“I didn’t know these kinds of methods exist.”
Yes they do. But I don’t blame you for never knowing this.
Most people first found out about green cleaning practices after they saw their grandmother use vinegar to clean the sink. Vinegar is a natural cleaning agent with great antibacterial properties. Specifically, it is not toxic to the environment. Perhaps this was not the main reason our grandmothers used vinegar for cleaning, but we could adapt this habit if we grew up in this kind of environment.
Similarly, if we had only been exposed to chemically-produced house cleaning products when we were young, our knowledge of greener alternatives would be more limited. Moreover, your family might swear to one particular brand that every time you notice the smell, a lot of memories fly towards you. I mean, who does not like reminiscing the joy of childhood?
These days, many green cleaning products in the market are meant to be an easier way to achieve a clean and healthy house. Unfortunately, many people do not recognize their existence. One reason would be that we don’t actually know the difference that green cleaning products bring. How could we? After we are done cleaning, we dump everything to the dark drain which seemingly has no end. We wouldn’t know what happens afterwards (yet we couldn’t care less since it does not directly affect us) unless we are informed. This is where education can come into play.
The basic principle of environmental education is that people are more likely to act in environmentally sustaining ways if they know their behavioral choices cause threats to the environment. We all should know that our cleaning products, no matter how nice their smell is, cause pollution to our lovely nature.
But even when people understand the hazardous effects of conventional cleaning products, some are still unaware that greener choices are available. Usually they blame the marketing. Have you ever seen Earth’s Choice laundry detergent ad in Singapore? Or Bio Home dishwashing liquid? Probably not. People who buy these products are those who purposely go to the supermarket and look for them or find them by chance. But how many times have we done that?
Other reasons people skip green cleaning…
Image source:
1. http://inhabitat.com/green-home-101-guide-to-green-cleaning/
2. http://www.agefotostock.com/en/Stock-Images/Royalty-Free/ETL-zz107012