Green & Clean

Home Health | Non-toxic cleansers offer an alternative to chemicals
The Vancouver Sun (Monday, January 9, 2006)
Karen Gram

My house is dirty - very dirty.  But it's for a good cause.  In order to look into the trend of environmentally sound, or "green" cleaning, I had to let a few weeks of dirt and grime build up first.  After all, what kind of a challenge would it be if I called in home cleaners, but did what we all tend to do first - clean up?  The proprietors of AspenClean, are part of a small but growing trend of companies offering home cleaning using non-toxic products.  Alicia Sokolowski who operates AspenClean with her husband Chris Solodko, says that many of their clients are particular about cleaning products because they suffer from allergies, asthma or are undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, and have particular sensitivities; others are simply conscientious about leaving a soft footprint on the environment.  The environmental footprint is so soft in the case of AspenClean, that when they get to cleaning my tea-stained sink, Solodko drags his finger through a cleanser labelled "heavey duty" - and licks the cleanser off with his tongue.  It's that non-toxic, he explains.

Many non-toxic cleansers are readily available commercially.  Real Canadian Superstore carries a handful, Supervalue has a few more and independent grocer Famous Foods on Kingsway carries a vast range of products.

But so-called "green cleaning" has always had a reputation for not getting the job done.  People believe the mould, grime and bacteria threatening our homes and health are just too tough for the gentle ingredients in "green" products.  Sokolowski and Solodko are out to prove that you can still have a sparkling clean home using non-toxic cleaners, without any more elbow grease than the toxins demand.  They have brought with them their team of cleaners who branch out through the house, taking their buckets of cleaning products with them.
 
As they set to work, Sokolowski says their biggest breakthrough was the discovery of microfibre cloths which use friction, static energy, and hair-like fibers to remove and trap dust, dirt, oils, and 99 per cent of bacteria very effectively.  She and Solodko just use warm water and the microfibre cloths for all their cleaning at home.  But they knew they would need more than water and a cloth when they started up their environmentally-friendly cleaning company.  After experimenting with various products, they selected a locally produced, non-toxic, organic, biodegradable soap paste derived from seaweed which has a natural emulsifying enzyme.

Their staff certainly like the enzyme cleaning products, saying they do the job and don't leave the staff with tight chests.  Leah Johnson, an asthmatic, who used to clean for companies that use bleach and amonia-based products, suffered frequent chest tightening reactions.  "But with AspenClean products there is nothing like that", she says.

The cleaning approach is slightly different.  Enzymes don't work instantaneously and they work best if heated first.

To clean my shower tiles, a long overdue job, employee Glorina Fernando splashes hot water on the tiles, then uses her bare fingers to spread AspenClean super scrub, a paste which is mixed with pumice to give it some abrasion.  She waits a minute before setting in on scrubbing the blackened grout with a grout brush.  Fernando lightly scrubs the grout for about half an hour and the job is done.

For the toilet, the cleaners sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, then spray in some white vinegar.  That causes a fizz reaction which loosens dirt and disinfects.  After cleaning everything else in the bathroom, she returns to the toilet and brushes with a toilet brush.  She wipes the seat wit a microfibre cloth sprayed with AspenClean multipurpose cleaner.

The super scrub paste works perfectly on my old claw-foot tub as well.  Johnson puts a small puddle of hot water in the bottom of the tub, spreads the paste, then splashes it with the water.  Using a sponge, she rubs the paste and water together forming a lather, then rinses and dries with microfibre cloth.  The paste does wonders on my white enamel stove top too, which was caked with spills.

Johnson tackle the wood floors with a microfibre mop and a spray bottle of a non-toxic product called Bona X Hardwood Floor Cleaner.  It is formulated to clean all types of no-wax wood floors, including all polyurethane finished floors.  It doesn't leave any dulling residue and is available on the internet.  She sprays a bit of floor, then wipes.  If you wash the floors regularly, just a damp microfibre mopping will do the job, she says.

On my Marmoleum kitchen floor, she sprays with AspenClean multipurpose cleaner, then wipes with the microfibre mop.  Same with the tile floors in the bathrooms.  Again, if done regularly, a damp mop works fine, she says.

Dusting is done using a feather duster for high spots and a damp microfibre cloth for everywhere else.

Two hour later, my house is spotless and odourless.  The cleaners cleaned more deeply than I do, but they didn't break their backs doing it.  Cleaning always takes some elbow grease, says Solodko, but you can choose to scrub in a toxic-free environment or one thick with chemical stink.  But if elbow grease is your Waterloo, you can still get the virtuous feeling by hiring a green cleaning company to do it for you.

AspenClean charges regular clients $132-$136 for three cleaners to clean an average three bedroom, two bathroom house.  A one-time cleaning job costs more.  For a free estimate go to their website at www.aspenclean.com