If you’ve been paying attention to our planet’s state of affairs, you are probably starting to feel guilty about using the chemical-laden cleaning products tucked under your kitchen sink. So what’s a girl who loves a clean household to do? For guidance we asked Zem Joaquin, green design and strategy consultant and editor-in-chief of the blog EcoFabulous. Not surprisingly, she offered up some stylishly earth-friendly ideas. Follow them and you’ll freshen up not only your house but also your conscience. —Erika Lenkert

Zem Joaquin of Eco Fabulous

What are your favorite home cleaning products and why?
I love Shaklee, Method, and EO’s Greenwood Naturals line because they are all beautifully packaged, smell fabulous, and really work. As a bonus, they are all produced in the Bay Area, which is great for West Coasters. Method is the least expensive and most widely available—Target, Safeway, Whole Foods. Shaklee has the only dishwasher detergent that surpasses Cascade, but you must purchase it through a distributor. And EO’s wonderful but limited line is available only in the Bay Area and online. All profits are donated to Greenwood School. If you are on the East Coast, you might want to opt for the Laundress’s extremely eco-luxe line of laundry and household fresheners.

Products from The Laundress

What are some easy, positive changes people can make in the way they live in their homes?
Buy only eco-friendly skincare, beauty, and cleaning products. We are exposed to more toxins though the air we breathe—the EPA estimates that indoor air is two to five times more polluted than outdoor air—and what we put on our skin—about 60 percent of what we apply gets absorbed—than the food we eat. However, it is of course important to buy local and organic food whenever possible. The easiest, least-expensive thing you can do to improve indoor air quality is to open your windows and get some cross ventilation. I also recommend putting a HEPA—high efficiency particulate air—filter on your HVAC—heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning—system.

Also, when you paint or refinish furniture, use a non- or low-VOC—volatile organic compound—option. Put a water filter on your sink or invest in a whole house filter. This one actually saves you a tremendous amount of money and keeps plastic out of your house. Small plastic water bottles are the worst—86 percent of them never get recycled—but there is no need for the large home-delivered bottles either. There is a lot of embodied energy in the transportation of heavy water bottles, and a good filter will give you healthier water anyway! If you are a sparkling-water addict like me, you should get a Soda Club machine to do away with those unnecessary bottles.

Soda Club machines

What is the worst environmental offense many households unknowingly commit? And what is the solution?
Leaving the water running while washing dishes or hands, brushing teeth, and shaving is totally unnecessary. We have installed foot pedals that are an inexpensive, easy add-on to any sink, which drastically reduces water waste.