"Green" Cleaning

Spring cleaning is a throwback to the days when housewives had to get the layer of coal dust off everything at winter’s end. That’s no longer necessary, but the coming of spring still inspires the urge to freshen up our homes.

It’s impossible to think about cleaning up these days without thinking about the environment. That’s why I like the Seventh Generation line of cleaning products that I found at Whole Foods. (For a comprehensive list of “green” products, you might want to check out debraslist.com.)

And as someone who is very affected by the power of scent, I am a great fan of eco-friendly Caldrea cleaning supplies from the General Home Store in East Hampton. Products like their lavender-scented laundry supplies, wild lily dishwashing soap and basil blue-sage countertop cleaner give you a little extra reward for doing the most mundane chores.