Friday, May 22, 2009

Greener, Healthier Cleaning with Microfiber

Hospitals around the world are turning to microfiber as a safe, effective way of cleaning virtually all surfaces in their facilities. Microfiber is now being recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency Report (Using Microfiber Mops in Hospitals) to cleanse bacteria-infected floors and surfaces as a means of cutting the spread of disease, reducing costs, and cutting pollution.

It’s now a widely-available, inexpensive, time-saving option for home-keepers as well, giving those looking for tips for green living an effective alternative for reducing waste and pollution as well.

Microfiber is a healthier way to clean

There are likely millions of germs in your home—bacteria and viruses that can make your family sick. While some chemicals like chlorine bleach can disinfect surfaces of these germs, they create secondary health threats like air pollution and poisoning risks.

Microfiber is a great way to get rid of bacteria with only water. Seems a bit fantastic, but microfiber is a highly technological fiber that can actually grab onto and trap germs, allowing you to clean one dirty surface after another without worrying about spreading throughout your home germs you may pick up.

Here’s how it works. Microfiber is made of an 80/20 blend of polyester and polyamide woven together. These fibers are 100 times smaller than a human hair and are split into wedge-shaped strands attached to a nylon core. Splitting the fibers creates a much larger surface area—up to 40 times larger than smooth-surfaced wool and cotton.

This split-strand nature of microfiber allows it to pick up and trap even the smallest particles of dust and bacteria, too. The narrow spaces between strands act like holding cells, grabbing onto debris and keeping it there until you rinse it out.

So microfiber helps to wipe up bacteria and other dirt from your home, but it further improves your family’s health by helping to reduce your dependence on toxic chemicals. Common cleaners, like bleach, toilet bowl cleaners, oven cleaners, furniture polishes, and drain openers can contribute to indoor air that is often 100 times more polluted than outdoor air. By using only water, microfiber reduces the number of these pollutants in your home.

Microfiber is a green cleaning solution

By cutting the number of chemicals used in your home, you’re well on your way to a greener lifestyle. But microfiber helps to further reduce your environmental impact by virtually eliminating one-use cleaning products.

In an average year, Americans will use the equivalent of a 68 mile long caravan of 18-wheeled semi-trucks worth of disposable cleaning products (think dusting clothes, wet pads, scrubbers, wipes, and paper towel). Microfiber can be used, washed, and dried hundreds of times, which means instead of buying disposables, you can reuse your stock of microfiber clothes numerous times.

And although you only use water when cleaning with microfiber, you use much less water than you would with regular mopping and cleaning. Microfiber has enormous absorption capabilities, allowing you to clean up with a fraction of the water you’d normally consume.

Microfiber is a cost-effective method of cleaning

A final perk of using microfiber: it’s cheaper! Without all those specialty cleaning products, wasted water, and disposable cleaning tools, your budget for cleaning will shrink dramatically, leaving more in the bank for other green living purchases, such as organic vegetables and eco-friendly clothing!

So buy your microfiber cloths today! The planet, your wallet, and your family will thank you.

Want more information on green living tips and tricks? Sign up for the OrganicAuthority.com newsletter and get your free report How to Shop for Organic Foods on a Budget, brought to you by Laura Klein Green Living Expert.

No comments:

Post a Comment