Green cleaner recipes & Portland news

Whether you buy 'em off the shelf or brew your own, green household cleaning products are the way to go. No matter how many commercials SC Johnson & Co. airs proclaiming their products are good for the environment (have you seen these?) they haven't actually changed the Windex formula. It's still loaded with toxic chemicals. Maybe SC Johnson's processes and bottles have gotten greener -- which is great -- but their products still aren't good for our kids and homes and water. Luckily we have lots of options.

Green mommy blogger Jonah Lisa over at The Toby Show recently published her recipes for her basic arsenal of green cleaners and the more specialized cleaners, like laundry boost and dryer softener. I'm a firm believer as well in the power of vinegar and baking soda. Heck, even my son's preschool has moved away from using bleach in favor of vinegar for cleaning (thank you Eco-Healthy Child Care program). When you make your own green cleaners YOU control the ingredients, plus it's way the heck cheaper than buying off the shelf. Having said that, Biokleen products still are my choice for most cleaning, but toilets, floors and windows get the vinegar treatment.

Hey Portlanders: You can also sign up for a workshop on making your own green cleaners through the Oregon Center for Environmental Health on November 15th from 10am-Noon. Space is limited so RSVP ASAP if you're interested. Cost is $5 and you'll need to bring a spray bottle, two glass jars with lids and a bottle of essential oils. Contact jason [at] oregon-health [dot] org to RSVP or ask questions. The OCEH is also offering workshops on Creating an Eco-Safe Home, about reducing your exposure to toxic chemicals in the home. Visit their Web site for dates and info.

And have you heard about the new store in 'old town' Tigard devoted to green cleaning products? It's called Cleaning Green and they've pretty much got it all covered. Anyone been there yet?

Happy and safe Halloween everyone! I saw some darling reuse costumes at preschool today -- woo hoo! Viva la reuse revolution!