Green Steps | Spring Cleaning with Non-toxic Homemade Cleaners

[photo credit:  Martha Stewart]

When the weather turns warm this time of year, it usually means its time to tackle spring cleaning.  We typically stick with non-toxic homemade cleaners to do the job.  It's amazing what you can concoct with a few simple items from your kitchen - olive oil, lemon, white vinegar, baking soda, salt, etc ... and essential oils you like.

Here are some cleaners I use:

Wood Floor Cleaner
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white vinegar
water to dilute
drops of essential oils (I usually use orange since I like the smell of citrus)
- mix this ingredients in a bucket mop as usual.

Oven Cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup water
- mix the ingredients together and spread over the oven surface.  let sit overnight and scrape and wipe clean in the morning.

 Shower Spray
10 drops of tea tree oil
water
- put this mixture into a spray bottle and leave in your shower.  shake and spray after each shower to keep the mold and mildew at bay.  replace the mixture every two weeks.

We don't use air fresheners anymore because of the phthalates but when you need to infuse the house a fragrance, all you need to do is simmer a pot of water with cloves, cinnamon sticks, vanilla, or a few drops of any essential oil you like.

Click here for more homemade for general cleaning solutions.

What are some of your favorite homemade cleaners?

Green Steps | Green Clean

We’ve had a long winter so when we start to get a little sun and warmer temps, my mind turns to spring cleaning.  All I want to do is open all the windows, get rid of clutter that’s piled up since the holidays and CLEAN!  We have spring break coming up so I’m definitely claiming some time to do a thorough house-cleaning!!!   (Think I can convince my girls that it’ll be fun?)  Unfortunately, most of the conventional cleaning products today contain a lot of ingredients known to trigger asthma, eczema, and just poor indoor air quality.  So after some searching, I found that making your own cleaning solutions is not as daunting as you would think.  In fact, most of the key ingredients are items you already have in your kitchen.  Items like baking soda, distilled white vinegar, lemon (or any citrus), salt, and water.  With these ingredients, you can feel pretty confident that the cleaning you’re doing won't hurt you or the environment.

Here are some of my tried and true favorites for basic cleaning:

General Purpose Kitchen Cleaner

Mix 1 cup white vinegar and 3 cup water.  Simple right?  Vinegar is a great cleaning agent since it can dissolve grease, deodorize, and kill germs.  The smell of vinegar dissipates after it dries but if you still can’t stand the smell, you can add a couple drops of essential oils or even just squeeze some lemon juice into the mixture.

Cutting Board Cleaner

Just use white vinegar in its full strength to remove any odors or bacteria and wipe with damp cleaning cloth afterwards.

Oven Cleaner

Baking soda and water.  Spread baking soda over the bottom of the oven, then spray water over the baking soda until it becomes like paste.  The baking soda will absorb the grease.  Leave the paste in the oven for a couple of hours.  Then use a dish brush to scrape the paste off and remove from the oven before using a damp cloth to wipe clean.  Option – you can spray with white vinegar instead of water for tougher cleaning.

Drain Cleaner

Pour ½ cup of baking soda down the drain then follow with ½ cup vinegar.  Then wait about 15 minutes until the bubbling stops before pouring hot water down the drain.

Bathroom Cleaner

½ cup baking soda, ¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup fine sea salt (optional) and 1 cup or more white vinegar (add enough to make a paste).   This works wonders on grimy bathtubs and bathroom sinks.  This is a one time use solution but feel free to increase if you want some to store in the fridge.

Wall Cleaner

Baking soda on damp sponge gets rid of some of the crayon, marker, and pen marks on the wall.

As you can see, making your own solution is not too difficult.  However, there are times when you are short on time and just need something quick and ready to use.  Luckily, there are more options these days for non-toxic and effective cleaners - Seventh Generation is always a good bet as is Mrs. Meyers, Method and Ecover.

I'm always on the lookout for different homemade solutions or safe yet effective off-the-shelf cleaners.  What are some of your favorites?

Green Steps | Greening with Plants

emerald star - chinese evergreen

Trying to eliminate toxins in your surrounding environment sometimes seems like it is a huge hurdle but it's really often those little steps you take that make a difference.  Such as bringing in some greenery into your home.  It not only adds a little "pretty" into your life but it does a great job in helping to fight pollution indoors.

Here is a list of plants that you might consider bringing into your home to help remove formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air: 

• Philodendron scandens `oxycardium', heartleaf philodendron
• Philodendron domesticum, elephant ear philodendron
• Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana', cornstalk dracaena
• Hedera helix, English ivy
• Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant
• Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig', Janet Craig dracaena
• Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii', Warneck dracaena
• Ficus benjamina, weeping fig
• Epipiremnum aureum, golden pothos
• Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa', peace lily
• Philodendron selloum, selloum philodendron
• Aglaonema modestum, Chinese evergreen
• Chamaedorea sefritzii, bamboo or reed palm
• Sansevieria trifasciata, snake plant
• Dracaena marginata , red-edged dracaena

Most of these plants are available from your local nursery.  Based on the NASA study, it is also recommended that one plant should be allowed for approximately 10 square yards of floor space.  Which means for an average domestic living room of about 20 - 24 square yards, you would need about 2 - 3 plants. 


For more information about the study:  http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h110indoorair.html

Green Steps | Avoid PVC in your School Supplies

I can't believe summer is now winding down and we are shifting to back to school mode.  Retailers switch out their displays to showcase Back to School (BTS) merchandise right after July 4th but I've been burying my head in the sand to avoid it.  Unfortunately, I can't anymore.  I have three more weeks until my girls start school so BTS shopping is in full swing in my household.  New backpacks, lunch bags, binders, shoes, socks, etc ... but before you buy, there are a few things to keep in mind.

While we may be up to speed on BPA and phthalates in personal care and baby products - we may not be as aware of the muck lurking in binders, lunch bags, and backpacks.  This muck has been linked to learning and developmental disabilities, asthma, obesity, and cancer.  The reason is the majority of school supplies are manufactured using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which is one of the most hazardous plastic for our health and the environment.  PVC contains quite a concoction of chemical additives - phthalates, lead, cadmium - all of which are toxic and can pose unnecessary dangers to your child's health

The best thing to do is avoid PVC and seek out PVC alternatives when buying school supplies.  CHEJ just release their updated 2011 Back to School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies.  Use it to help you make smarter and healthier choices for yourself and your children.  By taking these small steps, you too are Growing a Greener Future.

Green Steps | BPA & Phthalates ... should we still be worried?

We've all heard of Bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalates - those chemicals that wreak havoc on the health of our families.  The question we need to ask ourselves is - with so much attention already directed on these chemicals, do we still need to be worried?

BPA and phthalates can be found pretty much anywhere, so unfortunately the answer is yes.  But the good news is that there are some pretty simple steps you can take to minimize your exposure. 

Some simple ways to limit exposure to BPA:

• Replace polycarbonate bottles (baby bottles, water bottles).  Luckily, there are lots of options available.  You can choose glass, stainless steel, or BPA-free plastic.
• Choose food containers made from glass, stainless steel, or BPA-free plastic.
• Don't heat food in plastic regardless of BPA-free plastic or not.
• Avoid microwaving or adding hot foods or beverages in plastic.
• Avoid canned foods as well as canned pre-made baby formula - these cans typically use a protective liner made of BPA-based epoxy.  Instead, if formula feeding, opt for powdered baby formula and choose fresh or frozen food whenever possible.
• Skip getting fillings or dental work done while pregnant or nursing.
• Always wash hands after handling money and prior to eating.

Ways to avoid phthalates:

• Eliminate teethers, bibs, place mats, and shower curtains made with PVC and replace with safer alternatives.
• Choose personal care products that are labeled phthalate-free.  Double check ingredient lists to make sure they don't contain diethyl phthalate (DEP), Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP).
• Same with household cleaning products - plant-based, unscented products are good options or you can make your own cleaning supplies using vinegar and baking soda.
• Avoid scented candles and air fresheners since many of them often use phthalates to give them their fragrance.
• Choose plastic wrap and bags made of polyethylene instead of vinyl.
• Toys today should already be manufactured without the use of the offending phthalates but check the ones you already own since they may have been made prior to the ban.
• Avoid products or packaging marked with #3 recycling code, V or PVC.

It's overwhelming to stay on top of it all so I choose to eliminate the culprits from things that impact my family directly.  Since I have young kids, that meant I was super cautious about choosing items that go into their mouths (bottles, sippy cups, teethers), on their skin (shampoos, soaps, lotions, sunscreen), and things that could emit harmful fumes in the air around them (yup, no more scented chandles or air fresheners in our house).  It's all about not being overwhelmed and making small and simple changes.

Green Steps | 2011 EWG Dirty Dozen & Clean 15

I'm kind of a list girl, so I have been using EWG's Dirty Dozen list for a while now to keep me on track in reducing pesticide exposure for my family.  EWG just released an updated 2011 shopper's guide and there are a few things to note:

- apples have now moved to the top of the dirty dozen
- cherries are no longer on the list (yay, organic cherries were not easy to find)
- cilantro for the first time made an appearance on dirty dozen - good thing I'm growing my own cilantro this year
- sweet potatoes are on the clean 15
- mushrooms are on the clean 15 for the first time

The Dirty Dozen list is made up of produce that has the largest concentrated amounts of pesticides and the Clean 15 are the ones with the least.  So when I shop, I use these as guides to help me choose which fruits and veggies I definitely buy organic and which ones I can buy conventional without feeling guilty.