A natural spring

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/04/2009 (6272 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

11Swing by the nearest grocery store and you’ll see shelves lined with all manner of cleaning products, each one designed to tackle the unique germs and grime that accumulate in every nook and cranny in your home.

But in Mutumbi’s experience, two basic products usually do the trick, and one of them costs next to nothing.

“We tend to use a very complicated way of cleaning, while we can use a simple way of doing it,” said Mutumbi, one of the founding members of the Enviro-Safe Cleaning Worker Co-op.

Mutumbi’s co-op tackles office cleaning using mainly a combination of vinegar and water, with special dusting cloths to polish countertops, and floor soap picked up at a local store that sells green cleaning products.

The do-it-yourself approach is an age-old method that’s increasingly popular with people looking for cheaper cleaning options, and those who want to steer clear of the potential skin and lung irritants, carcinogenic ingredients and environmental contaminants in some conventional cleaners.

Vinegar and water might not always be enough to tackle the grimiest of surfaces. But DIY advocates say it’s possible to clean most of your home using half a dozen basic items, most of which you might already have kicking around, like baking soda and lemon juice.

Mutumbi said his group’s customers are sometimes surprised at how much they can do with non-chemical cleaners.

“Our clients appreciate the job we are doing, which means it’s good enough,” he said.

Those who aren’t energetic enough to whip up their own supplies have other options. Many grocery and independent stores sell some variety of more environmentally friendly cleaners, like phosphate-free detergents or biodegradable glass cleaner, and larger chains often have their own in-store brands.

If you can’t stomach the idea of tackling dirty windows and walls, there are plenty of companies who will do the job for you, and some who make eco-friendly products a priority.

“The products that we use are phosphate-free and biodegradable,” said Janet Miller, who runs the Clean & Green cleaning company in Winnipeg.

Miller said her company uses products certified by Green Seal, an organization that certifies environmentally friendly products.

Miller’s price varies for a full spring cleaning job, depending on the size of your home. A two-bedroom apartment might run $125, while a larger house could go up to $400, a price that varies depending on whether people want their carpets cleaned too.

Miller recommends that people who want to take on the job themselves break down the daunting task by tackling one or two rooms at a time, or focusing on cleaning up the clutter first.

“Once that hurdle is done, it’s a lot easier to get through the cleaning,” she said.

lindsey.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca