My Eco Journey

2009-06-12T00:28:00.001-04:00

Need to write in here more!

60 Minutes

2009-01-31T00:37:00.000-05:00

Drain Cleaner

2008-03-29T00:16:00.003-04:00

Drain cleaner:

Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, then pour 1/2 cup vinegar down the drain. Let it fizz for a few minutes. Then pour boiling water down the drain. Repeat if needed. If the clog is stubborn, use a plunger. If very stubborn, use a mechanical snake.

I was very surprised at how good this worked! I have had a very slow drain in the powder room for a long time, no amount of Draino would work. I tried this recipe tonight, but used hot tap water instead of boiling water, I plunged it after and all this black sludge flew up out of the overfill. What a mess, but my drain is clog free!

Chari

Carpet Deodorizer

2008-03-27T22:41:00.002-04:00

Carpet Deodorizer:

16 oz Baking soda
1/2 tsp Lemon, or Sweet Orange essential oil

Mix well and store in covered glass jar.
Sprinkle the deodorizer onto your carpet, I saved an old carpet deodorizer shaker.
Wait 20 minutes and then vacuum.

Easter eggs

2008-03-25T01:33:00.003-04:00

Making organic colored Easter eggs-
Enviro magazine called Plenty-
has an article on making organic egg dyes.

For four cups of natural dye, mix in a pot

* 1 tablespoon of a spice or herbal tea, or 4 cups of a chopped fruit or vegetable (see below).
* 4 cups water
* 2 tablespoons white vinegar.
* Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 15 minutes (leave longer for a darker shade).
* Dip hardboiled eggs until they reach desired intensity.

COLORS AND SOURCES

* Pink or red: pomegranate juice, red onion skins, beets, chopped rhubarb, cranberries, raspberries, red grape juice
* Orange: yellow onion skins, paprika, saffron (but it’s pricey)
* Yellow: orange or lemon peels, carrot tops or skins, celery seed, ground cumin or turmeric
* Green: spinach
* Blue: red cabbage, canned blueberries or blueberry juice, blackberries, purple grape juice

Wonder if pomegranate arils would work?

Chari

Homemade Eco-friendly Liquid Hand Soap

2008-03-24T15:14:00.005-04:00

Make your own liquid hand soap it's easy, doesn't contain any yucky sodium laureth sulfate and it smells great!

Ingredients:

1 cup distilled or filtered water
3 tablespoon liquid castile soap (I used Dr. Bronner's unscented castile)
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
Drops of lemon or orange essential oils-or your choice
Tea tree oil is antibacterial and antifungal, add some drops of that too

Combine all ingredients, I used a blender stick. Funnel into a reused pump bottle. It cost a lot less than buying organic hand soap. I tried Kiss my Face , then realized it has parabens (methyl-, propyl-, butyl-, ethyl-, isobutyl-).

Edit **
You can also you grated castile bar soap, just melt it in the heated water.

Chari

Coupons for Organics

2008-03-21T23:42:00.002-04:00

Here is a list of organic manufacturers who offer coupons also instructions on how to get them. Some of them you have to sign up for the news letter to get promotions.

Check the inside of products boxes. Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen and Amy’s often have coupons inside their products.

How to save money and water each time you flush

2008-03-18T23:10:00.001-04:00

I did this, but with recycled glass bottles I already had.

Decomposition Grid

2008-03-18T13:33:00.002-04:00

This grid is all over the Internet, it's really important to recycle what we can.

Cool Eco Products

2008-03-15T13:06:00.005-04:00

Some cool ideas:

Click here for the website

Eliminate the use of plastic bags at the grocery store-This sack is designed to hold six bags and it fits in the cup holder of your car.

Homemade Eco-friendly Laundry Soap

2008-03-15T01:00:00.003-04:00

For the bar soaps required in the recipe, try Fels-Naptha, Ivory soap, Sunlight bar soap, Kirk’s Hardwater Castile, and Zote. Add essential oils for fragrance.

Washing Soda and Borax can normally be found in the laundry and cleaning aisles.
I had a hard time finding the Super Washing Soda.

Hot water
1/2 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/3 bar Soap (grated)I used Fels-Naptha-grated it in my food processor(It's just soap)

In a large pot, heat 3 pints of water. Add the grated bar soap and stir until melted. Then add the washing soda and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved, then remove from heat.
In a 2 gallon clean pail, pour 1 quart of hot water and add the heated soap mixture. Top pail with cold water and stir well.
Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).
I used a blender stick to mix up the bucket and it worked fine.

Homemade Eco-friendly Bleach

2008-03-07T17:48:00.005-05:00

Homemade Bleach:

I've learned about the harmful effects of chlorine. Chlorine is one of those chemicals that contaminate our groundwater and creates harmful pollutants in the air when it's being used in the manufacturing of plastics as in PVC.

Homemade Bleach:
Use equal parts of 3 % hydrogen peroxide and water, mix and use as you would the bleach. I have a recycled bottle I cleaned. Funnel your Eco-friendly bleach into that, label it and store in the laundry room.

Also add a couple drops of your favorite essential oils to add scent.

My pursuit to get and stay healthy

2008-03-07T00:42:00.004-05:00

Q. What is talc?

A. Talc is a mineral, produced by the mining of talc rocks and then processed by crushing, drying and milling. Processing eliminates a number of trace minerals from the talc, but does not separate minute fibers which are very similar to asbestos.

Q. What kinds of consumer products contain talc?

A. Talc is found in a wide variety of consumer products ranging from home and garden pesticides to antacids. However, the products most widely used and that pose the most serious health risks are body powders Talc is the main ingredient in baby powder, medicated powders, perfumed powders and designer perfumed body powders. Because talc is resistant to moisture, it is also used by the pharmaceutical industry to manufacture medications and is a listed ingredient of some antacids. Talc is the principal ingredient home and garden pesticides and flea and tick powders. Talc is used in smaller quantities in deodorants, chalk, crayons, textiles, soap, insulating materials, paints, asphalt filler, paper, and in food processing.

Q. Why is talc harmful?

A. Talc is closely related to the potent carcinogen asbestos. Talc particles have been shown to cause tumors in the ovaries and lungs of cancer victims. For the last 30 years, scientists have closely scrutinized talc particles and found dangerous similarities to asbestos. Responding to this evidence in 1973, the FDA drafted a resolution that would limit the amount of asbestos-like fibers in cosmetic grade talc. However, no ruling has ever been made and today, cosmetic grade talc remains non-regulated by the federal government. This inaction ignores a 1993 National Toxicology Program report which found that cosmetic grade talc, without any asbestos-like fibers, caused tumors in animal subjects.1 Clearly with or without asbestos-like fibers, cosmetic grade talcum powder is a carcinogen.

Q. What kind of exposure is dangerous?

A. Talc is toxic. Talc particles cause tumors in human ovaries and lungs. Numerous studies have shown a strong link between frequent use of talc in the female genital area and ovarian cancer. Talc particles are able to move through the reproductive system and become imbedded in the lining of the ovary. Researchers have found talc particles in ovarian tumors and have found that women with ovarian cancer have used talcum powder in their genital area more frequently than healthy women.2

Talc poses a health risk when exposed to the lungs. Talc miners have shown higher rates of lung cancer and other respiratory illnesses from exposure to industrial grade talc, which contains dangerous silica and asbestos. The common household hazard posed by talc is inhalation of baby powder by infants. Since the early 1980s, records show that several thousand infants each year have died or become seriously ill following accidental inhalation of baby powder.3

Q. What about infants?

A. Talc is used on babies because it absorbs unpleasant moisture. Clearly, dusting with talcum powder endangers an infant's lungs at the prospect of inhalation. Exposing children to this carcinogen is unnecessary and dangerous.

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:

1. Do not buy or use products containing talc. It is especially important that women not apply talc to underwear or sanitary pads.

2. Contact your pediatrician and/or local hospital and find out if they have a policy regarding talc use and infants.

3. Write to the FDA and express your concern that a proven carcinogen has remained unregulated while millions of people are unknowingly exposed.

References:

1.National Toxicology Program. "Toxicology and carcinogenesis studies of talc (GAS No 14807-96-6) in F344/N rats and B6C3F, mice (Inhalation studies)." Technical Report Series No. 421. September 1993.

2. Harlow BL, Cramer DW, Bell DA, Welch WR. "Perineal exposure to talc and ovarian cancer risk." Obstetrics & Gynecology, 80: 19-26, 1992.

3. Hollinger MA. "Pulmonary toxicity of inhaled and intravenous talc." Toxicology Letters, 52:121-127, 1990.

More…

The link for this

Part two-

Parabens and breast cancer, I have been telling everyone I love to stop buying antiperspirant, because it contains aluminium.

Link to Parabens

12 ingredients to avoid in personal care products

2008-03-05T23:22:00.001-05:00

Antibacterials
Coal tar colors: FD&C Blue 1, Green 3
Diethanolamine (DEA)
1,4-Dioxane
Formaldehyde (diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea and quaterniumcompounds)
Fragrance (containing phthalates)
Lead and mercury
Nanoparticles
Parabens (methyl-, propyl-, butyl-, ethyl-, isobutyl-)
Petroleum distillates
p-Phenylenediamine (PPD)
Hydroquinone

Updated October 1, 2007