Green cleaning is a term used to describe methods of cleaning that have less of an impact on the environment and on the health of a building’s occupants.

Traditional household cleaners contain chemicals that have the potential to do serious damage to the Earth and the humans and animals living on it.

Some of the problems arising from those chemicals include asthmatic symptoms caused by chlorine, damaged kidneys caused by prolonged exposure to certain metal polishes, and skin irritation caused by naphthalene, which is found in mothballs.

On the other hand, there’s a large variety of all-natural and safe cleaners on the supermarket shelves. Or, you can try making green cleaners yourself.

If you do shop for cleaners in the supermarket, look for plant-based ingredient formulas and stay away from solvents, phosphates and other harsh chemicals. Or look for the EPA’s safe household cleaner symbol, the DfE, Design for the Environment.