Cleaning: Heed ‘non-toxic avenger’

Ellen Sandbeck doesn’t like her clothes to smell “April fresh” when they come out of the dryer.

She doesn’t believe lemon scent should come from anything but a lemon.

And she doesn’t want to get her whites whiter if that means using chemicals.

“I find it terrifying that people are so insecure they’re willing to bite on everything advertised,” Sandbeck said.

Sandbeck says mistaken notions of cleanliness, and ad-fueled fear of germs, has people living in chemically bombed houses that compromise immune systems.

She’s trying to correct the record with “Organic Housekeeping: In Which the Nontoxic Avenger Shows You How to Improve Your Health and That of Your Family While You Save Time, Money and, Perhaps, Your Sanity.”

Instead of cleaning with lots of cleansers, Sandbeck relies on a small arsenal of more natural products.

She recommends a dual spray system, using a spray bottle of vinegar and a separate bottle of hydrogen peroxide. She says this is a safer, more effective way of killing bacteria. It’s also a lot less expensive than buying cleansers.

Connie Dretske, 46, of Winona, Minn. has been using Sandbeck’s book of cleaning tips for the past year. Her husband, Ray, and 11-year-old son Calvin and 8-year-old daughter Carina now are pitching in.

The family has found ways to conserve, too. Instead of using napkins, they use dish rags with homemade holders constructed from cardboard paper towel holders. When the rags are dirty, they throw them in the wash so they can be reused.

“It’s kind of fun to figure out how you can make change,” Dretske said.

Dretske says she’s trying to gradually incorporate Sandbeck’s ideas.

“If you try to make drastic changes to everything in your house, you won’t stick with it,” Dretske said.

Sandbeck encourages a gradual, long-term approach to making homes happier and healthier.

“Organic means growing,” Sandbeck said. “It’s an evolving thing. If you try everything at once, you’ll drive yourself crazy.”

Knutson is a Winona Daily News reporter.

Starting points

• Remember it takes 21 days to “set” a habit.

• Get a calendar with lots of writing room with separate columns for each family member.

• Don’t just move things around — put them away.

• Enjoy your home. Overly clean and tidy is intimidating; overly dirty and cluttered is depressing. Find your happy medium and try to stay there.

Recommended products

• Use products labeled 100 percent biodegradable that do not contain chlorine, antimicrobials, phosphate, dyes or artificial fragrances, Examples include Murphy’s Oil Soap and Bon Ami cleanser.

• Seek out distilled white vinegar made from grain, not petroleum.

• Hydrogen peroxide is an organic cleaner.

• Old toothbrushes and cotton rags are better choices than disposable cleaning tools.

• Choose natural, fragrance-free detergent.

Source: Ellen Sandbeck