Squeaky Clean

When people talk about developing renewable energy, it's often about replacing oil-based fuel with something else. Most everyone can agree the oil spill this summer was not ok (understatement of the century), and most everyone would like to keep it from happening again. But it's not only gas that contributes to our need for oil! It's plastic, cleaning products, and even personal care products we use every day. What we purchase directly impacts demand for cheap oil, which directly impacts the length to which companies will go to get it.

Petroleum-based products are just part of the problem with cleaning products. These chemicals can contain harmful odors; some can make us sick if they touch our skin. I've always wondered what we'll come to learn about these products in the future--don't forget, Coca-Cola truly used to contain cocaine! Sometimes it takes awhile to understand the long-term effect of certain chemicals. For those reasons, and many others, we opt for natural cleaning products like the ones found at Ecos. There are all kinds of options out there! Our favorites are formulas we can make ourselves with ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar, and baking soda.

Be careful, though, as vinegar can corrode certain enamels (as we've sadly learned).

What natural cleaning solutions work well for you? What do you recommend to avoid?