White Vinegar’s cleaning power is about as strong as it’s pungent odor. It kills 99% of bacteria, which actually makes it more effective than a lot of popular chemical cleaners! It’s also quite economical.
How to use it: Mix equal parts H20 and vinegar in a spray bottle.
When to use it:
Another great alternative to harsh cleaning product is baking soda, which is a natural deodorizer and gentle abrasive. I’ve mentioned it’s beauty uses before, but here are some of its best household uses:
This is one instance where the modern machine beats the old-fashioned method: hand washing generally uses more hot water per load than using a dishwasher. The key to maximizing energy savings is to use the dishwasher efficiently. Most modern dishwashers don’t require pre-rinsing of dishes; and according to Consumer Reports, this practice wastes up to 20 gallons of water per load without getting dishes any cleaner.
Don’t bother with the “rinse hold” on your machine, for the same reason. Wait to run the dishwasher until you have a full load of dishes, but don’t overload the machine. The energy-saving control offered on many dishwashers will turn off the heat during the drying cycle, which will also help keep the kitchen cooler in the summer.
Opening the door after the rinse cycle and letting the dishes air dry is another way to save energy. {full article}
{via}
Lemons are pretty much nature’s bleach and can be used in many areas of your home to make it clean and shiny, not to mention lemony fresh! Here are a few….
To brighten whites, you can add 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the rinse cycle. This is a safer alternative to bleach and for those of you who have a septic system, lemons are much friendlier than bleach!
Dip the open side of a lemon half into some baking soda. Scrub countertops/cutting boards, then wipe with a wet sponge and dry. This is a simple homemade cleaner that is a perfect alternative to harsh chemicals!
*Warning: this mixture can sometimes cause discoloration on delicate stone or stainless steel so always do a test patch first to be safe or just avoid those surfaces all together.
Mix lemon juice and baking soda so it’s the consistency of toothpaste. Use a soft cloth to rub the mixture on the metal surface. Rinse and wipe dry. Look at that shine…
To keep your garbage disposal from smelling questionable, put a quarter of a lemon down there from time to time. Right before I do this, I usually squeeze the last of the juice out and scrub the inside of the sink as well. I love this because then the sink is sparkling and the whole kitchen smells like lemon – some cleaning that can actually make you smile!
Looking for some more non-toxic cleaning options? Well here is another brand “made in the greenest place on Earth” aka Scandinavia. Eco Clean is a cleaning line made from pure, local Danish ingredients available at quite a reasonable price ($4.49). Another bonus: Eco Clean’s products feature a special foaming option nozzle that minimizes the exposure of vapors, making it particularly useful for people with allergies. Also, since Eco Clean is made of plant and sugar based surfactants, no toxic fumes are released upon contact with water – great for anyone with lungs! ;)
The full line includes:
Eco Clean products are sold at Alice.com and Duane Reade
I really enjoy “rooting” – it’s such a fun and budget friendly way to create new plants. Most recently, the “rooting” process of the center plant (below) took about 2 weeks (time period varies). I planted this rooted piece into a pot that was previously home to a shamrock plant. Unfortunately, I had accidentally and quite brutally killed this sweet shamrock. There was not even the slightest ray of hope for it, it was dead as a door nail. Or so I thought…
Days (maybe even weeks) after the shamrock died and fruitless watering ceased, I decided it was time to remove the dried up remains, but decided to hang onto the soil for a future green fellow. Part of me thought I should throw out the whole thing – maybe the soil was tainted by the previous death? No, I dismissed that thought, put the newly rooted plant into the worn in soil, and watched it begin to grow…
To my surprise and delight, not only did the new plant grow strong, but what was that I saw? Clovers! Happy little clovers popping their heads out of the soil and now flourishing like never before! Call me crazy, but my thinking turns a little poetic every time I look at this creation – not losing hope, growth in surprising places, 2nd chances, strength in co-existence. I know, pretty deep for plant talk, but what a charming fluke of nature!
To root a plant:
To revive a dead plant:
Photo Credit: She Essential Beauty
Lavender, lemongrass and bergamot – the perfect blend to clarify the air and calm the senses. Shē Essential Beauty is the creator of this room spray, amongst other home and beauty products. Shē is a holistic company with a really cool beginning – two licensed acupuncturists and Chinese herbalists founded the line upon the priniciple that beauty truly comes from within.
I just came across their blog and it has some very informative posts, like this one: Emotional Beauty (includes an easy to do “Natural Beauty Meditation”!)
Way before there were “green” products there was Bon Ami. Developed over 120 years ago, Bon Ami was the gentle alternative to the harsh quartz-based cleaning powders around in the 1880s. Today, Bon Ami continues to make cleaning products that are gentle on both its users and surfaces – everything is biodegradable, nontoxic and hypoallergenic. I’m especially a fan of their all purpose cleaner and dish soap (super gentle on hands). Every Bon Ami product comes in the most simplistic option of “Free & Clear”, as well as a fun, scented option – Tangerine Thyme.
If you think about how much you clean over the course of your life, it is truly an investment in your health to not only go natural with your food and beauty products, but also your every day cleaning supplies! I know many people are probably doubtful of the effectiveness of natural cleaners and I’ll be honest, I don’t think there’s any natural product that can match the strength of bleach, but they are many effective, natural alternatives out there – like Bon Ami, like good old white vinegar, etc. Give it a try!
Have you looked closely at your showerhead lately? Does it look kind of gross? Well, most likely it’s just the result of hard water (H20 high in mineral content), which isn’t harmful to your health, but it does put a damper on your water flow. In some cases, the grossness might really be gross because it could be bacteria, which is definitely not good for your health!
But no matter the situation, all showerheads should get a cleaning from time to time…
For a long time now, I’ve bought the free & clear versions of well-known dryer sheets to avoid those sometimes pretty yet far from natural scents permeating my clothes. However, I had no idea that these typical brands of dryer sheets although “free & clear” still are likely made with animal fat! That’s pretty gross and also pretty weird.
Recently, I discovered these delightful little sheets by method and after several loads of laundry, I’m definitely a fan. It was never that I didn’t want a nice fragrance on my clean clothes, it’s that I couldn’t find an option of a pleasant, natural scent! Now I found something that leaves my clothes soft, free of static, and smelling like a lovely field of lavender. They’re also reusable, which makes the price ($5) quite nice.
Photo Credit: method
How fun are these pillows?! They are hand-printed on 100% cotton in Brooklyn, NY. I just came across them on uncommongoods.com (a great place for finding unique gifts).
I fell in love instantly with this dinnerware from Crate & Barrel. All of the pieces are made from 100% Spanish recycled glass, which reminds me so much of the sea glass I used to collect as a kid. Of course, I also had to get the handblown glasses to match, which have a cool story to go along with them (they are all crafted from 100% recycled green glass from a Spanish factory that has been creating new glassware from old bottles and jars for almost 100 years!) On top of the cool look and story, these pretty yet casual pieces are priced so reasonably ($3.95-$4.95 each) and are all dish-washer safe. Love it!
Photo Credit: Crate&Barrel ©2010
Photo Credit: Crate&Barrel ©2010
Flowers are a beautiful and uplifting addition to the home year-round, but right now is prime time for some colorful arrangements that bring the springtime indoors! Holly Becker at Real Simple suggests these 10 Tips for Flower Arranging or be even simpler and just put single flowers in small jars, bottles, etc. Just have fun with it!
Some inspiration I saw on Country Living…
Photo Credit: Eric Roth
Photo Credit: Francis Janisch
Photo Credit: Francis Janisch
I so want one of these BalanceBall® Chairs ! According to Gaiam, this chair was developed with chiropractic pioneer Dr. Randy Weinzoff, as an effective tool for improving spinal alignment and strengthening core muscles. The ball can also be removed and used for exercise off the chair. A truly versatile piece of furniture – I love it!
Photo Credit: Gaiam, Inc.
Photo Credit: Gaiam, Inc.
Gaiam’s Cork Bath Mat is naturally anti-fungal, nonslip, and dries quickly. What more can you ask for from a bath mat? Maybe that it feels nice when you’re standing on it…I won’t make any judgments about that until those are my 2 (much girlier) feet!
Excerpt from the book on GAIAMlife – sounds like a lot of really great, stress-reducing, fun-filled, doable ideas!
I recently wrote about CleanWell‘s All Natural Hand Sanitizer. Now CleanWell is offering another great All Natural Hand Sanitizer and this time it’s a foam! For a limited time get 20% off the CleanWell All-Natural Foaming Hand Sanitizer Two Pack at CleanWell’s webstore. Just enter discount code “lovefoam” at checkout! Good until February 22, 2010.
Photo Credit: CleanWell Company
I have always been pretty simplistic when it comes to my pillows with no preference in brand. I just don’t like a pillow to be too thick and I like them more on the firm side. I recently tried a quite sophisticated pillow called the Biogreen® Memory Foam Pillow. These pillows are really unique because they are memory foam, but are completely free of the usual dangerous chemicals that come with memory foam. You can use this pillow the way it comes (as pictured below) or if it doesn’t fit you correctly, the cover can be unzipped and the outer memory foam material can be unattached. This second option results in a thinner pillow underneath and the ability to roll up the outer shell into an additional bolster type pillow.
At first, I was a little confused on how to position this pillow beneath me. I found out that it’s generally recommended that you always place the larger bump closest to your shoulders — this will keep your head in proper alignment. You may even want to pull the pillow down against the shoulders, so the pillow can really contour the whole of your neck curvature, along with properly transitioning the upper back/shoulder areas.
If you’ve never used a memory foam pillow before, I think that it takes a little bit of getting used to (not that it’s uncomfortable, but obviously quite different from a standard pillow). I haven’t had any problems to attempt to eliminate through the use of the pillow, but I’ve heard of people experiencing health benefits as a result of the switch. If you’re going to try a memory foam pillow definitely go with this green version!
Photo Credit: ©Relief-Mart™
This is my new ivy plant (thank you husband!). Ivy is supposed to be pretty easy to take care of and it’s said to improve indoor air quality – 2 great attributes of any plant! :)
Photo Credit: AllNaturalAnnie.com
When I first glanced at this picture below I thought it was a diffuser of some sort, but then I saw the title - Countertop Bag Dryer. I like! I often think to myself “this ziploc really doesn’t deserve to go in the garbage just yet..” A lot of times, especially if the contents were dry, I simply reuse it. However, those times when the bag needs to be washed out I unfortunately usually end up throwing it out because how and where is it going to dry properly? Well here’s an answer! If you’re thinking $20 is a little pricey, it is made from sustainably harvested birch and ash woods, AND it’s not an eyesore!
Photo Credit: Gaiam, Inc.
Aside from my bamboo, I currently have one other house plant and that would be my very large peace lily. Peace lilies are another easy to keep bunch, but my care hasn’t been optimal the past few months so I guess even the easy plants can show their lack of proper care.
The main problem is that leaves have been turning brown on the tips and edges. I did some research and it looks like there are several possible causes:
I read that you can trim off the brown tips and edges so I did just that this weekend. I have to say that I did a good cutting job because you really can’t tell and now I can determine if I have eliminated the cause! I’ll keep you posted.
Not the greatest picture, but it’s definitely looking much better…
Photo Credit: AllNaturalAnnie.com
I’m by no means a plant expert, but I try to keep a few plants thriving, or at least living. I’m definitely a big fan of bamboo for two main reasons: (1) It’s pretty and (2) It’s SO easy to take care of! Recently, the bamboo I keep on my desk started to have some yellow leaves and I got concerned. For months, the stalks had all been flourishing, green as can be and then, somewhat suddenly, there were yellow leaves, which concurred with a brief abandonment. At first, I thought my lack of attention was to blame, but after some research I found out that a bamboo plant’s leaves will turn yellow and fall off the plant as a normal part of the growth process. (Excellent news – so it was not my fault!) This process occurs throughout the year as bamboo grows new leaves and recycles its old leaves.
Lesson learned: Yellow leaves do not necessarily equal a sick or dying plant, but are a natural part of growth and they will fall off on their own (so I can stop compulsively plucking them off as they appear). You actually should let the leaves fall off on their own because the natural mulch supplies the bamboo with silica and that helps future growth.
Yellow leaves (here and there), you are now my friends (at least while my bamboo is still living)!
Photo Credit: AllNaturalAnnie.com
CleanWell‘s hand sanitizer consists of a patented blend of essential oils that kills 99.99% of germs without the addition of any triclosan, benzalkonium chloride, or alcohol. CleanWell has very purposely left out powerful yet toxic antibacterial ingredients like triclosan (a known endocrine disruptor) and its natural formula still kills MRSA, E. Coli, Staph, and Salmonella bacteria! Some hospitals and schools in the US have even made the switch from chemical-laden sanitizers to CleanWell because it’s that effective!
The original version of CleanWell smells exactly like it’s key germ-fighting ingredient – thyme. If you like the smell of thyme then the original scent is a good choice for you. But if you like a sweeter/more conventional scent the Orange Vanilla or Lavender would be more up your alley. The hand sanitizer is so convenient to carry around in its smallest size (pictured below), is so easy to use (it sprays), and it doesn’t dry out or irritate skin at all! But the main reason I would try CleanWell (if you haven’t already) — why use toxic chemicals to avoid germs when you don’t have to?!
The story of CleanWell’s creation: Sam’s Story.
Photo Credit: CleanWell Company
Who said you can’t garden in an apartment? Now you most certainly can with Window Farms, which are, to be exact “vertical, hydroponic, modular, low-energy, high-yield edible window gardens built using low-impact or recycled local materials”. Check them out here: Windowfarms.org
This is a great resource for natural and green products, news, and tips: BIGGREENSMILE.com
Thymes is an entirely woman-run company that makes fantastic bath, body, home, and fragrance products with women specifically in mind. The first product by Thymes that I am currently experiencing in my home is one of their Reed Diffusers. The diffusers come in such interesting scents like Tamarind Lychee, White Persimmon, and Oolong Cassis, just to name a few. I went with the timely seasonal choice of Frasier Fir. Within minutes of opening the daintily designed glass bottle, it smelt like someone had been crushing pine needles in my living room for hours! The festive, wintry fragrance totally enveloped the room in an intense yet natural aroma. Although it smells mainly of Siberian pine needles, it actually also has cedarwood and sandalwood in the mix as well. I’m very sensitive to smell and I’m happy to say that this diffuser does not overwhelm me (give me headaches, etc.) I’m curious to smell more of the scent options because they all sound so interesting and luxurious! They are also 98% organic and eco-friendly.
Photo Credit: Thymes, LLC
Thymes is also available for purchase on Giftsthatgive.com. This website enables buyers to support a school or charity of their choice with every purchase!
For eco-friendly gifts: GREENSHOPS.COM
Here are 12 easy ways to detox your body and home from Health.com!
Now watering your plants can stop being a guessing game thanks to Lechuza‘s Self-Watering Planters. Each planter has a sub-irrigation system that enables your plant to supply itself with the amount of water needed for optimal growth for up to 12 weeks (depending on planter size, plant type and location). These little wonders are available in various colors, sizes, and styles for both indoor and outdoor plants. Starting at around $30 they’re totally worth it, especially for those frequent travelers and unintentional plant killers!
For more information and to shop online: www.lechuza.com
