Glam Slam: Mean Green Cleaning Machine

This Saturday is the first official day of Spring and I am beyond ready for some serious Spring cleaning! Eco-friendly lifestyle expert Danny Seo shares some easy to follow tips to help you clean and be green and he also reveals a few green products that celebs are loving right now.

Kristen Stewart is a fan of Aviator Nation’s organic cotton hoodies. Even though cotton is an all-natural material, it is still one of the most heavily sprayed crops grown on farms with pesticides and herbicides today. While you may not get sick from wearing a conventional cotton t-shirt, you can still feel better knowing your t-shirt was made without harsh chemicals by choosing to go organic. By switching your everyday casual clothes to organic—t-shirts, hoodies, your favorite sweatpants—you can make an easy switch to organic that sacrifices nothing to give you great comfort. www.aviatornation.com

Reese Witherspoon loves Lifefactory’s BPA-free, eco-friendly glass baby bottles that are covered in a protective sleeve made from silicone to prevent the glass from shattering. Moms have loved the cool modern design so much, they asked for adult sized bottles for themselves. Reese is seen leaving her daily workouts carrying her extra large Lifefactory bottle. www.lifefactory.com

Kerry Washington has even gone organic while sleeping with the Simmons Natural Care mattress that features natural latex tapped from the rubber tree, soy-enhanced foam from soy beans and non-toxic fire retardants and fabric covering. It’s hypoallergenic and biodegradable. www.naturalcarebed.com

Kelly Ripa, Selena Gomez, and ‘Twilight’s’ Kellan Lutz are fans of Wholearth organic bath and beauty products (which Danny created). The product line is so safe and delicious, you can actually eat it. www.wholearthbeauty.com

Lauren Bush has created the Feed Haiti tote. She has been a trailblazer for years with her innovative FEED program. Buy one of her reusable tote bags and you not only get a great everyday reusable bag, but you help feed children all over the world. Lauren’s been expanding her collection of popular totes and just released the Feed Haiti tote, with proceeds benefiting programs to feed children in Haiti. www.feedprojects.com

DANNY’S TIPS TO GREENING YOUR CLEANING ROUTINE

TIP ONE: STOP PRE-RINSING DISHES BEFORE USING THE DISHWASHER
The conventional thought was pre-rinsing pots, pans and dishes before placing them in the dishwasher made them cleaner. Not only does this waste up to 25 gallons of water (running sink for 5 minutes), it can actually lead to dirtier dishes. With advancements in dishwasher technology and automatic dishwashing tablets, the detergents and machines actually need dirty dishes. The detergent is designed to attack grime and grease; clean pots and pans means the detergent will attack the glassware more aggressively, leaving them scratched and cloudy. And, it’s actually greener to be lazy here: using an automatic dishwasher uses half the energy, 1/6 the water and way less soap than washing by hand.

TIP TWO: BE WARY OF AIR PURIFIERS
It’s natural that most of us will want to clean out dust, mold, pollen and dander in the air to have the cleanest air possible at home. While many air purifiers do a good job at cleaning the air, it’s not what they take out that should be of concern, but what they re-emit back into the air: ozone. Ozone is an air pollutant that the EPA says can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath and throat irritation; some air purifiers are so bad, the EPA has advised consumers to not use air purifiers at all because no agency has the outright authority to regulate air purifiers. Some air purifiers that emit ozone can actually create dangerous levels of air quality equal to a smog-filled room. The simplest tip is to avoid air purifiers altogether and use common sense instead. On a breezy day, open the front and back window of the house to cross-ventilate all the toxins out of the house; the “wind” tunnel effect will flush out toxins.

TIP THREE: CHUCK THE DETERGENT JUG
One of the myths of doing laundry is that a little extra detergent will go a long way to get your clothes cleaner. The reality is that washing machines have become more efficient in energy and water use and detergent has become more concentrated, so use the amount directed. Too much detergent can lead to build-up inside the machine, which then becomes a breeding ground for smelly mildew. Clothing that isn’t properly rinsed leaves a film of detergent on them that may make them smell “April Fresh,” but actually means your clothes are a dirt and grime magnet. Since detergent is designed to attract dirt, your clothes will get dirtier, faster. And since most detergents are not natural, wearing overdosed clothing can lead to skin irritations as well.

TIP FOUR: STOP WRAPPING THE OVEN RACKS
Our mothers taught us to wrap the racks in our oven with aluminum foil to keep them clean. If a casserole spills over, instead of having to scrub the entire oven clean, all you have to do is crumple up the aluminum and throw it in the trash. The problem with wrapping the racks of your oven with foil is it decreases the energy efficiency of your oven up to 25%. Ovens are designed for maximum efficiency and the hot air needs to flow from the top to the bottom; the covered racks block the heat and creates “hot zones” at the top of the oven. Not only does this make your oven less efficient, it can ruin recipes and create uneven cooking for your family’s dinners.

TIP FIVE: DITCH THE PAPER TOWELS
There’s a reason why hotel housekeepers don’t use paper towels to get rooms clean quickly in a jiffy: they don’t work. Instead of pushing dirt, grime and germs around with a disposable towel, think microfiber instead. Microfiber towels are millions of microscopic fibers tightly knit together that literally grip onto dirt and germs. Even using just water, they do a great job at disinfecting all different types of surfaces without leaving a streak. Plus, they are machine washable and can be used over and over.

For more info on Danny, go to www.dannyseo.com.