GREENING SYNAGOGUES RESOURCES

Cleaning Supplies

This is a simple section. The “cleaners” we often purchase are actually quite ‘dirty’ in terms of their impact on human and ecological health, yet non-toxic alternatives are everywhere. The health risks are greatest for the janitorial staff who breathe and touch the cleaners repeatedly each day, but they can linger to affect the children and adults of the congregation, as well. And once they go down the drain -- or worse yet, once the bottles and leftovers are discarded into a landfill or dumped into a sewer -- they can have dreadful effects on everything and everyone downstream.

Non-toxic alternatives can be found in any number of places, but start in your house. Basic items like vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, hot water, and elbow grease will go a long way in a lot of situations. Other substances like bleach or borax, when used in small quantities, are still a lot less harmful -- and often more effective! -- than the ammonia-and-other-chemical-based products that we buy on the shelf. A good place to start for this and other daily environmental alternatives is Care2.com, which offers a list of options to choose from. Clean up the clean way!