Green and Clean

Earth Day has since gone and past; I'm wondering ~ what did everyone do for Earth Day? Did it make a big change in your life?


Some of my friends planted trees, others decided to use natural solutions for cleaning, etc. I have a couple of different articles I'd like to share. Originally I was going to post this as the "Toxic Generation" (primarily based on an email my Dad sent to me and some research into the matter of plastic). Now, this post is a combination of Toxic problems and Helpful Solutions.

First, a quick article about 3 issues items most people talk about, then the article/thoughts about plastic and last ~ some natural solutions to cleaning.

Sorry if it's green overload!


One particular Earth Day article stated there are so many "green" choices that can be made ~ one can feel overwhelmed. People start worrying about small stuff and don't make it to suggestions that can make a difference. "Instead focus on the areas where your actions will make the most difference. Making changes in what you eat, the way you get around, and how you use energy at home (and work) will have the biggest impact on the planet."

Greg probably won't like the next part of the article, because whenever I take out a plastic cup to drink from he says, "You know the quote, one second against your lips and a lifetime in a landfill." We have a lot of plastic cups left over from the wedding, given we didn't originally have plans for catering.

The article states, "Don't stress about these three classic choices because they don't make much of a difference:

Cloth or disposable diapers? All diapers have an environmental impact. Cloth diapers are typically made from conventional cotton and require energy, water and harsh detergents to wash them. There are greener alternatives, such as organic cotton, but in general, one choice is not better than the other.

Paper or plastic bag? Like diapers, it's a toss up. Producing paper bags is energy and water intensive. Plastic bags are made from oil and can harm wildlife when they make their way into large bodies of water. Carry your own reusable bag when you can.

Disposable cup or ceramic mug? It's not a "major sin against environment to use an occasional paper or plastic cup," according to The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical Advice From the Union of Concerned Scientists. The group says throwaway cups take a little space in landfills and don't require much energy to make. Use that mug when you can but don't feel guilty when you don't." (Greg, honey, don't make that face!)


"Toxic Generation Post" -

A product of the "throw away generation" ~ I don't think of plastic and its hazards. Dad recently sent me an article and the wheels started to turn. I'm sure that most of you know not to put plastic in the microwave, right? Because of the toxins that can be released and leached into the food that you eat.

Did you know that there are levels of plastic safety and it can be found within a number? These are the symbols that you want to be on the lookout for.

In layman's terms:

Level 3 can leach bad stuff, known male reproductive toxicants. Not a good idea if you have plans for a family, hmm?

Level 6 is used in Styrofoam products, which is a nasty thing already for the environment. Level six releases neurotoxin when it comes into contact with hot, acidic or fatty foods. Let's not even go into how many fatty foods are on the market right now. Might as well say any food is bad food for Level 6.

Level 7 ~ This is what was written: "can leach an endocrine disrupter associated with a long list of health concerns." How vague can vague be ~ "long list of health concerns" - sounds like someone said, "Look, don't list everything, because it'll really freak out the people, just say it's a long list and they'll live in ignorant bliss." Sounds like this should never be used with the general public, right? I mean, we wouldn't use Level 7 for baby bottles, sippy cups, water jugs and reusable beverage bottles would we? But it's true. Those items fit into this level. Darn scary, if you ask me!

Levels 1, 2, 4 and 5 are considered "safest for food storage." But glass and stainless steel are good options.


"Safest for food storage" ~ let's visit this for a while. I did some further research after reading the article Dad sent.

After some digging, Level 1, a "safe" level ~ if you repeatedly use this storage or if the quality isn't good, (which, by the way, "good quality" isn't defined) this plastic may cause the leaching of DEHA, a known human carcinogen. (Define Carcinogen: "a Cancer-causing substance) The other "safe" levels aren't as widely recycled, so there seems to be some unknown factors there.

What does appear in my brief research ~ is a lot of controversy of what is "acceptable" ingestion. Ehhh, that breaks down to me as - gee, what's acceptable to HARM an individual. How much damage can we get away with before someone notices this crap?

Do YOU feel like being a guinea pig while the researchers figure it out? Makes me think about my Dad and his generation ~ it was the "cool" thing to smoke when he was young and it was advertised that smoking was safe. We all know how THAT turned out. (Thank You, Dad, for quitting cold turkey all those years ago. I love you and want you around for a long, long time!)

Now, here's the scary part, have you looked at all the plastic in your life? Did you know there's plastic liner inside aluminum cans, which means soda, canned tuna, canned tomatoes, etc, are items of plastic offense? Do you like your yogurt with a side of plastic? What about the containers that hold milk? Our breads are even wrapped in it and what did you give away for Halloween to all those adorable little children? A side of plastic wrapped around each individual chocolate morsel. Don't even look at the frozen food section of the grocery store!

I realize, of course, that the world isn't going to stop using plastic. But what if you could make ONE change? What about looking at other container options? How about making your own food, such as yogurt and bread instead and then storing it safely?

Are any of you willing to change one small thing in life to get away from plastics? I don't feel like being a guinea pig, though I fear I'm already a Throw Away Society member. There's has to be a better way. There has to be a way to get Back to the Basics.

Why do I have the sneaky feeling that after Greg reads that toxic generation post that all of the plastic will disappear? HMMM

To help get "Back to the Basics" ~ the following are a list of natural items that can be used for cleaning. Though, I'm not so sure I'm willing to put toothpaste on my piano keys. If anyone has any other suggestions or ideas, please feel free to add them in the comments!



Lemons


The acid in lemon juice removes dirt and rust stains. It's especially effective when mixed with salt, which makes "an excellent scouring paste," says Karyn Siegel-Maier, author of The Naturally Clean Home (Storey Publishing, $13, amazon.com).
Price: About 50 cents a lemon.


Use Them to Clean Your…


Countertops: Dip the cut side of a lemon half in baking soda to tackle countertops; wipe with a wet sponge and dry. Don't use on delicate stone, like marble, or stainless steel (it may discolor).


Cutting boards: To remove tough food stains from light wood and plastic cutting boards, slice a lemon in half, squeeze onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing.


Dishes: To increase the grease-cutting power of your dishwashing detergent, add a teaspoon of lemon juice.


Faucets: Combat lime scale by rubbing lemon juice onto the taps and letting it sit overnight. Wipe with a damp cloth.


Garbage disposal: Cut a lemon in half, then run both pieces through the disposal. "The lemon cleans it and makes it smell great," says Linda Mason Hunter, a coauthor of Green Clean (Melcher Media, $17, amazon.com).


Grout: Spilled morning coffee on your tile countertop or backsplash? Here's how to tackle grout stains: Add lemon juice to 1 or 2 teaspoons cream of tartar (an acidic salt that acts as a natural bleaching agent) to make a paste. Apply with a toothbrush, then rinse.


Hands: When you touch raw fish, the smell can linger on your fingers. Rub your hands with lemon juice, which will neutralize the odor.


Laundry: To brighten whites, add 1/2 cup lemon juice to the rinse cycle for a normal-size load.


Plastic food-storage containers: To bleach stains from tomato soup and other acidic foods on dishwasher-safe items, rub lemon juice on the spots, let dry in a sunny place, then wash as usual.


Shower doors: Wipe scum-covered glass doors with a few drops of lemon oil twice a month. It will protect them from grime buildup.


Toilets: Add 2 teaspoons tea-tree oil and 2 cups water to a spray bottle. Shake, then spritz along the toilet's inside rim. Let sit for 30 minutes; scrub. You can also place a few drops of your favorite oil on the inside of the toilet-paper tube. "Every time the paper is used, the scent will be released," says Siegel-Maier.


Windows: Mix 2 ounces water and 10 drops lavender or lemongrass oil to wipe grime off windows. Bonus: These oils may repel flies.


Cooking Oils


Vegetable- and plant-based oils, such as olive and sunflower, dislodge dirt, diminish scratches and imperfections, and "hydrate wood that has aged or dried out from exposure to the sun," says Hunter.
Price: About $7 a pint at supermarkets.


Use Them to Clean Your…


Cast-iron pans: Make a scrubbing paste with vegetable oil and a teaspoon of coarse salt to combat cooked-on debris, then rinse with hot water.


Hands: To get paint off your skin, rub with vegetable oil, then wash thoroughly with soap.


Leather shoes: Wipe away dirt with a damp sponge, then apply a drop of vegetable oil to a soft cloth and rub the surface to remove scuff marks. Buff the shoes with a chamois to a shine.


Rattan and wicker furniture: To prevent rattan and wicker from drying or cracking, lightly brush them with vegetable or sunflower oil and gently rub in with a cloth. Warm the oil on the stove first to thin it and make it easier to apply.


Stainless-steel surfaces: For extra sparkle, pour olive oil onto a cloth and buff.


Wood furniture: Make your own polish by mixing 2 cups olive or vegetable oil with the juice of 1 lemon; work it in with a soft cloth. To smooth out scratches in light-colored wood, rub them with a solution of equal parts olive or vegetable oil and lemon juice.


Borax


When added to a laundry wash, borax makes detergents even more effective. It's also "quite alkaline, so it kills mold and fungus and softens water," says Robert Wolke, Ph.D., author of What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained (W.W. Norton& Company, $16, amazon.com).
Price: About $5 for 4 pounds at supermarkets.


Use It to Clean Your…


Baseboards, countertops, and walls: Dissolve 1/2 cup borax in 1 gallon hot water and pour the solution into a spray bottle (which you can store for later use). Spritz generously, wipe down with a damp cloth, and let air-dry.


China (including hand painted): Soak china in a dishpan filled with warm water and 1/2 cup borax; rinse well.


Dishwasher: If the machine is smelling like last night's chicken cacciatore, sprinkle borax in the bottom, let it sit overnight, then wipe down with a damp sponge. No need to rinse; just run the next load.


Pots and pans: Rub borax into cookware with a damp sponge; rinse well.


Toilet: Pour borax in the bowl and let it sit overnight, says Annie Bond, author of Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers Press, $19, amazon.com). Swish the bowl a few times with a toilet brush and flush the next day. "Borax really gets rid of rust stains," she says.


Vinegar


This acidic wonder can wipe out tarnish, soap scum, mineral deposits, and more. Among natural cleaners, it's the clear champ. Distilled white vinegar creates an environment that inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, and some bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella, says Jeffrey Hollender, author of Naturally Clean (New Society Publishers, $18, amazon.com).
Price: About $1.80 for a quart at supermarkets.


Use It to Clean Your…


Coffeemaker: Pour equal parts vinegar and water into the machine's water chamber, then switch on the brew cycle. Halfway through, turn off the coffeemaker and let the solution sit for about an hour. Turn it on again to complete the cycle, then run several cycles with clean water.


Dishwasher: To disinfect the interior of the machine, pour 1/2 cup vinegar into the reservoir and run an empty cycle, says Hunter. Or place a small bowl filled with vinegar on the bottom rack and run an empty cycle.


Drains: Clean drains―and the pipes they're attached to―by pouring vinegar down them. After 30 minutes, flush with cold water.


Floors: Add 1/4 cup vinegar to a bucket of warm water to clean almost any type of floor except marble (vinegar can scratch it) or wood (vinegar can strip it).


Glassware: For spotless hand-washed glasses, add 1 cup vinegar to the rinse water.


Moldy walls: Spray vinegar on the affected areas. After about 15 minutes, rinse and let dry thoroughly.


Showerheads: To combat mineral deposits, pour vinegar into a plastic grocery bag and knot the handles over the neck of the showerhead, securing with rubber bands. Let soak overnight. Rinse with water in the morning.


Steam iron: To get rid of mineral deposits, fill the iron with equal parts vinegar and water; press the steam button. Turn off, let cool, empty, and rinse.


Windows: Mix 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 cups water, and a squirt of liquid Castile soap in a spray bottle. Spritz windows and wipe with a sheet of newspaper.


Baking and Washing Soda


Baking soda (a.k.a. sodium bicarbonate) and its close cousin, washing soda (sodium carbonate), both absorb odors. But unlike baking soda, slightly stronger washing soda can't be ingested; wear rubber gloves when handling it.
Price: About $1.08 for a pound of baking soda; $7 for 4 pounds of washing soda; both available at supermarkets.


Use Them to Clean Your…


Can opener: Dip a toothbrush in a paste of 2 tablespoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon water and use it to dislodge gunk.


Garage floors (and other concrete surfaces): Pour washing soda generously on oil and grease spots and sprinkle with water until a paste forms. Let stand overnight. The next day, scrub with a damp brush, hose down, and wipe clean.


Garden tools: Dip a moist stiff-bristled brush in washing soda to scrub trimmers, clippers, and more. Rinse, then place in a sunny area to dry. (Don't use washing soda on aluminum tools.)


Grills and barbecue utensils: To combat tough grease stains, dip a moist stiff- bristled brush in washing soda and scrub away.


Stove burner grates: In a dishpan, soak them in 1 gallon warm water and 1/2 cup washing soda for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry.


Stained teacups and coffee mugs: Fill with 1 part baking soda and 2 parts water and soak overnight; rub with a sponge and rinse.


Upholstered furniture: To remove odors, sprinkle baking soda on the fabric, then vacuum.


Scuffed walls: Erase crayon marks by applying a baking-soda paste (equal parts baking soda and water) to white painted walls (baking soda may dull colored walls). Let dry before brushing it off with a clean cloth.


Baking and Washing Soda


Baking soda (a.k.a. sodium bicarbonate) and its close cousin, washing soda (sodium carbonate), both absorb odors. But unlike baking soda, slightly stronger washing soda can't be ingested; wear rubber gloves when handling it.
Price: About $1.08 for a pound of baking soda; $7 for 4 pounds of washing soda; both available at supermarkets.


Use Them to Clean Your…


Can opener: Dip a toothbrush in a paste of 2 tablespoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon water and use it to dislodge gunk.


Garage floors (and other concrete surfaces): Pour washing soda generously on oil and grease spots and sprinkle with water until a paste forms. Let stand overnight. The next day, scrub with a damp brush, hose down, and wipe clean.


Garden tools: Dip a moist stiff-bristled brush in washing soda to scrub trimmers, clippers, and more. Rinse, then place in a sunny area to dry. (Don't use washing soda on aluminum tools.)


Grills and barbecue utensils: To combat tough grease stains, dip a moist stiff- bristled brush in washing soda and scrub away.


Stove burner grates: In a dishpan, soak them in 1 gallon warm water and 1/2 cup washing soda for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry.


Stained teacups and coffee mugs: Fill with 1 part baking soda and 2 parts water and soak overnight; rub with a sponge and rinse.


Upholstered furniture: To remove odors, sprinkle baking soda on the fabric, then vacuum.


Scuffed walls: Erase crayon marks by applying a baking-soda paste (equal parts baking soda and water) to white painted walls (baking soda may dull colored walls). Let dry before brushing it off with a clean cloth.



Toothpaste


The combination of a mild abrasive, a surfactant (detergent), and an antibacterial agent makes toothpaste a potent stain-fighter. "Stick with standard paste, not gel, and steer clear of formulas designed for tartar control and whitening," says Siegel-Maier. "These often contain chemicals and additional abrasives that can damage items such as fine silver."
Price: About $3.65 for a tube.


Use It to Clean Your…


Acrylic accessories (such as desktop organizers): Squeeze toothpaste onto a toothbrush and work it into scratches until they diminish. Wipe residue off with a cloth.


Chrome fixtures: To polish faucets and taps in the kitchen or bathroom, smear a dime-size amount of toothpaste onto them, then buff with a soft cloth until they shine.


Scuffed linoleum: Reduce marks by scrubbing them with toothpaste and a dry cloth until no toothpaste residue remains.


Piano keys: Rub each key carefully with a damp cotton swab and a dollop of toothpaste. Wipe dry and buff with a clean cloth.


Tarnished silverware: Put a dab of toothpaste on a soft cloth, rub it onto the tarnish, then rinse with water and dry with a clean cloth.


Steam iron: Mineral deposits can stain an iron's soleplate. Apply a dab of toothpaste and work it into the plate. Use a clean cloth to remove residue.



Table Salt


Salt's granular texture makes it perfectly suited for scouring. Table salt, sea salt, and kosher salt can all be used, but table salt is the cheapest choice.
Price: About 69 cents a pound.


Use It to Clean Your…


Artificial flowers: Place the fake blooms inside a paper bag and pour in salt. Close the bag and shake vigorously. The salt will dislodge accumulated dust and dirt.


Glassware: Salt won't scratch the way a scouring pad can. To get out stubborn stains, add some salt for extra abrasion and scrub.


Greasy pots and pans: Sprinkle salt on cookware to absorb excess grease. Dump out the salt before washing as usual. (Not recommended for nonstick cookware.)


Spills in the oven: If that casserole bubbles over as you take it out of the oven, pour salt on the spill to soak it up. When the oven is cool, wipe with a damp sponge.


Stained teacups and coffee mugs: Sprinkle salt on the outside of a lemon peel; rub the affected area till clean.


Wooden counters and tables: Cover grease splatters with salt to absorb as much as possible. Wait an hour, then brush away the salt.