According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, American adults spend an average of 37 minutes per day in the kitchen preparing food and cleaning up. The kitchen is an important part of the home, and it’s also an area where people can take steps to become more environmentally friendly. The decisions we make, and the habits we create, in the kitchen can go a long way toward helping us have a greener and cleaner home, as well as a healthier family.

“So much happens in the family kitchen, from cooking and cleaning to bonding and making memories, it’s an important part of the home” explains Anne Ruozzi, co-founder of Therapy Clean, a company manufacturing a line of plant-based specialty cleaning products. “The kitchen is also one of the easiest places to make small changes that will help create a more eco-friendly space.”

Here are some simple tips and tricks to help make your kitchen greener and cleaner:

• Compost. It’s estimated by Penn State that a third of the food that households in America acquire is wasted. That adds up to $240 billion per year collectively. To avoid this, shop only for what you need, use up as much as you can, and compost your food scraps. 
• Pick plant-based. When it comes to keeping your kitchen clean, opt for plant based cleaners. These are not only better for the planet, but they are better for the health of your family, too. Products such as those by Therapy Clean help keep toxic cleaners out of your home. 
• Recycle and reuse. These two have been around for a long time and are still smart moves to make. Be sure to recycle things you no longer need, and reuse what you can. For example, glass jars from sauces make good kitchen storage containers.
• Skip plastic bags. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the average American family uses around 365 plastic bags per year (with 87% not being recycled). Compare that to families in Denmark that use an average of four per year. Plastic bags are made from oil, with 14 of them equivalent to the gas it takes to drive one mile. You can skip the greenhouse gas emissions and problems with plastic bags by taking your own reusable ones to the store. Invest in a set of good burlap or canvas ones that will last you for many years. Also, skip plastic bags for making to-go lunches, opting instead for reusable containers.
• Avoid over-packaged food. It’s not uncommon to see something like bananas in unnecessary packaging at the store. Look for food items that do not contain unnecessary packaging or that are not overly packaged.
• Opt for energy efficient appliances. Choosing appliances that are energy efficient will not only make your kitchen greener, but it will save you money on your monthly bills. Also, be sure to turn your dishwasher on only when it’s full.

“Don’t feel overwhelmed like you have to adopt all of these tips to create a greener kitchen,” added James Dudra, co-founder of Therapy Clean. “You can pick and choose what works well for your family and incorporate those changes. Even making little changes will add up to good outcomes.”

Therapy Clean offers a full products line of all natural plant based cleaners. They offer products for specific surfaces, including stainless steel, wood and cabinet, granite and stone, tub and tile, and glass cooktop. The products are certified from the USDA BioPreferred Program, and they are certified Cruelty Free by Leaping Bunny. 

Cleaning products that contain harmful ingredients can contribute to such things as asthma, respiratory illnesses, headaches, microbiome imbalance, irritable bowel syndrome, eczema, skin and eye irritation, and much more. Therapy Clean helps people clean their home without having to worry about if they are damaging their health along the way.

Therapy Clean products can be purchased online at Amazon.com and the Therapy Clean website, as well as other retailers’ sites. Their products can also be found in over 50 independent specialty stores nationwide. To get more information, visit the site: https://therapyclean.com.