Householders urged to go back to cleaning basics

CONNOLLY, Ireland - Oct. 25, 2013 - PRLog -- Irish householders are being urged to cut down on domestic cleaning products and go back to basics when it comes to household cleaning.

The Southern Waste Management Regional Office (SWMRO) has produced a ‘Greener Cleaning’ guide outlining how home owners can save money and help the environment by replacing household cleaning chemicals like bleach with relatively inexpensive traditional cleaning ingredients such as vinegar and soda.

“Every year millions of cleaning products are purchased by Irish consumers to clean and maintain their home. Many products are purchased to do a specific task and often languish under the sink or in the bathroom cupboard,” explained Pauline McDonogh, SWRMO Waste Prevention Coordinator.

She continued: “These chemicals become household hazardous waste and should be disposed of properly which can be a costly process. Furthermore, we tend to use household chemicals liberally and pay scant heed to dosage and usage instructions. It should be remembered that most of these chemicals are discharged to the sewers as waste water which requires significant treatment before it becomes potable again.”

“There are alternatives and this booklet will get householders started,” stated Ms. McDonogh who added: “Our guide is simple to follow and is packed full of ideas on how to clean your home cheaply and environmentally. Using five simple ingredients and following our recipes most cleaning tasks around the home can be tackled. The five wonder products are Soda crystals, bicarbonate of soda, vinegar, salt and lemon juice.”

The production of the new Green Cleaning' Guide follows a research project by the Regional Waste Office involving 23 households in Limerick City's Castletroy View Estate.

According to Ms. McDonogh: "This EPA-funded research project highlighted the lack of public awareness of alternatives to the many unnecessary chemicals that we use on a daily basis. The ‘Greener Cleaning’ guide addresses this awareness gap by promoting the fact that household cleaning using more traditional products is cheap, effective and better for the environment and your heath.”

The free “Greener Cleaning: Environmental Tips for Domestic Cleaning & Hygiene” guide is  produced by the Southern Waste Management Regional Office, which manages waste recycling and prevention activities for local authorities in Limerick, Clare, Kerry, Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Carlow. The publication is also supported by the EPA and the Clean Technology Centre (CTC).

The guide can be downloaded from www.managewaste.ie or is available on request from the SRWMO at 061 496596 / rwmo@limerickcoco.ie.