Sometimes housecleaning can seem like an unsolvable conundrum. On the one hand, you want to protect your family from germs that can make them sick by frequently cleaning and disinfecting. On the other hand, many of the most powerful and effective cleaning products are also hazardous to the environment.

It may seem like you have to choose between the health of your family and that of the environment, but that is not true. There are cleaning products available that are effective at killing germs and cleaning the house without doing ecological harm. It may take a little more effort, but you can strike the right balance.

Look for Alternatives

You may be accustomed to using a particular product for tile and grout cleaning, floor mopping, toilet scrubbing, etc. However, just because you're accustomed to it doesn't mean that it’s the best or most effective product. Look for different cleaners that are more environmentally friendly and experiment with different products to find the one that you find most effective.

Do Your Research

It is easier to find an environmentally friendly cleaning product if you do your due diligence and find out which ingredients are potentially harmful. For example, you should check to see if any of the products you use contain petroleum, which is a nonrenewable material that is harmful to the environment.

Read Labels Carefully

Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by products that claim to be "all-natural," "eco-friendly," or "nontoxic." Marketers can find creative ways to apply these labels to products that are hazardous to the environment, misleading customers without technically lying. Because there is no government regulation defining what these words mean, it is difficult, if not impossible, to hold people accountable for using them incorrectly. Therefore, you should skip over the ad words and pay close attention to the ingredient lists.

Check for Gases

This means performing frequent checks for substances such as carbon monoxide and natural gas which are poisonous if they leak out into your home. However, it also refers to volatile organic compounds that many cleaning products give off. These not only harm the natural environment, but they can also cause irritation of the eyes, skin, or respiratory system. In particular, avoid any products with artificial fragrances.

Open a Window

Sometimes you may have no choice but to use potentially toxic chemicals for cleaning. Be sure that your house is properly ventilated as you do so. Breathing in chemicals can cause permanent damage to your respiratory tract.

Avoid Air Fresheners

Air fresheners are often grouped together with cleaning products even though they do not actually clean anything. Rather, they serve more of a decorative function by sending pretty scents into the air. However, there is an ugly truth behind those pretty scents: They are loaded with chemicals that may cause harm to you and your family. Research has linked them with a higher incidence of health problems such as diarrhea and ear infections in infants. If it is necessary to freshen the air, a better option is to do so naturally with a bouquet of fresh flowers.

Follow the Directions

Just because a product is environmentally friendly doesn't mean that it is completely "safe." Even a natural, sustainable product can be dangerous if it is not used correctly. Always pay close attention to the instructions when cleaning with any type of product and use only as directed.

Frequent house cleaning is necessary to protect your family from disease. However, some cleaning products may pose a risk of harm to your family as well as the environment. By seeking more eco-friendly solutions, you do more to protect both.