Green living is easier said than done. There are many facets to green living that need to be considered before you can do a radical change of your approach to life. First, you need to realize that green living is not just leaving your car at home occasionally once in a week and taking public transportation instead. There is a lot more to it than that. When you attempt the goal of green living, you are making a stand and demanding that the foods that you eat are healthy and free of pesticides, the clothes that you wear is not contaminated, and the water that you drink is free of chlorine.

In addition to this, green living requires lowering the amount of energy that your equipment consume, embracing solar power, and changing your way of life so that you do not damage the environment. If you own your own home, this can call for some costly changes. Your old top loading washing machine would need substituted by a machine that wastes much less water and electricity. If you live in a sunny area, you would need to take advantage of your roof space to install solar panels. Obviously, green living can be done cheaply. Nonetheless, for the serious individual, there is quite a lot of planning and changes involved in making a home environmentally friendly.

Green living can affect making changes to the cleaning products you use as well. Cleaning materials are one of the topmost sources of pollutants made from a home. Spray tins add fumes to the air, liquid mixtures add chemicals to the water that is flushed down the toilet or sink. The chemicals wiped onto paper towels end up in landfills, which then contaminate the water and soil near the trash dumps. By changing the cleaning products you use, you can drastically lower the amount of harm that is done to the environment. The more biodegradable items you purchase and use, the nearer to a state of green living you achieve.

Having a green home is not the only thing that you can do to aid the environment. Purchase products that are attested as doing little damage to the environment when they were made. Purchase cleaning supplies that are biodegradable and do not cause long term harm to the waterways and the life that lives in those waters. Do not buy products that harm the environment. If you do your part by owning a green home, you can be a living example that it can be done without sacrificing comfort and ease of living.

There are other many elementary things that you can do that won’t cost you much, or any, money and allow you to start a green living way of life. Recycle everything you can and throw away as little as possible. Purchase foods that do not have excessive packaging. There are many butcheries and fruit markets that use recyclable wrap when selling their goods. Drive your motor vehicle less and learn about how the choices you make in your life affect the environment.

Say goodbye to toxic cleaning habits for good. Read on for 5 quick and easy ways to keep your home cleaner and greener.

1. Read your labels.

Be wary of toxic ingredients. Chlorine, bleach, and ammonia are the obvious culprits, but don’t forget to check for diethanolamine (DEA), triethanolamine (TEA), and alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs).

2. Make your own cleaners.

It can be difficult to find effective non-toxic cleaning products out there. Sometimes it’s easier (and more fun) just to make your own. Here is a quick list of natural products that make excellent cleaning supplies.

Baking Soda: Great for all-purpose cleaning. Cleans, deodorizes, and removes stains and pet odors.

Sodium Borate (Borax): A miracle mineral that naturally kills mold and bacteria. A fabulous alternative to bleach.

Vegetable Oil Based Soap: Cleans everything, and we mean everything.

Cornstarch: Naturally starches clothes, and absorbs oils and grease.

Lemon Juice: Removes grease, perspiration, and other stains from clothing. Also, an alternative to bleach.

Vinegar: Removes grease and stains and works as a water softener.

3. Create airflow.

Did you know that it is quite common for the air inside a home to be more toxic that outside air? Better insulation and toxic materials have created a virtually airtight breeding ground for toxicity. To remedy this situation, make sue you have a path for air to travel in and out of so that your home can breathe. Keep your windows open when possible to keep the air flowing.

4. Be wary of “antibacterial” products.

Many people think they can’t live without their antibacterial or antimicrobial soaps and sanitizers. But science has proven time and time again that nothing cleans better than good old fashioned soap and water. In fact, continued overuse of antibacterial products could lead to breeding “super bugs” and “super germs,” chemically-resistant bacteria that could potentially create problems for future generations.

5. Leave your shoes at the door.

Let’s consider for a moment what’s on your shoes. Do you use public restrooms? Have any pets or neighbors with pets? Does your city ever have pollen or pollution alerts? Chances are that you’re trekking in more than you ever hoped. For this reasons (and countless others) do everyone in your household a favor (especially if you have children) and leave your shoes at the door. Putting a doormat outside of and right inside of your exterior doors can also help. An added bonus – less dirt in your home means visibly cleaner carpets.