On Earth Day, can you save the environment when your home has a chemical dependency?

Pop quiz hot shot... (taken from Method's "squeaky green")
1. Would you eat off your floor?

2. Can you safely wash out your (or your kids') mouth with your soup?

3. Do any of the bottles under your sink contain anything that's drinkable without having to go immediately to the emergency room afterward?

4. Is there anything under your sink you could water your plants with?

5. Do you like to inhale while you clean?

If you answered no to any of these questions, your home has a chemical dependency. (here ends the ripoff of the book)

My lovely wife Jen has allergies. Grass, pollen, dust are not her best friends. A couple of years ago, whenever Jen got to the point that her allerrgies were getting the best of her, we knew it was time to clean the house and get rid of the dust.

Out came the clorox cleaners, windex, wetjets, tub/tile cleaners, and we'd clean from the house from top to bottom. However, we started noticing that Jen's breathing would actually get worse during and after cleaning. At first we chalked it up to dust getting stirred up into the air. Then we realized that maybe the cleaners we used were more of a problem than a solution.

Ever thought about what's in your household cleaners? Bleach, ammonia, pesticides, etc... Chemicals that can be found in the bloodstreams of newborn babies, and have been connected to all sorts of health related problems. Why are we killing ourselves to keep our homes clean?

There are better options.

At the time of the story above, Jen discovered method. Through an ad in one of her magazines, we read about a company that was trying to change the way people think about clean. It's all about fighting what's dirty. Not just the dirty in our homes, but the dirty in the cleaning product industry. method has created the "greenest" cleaning products around. In addition to cleaning like a mother, smelling great, and being comparably priced, method products are completely biodegradable. Oh yeah, so is their packaging.

Plus, their stuff looks cool as hell.

Over the last couple of years, we have phased out our old "dirty" products and replaced them with all things method. Laundry detergent, bathroom cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, floor cleaners, wood care, kitchen cleaner, etc. You name it, we've got it. The house has never smelled better, Jen can breathe easier, and we can both know we're fighting against "dirty" in lots of different ways.

Look, I recommend method because I'm a method advocate (which is a fancy way of saying that I support them whenever possible, and they send me free stuff), but it doesn't matter what brand you choose. Do yourself and your family a favor; get rid of the harsh chemical cleaners that everyone tells you you have to use to keep your house clean and healthy. Make a difference for yourself and the environment.

Also, no matter what product you emply to fight against "dirty", check out method's new book, "squeaky green". It's a great guide to help you detoxify your home while not being an overt advertisement for their products. I received it last week, and have already put it to use.

And as soon as the coffee table gets leveled, I'll even read it.