Natural Home Products

Today’s well stocked kitchen comes with many modern conveniences and a lot of high end cooking equipment.  Storing everything you need for your well stocked kitchen is another matter entirely.  One thing a person can never have enough of is kitchen storage space!

Every kitchen has some key areas were you may need to maximize storage. Drawer organizers are a necessity for every kitchen, keeping silverware and odds and ends neatly arranged and accessible.  And don’t let your food storage containers take over your kitchen, use nestable and stackable glass storage containers to keep things healthy and simple.  Glass storage containers, such as Pyrex, are a great choice because they are multifunctional, going from fridge or freezer, to the oven or microwave, and straight to the table.  Other great storage ideas include baker’s racks, hanging fruit baskets, recipe boxes, and spice racks.  Appliance garages have also become popular as home owners strive to keep blenders, mixers, juicers and other small appliances covered and out of sight. In today’s modern home, there is no question that adequate kitchen storage is essential, no matter the size of the kitchen.

The bleak colors of winter can have us all craving a little more color in our lives.  Some bright red will get your heart warming; some relaxing greens; or some bright and sunny yellows to brighten up your mood.  The psychology of color is fascinating.  Color can affect how we feel, it can impact our moods, and it can literally set a tone (or palette if you’d like) that colors the backdrop of our day. 

Adding a little color to your home can help to set the appropriate mood. And while color choice is a very personal matter, being aware of the impact that color has on your mood can help you to pick just the right color for your indoor space. Yellow colors are warm and welcoming, in an attention- getting way. Green is a relaxing color that instils calmness.  While Red instils feelings of intimacy and passion it also packs a wallop, physiologically speaking, increasing blood pressure, heartbeat, energy and appetite in most people. Orange, like red, tends to warm, but in a friendlier, welcoming way. Blue is part of the cool color palette and makes us feel calm and tranquil and blue can be an appetite suppressant. Purple is a tricky color, psychologically speaking. Many adults dislike purples (being more fond of the rose family of colors) while young children, on the other hand, respond favourably to violet.

Choosing color to add to your room is a very personal matter.  You can add a lot of color to a room by painting and decorating, or you may just want to add a splash of color with accessories.  Add colour by placing a colourful vase and flowers in your dining room, some new bamboo towels in the bathroom, maybe even a colourful bedspread will help to set the mood. Be aware of the impact that color can have on your mood before you pick up that paint brush or purchase your accessories and you can set the appropriate mood for your indoor space.

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.