I've been trying to, over the years, remove harsh chemicals out of my house for the green principal, but also because I have a kid and a ton of pets that would appreciate the concern for their health, if only animals could talk.
The simplest question overall is and should be, "Why would I want to put this hazardous shite in my body?" And being the head of household, my health and being able to work is crucial to protecting my family and my furry, feathery, and fishie friends. Plus I do most of the shopping.So what to do? Research. And what do you do with your findings? Buy or make the less hazardous, more natural alternative cleaners, personal hygiene and home improvement products. Then what? Pass it on!
- 2 parts waterEasy enough, right? Just make sure to buy a vat of vinegar because it can be used for a ton of other cleaning tasks.2. OVEN & DRAIN CLEANERS: Also known as lye or Sodium Hydroxide, it is a toxic chemical and...well, there's not much more I feel the need to say except THIS SHIT IS TOXIC! There's a reason why it will melt the 4 year old crust of food and oil that's caked inside your oven, because it will also melt your cat. But seriously, it has been known to blind animals with minimal exposure.OVEN CLEANER RECIPE: Create a paste with these ingredients, slather on and leave overnight. Wipe with damp cloth.
- 3/4 cup of baking soda
- 1/4 cup of salt
- 1/4 cup of water
SOAP & WATER. Avoid using anything else for washing your hands unless you are stuck in an area without clean water like a camping trip. In the far future we will be able to eradicate bacteria with a laser gun, but for now stick to the tried and true.
- SLSF/ Sodium Laureth Sulfate: found in body washes, shampoos, is toxic to humans & is a suspected carcinogen
- DEA & TEA: Diethananolamines & Triethanolamines are a) synthetic, b) carcinogenic, c) skin & eye irritants and d) are slow to biodegrade. Found in cleaners, dish washing liquids detergents, stain removers and other hygiene products.
- FRAGRANCE: Causes allergic reactions and irritation, plus companies in the US don't have to say what's in the "fragrance" ingredients, making it suspicious and unpredictable. Found in pretty much every kind of household product, but mostly I see these in cheap shampoos, body washes and pretty much every product in Bath & Bodyworks. These practices take effort to change, so if you don't have the time to stand and read labels in the store like all the slow-pokes at Whole Foods, then you might want to start with getting the no frills, they-are-what-they-are products at the store.
Your shopping list of natural ingredients for green cleaning:
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Tea tree oil and/or lavender oil
- Borax
- Castile soap (ex: Dr. Bronner's)So if you or a friend uses some products that have the chemicals I mentioned, yet feel "just fine" then please think about all the stuff you/they pour down the drain and gets into your recycled water. Because when you go to a restaurant, fast food place or the mall, they are not using fancy filtered water for their ice cube machine, they are using whatever comes through the faucet. So the more we use these products, the more it gets into our water, soil and our air, making an unpredictable combination of who-knows-what-chemicals that ends up in our food. Just saying.Hopefully you're reading this because you want to find out how to be more green and healthy so kudos to you. This is by no means a complete list, it only scratches the surface so I encourage you to research more as you uncover these, and I expect to see a gallon of vinegar under your sink by weeks end ;)
MG! Our first chickie egg has been laid!!! Was it Diamond Sparkle Rainbow Gold, Yolkahontas or maybe Repecca who laid it? We have a clue, because its pale GREEN! 
ost of the time Mini fLee is deferring her bedtime with crafts, Star Trek discussions or wish lists of what toys she wants for the next 8 birthdays and Christmases. We do our best to hypnotise her to sleep but with the Chicago Teacher strike and kids being out of school for a week and a half, its been a tough sell to convince to pass out on command.
he laughed so hard she cried.
ust a few steps from where I stayed in the Puget Sound (near Seattle, Washington), there was a quaint nature trail that had many surprises for this prarie-raised girl. From mosses to magical trees, wild blackberries, an abandoned barn, a community garden and even slugs! The Banana Slug is native to this area and can be found nowhere else but in this corner of the world. Slimy but cool. Did you know that holly leaves are unbelievably shiny?
