Ivette Melendez is a Green Cleaning Authority: when she talks about the advantages of eco-friendly cleaning products, people listen. Several hundreds of women have listened to Ivette during the past fifteen years since she joined WAGES, aka Women’s Action to Gain Economic Security. WAGES is a San Francisco-based non-profit that helps women — mainly Latina immigrants — form house-cleaning cooperatives. Thanks to WAGES, hundreds of women make a sustainable living, and 2,000 Bay Area client homes are sparkly clean.

Part of the training is specific technique, Ivette says. “For example, the campanas, or the hood on a stove, is difficult to clean. You have to have strong arms to reach up there, and the products that you would usually have to clean all that grease are toxic. They’re dripping down on the worker, into the eyes. We have a very simple solution: a small stepladder. That little step makes all the difference. And of course, we use eco-friendly cleaning products.”

Ivette says she’s a fan of Seventh Generation’s All-Purpose Cleaner because “it helps with grease, dust, and shine – one product does three things! We can avoid many steps. Another great one is the tub & tile cleaner, and it  sometimes works better when the surface is dry, not wet. Try to use only a little bit of water. See! It’s healthy, it saves energy and saves water too!”

“Let’s talk about bathrooms,” she says. “Often people are using Ajax and Clorox to clean a bathroom. Both of these are dangerous, and when they are combined, they’re really bad. They can burn, like a gas. So we avoid that situation.”

While simple ingredients such as vinegar, baking soda, and water can clean well, Ivette says her dream cleaning products are those made by companies like Seventh Generation, Dr. Bronner, and Bon Ami. “We avoid products that make lots of bubbles, and we avoid products with colors. In general, they’re toxic,” she explains. Ivette says her trainees are often skeptical of the green cleaning supplies: They have strong smell attachments to other products — but by day seven of the training, our socia, she’s hooked.”

At this writing, WAGES has incubated and sustained “four thriving cooperatives of women who deliver high-quality eco-friendly housecleaning to over 2,000 Bay Area households every year.” Executive Director Hilary Abell says three more eco-friendly cleaning cooperatives are planned.

WAGES serves hundreds of women each year through co-op member trainings, peer leadership programs, and community workshops. Women who complete WAGES’ 100+ hour Co-op Founder Training or 50+ hour New Member Training programs become worker-owners in successful cooperative businesses. And the impact is powerful!

Every co-op member:

• Earns fair pay – household incomes have increased by more than 50%.

• Shares business profits – co-op equity is an asset for members’ families.

• Visits her doctors – the co-ops provide health insurance and other benefits.

• Protects the environment – 2000 Bay Area households use our green cleaning services each year.
 
Each woman who empowers herself shares the benefits with her family and her community, creating a ripple effect locally and beyond. Through community workshops, WAGES’ trainers and co-op members educate other Latinas about environmental issues and green cleaning. Women learn how to avoid toxic chemicals that can be harmful to them, their children and the earth. WAGES also provides advice and information to dozens of organizations every year.

Ivette’s reaction to the Practically Green quiz? “Great!” she says. “So much great information. And, it’s beautiful.”

Thanks!

For more ideas on how to use healthy cleaning products, and to make positive changes at your house, check Practically Green! Actions include: Switch to all-natural all-purpose cleanser, Switch to all-natural tile & tub cleanser – and many more. Complete 7 actions to win the Green Kitchen badge, which rewards you for saving energy, reducing waste, and using all-natural cleaning products. Actions can be simple — e.g. using fewer paper towels, or switching from paper napkins to cloth — or they can be higher-impact, such as upgrading your kitchen appliances.