When we were in San Francisco, I picked up the May 2008 edition of Common Ground magazine and found this interesting list of stats compiled by Jenny Rough. I found them really interesting and in some cases quite crazy (like the 2nd one!). They will make you think.

1.4 million
Americans who suffer from hoarding or clutter.

80
Percentage of things Americans own that they never use.

300 Million
Number of shoes thrown into landfills in the U.S. each year (donate them to www.giveshoes.org instead).

11
Percentage of retired personal computers that were recycled in 2001 (visit www.techsoup.com for info on donating computer hardware).

75
Percent of employed people of recycle at home (yet only 49 percent recycle at work).

5
Number of items needed for “zen-cleansing” (baking soda, borax, lemon, salt, and white vinegar).

25
Percent more headaches experienced by pregnant women who use air fresheners and aerosol cans at home.

92 Billion
Number of plastic bags grocery stores and pharmacies go through each year (San Francisco was the first U.S. city to ban large grocery stores and pharmacies from using them).

Sources: treehugger.com, soles4souls.org, techsoup.org, Rastad USA survey, The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing, New Scientist, Newsweek.

Photo credit: Flickr/strph

Hello friends. I apologize for being gone for so long! It’s been a crazy couple of weeks…we are still getting settled, my mom flew in from Des Moines and was here all week, we don’t have a consistent Internet connection, and well, I’ve been busy living life. Please don’t fret if I’m not “keeping up” with my blog. I have lots of ideas…but not a lot of free time. Thanks for your patience!

I’d like to share a few of my thoughts on cleaning products…both for home and for body. The cleaning product industry is BIG business. Just walk into Target or any drugstore and count how many items you have to choose from to clean your floor. Or you face. Or you toilet. It’s madness. Even the natural cleaning market is easy to get sucked into. There is a better way!

Natural Home
About a year ago, I decided that I wanted my house to be completely safe…and I didn’t want to spend a lot of money doing it. I gave away all of my old cleaners…Lysol, Clorox Wipes, 409 spray, etc. It was amazing how much space I had under my sinks and in my closets after they were gone. I replaced it all with a simple spray bottle of vinegar, water, Dr. Bronner’s, and essential oils. I use this mixture as a multi-purpose spray for everything. For windows, I use straight vinegar and wipe with newspapers. For scrubbing the counter, sinks, tubs, and toilet, I use baking soda and essential oils.

I love letting Bella help me clean now (and she loves it too) because I know there is nothing that could hurt her. She sprays and I wipe…we’re a great team. There is no way I would have ever let her help when I was using traditional cleaners. I have noticed that I am much more sensitive to the harsh smell of cleansers now that I don’t use them. I usually have to tell hotel staff to not clean the bathroom while we are there because the chemicals are much to strong.

When you make the change to natural cleansers, the first thing you might notice is that they don’t “smell clean” like you are used to. There is no bleach smell. No chlorine. No watery eyes, itchy skin…no turning the fans on and opening the windows. You may get a slight vinegar scent, but it fades quickly. The smell of the cleaner is not what cleans…don’t be deceived

I also think that we, as a culture, have become so phobic about germs, etc. There is no need for artificial anti-bacterial soaps, sprays, etc. They actually hurt your body’s natural ability to fight bacteria. Plain ‘ol soap and water is the best defense again spreading germs.

Adding essential oils to your cleansers is so fun…because you can choose your scents! I especially like tea tree oil for it’s natural anti-bacterial power and lavender for it’s soothing scent. Lemon, peppermint, rosemary, and sweet orange are also high on my list. The sky is the limit…there are so many options.

I stick with a very basic concoction…I just fill a spray bottle up about 1/4 way with white vinegar, add a little Dr. Bronner’s (so many scents to choose from there as well), add my essential oils (just a few drops) and fill the rest up with water. That’s it. Simple. One bottle.
If you need a “recipe”, check out this site. And more here. They have everything from furniture polish to drain cleaner to air fresheners.

I use a natural soap for washing dishes. I will be switching to my own mixture for laundry soon. Here are the recipes I am checking out. Baking soda is an amazing help in the laundry room and everywhere else. Being that we don’t use bleach, our whites tend to look a little dingy. Sunning is a great natural way to bleach things. Even in the winter, you can lay or hang things in sunny windows. We don’t have a dishwasher right now…but please be aware that traditional dishwasher detergent is one of the most poisonous items in your home. Go natural!

There is a huge market for all natural cleansers…but they are SUPER expensive. I do purchase them sometimes…but there really isn’t a need. If you read the ingredients, you will see that all it is is exactly what you can make at home. You can make wonderful, inexpensive cleansers for pennies.

Natural Body
Shampoos and conditioners have insane amounts of disgusting things in them. I can hardly believe that our government allows us to purchase some of these items and put them on our delicate bodies! Some of the main ingredients to avoid are sodium laurel sulfate and any parabens. Yucky!

Your skin is your largest organ and it drinks in everything you put on it. I like the rule “If you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your body!”. You can check your own beauty products here. There are 8 ingredients/chemicals that have been outlawed in America, but over 1,000 that have been outlawed in Europe. I urge you to do your own research on the ingredients in your makeup, shampoos, soaps, etc. If you aren’t scared, alarmed, and angered…something is wrong with you. However, if you have trouble believing it…it might be because there are billions of dollars spent on commercials to tell you otherwise. You will find contradictory information on everything, but you have to think for yourself and make the best decision for you and your family. There is a lot of money at stake…if everyone switched to natural body care, the beauty product business would be in a lot of trouble. I’m sure someone is making sure that doesn’t happen. It’s always about the bottom line.

What are the options? Natural shampoos and conditioners. Pure bar soaps for shampoo or body. Many people go without soap altogether because it’s so drying. Hot water and a wash cloth work great. Pure toothpastes (fluoride is poisonous …I’m not crazy…do your research). You can use baking soda for toothpaste, flavored with essential oils. You can use Dr. Bronner’s to brush your teeth as well…it’s very sudsy, but it works. The other (and I think better) option is to go completely natural and use baking soda to “wash” your hair and apple cider vinegar to rinse. You can also use honey and other foods to condition. It’s wonderful.

As for face washing routines…I use the oil method. I’m sure many of you have heard of it or use the same thing. Basically, you wash your face with oil…because oil dissolves oil. It’s the best face cleansing “system” I’ve ever used…and I’ve tried MANY. My skin is acne prone and oily and this really helps to keep blackheads under control. Here is how you do it:

• Combine 1 part extra virgin olive oil (organic is best because pesticides are concentrated in fats) to 1 part castor oil and add whatever essential oils you want. I like tea tree oil and lavender. Store it in an airtight glass container. If your skin is super oil, you may want to increase the amount of castor oil…to keep it lighter.
• Tie all your hair back and have a wash cloth handy. Pour a liberal amount of the oil mixture into your hand and then start massaging it onto your face. Think of it as a mini-facial. Massage the oil into your skin for 30 seconds – 1 minute.
  
• Wet the wash cloth with STEAMING hot water. Ring it out and lay it on your face. When it cools, do it again. And again. You’re steaming out the impurities. Just be sure to make the water as hot as you can stand. Sometimes I’ll just sit on the bathroom floor with the wash cloth on my face and enjoy my facial.
• Rinse the wash cloth out and use it to wipe the oil off of your face. Be sure to get all of it…especially on the jaw and hairline. This is the part that exfoliates…your skin will be silky smooth!
• Splash more hot water on your face and pat dry.
  
• Use extra moisturizer after your done if you want…you can just use a small drop of the oil and rub it in your hands and then on your face as well.

I was hesitant to use this at first because I thought it would make my face more oily, but it doesn’t at all. It’s wonderful and my skin is amazingly soft and glowing. It does take more time and energy, but it’s worth it.

Another wonderful, cleansing practice is dry brushing. I first heard of it when I was on my raw food kick last summer, and I love it. Check it out.

It’s really easy to make your own lip balm, lotions, salves, etc. But if you want to buy them…one of my favorite sources is Prairieland Herbs. I have met the mother and daughter who make and sell the products and they are wonderful. I love the lotion bars and the cheek gloss. The soaps that they sell on the site are amazing too.

The only mainstream brand I will buy is Aubrey Organics (if I do buy something…which is not very often). All of my research shows that they are the purest and “cleanest” brand out there.

Please be aware that the phrase “natural” is not regulated by the FDA. Any company can put “natural” in their advertising and get away with it. Even many of the brands you can find at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and your local health food store contain the ingredients I have told you about. Be sure to read labels…and then read them again! If it’s a long list of unpronounceable ingredients…don’t buy it!

There is a lot of information here…and it can be a bit overwhelming. Try not to become cynical…it’s easy to just dismiss it and say “well, everything is toxic…who cares?!”. But please consider how many times a day you put on that chemical lip gloss, and the 12 gels and lotions and concoctions when you’re getting ready in the morning. Every day…for your entire life. There are so many cancerous chemicals that we willingly put on our bodies. Educating yourself is the first step.

Go check out your bathroom right now…and make the choice to go natural!

Back by popular demand…a “re-print” of “Choose Cloth” (newly updated):

Over the last couple of years, we have slowly been getting rid of everything that is disposable in our house. In a society that is obsessed with disposable everything…sometimes I feel like an odd ball. But hey, what’s new? The progression has been as follows:

PAPER TOWELS: These were the first thing to go. They were expensive and I was addicted to them. I just bought a few more cloth towels and I grab them for everything. We have darker towels for staining spills.

PAPER NAPKINS: We didn’t use these a lot to begin with, but I switched to all cloth napkins after I found the cutest little red ones with stars. Adorable. Now I have several sets and I *love* using them at every meal.

DISPOSABLE DIAPERS: We cloth diapered Bella from day one. It’s one of the most enjoyable things about being a mama so far. They are so adorable, healthy, and easy to use. Love them.

FEMININE PRODUCTS: After I had Bella, I started to use what many affectionately call “mama cloth”. Basically, reusable feminine hygeine products. I have a GREAT set of reusable hemp pads. After I get my period back I will switch to using The Keeper or The Diva Cup. And for those of you that are saying “ooooh gross!”. Get over it…have you ever researched what is in a tampon? Sick.

TOILET PAPER: Our latest switch has been from paper to cloth toilet paper. This was definitely not a hard thing because we are already using cloth wipes on Bella (the cloth wipes we have are so soft and wonderful…most are made of flannel and velour or sherpa…2-ply). Before I decided to do this, I was intimidated because I didn’t quite understand the logistics of it all. So, in order to help some of you “get it”…I will explain further and offer a pictoral description of the setup.

Basically, we have dry and wet wipes. Dry for pee, wet for poop. The wet wipes are in a wipes warmer on the back of the toilet. I put them in there every day with a solution of water, apricot oil, Dr. Bronner’s soap, tea tree oil, and lavender oil. It’s a lovely smell…much more fun than plain ‘ol scratchy toilet paper! The dry wipes are just next to that on the toilet. I will eventually get a cute wire basket for the dry wipes. After you are done using the wipe, you just throw it in the wet bag hanging next to the toilet. Update since this photo was taken: The wipes are now in a basket in a drawer next to the toilet. Easy as pie. Here it is:

I know some of you have just vowed never to use the bathroom at my house ever again. But never fear, I will keep ONE roll of regular TP for my less “natural” guests. We do have one last box of tissues right now, but will just use the cloth wipes for that as well. And please don’t worry about the sanitary issues…everything is washed in super hot water with soap, baking soda, and the occasional vinegar rinse.

GROCERY BAGS: I bring my own bags to the grocery store. I LOVE my string bags from Reusable Bags. Ecobags is good too. Many grocery stores will give you a small credit for bringing your own.

All in all, switching our house to completely cloth has been a GREAT experience…one that is environmentally sound, and also financially sound. We save SO much money by not buying disposable stuff.

I still have a few more changes to make. I would like to get sets of cutlery and plates to take to events where I know there will be disposable dinnerware. I don’t do take out a lot, but if my restaurants were more eco-friendly, I would also get the stainless stell food carrier so they could just put it in there instead of the disposable boxes. The first time I heard about this, I was so excited. It was when I was visiting the Ecopolitan in Minneapolis. They asked me if I had brought in my own take out containers or did I need to purchase one from them. I did have to purchase one, but it was a recycled, compostable container. I love that place!

I also need to better at bringing my own travel mug to coffee shops. I have probably filled a landfill with all of the to-go cups I’ve drank from and tossed in the garbage 5 minutes later…so wasteful!

Re-evaulate your choices today…and choose cloth/re-usable!

If you would like to read another blog about this topic, check out my friend Sarah. She is a swell gal. She has her own business, Wallypop, and makes great stuff. Here it is.