Clean "Green" during Pollution Prevention Week

Clean "Green" during Pollution Prevention Week

DEP encourages "Green" cleaning during Pollution Prevention Week, September 15-21

POSTED 10/15/2008 - It’s Pollution Prevention Week, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is encouraging schools, businesses and citizens to help "green" Florida’s future by trading in harsh household cleaners for non-toxic, "green" cleaners that are safer for both human health and the environment.

"What better time to adopt an environmentally friendly lifestyle than during Pollution Prevention Week," said DEP Director of Sustainable Initiatives Deas Bohn. "Simply replacing harsh cleaners with natural ones is an easy step that everyone can take to help protect Florida’s environment."

Florida’s theme for this year’s Pollution Prevention Week is "Greening Florida’s Future", and "green" cleaning is an important component. Cleaning "green" means cleaning to protect human health without harming the environment.

Consumers can create home-mixed cleaners that are equally as effective as traditional products, and safer for people and the environment. DEP offers the following tips for "green" cleaning at home:

Floors—

A fringe mop dampened only with water works well to remove dust from bare floors.

For weekly mopping, adding one cup of vinegar to two gallons of water or mixing baking soda and a few drops of lemon with water produces clean, shiny and fragrant floors.

Immediately soaking a carpet spill with club soda, and blotting helps remove stains.

Kitchen and Bathroom Sinks—

A paste made from baking soda and water will cleanse surfaces and make fixtures shine.

To remove stains, oil or grease, make a paste with water and washing soda, found in the laundry detergent section in stores.

Laundry—

Baking soda is also an effective ingredient for laundering.

A cup of baking soda added to the wash cycle softens clothes.

Adding a few drops of scented oil, such as lavender, lemongrass, eucalyptus or wintergreen, adds fragrance to clothing.

Clean with a microfiber cloth—

Cloths made of microfiber clean and polish surfaces at the same time, and pick up more than 97 percent of the dust and other materials containing microbe, pollen and mold.

Rinse microfiber cloths in water or wash with regular soap after use to extend the life of the cloth.

For those who don’t have time to make their own cleaners, there are now hundreds of environmentally friendly products widely available through stores and the Internet. Important safety and environmental features of these products include being non-toxic, biodegradable, made from renewable resources and petroleum-free. The Green Seal, EcoLabel or other third party certification assures environmentally friendly contents. Old cleaners should be properly disposed of at the nearest city or county recycling or drop-off facilities, rather than being thrown in the trash.

National Pollution Prevention Week is an annual education event that occurs the third week of September. The event originated in California in 1992 and became a national effort in 1995. DEP’s Pollution Prevention (P2) Program has participated since 1996.

DEP’s P2 Program is committed to stopping pollution at its source by providing free assistance to industries and manufacturers, commercial businesses, government, military facilities, schools and organizations to "go green" and save money through pollution prevention strategies. The P2 Program is a 100 percent voluntary, non-regulatory program and one of DEP’s three sustainable initiatives. To learn more about DEP’s P2 Program, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/pollutionprevention.

DEP’s Office of Sustainable Initiatives is comprised of three voluntary, non-regulatory programs that assist Florida industry and citizens in protecting the environment. The Clean Marina Program, the Florida Green Lodging Program and the Florida Pollution Prevention Program offer a variety of services including on-site assessments, consultations, speakers and workshops, all at no cost to citizens or organizations. The goal of the Sustainable Initiatives programs is to meet the needs of the present population without compromising resources for future generations. To learn more about DEP’s Sustainable Initiatives, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/green.

For more information about Florida’s Pollution Prevention Week and a list of events, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/pollutionprevention/p2week.  For more information on National Pollution Prevention Week, visit www.p2.org/p2week.  

To view the Governor’s proclamation for Pollution Prevention Week, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/pollutionprevention/files/P2Week2008proclamation.pdf.