Are you in a constant state of chemical warfare in the struggle to keep your
home clean? Put the bleach down – there is another way, writes
Rachel Kenney
.
I
n ad-land, we all live in
squeaky-clean, germ-free, shiny
homes and wear whiter-than-
white, fresh-smelling, soft-to-
the-touch clothes. To achieve this
ideal, we are persuaded that we need
the most high-tech, up-to-the-minute,
ever-more-potent formulations of
a whole host of cleaning liquids,
powders and potions. So most days,
we (or our helpers) might use a
multitude of products – sink shiners,
oven de-greasers, floor polishers,
drain unblockers, bathroom grime
removers, toilet blitzers, tile gleamers,
air fresheners, washing powders,
fabric conditioners … Our homes are
under constant chemical attack.
But we all know that many of the
ingredients in conventional cleaning
products have a nastier side. Every
year, millions of gallons of toxic
chemicals from cleaning products
are dumped down the drain, ending
up in rivers or seas and polluting
the water and harming the fish and
marine life that live in it. Many
products release gases called volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) that can
cause skin, eye and airway irritation,
headaches, dizziness and nausea,
and they also pollute our indoor air
quality – as if we didn’t already have
enough to contend with with Hong
Kong’s outdoor air quality. So, can
we keep our homes clean without
wreaking havoc on the environment or
damaging our health?
Speaking to some Hong Kong
women, the answer seems to be a
resounding “yes”. Mum Laura Paul
says that, over the last ten years, she
has made a concerted effort to clean
her house in a more eco-friendly way.
She explains, “I bought an eco-friendly
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