I’m all about using products that both clean my house and also are green.  With little kids and a puppy, it is very important for me (at least) to use products that I know will not make them sick.  I’m also allergic to life itself (I test positive for everything they test me for when allergy tested, so I’m literally allergic to everything).  I have found that “green” products actually don’t make me break out.  I’m not sure why that is (or if it just in my case), but green products are awesome in my book.  Soooo here’s my top ten list/tips of things you can do for your house to make cleaner and/or greener:

1.  If you have pets, I recommend clean+green.  You’ll actually see a review of it in the coming days on Lisa Reviews.  It’s an odor neutralizer.  We have Daisy, our puppy, and it’s what we use to get rid of the smell when she uses my floor for her bathroom.  :)  It’s awesome, and they make it for carpet and wood floors.  I even think they have it for upholstery.  It is environmentally responsible formulated, non toxic, non flammable, non corrosive, non carcinogenic, and 100% biodegradable.

2.  This next one if more for the yard, but we use BioBags for Daisy’s bathroom trips outside.  They are fully certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute to be 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable.  The bag itself with decompose in 10 – 40 days in a municipal composting environment.  That’s one less plastic bag headed to the landfill!

3.  Look for products that say “green” on the label.  The EPA is going after companies that are just greenwashing their products, so most of the time, if you see “green”, it is.  The best thing is that they are usually pretty comparable in price to your non green products, so there is no reason NOT to use them!

4.   You can even “green” your wardrobe.  Shop at vintage stores!  If you have clothes you don’t wear anymore, donate them to Goodwill or other charitable organizations.  You can even organize a swap with your friends.

5.  Install a clothes line.  This is an easy tip that almost all of us can do.  You just wash your clothes with cold water and hang them on the line to dry!  This also limits the energy impact of your wardrobe.

6.  Start a button jar.  You know the buttons you get when you buy clothes, instead of throwing them away, put them in a jar instead.  Then, instead of replacing a shirt or pants because you lost a button, you can sew a new one on!

7.  We also buy bamboo clothes.  They wick away moisture, are thermal regulating, and are super soft.  I also love that I’m helping the environment when wearing them.

8.  We look for furniture that isn’t made with HDF or MDF.  These kinds of fiberboards can offgas and we don’t want that in my house!  Instead, we look for solid wood or bamboo.

9.  We’ve also replace all of our light bulbs to CFL.  That has helped our electric bill out some.  It is also a quick easy fix.

10.  Buy only energy efficient products.  When we have had to replace our appliances, that is a sticker we look for.  (And we have had to replace everything since we’ve moved here except the fridge!)  You save money and you help the environment.  What more can you ask for?

These are just ten tips of mine and/or what we do in my house.  Small steps are better than no steps at all.  You can slowly and easily green your home one step at a time or even one room at a time.  It’ll keep your costs down, and hopefully, everyone healthier (since you won’t have chemical after chemical being sprayed around!).   How do you keep your house both clean and green?

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Mrs. Meyer’s blogging program, making me eligible to get a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean DayClean, Green Home