Mom Goes Green

When making the decision to “go green” the list of “should nots” is equally as important as the “shoulds”…

I recently ran across a fabulous list of the should nots that are very much worthy of a mention.  This list comes from Healthy Child Healthy World and includes the top 10 toxic products that you DON’T need in your home. Without further ado, start checking the checklist!:

• Air fresheners – they’re full of chemicals, synthetic fragrances and even anesthetics that can be inhaled into our lungs (ewww!)
• Bottled water – this water is no less contaminated (and sometimes MORE contaminated) than your tap water… add the BPA content of the plastic bottles and they are simply bad news.
• Canned goods – their epoxy resin linings often contain BPA, linked to hormone disruption, heart disease and obesity.
• Couch cushions – avoid anything containing foam that says it meets California TB 117 because they contain toxic fire retardant (like those horrible mattresses!)  They’re linked to cancer, birth defects, and thyroid, reproductive and neurological disorders.
• Drain, oven and toilet bowl cleaners – they contain lye and acids that can burn skins, eyes and internal tissues.
• Dry cleaned clothes – even though the chemical perchloroethylene (or perc) is applied elsewhere, it is linked to a number of cancers and even bringing home those clothes (and wearing them!) dramatically increases your exposure.
• Oil-based paints and finishes – they can contain up to 300 toxic chemicals and 150 carcinogens … enough said.
• Perfume and cologne – one formulation can contain literally hundreds of chemicals that can absorb through the skin and accumulate in the bodies.
• Pesticides – these chemical poisons linger and contaminate the air and undoubtedly get dragged into our homes.
• Rubber duckies! – okay, and ANYTHING that contains PVC or vinyl.  They can leach phthalates (linked to hormone distruption) and lead (a potent neurotoxicant).

Please check out Healthy Child Healthy World’s original post for more great information on all of these “toxic 10”, as well as important suggestions for substituting better options…

So, how many are still in or around your home?… I’ll bet you’re about to change that, aren’t you?!?

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. Everything feels new and there is something very refreshing about sitting back and seeing things literally spring to life.  One thing that does need our assistance, however, is our home. Unfortunately there is NOTHING refreshing about a house that has been closed for months on end.

The problem is that, while we attempt to do our spring cleaning, we can actually create some heavily toxic air inside our homes and create a lot of waste.  Here are some tips on how to avoid this:

• Open windows. Let the fresh air come in. It does wonders!
• Buy distilled white vinegar – and lots of it.  The uses are amazing… everything from cleaning and sanitizing to disinfecting and stain removal.  Check out vinegartips.com for ideas, but whatever you do, do NOT use commercial household cleaners… they are harsh, harmful and unnecessary.
• Buy baking soda – fantastic for cleaning but also for removing odors from rugs and carpets.  Sprinkle some on, let it sit for 30 minutes and vacuum it up… nice and simple.
• Skip paper towels and sponges – gather old t-shirts and towels (not suitable for donation) and put them to work.  Skoy cloths are another favorite of mine, and they can all be washed and used again for later cleaning projects.
• Recycle – magazines, mail, catalogs, any needless papers, packaging….the list goes on and on.  Don’t just put them in the garbage can.  Put them in the recycling can.
• Food cupboards – you thought you’d need it, use it, want it, but alas you did not.  Donate it to a food pantry if it hasn’t expired; otherwise make sure the packaging, cans and containers get recycled as well.
• Donation boxes – inevitably you will find lots of things that no longer have usefulness for you but that doesn’t mean they’re not useful for someone else.  Clothing, shoes, household items, books, furniture, toys, anything and everything. Pack up these items and donate them to a charity, list them on Freecycle or Craig’s List.  But never throw away anything that still has “life” left in it.
• Proper disposal – motor oil, paint cans, aerosols… check Earth911 to find out where these toxic products can be dropped off for proper disposal.  Same goes for electronics.  If they can’t be given away check local resources or again Earth911.
• Consider air freshening in a less harmful way – If you MUST put the scent of spring in the air, forgo the aerosol air fresheners and instead fill a spray bottle with a combination of water and essential oils, and “spray away!”
• Consider some “Spring Resolutions” – no more antibacterial soaps (their harmful effects can be greater than their benefit), no more harsh cleaners and chemicals.  Vow to replace them with eco- and health-friendly products.  Put CFLs on your shopping list and use them for every bulb that needs replacing from here on out!  And when you buy these products, make sure they get placed in reusable bags!

Start stretching, limber up and let the green cleaning commence!

In name and theory, the term “antibacterial” seems like a smart choice to prevent illness and inhibit bacterial growth, but these products contain a chemical antimicrobial called Triclosan.  So what’s the big deal?  Well…

Triclosan was originally created for medical uses and sterilization but, now that it has become outrageously common and “household”, consumers need to know that it is actually linked to health issues, including antibiotic resistance, allergy susceptibility and severe skin irritations (not to mention the destruction of fragile aquatic ecosystems!).  Seems rather contradictory, doesn’t it?  While you are trying to keep germs and illnesses at bay, you are actually building a resistance to antibiotics and decreasing their effectiveness should you ever truly need them.

Triclosan is commonly found in soaps, deodorants, toothpastes, cosmetics, shampoos, disinfectants and even fabrics (also marketed as “Microban” or “Biofresh”).  What I also find disturbing is that Triclosan actually “reacts” with chlorinated water and produces a high level of chloroform… yes, I said chloroform…. classified, by the EPA, as a probable human carcinogen.

Another scary fact?  It literally accumulates in our bodies, and this is the reason we build the resistance to antibiotics.

The reality is simply that the harm far outweighs the benefit.  In fact, there is little evidence to support the use of antibacterials for home or personal use in the prevention of viruses or illnesses.

So why buy antibacterial products? Simply put, I cannot think of a single reason…

Today I’m going to keep it nice and simple…

If you want to “buy” greener, just “concentrate”… buy concentrated formulas of anything and everything, that is.  It helps to eliminate a lot of packaging waste, even if it happens to be recyclable.  As much as I hate math… it’s simple math.  Less volume = less packaging.

Another tip is to buy in bulk.  Sure, you’re buying a bigger package, but it’s still less packaging than what is needed for multiple smaller sized packages versus the one larger size!

Final tip… avoid excess packaging.  Over-wrapping and over-packaging results in excess waste, recyclable or not.

So “concentrate”, “go big” and “keep it as skimpy as possible”… wow, this post has gone someplace else entirely…

(This giveaway is now closed for entries.  See winner in comments.)

Huh?  Sounds crazy, but it’s true… one Skoy cloth can take the place of 15 rolls of paper towels! These powerful little cloths have so many amazing qualities; I think I’m in love!

We all know we use far too many paper towels. Wipe down this, clean up that!  Even if you use a recycled brand, it can get a little excessive (and expensive) and they get thrown away after only one use.  Sponges are another household supply that is essentially useless.  Everyone knows that, after even a short period of time, they get disgusting and flat-out “schtanky” (yes, that IS a word… when the stink goes BEYOND stinky!) And that smell just let’s you know that bacteria is growing in abundance!

So let me give you lowdown on Skoy Cloths (if you haven’t already heard of them!).  These fabulous little cloths are 100% biodegradable because they are made from a natural cotton and wood-based cellulose pulp.  They are chlorine-free, use water-based colors and dry quickly so they don’t breed bacteria and they can be used again and again and again.  They’re essentially packageless because they come bound only by biodegradable raffia.  (And they’re super cute too!)

When you need to give them a little refresher, just pop them in your dishwasher or microwave them while they’re wet for a minute or two.  And when you feel like they’ve reached the end of their life, they can be composted (they break down completely in five weeks!) or disposed of.  That’s a LOT more environmental than 15 rolls of paper towels, wouldn’t you say?

Do you want to give them a try? Well, here’s your chance, because the fine folks at Skoy have a four-pack they’re willing to share… leave a comment here saying you’d like to win and tell me how you want to use your Skoy cloths, or send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog. The winner will be selected one week from today’s post. (US entries only… sorry!)

Good luck! (…and by the way… you can tell me if you prefer the Skoy or the 60 rolls of paper towels, but if you think we’d actually send you 60 rolls of paper towels instead, you’ve lost your marbles! Come on! Give Skoy a chance!)

I used to have a dry cleaning bill the size of Mount Everest.  Fortunately, with my departure from a professional job (although I am now a “professional mom” and should earn about $132K a year, but a paycheck never arrives!) the dry cleaning bill is much, much smaller.

I never gave much thought to the chemicals and solvents used in dry cleaning -  namely Tetrachloroethylene, also known as Perchloroethylene or “Perc”.  It’s considered a carcinogen and is a danger for the workers cleaning the clothes and for us, once we bring our clothes home and they “off-gas.”  Just like that ‘new car smell’, you know the smell of dry cleaned clothes, right?  Well, it’s perc and known side effects include confusion, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, nausea and difficulty speaking and walking.  Well, all that for crisp, clean(?) clothes… I don’t think so!

Since my husband still has some occasional dry cleaning, it’s time to look for a green dry cleaner!  Start with Green Earth to help you locate one in your area.  They skip the harsh chemicals and use an environmentally safe process that replaces petroleum-based (harmful) solvents with liquid silicone.  Another process that is catching on is carbon dioxide cleaning.  When put under high pressure, it can carry biodegradable soap, just like water in our washing machine, and then is reused without harmful effects.  Just make sure your dry cleaner is actually using one of these processes.  There are plenty of “green impostors” out there!

And if you do dry clean, here are a few more tips:

1. Don’t throw the hangers away.  Remove the paper and recycle it, and whether they are plastic or metal, return them to the dry cleaner (since 85% of them wind up in landfills!).  You can also ask your cleaner about using paper hangers or EcoHangers too.
2. Not all “dry clean only” garments truly require dry cleaning… it’s just a way for clothing manufacturers to protect themselves in case you do a shoddy wash job!  Give it some thought before you send it off for dry cleaning.
3. Go less frequently – wait until you have a bunch of clothes to clean.  This will save some of those horrible plastic bags they place over our garments, because whether you have one item or six, they all get hung together with one bag.

Just remember, you CAN have crispy, clean, fashionable clothes without walking into walls and slurring your words, and worrying about what was left in the wake.

Spring has sprung!  And along with the first peek at daffodils and tulips comes the time honored (read: dreaded!) tradition of Spring Cleaning.  There are a lot of aspects to this task… this really (REALLY!) dreaded task!  (Can you tell I simply prefer the daffodils and tulips?)

First comes the actual cleaning – the elbow-grease, sweaty-job of getting rid of winter’s grim, gick and dirt.  For just about anything, I recommend vinegar, baking soda and water.  It can take care of it all.  You can find every use and combination I know by checking out Vinegartips.com.  Remember to forgo the paper towels and use those old t-shirts and towels that are too tattered for donating and would otherwise meet the trash can.  They can always be washed and reused for an even longer life.

Next comes the purge – getting rid of those “things” that no longer have a place or a purpose in your life.  Whether it’s clothing, household items, toys, furniture, books… find them a new home (granted they still have some life in them).  Donate them to a charity, list them on Freecycle or Craig’s List, or sell them, but don’t let them “find the curb” in a plastic garbage bag!

Then comes the discard of magazines, catalogs and unneeded “paper” (of every sort) – and make sure they get recycled.  Even cardboard boxes have a new life if you list them with Boxcycle or Usedcardboardboxes or again, Craig’s List. In fact, with every bit of cleaning-out you do, consider if it’s recyclable.  Example:  food cupboards.  Those boxes and cans are recyclable. You’ll be amazed!

I’ve always considered Spring the true “new beginning” of the year, so your new beginning doesn’t need to stop with only the cleaning part.  Consider making changes too, like switching to CFLs, buying those reusable shopping bags you’ve been avoiding, checking for leaks in your plumbing and even giving your car a good tune-up!

A fellow green mom has put together a kit to help us with all of these little “extras” too – check out Kathy’s Climate Kit.  She has condensed it down into one fine package and is offering all of my friends here a 10% discount to boot (just enter code: FESTIVAL at check out!).  Plus, a tree will be planted with American Forests Global Releaf Program for each kit sold.

So “start your cleaning engines” and let the Green Clean Games begin!

Okay, so don’t start rumors about MomGoesGreen.  I have an admitted addiction… but it’s an addiction to Method products!

Sincerely.  I can’t get enough of them!  I know I have talked about “the greatness that is distilled white vinegar” but some things require a little extra something-something… like my dishwasher.  Can’t exactly pour in some vinegar and call it a day!

But Method… ahhh, Method!  (I’ve talked about the love… umm, twice.  So, here’s a third!) Their “Smarty Dish” Dishwasher Detergent is amazing.  It’s earth-friendly, biodegradable, and bleach- and phosphorous-free.  It comes as a large tablet so you don’t even need to worry about pouring and measuring.  My chosen scent was Pink Grapefruit – quite nice! – and can I just say my dishes and glasses were so squeaky  clean when they came out of the dishwasher that my husband even commented!

I’ve also been loving their Lil’ Bowl Blu Toilet Cleaner, Multi-Surface & Glass Cleaners, Biodegradable Tub & Tile Wipes (especially for our 3-year old son, with HORRIBLE aim!), but I’m also continually impressed with their hand soaps.  They’ve been in our house for quite a while now (and they’re great – especially the kid-friendly foaming kind), but would you believe they actually designed the containers so you can use every last drop of the soap?!  Love it!  And they sell refill soap too… another bonus.

BUT… my current fav Method product is the oh-so-yummy Method Baby Body Lotion I bought for our kids.  I so desperately wanted to get away from their old lotions – (do you know that most of them contain mineral oil?  Putting mineral oil on your skin is like covering yourself in saran wrap! Can you imagine?!?)

Anyhow… back to my point… the Method Baby Body Lotion is made of natural, biodegradable ingredients and never contains parabens, phthalates or other nasty chemicals you wouldn’t want to slather on your kids.  I have a clear conscience when I lotion them up these days and it’s topped off with a wonderful scent – rice milk & mallow (yea.  That’s as in marshmallow!).  But I can’t guarantee you won’t want to nibble on their arm for a bit.  I know I want to… and do!

So, I’ve said it before… I’ll probably say it again, but Method is a great company, with great products, a clear environmental focus and responsibility and a fab sense of humor (wait until you start reading their packaging!).

But I won’t leave you hangin’… I know you wanna get some … everyone should be a “Method” Head!!!  It’s a great addiction.

Undoubtedly, any one of us could look in a cupboard and under the sink and find bottles and cans of household cleaners that contain the harshest and most toxic of chemicals.  But do we really need them?

Don’t get me wrong… I want my house clean and germ-free too, but what if the means to that end requires us to spray, scrub and wash surfaces that we touch… that our kids touch countless times every day… with harsh chemicals? Kinda sounds like we’re defeating our purpose!

Knowing the worst household offenders is the best place to start making this change.  So here is the condensed rap sheet on those “bottled criminals”:

• Bleach – can cause irritation & burns, and edema or coma if ingested
• Mold & Mildew Cleaners – contents include known carcinogens and chemicals that can cause fluid in the lungs, memory loss and shortness of breath
• Oven Cleaners – can cause irritation & burns, and effect reflexes and tissue if ingested
• Ammonia – damaging to eyes, respiratory tract and skin
• Air Fresheners – commonly contains formaldehyde, a known carcinogen
• Dishwasher Detergent – contains highly concentrated/highly poisonous chlorine in a dry form
• Laundry Products – contains elements that can cause liver damage and can irritate and/or burn skin, eyes, mucous membranes and the respiratory tract
• Carpet & Upholstery Shampoo – contains a known carcinogen that damages the kidneys, liver and nervous system, plus irritants & burning contents
• Toilet Bowl Cleaners – contents can damage kidneys and the liver, irritate skin and eyes, and cause edema or coma if ingested
• Drain Cleaners – contains elements that can damage kidneys, liver & the digestive tract, and depress the nervous system

Are you scared yet?  I know I am! If you want more details and the actual chemical contents, click here, but I assure you, you won’t like what you read.  It convinced me that I really, really need to give up a bunch of these commercial cleaners!

So… what to do? I say the answer is in three little words: distilled white vinegar.  It has more uses than you can imagine — it’s safe, it’s environmental and it’s inexpensive.

We already know that it can clean a clogged drain like a champ, but did you also know it can: cut grease, brighten your laundry, remove mineral deposits and stains, clean tarnished metals, remove carpet stains, clean the floor, remove stains from clothing and (what we all want)… kill germs and sanitize!

VinegarTips.com will give you 75 ways to use and formulate vinegar for everyday cleaning and 20 tips for using vinegar with your laundry!  I’m impressed!

The only other thing that comes to mind is “do they sell vinegar in barrels” (!?!).