boards. Then mop the floor with warm,
soapy water, and let dry. (Guess what, you
don't need anything more than warm
soapy water to clean floors!) The damp
towel will capture dust, spider webs, dirt
AND flame-retardant chemicals caught
in that house dust and bring them to the
floor where the mop will wipe them away.
Remember the baseboards. A damp
cloth will remove lingering dust or cob-
webs. For regular clean ups, note that
damp mopping is preferable to sweeping,
as it can capture invisible chemicals that
hang out in house dust. It's incredible
the things we can't smell, taste or even
see; but this is motivation to clean up!
Wipe down the door frames and
high-touch areas with a warm sponge.
Dirt and oils from hands can other-
wise make these places look grungy.
Wipe down oven with hot soapy water,
use baking soda to lift baked on goods.
Use a HEPA vac to dust furniture,
even pillows, headboards, and curtains.
Use vinegar and water around
windows to make sure there's no mold
collecting in the corners or crevices.
Clean washing machine with a
vinegar and water rinse or wash
with dishwashing detergent to clean
out the machine periodically.
Armed with this list of what to avoid
and safe cleaning tips, I hope you feel pre-
pared to clean better than ever and help
create a healthier home at the same time.
Air fresheners, plug-ins or scent-
ed candles without disclosures can be
dangerous. Those items are likely polluting
indoor air, not making them better. Some
air freshener chemicals are associated
with cancer and others are respiratory
irritants. It's best to skip them entirely.
If you find you really want an aroma
to mask another smell, probe further.
There could be a mold issue or some-
thing else, and it would be prudent to
treat instead of covering up the smell?
Ingredients to Avoid
Other ingredients to look out for that are
common in household cleaning solutions
are: Ammonium Quaternary "quat"
compounds. These are recognized as
"quaternium" followed by a number such
as 15 or ending with "ammonium chloride"
as in alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium
chlorides (ADBACs) or Cetrimonium
Chloride. Most quats are believed to be
endocrine disrupting compounds linked to
human reproductive or other hormonal
issues as well as aquatic harm. Doctors
and scientists say the best cure is preven-
tion, so avoidance is the strategy here.
Beware of the use of antibacterial or
antimicrobial products. Those can con-
tain methylisothiazolinone and meth-
ylchloroisothiazolinone, both known
irritants and skin sensitizers resulting in
contact allergies and more. Also avoid
the surfactant ethanolamine compounds
(MEA, TEA, DEA) often found in cleaning
products and linked to health harms.
Spring Cleaning
Do's and Don'ts
Start by opening the windows. This allows
fresh air to circulate and immediately
improves the air quality in your home.
When cleaning, use the right prod-
uct for the job. You don't need some-
thing stronger than the job entails. Even
if you're prepping for a big clean.
Amy's Favorite
Spring-Cleaning Tasks:
Clean the Walls. How? Wrap a broom
with a damp cloth and clean the dust from
the top of the walls down to the floor-
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