Top 7 Green Alternatives for Your Household
Posted by diy naturally in Getting Started, Home Cleaning, Natural Beauty, Natural Beauty Products, Natural Cleaners, Natural Products, Skin Care, green living on September 16th, 2009
All-natural cleaning products are a fast growing trend. Over the years most people have turned to natural substances like vinegar to clean windows, a lemon and salt to clean a stove top which leaves a nice citrus scent. It’s getting to be common knowledge that baking soda has a hundred and one uses around our homes.
But what about all the new natural “green-cleaning” products being introduced to us in the grocery store? Out there in the market place there are dozens and dozens of green alternatives for traditional household products.
So here’s a heads-up on some of the best green alternatives I have personally used over the years.
Top 10 Green Alternatives
- All Purpose Cleaner alternative – EarthFriendly has a variety of green cleaning products from window cleaner, all purpose cleaner, and more. I’ve been using EarthFriendly products for a few years now. I especially like their Orange Plus All Purpose Cleaner. It works great and leaves a wonderful clean, citrus scent and I save money by buying it in concentrate.
- Liquid Dish Soap alternative – Seventh Generation has been around for a while and was one of the original natural cleaning, green cleaning companies. They offer several green alternatives and all are non-toxic, biodegradable, hypo-allergenic, kosher certified and safe for septic and greywater systems. They contain NO dyes, fragrances, petroleum based cleaners or phosphates and are not tested on animals. One product I prefer to use is their Liquid Dish Detergent mostly for the reasons above.
- Paper Towel alternative – similar to the micro-fiber towels, but with one key difference. NanoTowels are made from an even finer nano-fibers. One NanoTowel contains over 100,000 fibers per square inch where the micro-fiber towel only contains about 800 fibers per square inch. They can clean just about any surface in your home without the need of chemical cleaners. In fact, most of the time just a little water will do. So, if you like your micro-fiber towels, you should give the NanoTowel a try. I have reduced my paper towel use by quite a bit but not quite 80% yet, as the site suggests, but I think I’m getting there.
- Natural shampoo and conditioner – I love Nature’s Gate personal care products. I use their shampoo and conditioner as well as their lotions. Tip for buying natural personal care products: They actually do what the bottle says it will do. For example, if the bottle says “for dry, itchy skin” that’s what it is for and it will relieve dry itchy skin. It’s wonderful to purchase products that do what they promise.
- Natural deodorant – Earth Science is the best natural, aluminum free deodorant on the market. I went through several different products before I found Earth Science. Tip for buying natural deodorant: You need to find the one that works with your body chemistry. After trying a few different variations of Earth Science deodorants I found that the Tea Tree and Lavender Deodorant worked best for me.
- Natural body soap – South of France’s Natural French Milled Soap, wonderful body soap products made from 100% vegetable oils. I’ve tried several of their soaps from almond, which smells fantastic, shea butter that’s creamy smooth and my personal favorite, green tea, all are fantastic.
- Sunscreen safe to use everyday – Jason products are great. I have used their lotions, shampoos, deodorants and more. But one remarkable product is their natural sunscreen. It’s safe for everyday use, safe for children, SPF 46 and made with Aloe Vera Gel, Marigold and Lavender to soothe skin. Living in Phoenix, AZ sunscreen is essential.
Green Clean Your Home in Less Than 30 Minutes a Day
Posted by diy naturally in Home Cleaning, green living on August 26th, 2009
Cleaning your home can be time consuming. But if you follow this little guide you can get your home clean and not just clean, clean but green clean in just under 30 minutes a day. Give it a try. Save your self some time.
Green Cleaning in Less Then 30 Minutes a Day
Day 1 [Monday]: Bedroom and Office
- tidy-up, pick up books, papers, clothing, etc.
- dust all surfaces: dresser, baseboard, photo frames, lamps, ceiling fans, shelves
- change bedding
- empty garbage
- clean mirrors
Day 2 [Tuesday]: General Dusting
- start with your windows and other glass surfaces like table tops
- doors and doorknobs
- light fixtures, and ceiling fans
- shelving: books, entertainment center, nick-knacks and photo frames
- air vents and baseboards
Day 3 [Wednesday]:Bathroom
- start with counter tops and sinks
- clean toothbrush holders, soap holders
- clean tub and shower
- clean the toilet
- empty garbage
- sweep or dry mop floors. then wet mop
Day 4 [Thursday]: Floors
- Sweep or dry mop all floors. Then wet mop. Clean all floors without carpet except the kitchen and bathroom.
- Vacuum all carpeted floors
- Vacuum all fabric covered furniture – cushions, couches, chairs, etc.
Day 5 [Friday]: Kitchen and Dining Room
- Start with and clean all cupboard doors and knobs
- Clean any appliances on your counter top – microwave, toaster oven, telephone,etc.
- Wipe down counter tops
- Clean your stove top
- Scrub your sink
- Wipe down larger appliances – refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, etc.
- Wipe down dining room table and chairs
- Sweep and mop floor
Save Our Freshwater and Stop Using Toxic Chemicals
Posted by diy naturally in Home Cleaning, Natural Cleaners, Natural Products, Pet Care, diy naturally, green living on August 7th, 2009
Every drop counts when it comes to water conservation. Our planet is two-thirds water but only 3% of that is fresh water and less than 1% is fit for us to use. On top of this, much of our freshwater supply is being contaminated by billions of tons of toxic chemicals being dumped into the oceans, lakes, rivers and other natural water sources.
These toxic chemicals come from our use of toxic household cleaners, petrochemical based laundry detergents, soaps, shampoos… and this is just in our homes. Think about all the chemicals being deposited into our environment by irresponsible companies and countries.
Our primary concern should be that of our future because if you think about it, we are slowly poisoning ourselves each time we rinse those chemicals down the drain.
What you can do right now
- Get rid of ALL your chemical cleaners.
There is a long list of chemicals that are harmful, toxic and dangerous for us to be using in our homes and yet, we continue to use them. And you know which ones they are, too. They burn your nose when you inhale the fumes while cleaning. They give you a headache after using them. These are all harmful toxins.
Better Alternatives – There are several different ways you can clean your home without the use of harmful chemicals from natual cleaning sources like baking soda and vinegarto environmentally friendly cleaners from companies like Seventh Generation, Biokleen and Earth Friendly Products. All of which, by the way, can be found in our Green Living shop and have been personally used in my home for several years.
- Stop using petrochemical based laundry detergents.
Your laundry detergent is not soap. Not sure if many people know that. Everyday laundry detergents are actually petrochemicals derived from crude oil and are listed as “toxic substances” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
When you use these detergents, the chemicals stay on your clothes and are absorbed through your skin and into your blood stream, causing everything from headaches to rashes and certain cancers. In terms of our freshwater, when your machine goes into the rinse cycle, it’s washing all those chemicals into our freshwater supply.
Better Alternatives – There are options in this category and they are effective, non-toxic and get the job done just as well, if not better than traditional laundry detergents. I was using an eco-friendly soy-based laundry detergent by Earth Friendly Products for a few years and I loved it. I especially, prefer the Lemonagrass scent.
However, recently, I’ve been using laundry magnets from ZenLaundry instead of the above laundry detergent and I will never go back. These magnets I recommend highly. First, it’s a one-time purchase and I love the fact that I can skip the detergent aisle at the grocery store knowing, that I will never have to buy detergent again. This is a great money saver. Second, they are completely non-toxic, chemical-free and they get the job done just as good as any detergent, natural or chemical based.
- Stop using Chemical Pesticides
Pest control is an ongoing problem for all of us. For years, we have been dependent on chemical pesticides to help protect our homes. Every time you use a pesticide, some of it will be consumed by you as well, whether you inhale the spray or absorb it through your skin, small particles are released in the air and make their way into your lungs and/or blood stream.These toxins have been linked to many forms of illness and disease, including cancer.
Better Alternatives –
- Cockroaches: Block the point of entry into your home. Fill in all cracks around cabinets, shelves, baseboards, doors, windows, bath tubs, pipes and so forth. A light sprinkling of borax around each point of entry will deter them from attempting to come into your home.
- Ants: Sprinkle talcum powder, damp coffee grounds, cayenne pepper, bone meal, charcoal or chalk around the source of entry. But the most natural and most effective alternative is a little bit of lemon; squeeze the juice and lave the rind.
- Flies: Use a dab of honey on a piece of yellow paper. very simple and effective.
- Ticks and fleas: A routine bath goes a long way in regards to pests and your pets. You might also try an herbal rinse with rosemary. Just bring 2 cups of boiling water to a boil, add 2 tablespoons of Rosemary, and let soak for 20 minutes. Allow to cool. Apply to your pet after you have washed and towel dried. Use a sponge and dab it on or spray it on with a spray bottle.
- Mosquitoes: One of the most annoying pests around, in my opinion. Natural repellents include citronella oil, lemon oil, cinnamon oil, rosemary oil, and lemongrass oil.
Calculate Your Water Footprint
- 1 lb plastic = 24 gallons of water
- 1 lb cotton > 100 gallons of water
- Average Person = 1,189.3 gallons of water per day.
Every drop saved today is a drop for tomorrow.
How to Green Clean Your Home
Posted by diy naturally in Home Cleaning, Natural Cleaners, green living on March 15th, 2009
Homemade cleaners do work. They are non-toxic, safe to use and are milder than commercial cleaning chemicals.
They won’t dissolve grime right before your eyes, like magic, but many recipes work just as well if not better than any commercial alternative.
Tips to Green Cleaning
- To save money, buy your ingredients in bulk.
- To save time, make your recipes in large batches.
- For safe keeping, store in reusable airtight plastic containers and spray bottles.
- For fragrance and added cleaning properties, add your favorite essential oil to your recipe.
Basic Guidelines for Green Cleaning
- Label your cleaners properly and include ingredients.
- Do NOT reuse containers from commercial cleaning products. No matter how well rinsed they seem, there will always be a chemical residue left behind.
- Don’t use ammonia.
- Store away from pets and children.
- Don’t eat or drink your cleaners.
All-purpose Cleaner
The recipe below is used to clean your whole house. It can be used on countertops, sinks, tubs, tiles, floors, and anywhere else you need to disinfect.
You will need:
- 3 tablespoons of vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon washing soda
- 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil based liquid soap
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 spray bottle
- a bucket
What to do:
- Mix ingredients in bucket
- Fill spray bottle
- Apply to surface and wipe clean
5 Essential Oils Used in Green Cleaning
Posted by diy naturally in Home Cleaning, Natural Cleaners, green living on March 15th, 2009
Who can resists the wonderful fragrances of Essential Oils? They not only smell great, many have disinfecting properties perfect for green cleaning your home.
- Lavender essential oil – Lavender has a sweet, woody aroma that people seem naturally drawn to. It’s been used for centuries in age-old housecleaning recipes and given as thoughtful gifts. Lavender has many useful properties including, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and will give a little boost to your immune system. It is also the most non-allergenic essential oil. So, if you are sensitive to fragrance and are tired of having no fragrance around, give Lavender a try.
- Jasmine essential oil – One of my personal favorites, Jasmine, is a fantastic cleaner and a natural whitener. It also works great to kill mold and mildew.
- Lemon essential oil – Due to it’s popularity and effectiveness, Lemon oil is used and made commercially. Be aware that these forms of Lemon oil are made with and contain petroleum distillates. To obtain pure sources of Lemon essential oil, contact an herbalist. Lemon oil is perfect for furniture because of it’s natural lubricating and antiseptic properties. Lemon oil also has antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and cleaning properties.
- Eucalyptus essential oil – Commonly used to cut grease, Eucalyptus essential oil is also antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and will give a boost to your immune system. Use Eucalyptus to clean the dreaded bathtub ring, and grease on mirrors, and counters.
- Thyme essential oil – Thyme essential oil is the “new kid on the block” when it comes to green cleaning but it has powerful antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. It works great as a cleaning disinfectant.
Essential oils should be used with care and kept out of the reach of children and pets. Women who are pregnant, people with diabetes or other medical conditions should consult a doctor before using essential oils.
21 Top Green Cleaning Ingredients You Must Have in Your Home
Posted by diy naturally in Home Cleaning, Natural Cleaners, Salt, Vinegar, diy naturally, green living on March 8th, 2009
Green cleaning is natural, safe, inexpensive and easy. Most of these green cleaning ingredients listed here you probably already have in your home or you can purchase at your local grocery store. All that’s needed is a little knowledge on how to use them to be most effective. Just a single shelf can hold all the natural cleaning products to clean your entire home.
Here are ordinary, environmentally safe ingredients that can be used alone or in combination to provide you with an abundance of green cleaning power to tackle everyday household cleaning tasks.
Green Cleaning Ingredients
- Baking Soda – One of the most common ingredients found in a home, this powerful green cleaner is great at removing stains, softening hard water, deodorizing, and much more. Baking soda is a mild scouring agent and works great at cleaning pots and pans, or sink basins. It can polish aluminum, chrome, jewelry, plastic, porcelain, silver, stainless steel and tin. Put a little in a dish and baking soda will neutralize odors in your laundry room, closets, bathrooms, and refrigerators. Sprinkle it on smelly carpet, in your laundry hamper, on upholstery, and down drains to get rid of unwanted odors. Baking soda can be mixed into an all-purpose household cleaner that can clean just about every surface in your home from the bathroom to your kitchen.
For more info: check out Best of Baking Soda on the web. - Vinegar – Made from soured fruit juice, grain, or wine and contains about 5% acetic acid, making it a mild acid. Vinegar has many uses around your home. It can disinfect surfaces, cut grease, remove stains, and soften water. Vinegar will dissolve mineral deposits on shower heads and water faucets. Vinegar will remove soap scum in bathrooms, remove mildew in showers, polish some metals, and deodorize clothes. Vinegar can also clean stone and brick surfaces.
- White Vinegar – Great disinfectant properties, White vinegar can be used to clean surfaces in your kitchen and bathroom. It also works well at cutting grease, cutting wax build-up, and removing mildew. White vinegar will remove stains on carpet, countertops, pots, pans, and coffee carafes.
- Salt – Salt is an incredible versatile ingredient for green cleaning around your home. Salt has natural abrasive and bleaching properties that will brighten up enameled sinks, bathtubs, and toilets. Salt can polish pewter, copper and brass. Salt will remove rust, wine and and grease stains.
- Castile Soap – Castile soap is a plant based soap and is biodegradable, free of dyes and non-petroleum based. Great for everyday cleaning and can be used to clean everything.
- Vegetable Oil Soaps – Such as Olive Oli based soaps are also biodegradable and are more gentle on your skin.
- Essential Oils – Essential Oils are great for adding fragrance and disinfecting properties to your homemade cleaning sprays.
- Lavender essential oil – One of the most popular essential oils, Lavender’s sweet, woody aroma is an age-old housekeeping favorite. It is antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral and beneficial to the immune system. Most people can use Lavender essential oil without allergic reaction. Great for people with a high sensitivity to fragrance in other products.
- Eucalyptus essential oil – Antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and beneficial to the immune system, Eucalyptus essential oil is used to cut grease around bathtubs, on mirrors, and counters. It will also clean soap scum.
- Jasmine essential oil – Works great as a cleaner and whitener. It will also kill mold and mildew.
Essential oils should be handled with care. They are strong volatile oils and can be hazardous if not used properly. Store them away from pets and children. Women who are pregnant, people who are diabetic or have other medical conditions should consult with a doctor before using essential oils.
- Borax – Borax is a naturally occurring mineral that is soluble in water. Borax is a safe alternative to bleach and will deodorize, and inhibit the growth of mildew and mold. Add a little Borax to your laundry and it will boost the cleaning power of your laundry detergent.Just add a little water and Borax will remove stains, disinfect surfaces, and will leave your home clean, safe and refreshed. Mix a little sugar with Borax and create an effective attractant to kill cockroaches and other household pests. Borax also mixes safely with other green cleaning ingredients to make a powerful all purpose cleaner.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch is made from corn. It can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets, and rugs. Corn starch is great at absorbing oil, cutting grease, and natural alternative to starch clothes.
- Cream of Tartar – Cream of tartar is a mild acidic used in baking and can be used to remove tough stains around your home
- Hydrogen Peroxide – Hydrogen Peroxide is a gentle alternative to bleach. It will sterilize and disinfect both in your home and on your body.
- Citrus Solvents – Citrus solvents will clean paint, paint brushes, oli and grease. Much safer than chemical solvents.
- Lemon Juice – Lemon juice can be used to clean glass windows without streaking. It will cut through grease, remove perspiration stains from clothing, and remove stains from aluminum and porcelain. Lemon juice will dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits. Use in combination with vinegar or baking soda to make a cleaning paste.
- Lime Juice – Like lemon juice, lime juice is also a powerful acidic cleaner. It works great at removing mineral build-up and cleaning grease.
- Orange Oil – Orange oil consists of about 90% d-Limonene which is a solvent used in various household chemicals like wood furniture conditioner and grease removal cleaners. It is an efficient cleaning agent and is much less toxic than it’s petroleum based counterparts.
- Tea Tree Oil – Tea tree oil is an essential oil that comes from the melaleuca tree, a shrub with needle like leaves and over 100 varieties. The most commonly used Tea Tree oil comes from an Australian melaleuca tree. Tea tree oil is a natural fungicide and germicide and is effective at killing mold and mildew. Tea tree oil is also great for personal care because of it’s natural antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Tea tree oil has been used to treat fungus disorders like athlete’s foot, toe nail infections, yeast infections and acne.
- Mineral Oil – Derived from seeds, Mineral Oil is used for furniture polish and floor wax recipes.
- Olive Oil – If you have leather furniture, used Olive Oil as a moisturizer and conditioner. For other furniture, use it as a furniture polish.
Dirty Truth About Bottled Water
Posted by diy naturally in Urban Green, green living on October 16th, 2008
It’s just what we’ve all suspected – pure, “straight from the mountains” bottled water is not so pure after all.
Comprehensive testing by the Environmental Working Group, a watchdog group dedicated to using the power of public information to protect public health and the environment, has shown that our bottled water contains disinfection byproducts, fertilizer residue, pain medication and much more.
They tested every brand of bottled water, from Walmart’s Sam’s Choice to Giant Supermarket’s Acadia brands and found that 10 brands were contaminated with caffeine, pharmaceuticals like Tylenol, heavy metals and minerals including arsenic, and fertilizer residues like nitrate and ammonia.
Unlike tap water, the bottled water industry does not have to disclose the results of any contamination tests. So we have no idea how pure or how contaminated their bottled water really is. It could be water from a garden hose for all we know. Instead, they hope that we trust their marketing position of pure mountain springs and our assumption that bottled water is better than average tap water. That bottled water is held even to a higher standard.
But the study by EWG shows that bottled water cannot be trusted and is certainly not better than tap water.
Laboratory tests conducted for EWG at one of the country’s leading water quality laboratories found that 10 popular brands of bottled water, purchased from grocery stores and other retailers in 9 states and the District of Columbia, contained 38 chemical pollutants altogether, with an average of 8 contaminants in each brand.
This study shows that not only are we not getting what we pay for, $2+ for a bottle of water, we are also exposing ourselves unnecessarily to known cancer-causing contaminants.
What we can do
- Stop buying bottled water. It’s not as safe as we have been lead to believe and the plastic bottles are wreaking havoc on our environment.
- Drink filtered water instead.
- Carry water in safe containers. Preferably stainless steel or BPA-free bottles.
- Learn what’s in your tap water. Tap water suppliers publish their water quality tests.
- Drink filtered tap water.
- Cook with filtered tap water.
- Change your filters on time. Old filters can harbor bacteria and let contaminants through.
- Install a whole house filter for extra protection.
Some fast facts about water bottles
- 1.5 million barrels of oil are used every year to make plastic water bottles for bottled water. This is enough oil to fuel 100,000 cars for a year.
- 36 billion bottles are sold each year, only 7 billion make it to recycling. The other 29 billion bottles end up in landfills, incinerators, litter in streams, oceans and rivers.
5 Ways to Green Up Your Battery Use
Posted by diy naturally in Urban Green, green living on October 9th, 2008
We all love our mobile devices; cell phones, laptops, blackberries. But the batteries to make these gadgets work wreak havoc on our environment in landfills. Here are a few tips on how you can stretch the life of your batteries and keep less from going into the landfill.
- Go for the plug-in. Most gadgets come with an A/C power adapter. If you go for this option, plugging in will use less resources.
- Keep your batteries cool and/or insulated. You can increase the life of your car battery by keeping it insulated in the cold months and keeping it cool during the summer. Try an insulation blanket when you store your battery over night.
- Use your phone during strong reception. Using your phone with a low reception can drain the battery much quicker than if you have a strong reception. If you wait for a stronger reception your cell phone battery will last longer.
- Keep your Laptop cool. This will not only help lengthen the life of the battery but also the life span of you laptop. A good way to keep your laptop cool is to not use it on your lap. This will constrict the flow of air the fan is pushing around to help keep your laptop and the battery cool. Instead opt for a table or get a laptop shelf that fits over your lap.
- Replace one battery at a time. Most tv remotes, alarm clocks and other battery operated gadgets use 2 AA batteries. When the device stops working it could be due to just 1 battery going dead. Instead of replacing both batteries, invest in a battery tester and only replace the dead battery.
Of course it is always a good idea to recycle, even batteries.
Bamboo Case with a Super Hybrid Engine?
Posted by diy naturally in Natural Products, Urban Green, green living on October 2nd, 2008
It’s a Green Machine!
That’s right, this green, eco-friendly, bamboo cased gadget with a super hybrid engine is a laptop.
“Bamboo is a great material to fashion gadgets,” says ENN.“It’s tough but lightweight, and it wears well, acquiring a patina to complement any knocks and scratches.”
But this green machine doesn’t just look pretty with it’s bamboo case, it’s green on the inside as well.
ASUS, the company responsible for the bamboo gadget says,
“Super Hybrid Engine can extend battery life between 35% and 70% as compared to notebooks with the same specifications, and enable users to boost their systems’ performance by up to 23%.”
It achieves this by intelligently monitoring the power requirements of the notebook’s components and automatically makes adjustments to meet those requirements.
The ASUS Bamboo Series notebook is currently only available in Asia. But I’m sure it won’t take long before it’s available globally.
Remove Rust Stains with Vinegar
Posted by diy naturally in Home Cleaning, Salt, Vinegar, diy naturally on September 21st, 2008
A simple recipe for removing rust stains
- Make a thin paste of vinegar and salt.
- Spread the paste on the rust stain in the fabric.
- Lay the item out in the sun to dry. This will bleach the stain.
…or try this as well
With the same paste try …
- Spreading the paste onto the stain.
- Stretch the fabric over a large kettle.
- Pour boiling water through the stained area.
With both methods allow the item to dry and the check the stain. Run the item through a rinse cycle in your washing machine and check stain again. Repeat treatment if any stain remains.