green cleaning

Parents need to know that the room where their lil one rests her head is peaceful, safe, and clean. Anywhere that diapers are being changed and accumulated needs serious freshening up on a regular basis. As tempting as it may be to reach for that jug of bleach, there are better options for keeping a nursery sparkling clean.

From left:

• Munchkin Arm & Hammer Nursery
  Wipes ($3): These handy little wipes safely clean changing tables, cribs, high chairs, shopping carts, and any other surface your tot might come in contact with. Alcohol free, the wipes kill germs on contact without leaving harmful residue behind.
• Aussan Natural Nursery All-Purpose Cleaner and Nursery Odor Eliminator ($8 each): Aussan Natural takes the concept of natural cleaning products very seriously. It's partnered with the Environmental Services of Melbourne, Australia, to develop a truly safe, eco-friendly line of products that actually work as well as their non-natural alternatives. The odor eliminator isn't an overwhelming scent at all — it really just neutralizes the diaper scent that just seems to waft around the house no matter how many times you clean the diaper pail.
• Dapple Toy Cleaner Spray ($6): This nontoxic spray is ideal for cleaning anything that tots get their little hands (and mouths) on. It uses only natural ingredients like baking soda and leaves no nasty residue.

The kitchen is the center of the home, and for families with young kids, it's generally a very messy center. From sinks filled with bottles to floors (and walls and ceilings) splattered with toddlers' leftovers, parents spend as much time cleaning up after their children, as they do feeding them. How parents clean it up takes on new meaning once kids are in the home — both for the health of their tots, and for the good of our planet.

From left:

• Bon Ami Liquid All-Purpose Cleaner ($4): Bon ami was making natural products far before natural was something to aspire to — since the 80s, the 1880s. Made with recycled and recyclable packaging, this all purpose cleanser works without phosphates or chlorine, and without leaving any residue.
• Arm & Hammer Baking Soda ($3): It's not the sexiest cleaner available, but in terms of green cleaning, plain old Arm & Hammer baking soda is pretty tough to beat. The uses of this ubiquitous household staple go far beyond protection against a funky smelling fridge. Baking soda is perfect for safely cleaning dirt and residue off fresh fruits and vegetables, and for cleaning counters, stainless steel sinks, cutting boards, microwaves, plastic containers, lunch boxes — even for polishing silver.
• iQ All-Purpose Cleaner Starter Kit ($4): Though the word innovative is overused, it really is the only way to describe iQ products. Made from plant-based and ecologically sustainable ingredients, the line of household cleaners allows users to reduce plastic waste by 80 percent. Instead of buying a whole new container of cleaner, iQ comes in concentrated recyclable cartridges. To make a bottle of cleaner, consumers just fill the re-usable iQ bottle with their own tap water and drop in the cartridge.
• Dapple Dish Liquid ($6): Parents are very conscious about using baby friendly detergents on their tots' tiny clothes, but not everyone pays such close attention to the type of dish soap they use. Not all dish soaps rinse completely clean, and lingering suds can wind up right in your baby's mouth. Dapple Dish Liquid is designed specifically for households with babies and children — made using natural-based ingredients, with no harmful SLES, parabens, phthalates, dyes, or synthetic fragrances — and it really works to remove all traces and odors from food, breastmilk, and formula.