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Green This! Volume 1: Greening Your Cleaning |  | Author: Deirdre Imus
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
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Rating:  63 reviews
Sales Rank: 178871
Media: Paperback
Pages: 240
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 6 x 0.6
ISBN: 1416540555
Dewey Decimal Number: 648.5
EAN: 9781416540557
ASIN: 1416540555
Publication Date: April 10, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Change the way you clean and keep your family's home wholesome and healthy with the help of expert and activist Deirdre Imus. We all grew up thinking chemical smells like bleach and ammonia signaled "clean." But as Deirdre Imus reveals, some of the chemicals we use to maintain our homes are doing us and our families much more harm than good. In Greening Your Cleaning, the first in her Green This! series, Deirdre shows how cleaning house the environmentally responsible way can be as effective and often cheaper than the more traditional, toxic, means. This volume includes: - Simple, efficient cleaning methods for every room of the house
- Spotlights on everyday products (all purpose cleaner, glass/window cleaner, laundry detergent) and the toxic ingredients you should be wary of
- Summaries of the latest research on the toxic effects of ordinary chemicals
- Resource lists of widely available "green cleaning" products and retailers
Filled with tips and testimonials, Greening Your Cleaning will show you how to streamline your cleaning products and practices, and how easy it is to make "living green" your way of life.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 63
 Highly exaggerated, misinformation, but some good cleaning tips September 18, 2009
K. Liu (Southern California, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
When I read this book, all I found mostly was mounds and mounds of eco-scare, rather than green cleaning recipes.
First of all, there are some good things in this book, such as tips on using essential oils to scent clothes, and that you don't need as many specialty cleaning products as you do. She also offers alternatives to furniture polishes and what to look in green brands.
But much of it is eco-scare, some of it I admit is true, but some of it may be exaggeration. For example, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is a chemical that is often a huge scapegoat among greenies. This book claims that SLS is a penetration enhancer, so I looked this up on the Environmental Working Groups site(which Imus claims as a source) and found out it does not have that property based on the evidence it has found. However there is some carcinogenic potential in SLS but it may not be that bad, even on Treehugger there was an article refuting the claim that SLS is carcinogenic, but still warns that people with sensitive or dry skin should avoid it. She may have confused with Tetrasodium/Disodium EDTA which has been shown to be a penetration enhancer.
Once in the book she puts Ethanol on the list of chemicals to avoid. Ethanol sounds like a dangerous chemical but it is the active ingredient in many hand sanitizers, antiseptics, and yes the alcohol you drink. I'm not sure about vinegar's antiseptic properties, but she should have mentioned that ethanol is a good, nontoxic disinfectant.
She also makes the claim that nitrosamines can form in reaction to particles in the air. I used to be a afraid of this too, but then I looked at some of the websites claiming this and they didn't have anything to back it up, not even in the sources they cited. I then asked someone who works for the state environmental agency, and he said he doubted it since air is not involved in environmental nitrosamine formation. However nitrosamine formation is still a concern in formulation.
And not all plant-based ingredients are safe, an petro based ingredient that is chemically identical to a plant based one would be hardly different, however people who are staunchly green might still want to avoid them for the environmental impact the manufacturing process has.
There are some things that are highly exaggerated concerns. I can understand not wearing your street shoes at home, but she goes an extra mile to suggest that you must wear an apron when cooking because of all the toxins that build up in your clothes. She uses the example of doctors and nurses wearing protective gear to justify it. First of all I don't think an apron would be enough if somehow absorbed toxins from the atmosphere in your clothes could somehow migrate to your food. You might as well eat with aprons on. Second of all, protective clothing for doctors and nurses is prevent the worker from the patient.
She also uses the information from a website that sells de-chlorination shower heads as a source when it sounds more like a scare tactic.
Also, she advocates the three biggest green cleaning brands: Ecover, Seventh Generation, and Biokleen, yet these brands don't hold up to her standards. Ecover and SG have SLS,DEAs, and questionable preservatives that can form nitrosamines and formaldehyde. Biokleen's website also does not disclose it's ingredients as far as I know.
Also, she got scared of an add showing a pregnant woman wearing a bleached shirt. I know bleach is harmful to the environment, but I don't think there's enough of it left in a laundered shirt to harm you. And speaking of that, Imus emphasizes the evils of conventional bed sheets. So is she suggesting that we throw away all our sheets and replace them for organic sheets? I have been using my bed sheets for more than 15 years, another Green person would tell me it's a waste of resources to throw them away.
However I understand where she is coming from, she is not a chemist she is a mom.
GreenScare Goes Overboard August 26, 2009
T. Hole (Logan, UT USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I read this book all the way through, though at many times I was pretty disheartened and occasionally even disgusted by Ms. Imus' writing and wanted to throw the book away. The first what seems like half of the book is just about Imus' work in discovering the baddies of the cleaning world and how great she is for combating them - very commendable I suppose, though it comes across as extremely pretentious and preachy and there is little to no useful information on how to clean your own house. In fact, most of the book, not just the first half, is this way. Example: "If you must have a microwave and insist on using it..." which sounds like she feels she is better and more informed than anyone who has a microwave...without explaining in any sort of detail (that I could find) WHY microwaves are so evil and why she "disapproves" of them.
I was also extremely disappointed with how much of the language was so negative, how toxic your environment is and blah blah blah - I was looking for tips and recipes on how to clean your house using age old cleaners like vinegar, lemon, baking soda, and etc. There was a little bit of this, which is why it's not a TOTAL waste of a book, but most of it was vague abuse of traditional cleansers and a lot of overkill on "toxic" chemicals and the importance of "natural cleaning." I wonder if she knows that natural and toxic are not necessarily antonyms.
I agree that a lot of the cleaners we buy in stores are not the best in terms of cleaning your house safely and effectively while at the same time protecting your planet, which is why I picked up this book in the first place! Unfortunately, many times through the book she advises some very "ungreen" practices, in my opinion - such as buying lots of commercial cellulose sponges and then throwing them out - after 5 days! Because of "germs"! If everyone did that, our land fills would overflow in no time, and there are ways to avoid mildew, mold, and "germ" build up as well as sanitize them should they become gross - throwing it in the dishwasher, even without any soap, would sterilize a sponge simply with the heat of the water. This was one of several high-consumer high-waste ideas she threw around in her book despite its title of 'Green This!'
All in all, if you look really hard you can find some EXCELLENT cleaning tips on using affordable household materials to clean your house without harming yourself or your environment, however I felt I had to dig deep and sort through a lot of useless and in some cases dangerous information to get there.
I would not recommend this book if you want to know how to clean safely and effectively - You should read this book if you want a book on overstating vague concepts of 'green cleaning,' understating how to clean and what to look for in your 'green' cleaners, and how wonderful Ms. Imus wants you to know she is.
 Green This July 7, 2009
Gail Catalano (marshfield, ma)
A great reference guide with so many alternatives to chemical cleaning--it's a must to have....I refer back to mine all the time...
 More talk, less cleaning August 29, 2008
J. Pratt (York, PA)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Were to begin... I agree with all of the negative comments of this book. Basically, if you like to be preached at and like vague instructions this book is for you. It is completely redundant and could have been half as long (maybe less). The title is not only uncreative but inaccurate. She is focused on using natural, nontoxic chemicals for health benefits but not necessarily trying to reduce waste thus also helping the environment. My definition of "green" includes both. For example one suggestion is to buy sponges in bulk and trash your sponge weekly! There are ways to disinfect your sponge "naturally" so you don't have to be so wasteful! Also, I have another thing to add about essential oils. People can still have reactions and allergies to essential oils. Just because something comes from a natural source does not automatically make it safe or nontoxic. Between "Toxic Interruptions" and blanket statements like: "I don't approve of [microwaves]." I was completely irritated while reading this book. Just send your $11 to the Imus Ranch and use your tax deduction to buy a different book!
Greenify your home August 3, 2008
Beth C. Donnelly (Williamsville, NY)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is very helpful for becoming a green household. Lots of tips and warnings about chemical usage.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 63
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