living Goddess, I have a seven- or eight-year history in the green living business, professionally in the green building products and sustainable products in central Eastern Europe in the early in the century. I have transitioned from selling green building products and marketing green building products, to being a green builder and a green living consultant and now as I have expanded my studies and research and my focus into other facets outside of the green building industry.

TVW: What are some of the more hazardous household products that you know of?

Nue: Probably the most hazardous household products are those that are designed to kill, like bug sprays that are designed to kill bugs. They also do harm to pets and animals, fish, as well as small children with respiratory challenges. I use my nose for starters. If it smells offensive in any way or is offensive to your respiratory system, it’s probably toxic. It is designed to do a heavy-duty job, like protect wood floors or a wax, its probably toxic. If it’s designed to fight stubborn clogs, like drain cleaners, it’s probably toxic. Now there are alternative products on the market now that are people friendly. Now I call products people friendly, because they’ve got to be people friendly first and certainly if they are friendly to people then they are friendly to our environment. Those are two ways I can tell if things are toxic or hazardous. Beyond just reading the label, just reading the label will say so for sure.

TVW: How can you know if something is hazardous?

Nue: There is a real distinction on the labels now. Now I use these terms loosely. These are some of the terms that some of the products manufacturers use even though the FDA has not been specific in their definition on the behalf of the consumers. You can still see that labels that are more people friendly labels are friendlier than the labels on a toxic product. So for starters if a label looks friendly and lists all of the ingredients, and those ingredients are vegetable based — in the case of cleaners, there are vegetable based cleaners. Coconut oil is a good cleaner; vegetable oil is a good cleaner. When it lists those products in their entirety and tells you what each one of them does, and then it is people friendly and environment friendly. It may also tell you what is not in that product. It may say no ammonia, no alkaline, just a variety of things that people have been conditioned out look out for as being dangerous. But that might go so far as saying it doesn’t contain this or that.  Now on the other hand, the products that are hazardous the labels will use words like caution, or toxic or danger. When you see those, those are the key words. When you read a little closer you will see what those dangers are. It will also list those toxins. Manufacturers aren’t required to list all of their product’s ingredients, but if it could be considered to be hazardous to your health, they are required to list it. So start by reading the label, and if you are so inclined, and if the package allows you to, open it and smell it. Because your nose is your second line of defense. If it smells in anyway pungent or strong or even slightly offensive, then it is probably hazardous.

TVW: What are some properties of hazardous products? What can they do?

Nue: They are hazardous to your health. Certain products can cause corrosion. Not just to materials you might use them on, but to your skin as well. That is one class of hazardous products. Another class of hazardous products is one that is hazardous to the environment. Some products are more easily filtered out of our water than other products. So when you are pouring products down the sink there is always the possibility that they won’t be completely filtered out of our water systems. In fact, different organizations have done studies on particular cities water and they found significant traces of anti-depressants. I think even one found traces of a chemical used to make Teflon in this water. So those products that passed through a human system, ended up in the water system and were not able to be filtered out of the water completely. Now, the flipside of that is that those cities had determined that those trace amounts of those chemicals were determined not to be dangerous, but they still exist and there is no way to know over the long term what kind of negative or consequences one might suffer from the results of drinking water with those chemicals in it with those trace amounts. Some of the other hazards that are being talked about by people about the environment, if you throw something that’s hazardous away, we typically may or may not think much about it. We think it’s in a landfill so it’s safe because the landfill will last. The intent was to build the landfills to last. A lot of times toxic or hazardous chemicals leech through the lining of landfills and contaminate the surrounding environment. That smell that you pass by sometimes that smells like rotten eggs is chemicals whose odors could not be contained in the landfills. As pungent as those smells are from the highway you smell as you are passing by imagine how much more pungent they are in the space that they are occupying. In order to create that smell that you smell as you are driving by, the toxicity has compounded over the time that they have been there. It makes them that much more potent when they seep through the lining of the landfill. So a lot of those things are changing but it is still a hazard.

TVW: So how should we dispose of household waste? What are some alternatives to just throwing it away or pouring it down the sink?

Nue: There is of course recycling, but to start with if you start by choosing less toxic materials then disposing of them when you have to when you can’t recycle them doesn’t become such a hazard to the environment. I would say let’s start by reading the labels, and choosing products that are less hazardous, less toxic, more people friendly. And when we have to dispose of them, it doesn’t become such a hazard. Let’s look at cleaning products. I have seen people after mopping pour a bucket of water down the driveway. I have seen neighbors do that. And it ends up in the sewer system, ending up either being treated by your sewer system or ending up in the nearby lake and stream. If you start by using less toxic products, No. 1, and you pour them down the toilet or down the drain; they do get treated by your city’s sewage system and recycled into our drinking water and in some cases the city supplies are used for non-potable resources. The less toxic the product you are pouring in, the less likely it is to be in its end use. In the case of paint: There are a couple of things we can do with paint. We can recycle paint by giving it away to companies or organizations like theatre companies. Theatre companies are always willing to take small amounts of paint because they do different sets and they are able to mix different colors to get the color the need. They are always happy to take small amounts of paint. I have seen on a couple of different websites that Habitat for Humanity will accept open cans of paint. In Atlanta, I’ve checked and [Habitat for Humanity] Restore does not accept opened cans of paint. They will take paint that is unopened or “oops” paint. They won’t take those cans that you have a half a gallon left over because you bought too much paint to begin with. IN terms of paint, I would say first buy the minimum amount that you need. Every manufacturer offers a low and no VLC. The label will say no VLC. For starters, you boost the amount of a pint that you buy, and secondly if you have a half a gallon left over, make the time to go ahead and use that. It won’t hurt your walls to go ahead and use that extra half-gallon or half quart. It’s an extra layer that goes on your walls and even less that goes into the landfill if you are not able to recycle it.  So start by reducing the amount you use and buy. Use what you do buy, use all of it. In the event that you have paint that is sitting in the garage or in the shed that no one can use or no one wants to take it, it is recommended and let it dry out. Put cat litter in it.  Or if you live with and love a handyman, there may be some sawdust around or some dirt in that can and allow that paint to harden. Once it hardens you can pull that paint out in solid form and throw the paint in the trashcan to be delivered to the landfill and recycle the can, if it can be recycled. So that is how I would recommend we treat paint. What are some other household products that we might see excesses of? Automotive waste, that is a tough one. Remember when I said earlier if you look at the intent of the product, that is what the product was designed to do. Automotive products like oil or antifreeze that is used to keep your car running smoothly for months on end is very likely to be high on the toxicity scale. The best way to dispose of things like that is through the hazardous waste recycling center in your neighborhood. EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, at www.epa.gov has lists of recycling plants for that kind of material, which you can access by zip code. I always use that as a resource. www.earth911.org is another possibility for checking out where you can dispose of hazardous waste like automotive products.  In general, those are high on the scale of toxicity and hazardous materials and do need to be treated carefully. Most petroleum-based products, of course, don’t mix with water, so there are guidelines that prohibit pouring that stuff down the drain. It does still happen, but that’s been prohibited for at least a decade.

TVW: What would you say were some of the most important things for a person to think about when they begin their spring cleaning as far as thinking about themselves and the environment?

Nue: Clean carefully. Choose products that are going to be people and environmentally friendly. If you’re starting from scratch, that is, you have already looked in the cupboard and it’s bare and you have to start from in terms of what you are cleaning and what you are buying, to accomplish the end, choose carefully. Look for the labels that look friendly, that look non-toxic, that look non-dangerous, non-hazardous. Look for those labels first. Read the full ingredient label. And buy only what you think you’ll need. See if those products are able to multi-task. If you know you want to clean the kitchen from top to bottom, look at products that will allow you to clean the glass tables, as well as clean your tile floors, as well as clean your natural stone counters. Use products that are sensitive to cleaning all of those. Perhaps there is a multi-purpose product that you can use to do all of your cleaning and keep your waxing to a minimum. Again you can choose a wax that will just as easily clean and shine your cabinets as it would your wood chairs as it would your wood floor. If you are cleaning your closets or you’re cleaning rooms that have gathered a lot of dust over time, don’t reach for an air freshener first. Don’t reach for something that’s going to attract dust, or a dust magnet. First start by emptying your vacuum cleaner bag and use your vacuum to suck that material up so that it doesn’t get back in the air. A duster typically doesn’t pick up dust. It just moves it form one place to the other. So if you use a vacuum cleaner, and changed your vacuum bag, then you are sucking in that air and it can be thrown away when you are finishing a particular job, so that’s not an additional pollution floating around your home after you finish your spring cleaning. That is just two tips I can think of off the top of my head.

TVW: What would you suggest for consumers that might want to hire a cleaning company? What are some questions that they might want to ask before they hire?

Nue: I would ask, “What kind of products do you use?” If they can tell you if they use people-friendly or environment-friendly products, that’s a good start. If they can tell you what lines they use, then you can do your own research — Google the product line they say they use. Look for a company that doesn’t come in with a bunch of rolls of paper towels, but rather using newspaper to clean your glass table tops and your windows, because that is something that has already finished its use, but has another life in the way of reusing it. I would look for a company that just can answer all your questions — how they operate, what products they use and what concerns they have about the environment. If they are not committed to being environmentally friendly then their answers will reflect that. Do they themselves recycle? Do they themselves reduce and reuse? Their language will reflect that, and if you listen carefully you will be able to hear.

TVW: What are some resources for consumers, homeowners, when looking for things about hazardous household disposal, even buying cleaning products?  Where are some places they can go to for research?

Nue: The Sierra Club has a good website with information about safe alternatives to household products. I don’t know if I mentioned about pesticides, or bug spray, but they have a recipe for bug spray. I don’t use it, but I’m one of those folks that when a bug gets in the house I just fan it back outside. I found a recipe on Sierra Club website awhile back and sure it’s still there, for environmentally friendly bug spray. Bugs tend to get in the house as it warms up and the first thing we tend to do is want to pick up a can of bug spray. Well the Sierra Club’s recipe is completely all-natural.  Surprisingly the products that are the basis of this bug spray are offensive to our noses, but are all-natural. I think garlic is one of the products, and onion and cayenne pepper. Let me clarify that there are products that are offensive to our noses, but are healthy, like some of the vegetable-based cleaners and bug spray. www.earth991.org is a good resource. And the www.epa.gov is another one. The good thing is they all have search boxes and you can enter your keyword and be taken either right to the page you are looking for or very close to it.

TVW: Anything you would like to add that I may have left out, or you think would add to our conversation to help out consumers?

Nue: I think I’m happy that more and more people are interested in how to be green as they do their spring cleaning. That’s a big ritual for us and it brings us a renewed sense of energy and a new sense of life. To go into that process thinking environmentally friendly, thinking natural, thinking people-friendly, and using those products that are is bound to bring a different level of energy and harmony to your house. I think that’s a great place to start. Using spring cleaning as a good springboard can really kind of change things for your house and for the health of your indoor atmosphere. I’m always happy to help and to advise about that kind of stuff and to be a resource. I think those resources that we mentioned are a good start.