This activity will introduce students to the concept of green product design and the importance of knowing how common products are made and how this affects our local and global environment.

Volunteers will lead a discussion about common products found in the home, school or other settings. Students will be asked to think about how these products are made, what they are made from and how this impacts their local environment.

In this activity, students will learn how to clean their homes and school using non-toxic substances and materials. The objective is to have students look at the cleaning materials in their homes as toxic components to our environment. More than this, the activity encourages students to use basic chemistry concepts in the real world and to understand how natural substances can serve as cleansers.

Baking soda, washing soda, white distilled vinegar, a good liquid soap or detergent, tea tree oil

Demonstration

1. To start this activity, group students into design teams. Show each team a collection of common household cleaners (drain their contents first).
2. Ask each team to identify all of the chemicals being used in each item.
3. Give each team 5 minutes and then write down a list on the board and try to identify some patterns. What chemicals are being used most? Does anyone think these might harm us?
4. Now challenge students to think of natural substances that could replace many of the chemicals just discussed.
5. Next begin to introduce natural substances like lemon juice and baking soda. Ask what they are commonly used for and why.
6. As a demonstration, add 3 teaspoons of baking soda to a cup of vinegar. Watch as a fizzy reaction occurs. Explain that these natural substances can be powerful in many ways. This demonstration encourages students to think about potential chemical reactions caused by certain substances. Baking soda and vinegar will be used in creating your eco-friendly cleansers.

7. Now its time for students to create their own cleansers. Assign each team a recipe for a natural cleanser from the ones provided below, writing these recipes down on index cards and passing them out to each team. The teams will be challenged to see how effective their natural alternatives are in cleaning a surface.
8. Create a materials station with materials for each cleanser recipe. Have students gather their materials and provide a cup or vessel for mixing.
9. Give each team 10 minutes to create their recipe.
10. Setup a test station to see how effective their recipes are. You can use an old piece of clothing with a stain or a surface with soil, mold or other debris on it for testing.
11. Give each team 5 minutes to test their new cleanser.
12. Once completed, have students explain what is in their new cleanser. Ask what common household cleanser this could replace that is currently being used at home or in school.

Recipes

CREAMY SOFT SCRUBBER
Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add 2-3 tablespoons of liquid soap to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface.

WINDOW CLEANER
Mix 1/4-1/2 teaspoon liquid soap with 3 tablespoons of vinegar, and 2 cups water. Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake, and use.

ALL-PURPOSE SPRAY CLEANER
Combine 1/2 teaspoon of washing soda, a dab of liquid soap and 2 cups hot tap water. Put the mix into a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply on surface with a sponge or rag.

VINEGAR DEODORIZER

Put 1 teaspoon of vinegar and 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil in approximately a gallon of water. Pour two cups of the mixture into a spray bottle and shake to blend. (Particularly good on mold.)