Greening Your Kitchen

Kitchens have evolved from being the backwater to the epicenter of the home. Therefore, it is more important than ever to ensure the environmental health of this multitasking room for the comfort and safety of all occupants.

From the simple to the complex, here are a few tips on how to up your kitchen’s sustainable quotient.

If you look in most people’s kitchen sink cabinets, you will find a plethora of cleaning products, many of which are toxic to people, pets and the environment, directly impacting the indoor air quality of a home. With a few exceptions, most kitchen counters, sinks, floors and windows can be cleaned with simple solutions of water mixed with dish soap, white vinegar or lemon juice. For more challenging cleaning tasks, you can enlist the help of baking soda, borax or table salt, combined with a bit of elbow grease.

When it comes to fingerprints on stainless appliances, steer clear of the bottled stainless cleaners (they will leave a waxy buildup and more cleaning problems down the road) and try a microfiber cloth or mitt that requires only a bit of water and elbow grease. Toss your kitchen sponge into the dishwasher with every load you do to help keep it bacteria-free, and remember to laundry dish towels on a regular basis.