Natural Home Products

As winter recedes and the sun begins to shine, more people are enjoying the outdoors.  This is a great time to start your spring cleaning; tidy up your yard, do a little pruning in the garden, and scrub the dirt and grime from your porch or sundeck.  Your home and gutters may also need a little scrubbing to brighten up your home.  When cleaning outdoors it is important to choose an all natural cleaning product that will not harm your grass or landscaping, and will not harm the environment as it gets washed down the drain.

There are many effective, environmentally friendly, all natural cleaning products available on the market today.  Many of these natural cleaning products are non-toxic, biodegradable, and made from renewable resources (not petroleum).  Most dirt can be washed away with a little water and some scrubbing; add a little natural soap and baking soda for the gritty stuff.  When dealing with mould or tough dirt and grime, you may need to choose a tough cleaning, but all natural, general purpose cleaner or a natural oxygenated bleach.  Natural oxygenated bleach contains high concentrations of sodium percarbonate (a natural mineral bleaching agent) and is an environmentally and ecologically safe alternative to chlorine bleach products.  Whatever the job at hand, choosing safe, natural cleaning products will get the job done without harming your grass, landscaping, or the environment.   Natural cleaning products are safe to use , safe for your family and they will leave your home looking fresh and clean.

While it may get your whites whiter, chlorine bleach is hardly a healthy product to use.  Chlorine bleach, also known as sodium hypochlorite, is a highly caustic product that can cause eye, nose, and skin irritation, and can be fatal if swallowed.  And, when Chlorine is mixed with other cleaning products, the chemical reaction can be hazardous. Toxic chloramines gases are formed when chlorine is mixed with cleaning products that contain ammonia, and toxic chlorine gases are formed when chlorine is mixed with acids such as those found in most toilet bowl cleaners.  Chlorine Bleach is responsible for a variety of environmental issues.  When released into waterways, chlorine bleach can create organochlorines (a reproductive, neurological, and immune system toxin and suspected carcinogen) and contaminate drinking water.   While most detergents use sodium perborate, another common type of bleach; sodium perborate is also a skin, eye and respiratory irritant and is dangerous if ingested.

The good news is that there are better ways to bleach.  There are many common, safe products that you can use for natural whitening and brightening.  According to The National Geographic’s Green Guide you can boost your detergent’s cleaning power and remove odours by  adding one half cup of baking soda or washing soda (two related minerals) along with your detergent.  You can remove stubborn stains by soaking fabrics in water mixed with borax, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, or white vinegar.  National Geographic suggests that when you are choosing store-bought whiteners, look for products labelled “non-chlorine bleach”.  Look for alternatives that contain either hydrogen peroxide or sodium percarbonate (an environmentally-friendly mixture of washing soda and hydrogen peroxide).  Choosing natural cleaners with safe ingredients is a healthy choice; healthy for you to use and safe for the environment.

While many laundry detergents promise “safe” and “gentle” cleaning and a “fresh” scent, experts have raised the red flag on many of the ingredients contained in conventional laundry detergents, suspecting them of causing short term health risks and of causing long-term harm.  Conventional laundry products contain a range of chemical compounds that can irritate your skin and eyes, trigger allergic reactions or asthma, and damage the environment.  While there are a lack of long-term studies on these cleaning compounds, scientists suspect that some of these chemicals cause cancer, while others disrupt the endocrine system and can interfere with human and wildlife reproductive health.   Some of the chemical compounds you should avoid in laundry detergents include:

Chlorine – found primarily in laundry bleach, but is also found in some detergents, chlorine vapours are known to irritate the lungs, eyes, and mucous membranes and can trigger respiratory disorders and damage the environment.

Optical brighteners - used to brighten or whiten fabrics, many optical brighteners come from benzene, a highly toxic compound and carcinogen that can cause allergic reactions when it comes into contact with the skin.  It is also harmful to wildlife and the environment.

Surfactants –  these compounds create the bubbles and suds in laundry detergents. The most commonly used surfactants, alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs) are classified as endocrine disruptors.

Fragrances -  the chemicals that give conventional laundry detergents their fresh scent can irritate skin, cause allergic reactions and trigger asthma.  Some ingredients are known carcinogens and many fragrances contain Phthalates, and should be avoided.

There are healthier alternatives to these chemical compounds.  Instead of chlorine, look for a natural laundry detergent containing Hydrogen Peroxide, which breaks down into water and oxygen, or that uses Sodium Percarbonate, made by combining hydrogen peroxide with sodium carbonate (a nontoxic mineral).  These healthier alternatives brighten your whites as effectively as chlorine, without the negative health or environmental implications. Instead of optical brightening chemicals, choose a product using natural enzyme cultures to remove stains safely. Also, a detergent using surfactants derived from corn, coconut, and soy to create gentle sudsing action will have much less impact on the environment and human health.  Look for an unscented natural cleaning products or if you prefer a naturally scented laundry detergent look for a product containing natural essential oils or citrus oils to add a fresh, light scent to your laundry. While some natural laundry products cost a bit more than conventional brands, they are well worth it.  High quality, natural laundry detergents will provide a healthy cleaning, leaving your clothes both fresh and clean.

As the amount and variety of chemical compounds used for household cleaning continues to grow, so to should our concern for the increasing contamination to our environment.  As greater varieties of synthetic industrial and household chemicals are being developed and are being used more frequently, the environment is becoming increasingly contaminated by the pollution these chemicals create.  The synthetic chemicals made today do not easily break down into the harmless bits of organic matter that other natural materials do.  Instead, they resist decomposition, and once these persistent chemicals are introduced into our air, water, and soil, they remain in the environment for longer periods of time and accumulate in increasingly greater amounts.

 In our efforts to provide a safe and clean home, we are unintentionally adding chemicals to our environment faster than our environment, and Mother Nature, can break them down and remove them.  The accumulation of persistent household chemicals in our environment is growing rapidly, and people are encountering higher amounts of unseen chemical pollution much more often in the course of daily life.  If we do not want this increasing toxic load to be this generation’s legacy, we must reduce our use of these chemical compounds.  Choosing organic, natural cleaning products is one of the quickest and easiest ways of reducing chemicals in our homes.  With an increasing variety of natural and organic household cleaners available, simple choices on the products we use to wash our floors or do our laundry or dishes, can add up to a healthier home and environment for our family.

The start of a new year is a great time for new beginnings.  If you have been thinking of going green, make 2010 your year!  There are so many great books available on greening your home and your lifestyle; it is definitely worth a trip to your local library to check it out. Also, you can pick up some great tips on the web.  Here are a few of the top Green New Year’s resolutions I have found posted for 2010.  To green your 2010:

1. Stop using plastic bags – remember your re-usable shopping bags and you may be ahead of the curve if plastic ones become outlawed in your community.
2. Plant some trees – in your back yard or the community at large. More trees will help us all breathe a little easier.
3. Cut back on driving your car. If you have public transportation options available to you, try switching to the train or bus one day a week or organize a once-a-week carpool with your neighbours or coworkers. You’ll save on fuel, tolls, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by removing cars from the road. If you can walk to work or to run your errands, even better. You’ll get in shape and reduce carbon emissions.
4. Upgrade to energy efficient appliances and remember to turn off all power sources not in use.
5. Consume less this year. While our purchases keep the economy going, most of us buy far more than we need. Ask yourself if you REALLY need what you are purchasing, or is it (and all the packaging) just destined for the landfill. Reduce, re-use and recycle!
6. Buy local. Take the time to consider if your meal came from the farm or from a factory. Buying local food may not only be healthier, it reduces your carbon footprint – think of how many miles your food has traveled, how many chemicals were used, and how much pollution and waste have been generated in your foods production.
7. Clean green and reduce the chemicals in your home. Learn to make your own natural cleaning solutions from common ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, and borax – or switch to organic cleaning products. Using less harmful chemicals in your home is not only good for the environment; it is healthier for your family.

Small steps can lead to big changes.  Taking the time to learn more about the environment and issues that affect the health and well being of our earth and families is great way to start. Wishing you all a Happy & Green New Year!

Our degree of exposure to household allergens, irritants, and chemicals is far greater today than in previous generations.  We generally spend more time indoors and our homes are far more airtight (and energy efficient) than in previous generations.  The array of household pollutants has also increased over the past decade.  The air quality in your home may be compromised by lead (in old paints and in house dust), radon, formaldehyde, fire-retardants, and a host of volatile chemicals found in a variety of fragranced products and from common household cleaners. Add to this mix a variety of allergens from microscopic dust mites, mould, and pet dander.   Some pollutants are tracked into the home, while some arrive via new furniture, carpet cleaners, or a coat of paint on the walls.

There are several risk factors that can lead to indoor air pollution, and a full assessment of your indoor air quality could reveal a surprising array of indoor pollutants.  A quick and inexpensive test of radon levels is a good way to start assessing your indoor air quality. Radon is a radioactive gas that has been linked to higher incidence of lung cancer. Radon comes from the natural decay of uranium found in nearly all soils and typically moves into your home through cracks and holes in the homes foundation. Granite countertops have also been linked to radon and should be tested.

Mould and Mildew can also be a significant source of indoor air pollution.  To keep mould and mildew under control, you should keep your home’s humidity at a healthy level, between 30 – 50%.  We must also be careful not to add any chemicals to the air.  The chemicals used in air fresheners as well as the synthetic fragrances in laundry products emit dozens of different chemicals into the air.  If the air in your home does not smell as fresh as it should, consider opening a window and letting in some fresh air rather than spraying a synthetic “air freshener”.  Look for fragrance-free or naturally-scented laundry products and consider switching to milder organic cleaning products that do not include artificial fragrances. Also consider putting a stop to using aerosol sprays – deodorants, hair sprays, carpet cleaners, furniture polish, and air fresheners. Let the fresh air in!  And it goes without saying, if your aim is clean air; make your home a no-smoking zone.

Retrofitting homes to make old homes more energy efficient makes good sense.  Saving energy is good for both the pocket book and for the environment.  But reducing the air exchange with the outdoors also helps to keep indoor pollutants indoors.  Indoor allergens and irritants have become much more important in recent years as we are generally spending more time indoors and with modern homes being more airtight, these irritants can’t easily escape.  Our degree of exposure to household allergens and irritants is far greater today than in previous generations.  To ensure our good health and well being, we must take action to ensure good indoor air quality.

The air inside your home may be polluted by lead (in old paints and in house dust), radon, formaldehyde, fire-retardants, and a host of volatile chemicals from fragrances and from common household cleaners. Add to this mix a variety of allergens from microscopic dust mites, mould, and pet dander.   Some pollutants are tracked into the home, while some arrive via  new furniture, carpet cleaners, or a coat of paint on the walls.

Cleaning your home of these allergens has never been more important than it is today.  Use all natural cleaners if you do not know what chemicals are in your cleaning products.  You will be breathing these chemicals long after the cleanup is done. Look for fragrance-free or naturally-scented laundry products and consider switching to mild cleaners that don’t include artificial fragrances.  Taking extra steps to reduce the chemicals in our homes is the first step to improving indoor air quality.

Unfortunately, the household cleaning products market is saturated with synthetic chemicals that can be hazardous to humans. Some are even derived from petroleum, which means that they are not only dangerous but also unsustainable. It’s a wonder that these products are even available on store shelves when all-natural alternatives are just as effective for most cleaning purposes.

Eco friendly cleaners have the power to restore surfaces to their natural lustrous sheen. By utilizing potent, plant-based ingredients, these cleaners are not only safer, but they also have absolutely no harmful effects on the environment. In order to ensure that your household cleaning products are safe, consult the side of the bottle for an ingredients list.

The sun is shining and now you can enjoy dining and entertaining on your sundeck.  But preparing your sundeck to look its best is no easy task.  Weather you have a wash and wear surface on your patio, or you are preparing to restore a wood sundeck, cleaning your deck is the single most important step in having your deck look its best.   

The cleaning agent you use to clean your sundeck can have a large impact on the job at hand.  If you are using a chemical cleaner, it can also have a huge impact on the environment.  One of the simplest remedies available today is to clean your deck with a natural oxygenated bleach.  An environmentally and ecologically safe alternative to chlorine bleach products, natural oxygenated bleach contains high concentrations of sodium percarbonate (a natural mineral bleaching agent).  If you are restoring a wood deck, natural oxygen rich bleach will remove stains from discoloured wood and your deck will look almost new.  It will also safely remove stains like grease and mildew from deck surfaces.   The greatest part of using all natural cleaning products like this is that it will not harm your grass or landscaping.  Safe to use, safe for your family and it will leave your deck looking its best!

There aren’t many days that go by without using some kind of dishwashing detergent. Whether you’re doing a few dishes in the sink or you’re putting on an entire load of dishes, that’s a lot of potential toxins that we’re pumping into the water system everyday. Just think how many chemicals and detrimental additives that adds up to when you consider that practically everyone is using the same amount of dishwashing soaps on a daily basis.

So if you’re concerned with helping contribute to a cleaner environment, make the switch to natural dishwasher detergent. This type of soap doesn’t contain the chemicals that some dishwashing soap contains, and as such, they are safer to enter into the general water supply. They are also safer for the marine life once it actually hits that water supply. It’s one of those small changes that is easy to implement in your life but can make a big difference.