Cleaning Green During a Pandemic
Cleaning Green in the age of Coronavirus – is it Possible?
Right before coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) descended upon my community and the rest of the world, I was scheduled to teach a class at my local recreation center called “Clean Green with Essential Oils”. I had also arranged for my informal MeetUp group to chat and brainstorm additional ways to clean our environments, our workspaces and our homes, with natural ingredients and essential oils, in order to decrease the amount of toxic consumer products in our lives. And then, suddenly, everything shifted. I struggled with enrollment in my class first. Then all the recreation centers closed. Group meetings are now discouraged and even prohibited. We heard the collective rally to return to harsher, toxic chemicals, out of fear. “Bring out the Clorox and the Lysol!” Suddenly I wondered if all the healthy, green cleaning information I had imparted in the past was no longer valid, or worse yet, false. Of course, the most pressing question for me was, do essential oils still have a place in home cleaning?
Some experts are suggesting you only need to ramp up your typical cleaning routine if someone in the household exhibits signs and symptoms of a respiratory infection, or if you live in an area with known cases of COVID-19. That feels like just about everywhere now. I believe we should take extra cleaning precautions. I also believe we need to consider the long-term effects of toxic consumer products too.
No one disputes that these are extraordinary days. Let’s look at the current recommendations of the CDC, which is the primary agency providing information on this topic during this time of pandemic. The CDC states “Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in households and community settings.” It defines “Cleaning” as “the removal of germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces. Cleaning does not kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.” It defines “Disinfecting” as “using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces” and also states, “This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.” So clean first, then disinfect. We still need to clean. The CDC’s “General Recommendations for Routine Cleaning and Disinfection of Households” state “Community members can practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks) with household cleaners and EPA-registered disinfectants that are appropriate for the surface, following label instructions. Labels contain instructions for safe and effective use of the cleaning product including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product.” The CDC then recommends products endorsed by the EPA. Find them here. Most of the products that are commercially available are Clorox or Lysol products.
But we still need to consider our long-term health. There was a study done in Norway in 2018, linking long-term exposure to cleaning products to significant lung damage. Cleaning the home as little as just once a week triggered lung decline. People who cleaned more regularly (such as people who clean for a living) experienced lung damage on par with smoking 20 cigarettes a day for 10 to 20 years. Chemical ingredients that help keep us safe now, can have consequences for later. It is about finding a balance in doing what helps your home remain germ-free right now, while reducing your overall toxic load.
The reason why I choose to teach an aromatherapy green cleaning class each Spring, when folks are planning their annual deep cleans, is to provide an opportunity to reevaluate cleaning product choices. Many consumer cleaning products contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Synthetic fragrances are VOCs, and many cleaning products contain them. Fragranced products can also contain Phthalates. They are hormone disruptors. Many disinfectants contain Phenols and chronic exposure to them can cause organ damage. If you are not familiar with the green cleaning movement’s oft-quoted authority, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), I recommend you browse their website and see how the products you consistently use rate on health and environmental impact.
The EWG has also provided new guidelines in light of COVID-19. Find them here. However, few EPA products score well with EWG. LYSOL Power & Free Multi-Purpose Cleaner, Citrus Sparkle Zest and LYSOL Power & Free Bathroom Cleaner, Cool Spring Breeze (both are Hydrogen Peroxide based) are well-rated by EWG, but are very difficult to find in stores. Many other products don’t score well, so we need to consider the possible health problems. Even the highest scoring Clorox products - Clorox Anywhere Hard Surface Daily Sanitizing Spray and Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner with Bleach, Original, are graded C and D, respectively, and are still likely to be difficult to locate.
So, what products can we make, with ingredients that are easier to find, that are less dangerous and toxic? Let’s check out Consumer Reports article “These Common Household Products Can Destroy the Novel Coronavirus”, referenced below. This article provides perspectives from an infectious disease specialist, the EPA, and an organic chemist. According to them, we can use soap and water, isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and bleach instead. Let’s look at each of these options in order, relative to safety. Please note that none of these products are safe enough to consume (duh!), nor should they remain on exposed skin.
Soap and Water
The friction from scrubbing with soap and water can break coronavirus’s protective envelope. Scrub like there is a sticky substance on the surface that you really need to get it off. Discard the towel or leave it in a bowl of soapy water for a while to destroy any virus particles that may have survived. Dr. Bronner’s castile soap is a great choice. Incidentally, castile soap, derived from coconut oil, acts like a carrier oil to essential oils. When essential oils are added to castile soap, properly diluted, they can enhance the anti-microbial action of the soap and scrubbing.
Isopropyl Alcohol
Alcohol solutions with at least 70 percent alcohol are effective against coronavirus on hard surfaces. First, clean the surface with water and detergent. Apply the alcohol solution (do not dilute it) and let it sit on the surface for at least 30 seconds to disinfect. Alcohol is generally safe for all surfaces but can discolor some plastics. Alcohol is one of the ingredients I use in the more natural products that I make. I am providing the recipes for my “products” below.
There are two additional ingredients that are not included in my recipes but are also better to use than toxic consumer products.
Hydrogen Peroxide
According to the CDC, household (3%) hydrogen peroxide is effective in deactivating rhinovirus, the virus that causes the common cold, within 6 to 8 minutes of exposure. Rhinovirus is more difficult to destroy than coronaviruses, so hydrogen peroxide should be able to break down coronavirus in less time. Pour it undiluted into a spray bottle and spray it on the surface to be cleaned, but let it sit on the surface for at least 1 minute. Hydrogen peroxide is not corrosive, so it’s okay to use it on metal surfaces. Similar to bleach, it can discolor fabrics if you accidentally get in on your clothes.
Bleach
Bleach is the most toxic of the common household ingredients. It can cause respiratory problems and skin irritation concerns. The CDC recommends a diluted bleach solution (⅓ cup bleach per 1 gallon of water or 4 teaspoons bleach per 1 quart of water) for virus disinfection. Wear gloves while using bleach, and never mix it with ammonia or anything, in fact, except water. (The only exception is when doing laundry with detergent.) Clean the surface with soap and water first, then dry the surface and apply the bleach solution and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before wiping it off. Bleach can corrode metal over time so don’t get into the habit of cleaning faucets and stainless steel with it. Because bleach is harsh for many countertop surfaces as well, you should rinse surfaces with water after disinfecting, to prevent discoloration or damage to the surface.
Be especially careful about mixing common ingredients, as explained in the picture below.
At this point there has been no testing regarding the efficacy of using anti-microbial essential oils to clean, in relation to coronavirus, and essential oils are for sure not on the EPA list of approved cleaning products. But some essential oil chemical constituents have known, general anti-microbial qualities. Enhancing soap and water with the anti-viral support of essential oils might be extra beneficial. They sure smell great, and there are no VOCs or phthalates from synthetic fragrances! So, the conclusion to my pressing question is - Yes, essential oils do still have a place in cleaning routines!
Use soap, water, natural ingredients, including anti-microbial essential oils (citrus - grapefruit/lemon/lime/orange, eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, tea tree, thyme) for routine cleaning, Give extra care to disinfect the following surfaces often - tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks – with isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or bleach. When we conquer this coronavirus, then we can ratchet down our post-cleaning disinfection vigilance, and then we can taper off some of the harsher cleaning ingredients. Being aware of greener products, and exploring products that you can make at home, are good ways to maintain a clean home more naturally. As an added bonus, these products are more cost-effective, and you may have them in your home right now already.
These are the alternative ingredients and supplies you can invest in and use to make homemade cleaning products:
Ingredients: Supplies:
Essential Oils (citrus/lemongrass, eucalyptus, spray bottles
lavender, tea tree, thyme) bucket
water sponges
vinegar (5% acetic acid and fights bacteria) rags
castile soap or natural dishwashing liquid
rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
olive oil
baking soda or salt
lemons/lemon juice
Can make:
All-purpose cleaner - ¾ cup water, ¼ cup rubbing alcohol, squirt of soap, 10 drops essential oils
Disinfectant – use tea tree EO, Degreaser – add lemon juice, Scrub – add baking soda
Windows - 1 cup water, 2 TBSP vinegar, 2 TBSP rubbing alcohol, 5 drops peppermint EO
Floor Cleaner - ½ cup vinegar, 1 gallon water, 5 drops lemon EO and/or lemon juice
Oven Cleaner - Sprinkle a cup or more of baking soda over the bottom of the oven, then cover the baking soda with enough water to make a thick paste. Let the mixture set overnight. The next morning, the grease will be easy to wipe up because the grime will have loosened. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven.
Tub, toilet and shower scrub - Combat mildew by spraying straight vinegar onto the area. Let sit for 30 minutes. Scrub with sponge if needed, and rinse with warm water. For more heavy-duty grime, mix baking soda with a small amount of liquid castile soap. Scrub and rinse.
Carpet deodorizer - Sprinkle carpet liberally with baking soda. Wait at least 15 minutes, then vacuum.
Drain cleaner - mix 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup baking soda, slowly pour down drain, let sit, flush with hot water.
Furniture Polish – Mix two parts olive oil to one part lemon juice, use soft cloth to polish
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/cleaning-disinfection.html
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2020-03/documents/sars-cov-2-list_03-03-2020.pdf
