Conserve: Green Purchasing / Cleaning
Your school can earn a Conserve: Green Purchasing Step by switching to Green Seal Certified cleaning products.
Winthrop University is a Model for Green Cleaning!
Winthrop has now switched to 100% Green Seal certified cleaners which contain no toxic chemicals, clean every bit as well as their toxic counterparts and COST MUCH LESS MONEY! To learn more contact: Chris Hodgdon.
Winthrop researched and tested products from several companies before making the swich. The vendors tested by Winthrop include: www.coastwidelabs.com, www.hillyard.com, www.spartanchemical.com, www.3m.com, and www.jnj.com.
Green Cleaning Network
ATTN: School Building Managers! A brand new, spanking clean group has been formed. The goal of the Green Cleaning Network (GCN) is to bring together and facilitate the sharing of information among schools, hospitals, office buildings, cleaning professionals, policy makers and more. Another goal of the GCN is to better educate and eliminate confusion about “green cleaning”. One of the founding members of the GCN is Rochelle Davis, the Executive Director of the Healthy Schools Campaign. To learn more, click here or contact Steven Ashkin at 812-332-7950.
Make Your Own Green Cleaning Solution
Household Cleaning Solution
(from Better Basics for the Home by Annie Berthold-Bond, Three Rivers Press, 1999)
1 tsp washing soda
2 tsp borax
½ tsp liquid soap or detergent
2 c hot water
Or, baking soda pretty much does it all. It cleans, deodorizes, and whitens. Start in the bathroom and brush your teeth with it. Then use it to clean the sink, toilet and bath tub. If you have a cat, give the litter box a few shots. Then, sprinkle it in smelly shoes. Move on to the kitchen and clean the counter and sink with it. After all that work, you'll be tired and deserve a spa treatment. Create of paste of baking soda and water and gently scrub your face with it to exfoliate your skin. Now, how many products can deliver that much? And it's cheap!
Conserve: Green Purchasing / Cleaning Resources
- Green Seal: promotes the manufacture, purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products and services
- EPA School Chemicals Cleanout Campaign
- School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide: Published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the guide provides checklists for both teachers and students that highlight important information for working in the lab and identifying hazards and safe work procedures.
- Eartheasy: Offers tips for making natural alternatives to household cleaners.