Green Green Green

March 4th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under

As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I have decided not to look for another job but instead take on the domestic duties and write/podcast full time.

The domestic duties thing is a big step. Jim and I always used to split the chores, doing them when “oh god this really needs to get done,” but when I got pregnant I was miserable and in a lot of pain, so we hired a cleaning service. It was well worth it. we used a service off and on through the next couple of years, and cancelled it when I got laid off in December.

So this is really the first time in my life I  have planned out and focused on domestic stuff. And I’m getting fascinated with the cleaning industry.  What follows is what I’ve learned in my short time.

  1. Going chemically green is a middle-class luxury. I discovered Mrs. Meyers Clean Day products, which are good for the environment and cruelty-free (and let’s face it- smell amazing). And they’re also quite expensive. Again we have to weigh the impact on our family (cost) against the impact on the environment. I’m slowly replacing all our cleaners with Mrs. Meyers, but we’ll have to see if it fits in the budget long-run. At the worst I’d like to continue using the products for the chemicals we use most (dishwasher and laundry).
  2. The dryer really does use up a shit-ton of energy. I was commonly using two dryer cycles on each load of laundry. Back in early February I decided to run an experiment and dry only our sheets and towels, hanging everything else on racks. I cut the electricity bill by $13. (We have gas heat, so temperature fluctuations didn’t come into play here.) I was shocked. Sure, the clothes are a little crunchy when you first put them on, but they quickly become comfortable and that’s a pretty small price to pay for energy conservation and money saved.
  3. My friends are grown-ups too. This may seem like a non-sequitur, but I had an interesting domestic conversation with game night participants last week discussing laundry and cleaning. The mixed-gender table had many opinions regarding Swiffer, laundry, and that you should wash and dry all your jeans together. I always wonder why I think my friends don’t have the same life I do. This happens when I go home to the NC mountains: my high school friends stayed in the area and I think my brain expects that they all remained 18. The fact that they’re also in their mid 30s, with houses and jobs, just doesn’t register with me. I think it’s that I’ve done the family thing and most of them have not yet that gets me (the same is true for my local friends - very few have kids). Who knows. But the world is getting older at the same pace I am.
  4. The cult of Swiffer is evil. When Swiffer came on the market, I was entranced like the rest of ‘em, but one things bothered me. “Just clean and toss!” Clean and toss? Do we really believe that little pixies will come to our trash can and magick away the discarded Swiffer thingy? It never has to trouble us again? After hearing some friends gush about it, I bought the Swiffer duster system and tried it out this morning. Indeed, it did an excellent job. I didn’t have to move all the things I do when I dust with the reusable microfiber cloth, and from the looks of the pretty feathery things, it definitely got a lot of dust (and I am dusting weekly now). And then I went online and googled “Swiffer biodegradable.” In short, it’s not. But in doing my search I also found the Green Home site which looks to be a life saver, as well as other sites offering green options.

I know there are greener things we can do, especially with water conservation in this drought, but for now I’m just trying to get into the habit of doing what I can with what I have.

Laundry’s done. Time to hang it.

There Are 14 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by codeshaman on 4 March 2008:

    Right there with you Mur…Cathy and I are trying to do much the same thing. The sheer volume of products that are ‘user and toss’ disgusts me. What’s wrong with using a rag and then washing it in the washing machine once in a while? Why do we need all of these “convenient” products sucking money from our wallets? Living green in some cases is just common sense.

    I look to my grandparents as a model for practical living. I remember what it was like when I would stay with them, and I try to emulate some of that simplicity in my own home. They were smart folks, saving money by doing without and reusing things as they could around the house. While we’re not in some sort of Great Depression (yet), we could all stand to learn a bit from that generation when it comes to living and saving. It’s surprising just how much their practicality and today’s green living movement can work hand in hand.

  2. Comment by Deb on 4 March 2008:

    Great post, definitely a concern of mine as well. Regarding “green” cleaning products, you can do a lot with inexpensive common ingredients like vinegar or baking soda. Some basics at http://housekeeping.about.com/cs/environment/a/alternateclean.htm.

    A bottle of the commercial stuff is probably required for the really tough tasks, but see what you can accomplish with the common products. You’ll be surprised.

  3. Comment by Andrea on 4 March 2008:

    Are you using the Swiffer duster or the Swiffer broom thingy? I am a huge Swiffer broom thingy fan. The way to make it more green is to make your own covers. Old cloth diapers work great for this, as does rectangles of flannel that you can generally get pretty cheap at your local fabric store. You just toss them in the wash with your regular load. As for green cleaning products, have you tried The Method? You can get them in regular grocery stores, but they are generally cheaper in places like Target and Walmart.

  4. Comment by Brad P. from NJ on 4 March 2008:

    Awesome topic. The practical application of being green as being good for the environment and good for the pocketbook just makes my heart go pitter-patter…

    My favourite point is number 3. The fact that we can have grown-up conversations with our friends without feeling like we’re dragging them along with us on this journey into adulthood.

    Gonna link to this one in an upcoming Little Bit of Nonsense…

  5. Comment by Drew Beatty on 4 March 2008:

    Hey Mur, my sister in law has a great blog about being green. She has tons of tips and resources - she aslo runs a virtually garbage free home. You can check it out here:

    http://nomoregarbage.wordpress.com/

    It’s pretty cool what she does, and most of it is easy to emulate. Most of it.

  6. Comment by Matt on 4 March 2008:

    I went shopping with my wife, and she wanted to buy some “Swiffer Wet Wipes”… There it was, a box of 24 wipes… for $7. I asked my wife, “What are those for?” She said, “To mop the floor.” I turned my head and looked at the regular ol’ mops. $14.

    “So,” I said, “You could mop your floor 24 times with one of those, or you could mop your floor with one of these… How long do you think a regular mop lasts?”

    She was not amused. We bought the Swiffers. I’m “swipped”

  7. Comment by Brian Hunt on 4 March 2008:

    For floors,woodwork counter tops try Murphy’s oil soap..its veggie oil based and smells terrific.
    dilute it down and one bottle make scads of cleaner.

  8. Comment by clsteele on 4 March 2008:

    Codeshaman: amen to looking to the grandparents as roll models! I do it too, old clothes become rags …

    Mur- I’ve found that saving a bit of money and buying some green cleaning products in bulk helps save on cost in the long run. I used to live near a co-op that sold many products like the one you are using in the normal consumer sizes as well as keeping a bulk supply for customers to refill their bottles with! I saved a bundle that way, both refilling old bottles OR buying in bulk (when I could) and storing it at home. Also many products that we buy separately for bath and kitchen can be used for both! I’ll often buy a large container of a bathroom cleaner and use it also for the kitchen floors and surfaces. My mother used to do the same sort of thing, but used laundry detergent to clean the floors and not a special floor cleaner.

    Nowadays, my mother and I split bulk purchases on green cleaning products that are concentrated. I’ll take half and refill my bottles, and then give the other half to her the next time we see each other. We split the cost, and I have plenty for quite some time. I don’t know if there are other people in your area you can do that with, but something to keep in mind!

  9. Comment by Eliza Sea on 4 March 2008:

    To clean, all you really need is some baking soda, and a spray bottle with white vinegar diluted with water, and some rags. You can buy them, or cut up old holey towels (old t-shirts for windows/mirrors!)Use the baking soda where you would use powders, and the vinegar mixture where you use liquid cleaners. The vinegar smell will leave as it dries, I promise! I use Seventh Generation liquid dish soap, and whatever dishwashing detergent I get (depending if I go to the regular grocery store, or one of the crunchy ones).

    On Etsy, people sell crocheted and knitted reusuable Swiffer pads. I’ve never used them, as I’ve replaced my Swiffer with a standard mop (mop with vinegar and water!)

    I’ve found the memories at The Natural Living Livejournal Community

    I hope this helps! :D

  10. Comment by Divadiane on 5 March 2008:

    I think it’s great that you and your husband decided that you can stay home to write/podcast and take care of domestic stuff. I do the same (I’m a musician), but we don’t have kids - yet.

    Anyhoo, there’s almost no one who owns a dryer in Germany, everyone dries their clothes on racks and it works just fine. ATM, we are living in a furnished sublet (till we find our own digs, since we just moved here from England) and it’s furnished with a dryer! Woohoo, I thought, but hey! I don’t want my clothes to shrink and I don’t want to use so much electricity for something that’s really unnecessary. So, I put some of the things, like shirts and sheets, in for about 15 minutes until things are good and hot and steamy. Then I hang them up. It makes things nice and soft and eliminates a lot of wrinkles!

    Another thing I think you could check out is Flylady.net. She has a great system for organizing the housework so that you are not spending all day doing it! And she also removes the resentment or the lack of will to do it - it doesn’t take that long, EVERYONE has to do housework (unless you have a live-in maid) and it blesses you and your family to have a clean and peaceful home. Check her out!

    And I agree with what Eliza said - vinegar (with lemon juice to help the smell) and baking soda can do wonders. And really what’s most important is elbow grease! Any soap will do!

    Go Mur! Homemaker extraordinaire!

  11. Comment by sarah on 5 March 2008:

    I relate to suddenly being domesticated after having a baby, but there is no need to buy expensive cleaning products to be green. Everything can be cleaned with vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and borax, all of which can be bought in bulk so you won’t even need a package.

  12. Comment by Carolyn on 6 March 2008:

    I use Method’s Omop system - the pads are microfiber and can be washed after each use. They do sell disposable “swiffer” pads, but theirs are completely biodegradable. However, I have a broom and dustpan for those types of things.

    I use Method’s laundry and cleaning products, Seventh Generation dish and dishwasher soap and Mrs. Meyers Lavender hand soap (the scent is intoxicating!). Method’s coming out with a new toilet bowl cleaner and bathroom cleanser in the next month - which makes me happy.

    I don’t mind spending a bit more for those products because every little bit helps.

  13. Comment by Sonia C. on 9 July 2008:

    Hey Mur, your cloths are crunchy when they come off the line because you’re using too much soap. Try cutting the amount you usually use by half and you might find you end up with clean, and soft, cloth of the line.

  14. Comment by Sonia C. on 9 July 2008:

    O! and I second flylady.net for a great my-house-is-not-my-life, domestic goddess system, and Annie Berthold-Bond’s BETTER BASICS
    FOR THE HOME is the best how to make and use homemade cleaning products book on the market.

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