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The Complete Guide to Eco-Friendly House Cleaning Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply
For many years throughout the 20th Century, the conveniences of household cleaning items outwighed any consideration of where they came from or what they contained. Today, the consciousness of many consumers has started to advance due to ongoing environmental and economic concerns. For that reason, dozens of new products have developed on the market from Simple Green to Seventh Generation. In addition to these green conscious products there are hundreds of ways you can change your house cleaning and maintenance to be eco-friendly, even making your own cleaning materials out of everyday items that have zero environmental impact. This book will guide you through the process of both recognizing and utilizing the most advanced eco-friendly house cleaning technology around, as well as tried and true cleaning methods that have been around for centuries. You will learn all the necessities of green cleaning basics Dozens of experts on green cleaning have been interviewed for this book, providing everything needed by any individual who wants to start changing how they clean their home for good.
312 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 13, 2011
The Complete Guide to Eco-Friendly House Cleaning
Anne B. Kocsis
Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 SW 6th Ave., Ocala, FL 34471-0640
www.atlantic-pub.com
978-1-60138-366-2, $24.95, 2010
Title for Amazon: This will completely change the way you think about housecleaning!
With an ever-growing amount of information pointing to the health and environmental dangers of chemical-laden products, it’s no wonder that the green movement has grown to encompass home cleaning practices. But many people out there, while concerned, may have no idea where to start in adopting healthier cleaning habits. Enter “The Complete Guide to Eco-Friendly House Cleaning”. Author Anne B. Kocsis makes the switch to ‘the green side’ easy, cost-effective, and just plain interesting!
“The Complete Guide to Eco-Friendly House Cleaning” is a fun, straightforward guide to keeping your house clean and the environment – and your personal health – safe from the myriad of deadly toxins found in typical cleaning supplies. She explains in simple, easy to understand terms what each chemical is, why it is dangerous to have in a living space, and green alternatives that don’t skimp on cleanliness. There are even dangers with such seemingly harmless items like room fresheners and dryer sheets. I just couldn’t believe how much we are exposed to on a daily basis!
If you are like me, housekeeping falls well behind other priorities in my busy life (as evident by the state of my home) and the sheer thought of reading about eco-friendly cleaning would be educational but extremely boring. Yet Kocsis’ writing style makes even the subject of housekeeping fascinating – and coming from someone who is less than domestically inclined is saying something! Who knew you could do so much with just a handful of all natural and environmentally-friendly ingredients? By the time I was finished reading, my book was filled with little bookmarks and highlights of all the different things I want to try. I’ve never been excited about cleaning my house until now.
Believe it or not, “The Complete Guide to Eco-Friendly House Cleaning” is a captivating read! I not only learned an enormous amount about the dangerous substances we live and breathe around everyday but how to minimize exposure to these items while reducing our carbon footprint. And the most exciting part is that it’s so easy to incorporate these changes into your life with very little effort. Definitely a book that will make a substantial impact on how you think about your health and home!
Reviewed by Vicki Landes, author of “Europe for the Senses – A Photographic Journal”
Anne B. Kocsis
Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 SW 6th Ave., Ocala, FL 34471-0640
www.atlantic-pub.com
978-1-60138-366-2, $24.95, 2010
Title for Amazon: This will completely change the way you think about housecleaning!
With an ever-growing amount of information pointing to the health and environmental dangers of chemical-laden products, it’s no wonder that the green movement has grown to encompass home cleaning practices. But many people out there, while concerned, may have no idea where to start in adopting healthier cleaning habits. Enter “The Complete Guide to Eco-Friendly House Cleaning”. Author Anne B. Kocsis makes the switch to ‘the green side’ easy, cost-effective, and just plain interesting!
“The Complete Guide to Eco-Friendly House Cleaning” is a fun, straightforward guide to keeping your house clean and the environment – and your personal health – safe from the myriad of deadly toxins found in typical cleaning supplies. She explains in simple, easy to understand terms what each chemical is, why it is dangerous to have in a living space, and green alternatives that don’t skimp on cleanliness. There are even dangers with such seemingly harmless items like room fresheners and dryer sheets. I just couldn’t believe how much we are exposed to on a daily basis!
If you are like me, housekeeping falls well behind other priorities in my busy life (as evident by the state of my home) and the sheer thought of reading about eco-friendly cleaning would be educational but extremely boring. Yet Kocsis’ writing style makes even the subject of housekeeping fascinating – and coming from someone who is less than domestically inclined is saying something! Who knew you could do so much with just a handful of all natural and environmentally-friendly ingredients? By the time I was finished reading, my book was filled with little bookmarks and highlights of all the different things I want to try. I’ve never been excited about cleaning my house until now.
Believe it or not, “The Complete Guide to Eco-Friendly House Cleaning” is a captivating read! I not only learned an enormous amount about the dangerous substances we live and breathe around everyday but how to minimize exposure to these items while reducing our carbon footprint. And the most exciting part is that it’s so easy to incorporate these changes into your life with very little effort. Definitely a book that will make a substantial impact on how you think about your health and home!
Reviewed by Vicki Landes, author of “Europe for the Senses – A Photographic Journal”
May 19, 2012
“The Complete Guide to Eco-Friendly House Cleaning” by Anne B. Kocsis educates the reader on how they can clean their home using all natural, safe products or by even making the cleaning solutions from scratch! Ms. Kocsis starts the book with a brief history of the environmental movement and how we came to be in this state where hazardous chemicals and substances are now commonplace in our society. She covers what antibacterial and green mean.
Chapters 3 and 4 cover companies and products that are considered green and not harmful to your or your family’s health. She gives a short history on companies such as Method (started by two men who were roomies at Stanford), Biokleen , Mrs. Myer’s Clean Day, and Shaklee Products and then list the products they make that would make the green list. I liked it when Ms. Kocsis included her own experience with a product such as the Wash-It Laundry Ball and Simple Green. By including this personal information, it made it feel that she really did research these products and is giving a very informed opinion at them.
Then came my favorite part of the book: the recipes! Did you know you can make furniture polish out of vinegar and olive oil? How about pesticides with garlic and hot sauce? It is amazing how much of the cleaning products we purchase for our homes we can make from basic ingredients around the house. I have already tried the wood floor polish (2 cups of olive oil and 2 cups of vinegar mixed) and toilet bowl cleaner (vinegar followed by baking soda) with good results. The rest of the book breaks down room by room and how to clean it from top to bottom, even the outdoors!
This book is well researched and I really liked the way the author put in her experiences throughout the book. I know that I will keep it handy so that I can refer back to it when I need to clean or polish something. My only disappointment was that the index did not list the page numbers for the recipes in the book. When I was ready to try the wood floor cleaner, I went to the index to quickly locate the page it was on, but it wasn’t listed. So I had to go and page through the book to find it.
Chapters 3 and 4 cover companies and products that are considered green and not harmful to your or your family’s health. She gives a short history on companies such as Method (started by two men who were roomies at Stanford), Biokleen , Mrs. Myer’s Clean Day, and Shaklee Products and then list the products they make that would make the green list. I liked it when Ms. Kocsis included her own experience with a product such as the Wash-It Laundry Ball and Simple Green. By including this personal information, it made it feel that she really did research these products and is giving a very informed opinion at them.
Then came my favorite part of the book: the recipes! Did you know you can make furniture polish out of vinegar and olive oil? How about pesticides with garlic and hot sauce? It is amazing how much of the cleaning products we purchase for our homes we can make from basic ingredients around the house. I have already tried the wood floor polish (2 cups of olive oil and 2 cups of vinegar mixed) and toilet bowl cleaner (vinegar followed by baking soda) with good results. The rest of the book breaks down room by room and how to clean it from top to bottom, even the outdoors!
This book is well researched and I really liked the way the author put in her experiences throughout the book. I know that I will keep it handy so that I can refer back to it when I need to clean or polish something. My only disappointment was that the index did not list the page numbers for the recipes in the book. When I was ready to try the wood floor cleaner, I went to the index to quickly locate the page it was on, but it wasn’t listed. So I had to go and page through the book to find it.
April 2, 2011
Our society is slowly becoming aware that harsh chemicals in our environment are not only detrimental to the earth but to our own bodies as well. Using eco-friendly products to clean our homes not only eliminates pollutants but we cut down costs. For example, rather than buying a can of compressed air that contains chemicals to clean your keyboard you can use a cotton swab dipped in vinegar. Vinegar can also be used for cleaning windows, toilets, or shower walls.
The author provides a newbee with much needed information. For example, she covers taking inventory what you have that is chemical based and must be replaced. But, there is more; Kocsis starts with de-cluttering the home and getting rid of items that serve no purpose. Some of the questions she asks are: Is this item something I really need?; How often do I use it?; If I do not need it, what are my options for getting rid of it? And, she does give options: Give it away; Repurpose it; Recycle it; or, Trash it.
Kocsis suggests working top to bottom. Areas she covers are air quality, identifying biological contaminants, using proper ventilation and freshening air naturally, lighting, and, uninvited indoor pests. She gives alternatives of prevention and coexistence. She covers areas such as kitchen, bathroom, laundry room and the rest of the house. She also covers eco-friendly pet care.
Aside from an extensive list of alternatives to chemicals for cleaning and stain removal, Kocsis gives instructions and combinations of household items than can be used and most effective.
There is certainly nothing complicated about this book. The writing is simple and concise. The alternatives are taking us back to basics while restoring our environment. If you aren't sure where and how to start, this book is for you.
The author provides a newbee with much needed information. For example, she covers taking inventory what you have that is chemical based and must be replaced. But, there is more; Kocsis starts with de-cluttering the home and getting rid of items that serve no purpose. Some of the questions she asks are: Is this item something I really need?; How often do I use it?; If I do not need it, what are my options for getting rid of it? And, she does give options: Give it away; Repurpose it; Recycle it; or, Trash it.
Kocsis suggests working top to bottom. Areas she covers are air quality, identifying biological contaminants, using proper ventilation and freshening air naturally, lighting, and, uninvited indoor pests. She gives alternatives of prevention and coexistence. She covers areas such as kitchen, bathroom, laundry room and the rest of the house. She also covers eco-friendly pet care.
Aside from an extensive list of alternatives to chemicals for cleaning and stain removal, Kocsis gives instructions and combinations of household items than can be used and most effective.
There is certainly nothing complicated about this book. The writing is simple and concise. The alternatives are taking us back to basics while restoring our environment. If you aren't sure where and how to start, this book is for you.
December 30, 2010
I read these books in hope that my house will become clean without my having to, you know, actually clean. This book recommends simple and safe home cleaning recipes but mostly talks about the history of old style advertising and new style green cleaning.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews