Green Cleaning: Outdoors

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A walk down any big-box store’s cleaning products aisle will tell the story: It’s evident by the noticeable increase in “green” cleaning products available that people are becoming more conscious of what they use to clean their home’s interior. And while any movement toward greener cleaning is a great step, many people still use caustic chemicals to scour the outside areas of their homes. While using traditional toxic cleaners may seem less harmful because the chemicals aren’t inside your home, the truth is your outdoor chemical cleaning can negatively affect both human and environmental health. “You wouldn’t want to dump toxic chemicals down the sink or the toilet,” says Dean Dowd, chief technical officer for CalFinder, a green-certified construction service. “Runoff from outdoor cleaning can end up in the sewer system and back into your water supply. Also, because some of these chemicals don’t break down, they can eventually affect marine life when discharged into waterways.” Besides protecting your health and your environment, greening your cleaning is easy on your wallet. Many of these green cleaning solutions can be made out of inexpensive ingredients you probably already have at home, like baking soda, borax, vinegar and water. Here are a few ways you can green your outdoor clean and still keep everything as clean as you like it. Washing Your House’s Exterior You can easily clean your home non-toxically using just water and a pressure washer. But before you pull out the heavy-duty spray, first find out what method is best for your particular exterior. “Wood shingled siding doesn’t need to be washed,” says Dowd. “During a pressure wash, avoid full pressure on masonry or vinyl because water can reach behind the vinyl and blast mortar from between the bricks.” Another tried-and-true method Dowd recommends is rinsing. All you need is a hose, bucket and some mild soap. But he cautions that if you have particularly hard-to-reach areas you need to clean, it may be best to hire a contractor to do your dirty work for you. Don’t Drench Your Driveway One area you should be particularly cautious when cleaning is your driveway. Because most are designed to allow any storm water to flow to public drains, any toxic chemicals you use may end up in the local water supply.

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