Greener Cleaning Guide to reduce the use of hazardous wastes in the home

26^th  September 2014

Press Release

Greener Cleaning Guide to reduce the use of hazardous wastes in the home.

Environmental tips for Domestic Cleaning and Hygiene

Donegal County Council has organised a number of free one - day collections of household hazardous waste over the next few weeks. Hundreds of tonnes of household hazardous waste are collected each year. Have you ever considered trying to reduce your use of certain agents within the home?

Take a peek in your bathroom or kitchen cupboard today and you will find a lot of different products for home cleaning. So what are the alternatives to store bought cleaning products?

There are five ingredients recommended to be as effective as commercial cleaning products. These five ingredients are also very cheap so switching should save you money.

1. Baking Soda also known as Bread soda or Bicarbonate of Soda

It is a great cleaner and deodoriser and mild abrasive to use in household cleaning. It neutralises acid-based odours in water and absorbs odours from the air. You will find it in the Home Baking aisle in the supermarket.

2. Soda Crystals known as Washing Soda

This product contains no phosphates, enzymes or bleach. It is an effective but gentle cleaner but you should always wear gloves when using it because it is caustic in nature. Washing soda cuts grease, cleans petroleum oil, removes wax or lipstick, and neutralises odours. It is very cheap and you will find it in the laundry / cleaning aisle in the supermarket.

3. & 4. White Vinegar and Lemon Juice

White vinegar and lemon juice are acidic and neutralise alkaline substances such as scale from hard water. Vinegar will help tackle the "tough" tasks instead of using bleach or a strong chemical cleaner. Vinegar dissolves greasy build-up, eat away tarnish, and remove dirt from wood surfaces.

5. Salt

Salt works as an effective yet gentle scouring agent.

For dates of the upcoming FREE Household Hazardous Waste collections for wastes such as  Cleaning Agents including bleaches, Waste Medicines, Batteries, Antifreeze, Herbicides (weed killers), Pesticides, Adhesives, Old Paints, Paint stripper/thinner, Aerosols, Inks, Waste Oils please visit www.donegalcoco.ie or keep an eye in local press for details. Please remember all containers, bottles, etc, must be labelled and materials clearly identifiable.

For more information contact Suzanne Bogan Waste Awareness Officer 07491 76276 or email [email protected].

Ends.

Source: Suzanne Bogan Waste Awareness Officer 07491 76276 or email [email protected]