The safe and toxic free home: cleaning supplies

First things first. Why dose anyone need so many different types of cleaning supplies? Personally I have no space for that many in my world. All I need is baking soda, vinegar, borax, olive oil, rubbing alcohol, various types of essential oils and herbs. and dish soap (castile soap is great, I just don't use it enough so it take up too much space for me. lol). All of those things are multi-taskers both for cleaning and other uses, like making tasty food, get rid of bee stings, help with burns, cuts and other ailments. Basically, my medicine cabinet, and cleaning supply can be kept in my kitchen. With the exception being that I would keep the borax, baking soda, and alcohol up higher if any kiddos came over. But you really shouldn't need to keep it up way high, just high enough that a four year old or so cant get to it easily. The borax and baking soda can only cause problems if ingested in high, HIGH quantities, and over a period of time. Messes with ph and things. Still, they are so much safer than bleach, ammonia or other awful cleaning products. 

The typical household has 3 to 25 gallons of toxic materials most of which are found in cleaning supplies  Toxic cleaners can cause burns to the eyes, skin, throat and the esophagus. Also, cancer, hormone disruption, decreased fertility, increased birth defects, and respiratory problems. If you mix bleach with your toilet bowl cleaner you could be releasing toxic gases, the same goes for anything that you mix to combine bleach and ammonia, or chemicals that react similarly with these chemicals. No law requires that manufacturers list their ingredients on labels or to test their product for safety. "While cleaners are the only household products regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission under the Federal Hazardous Substances Labeling Act, their sellers aren’t required to reveal these products’ ingredients. These ingredients are considered “trade secrets,” so government regulations are actually designed to protect this proprietary information, not to protect human health or the environment." (life.gaiam.com)

I put vinegar in a spray bottle with some water and use it as a multi-purpose cleaner. The studies done on this wonderful substance have bean rather, well, vague. They will say that it kills about 80% of germs, but this is without studying it fully, or very well. Where as bleach has had extensive tests done on it. But, seeing as how bleach causes respiratory problems, cancer and brain damage I would rather go with an 80% killer that I can add some essential oil or peroxide to if I want a super germ killer, than a 99.9% germ killer that also kills me. Another thing is, that bleach also kills the good bacteria, where as the vinegar, who dose kill e-coli also leaves those good for you bacteria. When I need to cut up a chicken (which is, um well, never, but I did at my moms before I was married) I scrub my cutting board with salt and spray it with vinigar to wipe it down. I also wash it off under hot water. But I alwaise wash my cutting boards to get rid of odors and such from garlic and such that can transfer to apples and other foods. If you need to whiten a cutting board, start cleaning it with hydrogen-peroxide. Killd germs very well, and can lift away stains. Baking soda also works great at scrubbing those plastic ones that are all porous, and get so yucky sometimes. I will put various esential oils in my spray bottle with the vinigar. Such as Lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, or lavender depending on my mood. When I want to do a deep cleaning of my kitchen nothing beats making my own blend of oil tea with herbs and water. Here is the how to video. Unlike this lady, I use lavender instead of the cinnamon and clove. I like the smell better and it work just as good for my purposes. I dont know if the disinfectant properties are the same as when using therapeutic grade oil, but it works so, so ,SO good at taking baked on food and grease off the stove. It basically boosts the cleaning ability of the vinegar in a spray bottle. It gets sticky stuff of of floors, and well, it just gets everything SO clean!

I clean my floors, cabinets, counter tops, tables, walls, stair railing, and windows with vinegar in a spray bottle. armed with either a rag, or my mop and just my trusty spray bottle, cleaning is so easy! My mop is flat on the bottom with a cloth on it much like this one,

 which I find works the easiest for quick cleaning. I just get out my spray bottle, put a damp re-attachable cloth on my mop, Spray the floor and mop. SO easy and their is no need for using gallons of water. 

To shine up my floor and wood surfaces I mix equal parts olive oil and vinegar. A little goes a long way. Dont worry if you feel like the floor has too much oil that you just couldn't seem so spread no mater how hard you try, this will be fine. The oil ends up soaking into the floor. I dip a rag into the solution and gently rub my wood surfaces with it to make them look good.

To clean my toilet I put a cup of baking soda into the toilet, scrub, then flush. Then I put a cup of vinegar in, scrub, then flush. The vinegar is important. It make the toilet so SHINY! To clean the seat and outside of toilet I just get out my spry bottle again and a rag. For my sink and shower I spray everything down with vinegar then dust everything in baking soda. Scrub everything with a rag, then rinse.

A note on Norwex cloths. They clean of all those icky germs. Dampen and clean all your surfaces. Removes dust, kills germs, viruses, mold, and not you. I love them for cleaning sinks, showers, and tubs. I need to get one but haven't bean able to since I got married but when I lived at my moms I used them for everything. They are absolutely brilliant at dusting and taking animal hair of of furniture. I wipe my counter tops with it and it gets rid of all the germs without any disinfectants. The Norwex cloths are so good at cleaning sinks and showers. I use just my cloth and nothing else, and their is nothing to rinse of when I am done. They are a bit expensive, but well worth it in my opinion. 

To remove sticky stuff, put some rubbing alcohol on a cloth then rub the sticky area. It will come off fairly quickly. 

To remove stains including blood from carpets, use borax. If someone happens to drop a plate of food on a carpet, spills their wine, or somehow gets blood on the carpet follow these steps. 

1. Pick up all of the food and blot the liquid with a clean cloth

2. Using a spray mister, apply ice water to the area

3.Shake borax right out of the box over the stain

4. Place a wet towel in the freezer for five minutes and then place on top of the area

5.Press the borax into the carpet by pushing down on the frozen towel

If you don't have time for all of these things, dab at the spill with a damp cloth, put borax on it, and then do step 5.

For a room deodorizer and a fabric fresher I put alcohol in a bottle with some sort of essential oil (whatever I want the room/fabric to smell like). I spray it in the room, then I leave the room. Alcohol is not particularly good for your lungs. The alcohol will leave very quickly, Like 30 seconds, then you can enjoy your fresh smelling room. Use the same mixture on your couch, bed linens, etc to kill bed bugs and the like. The alcohol works better than water because it dissipates faster so that you aren't left with a wet couch. 

***A Couple Quick Additions: to make your carpets smell good, and to to get rid of various bugs mix a cup of baking soda with 5 to 10 drops of essential oil. Sprinkle onto a carpet (I use one of those Parmesan sprinklers that are at pizza restaurant) let set for just a little bit, then vacuum. This will also make your vacuum smell good.

Also you could use cornstarch instead of baking soda and use it as a body powder/deodorant. Sprinkle some in your shoes also to get rid of stinky smells. 

I hope this helps, and stay healthy!***

More info and sources    webmd.com   rodale.com    organicconsumers.org

8 household cleaning agents to avoid

The safe and toxic free home: Laundry

For a quick overview article of toxic things in your home, and why they are toxic click here.
For an article on a study of products in the home and their toxicity click here. (Be warned, it may frighten you)


As I think back to when I first started helping my mom do laundry, the scent of Tide comes straight to my mind. This was back when we hadn't started using the clothes line, and my mom didn't react to chemicals like she dose now. However, when my mom started to become more educated from reading her many diet and health books over the years she started using a natural laundry detergent from the health foods store. Eventually she decided to get a clothes line, for the extra sunshine and to help the planet, even if it was just a baby step. My memories of helping my mom with the laundry as a middle schooler and up is of carrying the load out to the line, and hanging it up with her. She did the long and bulky things, and I did the many socks, t-shirts, and other lighter things. I absolutely LOVE the smell of the clothes when they come off the line. They even keep there lovely scent for a while after being hung up. Now the smell of Tide and other such products give me a headache and make me sneeze. If, and only when forced, when we go down the soap isle in most stores, we jog through. If we don't my mom's throat starts closing up and we both get major headaches.

Many people (from what I have read in articles and books) have headaches, chronic headaches in fact, from the fragrances that they ware. Not just perfume, but in their deodorants, lotions, and laundry soaps as well. Personally I think that this is so sad, that people willingly but oftentimes unknowingly subject themselves to pain in this way. Not only can you have reactions like headaches, but the toxins in your soaps, fabric softeners, and dryer sheets can cause throat, eye, and skin irritation, cancer, respiratory problems, and disruption of the endocrine system. Some are neurotoxins, some cause cellular changes, and others may cause mutations. (Personally I would rather not have my body mutated, my brain toxified, my cells modified, or have asthma, headaches, and all these other problems inflicted onto my body! Thank you very much.) Many of these chemicals are carcinogens (hazardous air pollutants) that are considered by the Environmental Protection Agency to have no save exposure level. Which means that we are exposing ourselves and our children to chemicals that are in no way safe, ever.

"A University of Washington study of top-selling laundry products and air fresheners found the products emitted dozens of different chemicals. All six products tested gave off at least one chemical regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws, but none of those chemicals was listed on the product labels."-ScienceDaily (July 24, 2008) 

No laws exist in the United States that protect us from these products. The government doesn't even require that they label any harmful chemicals. You may read fragrance, and that can be any number of petroleum based chemicals soaking into your skin and reeking havoc on your body. Once while my mom was at work, she picked up the Pine-Sole bottle to read the ingredients. This cleaning product had bean bothering her for some time. Upon reading the ingredients to her shock, and mine it read secret ingredients. WHat! I mean really! Now I believe that the labeling has changed, but dose include fragrance. The only ingredient actually listed that isn't harmful is the Water.

 I encourage you to buy natural soaps, or make your own, and to not use toxic  fabric softener or dryer sheets. Both of them can be made naturally.  Be warned about washing soda if you do make your own, it can be quite harmful, causing many of the same problems you can and will find in the toxic soaps you are trying not to use.

I must warn you also about Borax. My mom doesn't like using it in things that you put on your skin, like soaps or lotions, and personally I don't see the point of it in lotion anywise. She is very, very sensitive to chemicals so she simply doesn't want to risk it. Now she wont have a problem, but she used to have major issued before she started doing hair without harmful products. Most people wont have a problem with it, but if you are way overloaded with toxins, and say you are detoxing out your sin in the form of a rash/pimple type deal, and you have some open soars, then please read up on borax and any other thing you might put on your skin (this includes non organic materials that have fire retardants and such). Borax works great at removing stains (even blood) from carpets and is awesome when mixed with powdered sugar to get rid of ants, but if you put it on your skin it may cause skin irritation. Also if you in hail it repeatedly it is not good for you lungs.  Basically it would be like inhaling baking soda, or putting Baking Soda on your skin. Borax doesn't cause long term damage, nor dose it build up in your system over time. It dose not penetrate your skin easily at all, unlike many, many other products in cleaning supplies.  However if you ingest it repeatedly (for some strange reason you may find the urge to do this) it might cause reproductive problems. (They fed it to mice to see what it did and they had some reproductive problems that may have bean caused by repeated Borax feedings. Wow, is that a strange thing to do or what? Who would eat that! I guess those ants in my pantry would if it tastes sweet enough.) Overall, if you want to use Borax but are apprehensive, do more research. Google tends to be  very user friendly. But, if you want to try it, then I really don't see any problems that you should come across. Personally I prefer something that isn't toxic to not soak into my skin, than something that is toxic to soak into my skin.
Well, have fun making soaps, or discovering the new world of the health foods store's isle of cleaning products that are far nicer to your body, and if you are with child, your babies body (seeing as how if you change to toxic free things your baby will have a higher chance of coming out with all of it's parts. Esp if it's a boy...if you get my drift, if not, email me and we can have a little chat.)

                  
I use: Soap Nuts just nuts from and African tree. Works and smells amazing! You can use it as people soap too. put it in those scrubby bags that people put soap bars in, and scrub yourself. Then throw the bag in with your laundry to wash the clothes. (Great when traveling.) I also use Seventh Generation. I don't use fabric softener of dryer sheets. I just don't see the point, and i think my clothes feel better without them. Also I no longer have a dryer, so that could be part of it... The only reason why I use the Seventh Generation as well as the soap nuts, is because my father-in-law buys it. We share a washer, and since it is my bathroom he buys the soap. So for now I use the soap nuts for my underthings and dedicates. I just like the feel and smell better, and it seems to be more gentle. When I use the Seventh Generation I use like half or less of what it recommends. It cleans the clothes better, and my washing machine manufacturer says to use less, and I happen to like that rule.

More info: articles.mercola.com  wisebread.com  healingnaturallybybee.com
Fabric softener recipe  laundry detergent (you can use baking soda instead of washing soda) dryer sheet made with natural fabric softener  you can make a dryer sheet with non bleached muslin and a couple drops of essential oil.

The safe and toxic free home: Kitty litter

I know, this topic doesn't seam all that huge to most people, and not everyone has a cat box, or a cat, but for those who do this really is a big problem. For one, clay cat litter is awful when you breath it in. Dust goes whooshing up in the air, and usually most of us let the box get dirty enough that we cant hold our breaths the entire time we are cleaning it.

 Clay litter generally has a clumping agent in it called sodium bentonite (natural clay ingredient) that expands when wet and hardens to make it easier to clean up. Unfortunately this has bean linked to many feline health problems, such as internal blockages, asthma, and other lung problems. Your cat is exposed to it longer, and they ingest it directly when they clean it off their paws. 

If your litter is Silica-based then you have another set of problems on your hands. Sodium silicate, absorbs moisture and odor but it too is harmful for humans and felines alike. It has "been linked to lung cancer, bronchitis and tuberculosis. Some cats can end up with a fatal form of pulmonary tuberculosis called silico-tuberculosis" (greenlivingonline.com) 
Neither one of these types of liters can decompose, and they are both stripe mined. The end result, unhealthy cats, owners, and an unhealthy planet. 

Baking soda is great for eliminating odor, but it is also hard on your felines kidneys. Don't forget, they do clean themselves and if they use a litter box then they clean off that litter too. This causes the urine to not be able to be passed. Then, you spend hundreds of dollars to fix the problem.

Instead of using clay litter I suggest choosing a corn, wheat, paper, or pine based litter that is fragrance free, (very important, fragrances cause even more respiratory problems. you know what it's like sitting by an old lady that uses to much perfume, and you cant breath and/or you get a headache. Your' perfume is still harming you even if it isn't as strong as the old ladies, but so is you cat litter that has fragrances that aren't natural).  My personal favorite is Swheat scoop. It is chemical free, and biodegradable. Corn and Wheat litters also clump without the aid of Sodium silicate. 

If you choose a natural litter, you may need to change it more often. For my one cat, I only need to change it about once a day for the smell to stay away. However If I don't have much time I can go a little longer, especially if I deodorize the air with a natural air deodorizer
. 
If you are particularly concerned for you cat, and especially if that cat has had breathing problems in the past you may want to consider the pine. Wheat and Corn may have come into contact with chemicals. Some farmers are careless, and allow any number of chemicals on their fields. If the product isn't processed in a way that eliminates these chemicals then you cat may be exposed to them. This is also a concern for choosing food for yourself, but that's another topic. 


truthaboutpetfood.com  drweil.com   greenlivingonline.com   drphil.com   catsplay.com

The dangerous home.

As a wife, I want my home to be a safe place. I want it to feel homey, and comfortable. I want the smells and the sights to instill good feelings, but I also want it to be a place that Wont give the people living in my household various illnesses, like Asthma, Birth Defects, various forms of Cancer, Anemia, Skin Disorders, Death and many, many other problems. Since I'm sure most people would like this to, I decided that it is about time to start addressing the dangers of toxic chemicals in houses. This series will go beyond keeping cleaning supplies away from children, because lets face it, if you clean your floor with something toxic, and your kid is still breathing it, and it is absorbing into their skin as they roam around barefoot, then the toxins are going to still hurt them. It may not be immediate like when they drink it, but it will harm them over time. Plus, if you clean with those harmful chemicals, then you'd bettered arm yourself with a hazard suit or else you'll get problems and wont be able to take care of your child. I know cancer and the prospect of dying seams extreme, but if you continue reading my posts then hopefully you will see that this is a serious problem in our society. I will cover things like cleaning supplies, cat litter, room fresheners, laundry detergent and fabric softeners, cooking supplies like non stick pans and canned food. Also, I would like to cover beauty products, because looking beautiful shouldn't hurt, no mater what those evil ladies that wax you eyebrows say. lol. But in all seriousness, even mineral makeup can contain chemicals similar to arsenic and the loos powder is damaging to the lungs, I'm not even gonna start on fragrances...yet. I think that those evil fragrances will be covered in just about every posting (over 40 petroleum based chemicals that are very harmful in just one word. Ya, its bad).  

Easy non-dairy, vegan, and creamy as can be Tomato Soup

Made this soup last night. It was an adaption from the tomato soup in the Nordstrom's cook book. I didn't have the carrots that it called for, or the cream, so I went with what I had, and it tasted so good!

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, sliced and sauteed
• 1/4 cup of vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup of good quality olive oil (I used one that I had put spices and herbs in to flavor the oil)
• 1 tbsp of dried basil
• 2, 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes, with the juice (use 1 can per person, this recipe can take up to 6 cans, just add another 1/4 cup of broth per 2 cans of tomatoes)
• Salt and Pepper to taste. (I use unsalted tomatoes, but if you use salted then I wouldn't add any salt)
• Fresh basil, chiffonaded for garnish (to chiffonade, lay 1 basil leaf on the other, roll, and slice on the roll so that it comes in ribbons)

Directions:

   Put everything in a blender, minus the fresh basil, and puree, or put everything in a pot and puree with an immersion/wand blender. If you want cream, add 2 cups of it now. Warm on medium heat until heated through. serve and garnish with basil. 

Still need help understanding how to chiffonade? here is a video, 

This last week and one half.

Narwhal Picture, cozy kitty slipper socks, Favorite book, and grapefruit Izzy. 

Made cake, They battled.... It was a draw, then went on a night hike.
(yellow cake with butter/honey glaze 1/2 cup butter and honey heated and pored over the cake)

Tasty snack. Strawberries, honey, Greek yogurt, vanilla ban powder. 

Lentil stew with jalapeno cheddar bread for Jacob.
1/4 cup lentils cooked, 1 medium potato, 1/4 bell pepper and onion, 1/2 can tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and I think maybe oregano...

Supper Tasty!
4 cups of cooked Millet, 4 cups cooked corn, topped with  2 large tomatoes sliced,  1 onion sliced, 2bell peppers sliced, and  1green chili roasted in olive oil at 350 for 15 min. OOOOO Yummy! 

Made Banana bread with Pamela's baking mix. delish. 

Eggplant Parmesan, with spaghetti.

• 2 medium eggplant (about 2 1/4 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch-thick round slices
• Kosher salt, as needed, plus 1 tablespoon
• 5 cups fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Oil for frying
• Flour, All purpose, for dredging
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• Olive oil, as needed
• QUICK MARINARA SAUCE, recipe follows (Use what is left over from your spaghetti)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan 
• Fresh mozzarella, optional. 
• Directions:

Arrange the eggplant slices on several baking sheets and sprinkle generously all over with kosher salt. Set aside to let the bitter juices weep from the eggplant, about 1 hour.

Transfer the eggplant to a colander in the sink, and rinse well under cold running water. Transfer eggplant to a work surface and blot very dry with paper towels.

In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, breadcrumbs, oregano, thyme,and season with pepper.

Place the flour in a medium lipped plate or bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Dredge an eggplant slice in the flour, then dip it in the egg, and finally dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant. In a large straight-sided skillet, pour the oil in about 1/4 inch deep. Heat on medium, until the oil reaches about 400.  Working in small batches, fry the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.

Heat your oven to 350, and place your eggplant in a shallow baking pan. Put 2 tbsp of sauce, and 1tsp of cheese on top, or to taste. If their is any sauce left over from the spaghetti, put it around the eggplant with 1/4 cup of the drained juice from the canned tomatoes. Bake until the eggplant is soft and easily poke able with a fork. About 15min. Or, put in a warm oven for up to 1 hr. Serve with homemade spaghetti. 

Sauce:

• 2 cans of tomato sauce (unsalted) 
• 2 cans of crushed tomatoes (unsalted) Drain them and use 1/4 cup of the liquid above. 
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced.
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup of good quality olive oil. (crushed and unheated is best)
• 3 tbsp or to taste, Italian herbs. (I use a mix that I get in bulk, but you can just use 1 tbsp each of marjoram, basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.)
• Salt and pepper.

In a saucepan, heat 1tbsp of oil on medium. Put in the onion and garlic, sprinkle with salt, and saute until the onion becomes translucent. Add in everything else and bring to a slight boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 5 min to 1 hr. Depending on how much time you have. If you let it simmer longer than 1 hr, the taste will only get better, but you may need to add some tomato juice if it gets to thick. 

Vegan Oatmeal Carob Cookies

I wanted to make oatmeal cookies, but after looking through all the recipe books at my house (sadly the rest are still at my moms house) I couldn't find one. I was wanting chocolate, but I wanted something a bit different. After searching in my pantry for things to put in my cookies I noticed a lovely container of carob. "Hmmm," I said to myself, "I wonder if that would be good. I think their is instant chocolate oatmeal, so it should be good." Thus I preceded to type it into google. To my somewhat surprise I found a recipe for Vegan Oatmeal Carob Cookies. You can finde that recipe here. I switched out the brown sugar for 1/2 cup fructose and 2tsp maple syrup (you can use molasses. I just didn't have any), the soymilk for an almond alternative, and the vegetable oil for light olive oil (doesn't have the olive taste, and I can get it cheep in bulk).  They turned out pretty good, but I think that next time I will add 1/4 cup of apple sauce just so that they come out a bit fluffier and a little more moist.