Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Nontoxic Housecleaning
(a Chelsea Green Guide)
by Amy Kolb Noyes
96 pages paperback, 4.75 x 6.5 inches
with color photos
Published by Chelsea Green Publishing (August 2009)
ISBN: 9781603582032
Price: $7.95 USD
When it comes to cleaning products, society often values convenience over personal and planetary health, thanks to decades of advertising propaganda from the chemical companies that market overpriced and dangerous concoctions. But awareness is changing: Not only are homemade and nontoxic cleaners strong enough for the toughest grunge, they are often as convenient as their commercial counterparts.
Nontoxic Housecleaning – the latest in the Chelsea Green Guide series – provides a way for people to improve their immediate environment every day. Pregnant women, parents of young children, pet owners, people with health concerns, and those who simply care about a healthy environment – and a sensible budget – can all benefit from the recipes and tips in this guide.
A nice touch by the author of this small guide to nontoxic housecleaning is that she did not burden the reader yet another of the so often cited lists of cleaners and their toxic ingredients. This saves skipping many pages and often they are a lot of them; I have counted more than 20 in one book.
This small volume is broken up into three main parts: The Basic Toolbox; Room by Room; and the Top Ten Recipes.
Included in this small volume are tips for:
- The basic ingredients: what they are, and why they work.
- Specific techniques for each room and cleaning need in the house.
- Detailed recipes for homemade cleaners, including floor polishes, all-purpose cleanser, disinfecting cleanser, window cleaner, oven cleaner, furniture polish, mold- and mildew-killing cleansers, bathroom scrub, deodorizers, stain removers, laundry boosters and starch, metal polishes, scouring powder, and more.
While this book is but 96 pages the information is precise and to the point, hence making it a great pocket guide to all aspects of nontoxic cleaning around the home.
Amy Kolb Noyes lives at Indecision Farm in Vermont and writes frequently on home and garden topics for a variety of regional and national publications. An environmental activist, she is vice chair of the nonprofit Green Up Vermont, has long served on its board of directors, and has authored Living the Green Up Way.
© 2009
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