Composting is awesome; composting eliminates waste from the garbage can, saves you cash on your garbage bill, and allows you to grow a lovely garden full of flowers and yummy veggies. However, if you live in a smaller place or just don’t like the typical large and usually unattractive compost bins on the market than this Bamboo Compost Pail is a nice change. Features include a generous 1 gallon capacity, dishwasher-safe removable liner and comes with a set of charcoal filters that help contain odors.

For hand soap that looks as good as it works while staying free of harmful chemicals try Method Hand Washes. Tear drop bottles and lively colors make this soap more fun to use and look great even in a stylish kitchen. Available in cucumber, french lavender, pink grapefruit, sweet water and sea minerals.

SKOY is an absorbent, biodegradable and natural multi-use cloth that you can use to clean all areas of the home with, BUT it’s also attractive. Unlike paper towels SKOY saves trees being made of a natural cotton and wood-based cellulose pulp that’s chlorine free and 100% biodegradable in five weeks. Colored SKOY cloths are made with water-based inks. SKOY cloths, also unlike paper towels, are reusable and just one SKOY cloth replaces the use of an amazing 15 rolls of paper towels in an average home.

While maybe not “pretty” the green-minded Bissell’s Little Green can surely be categorized as one of themore adorable vacuums on the market. This eco-friendly vacuum features PVC free tanks and hose, a carton that contains a minimum of 75% recycled materials, and formulas for use in the Bissell Green contain biodegradable detergents and have no phosphates, dyes, optical brighteners or heavy metals plus carry the EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) certification, which is recognized for safer chemistry. Also on a pretty note the Little Green’s small size means you can tuck it away out of sight, and we all know hidden cleaning goods is better for the home on an attractiveness level.

Post from: Blisstree

Green Cleaning Products Go Pretty!

1. Do a green cleaning audit. Get out any toxic cleaners you’ve been using and replace them with eco-friendly, non-toxic alternatives – either homemade green cleaners or store bought green cleaners.
2. Use Skin Deep to help you make smarter choices about the beauty and body care products that you and your family use on your body.
3. Burn soy candles over wax – they emit somewhat less soot.
4. Bring some plants inside to help improve your indoor air quality.
5. Go organic and natural with your lawn care. Not only do lawn care pesticides get into the soil, air, and water, but when you walk in your yard you drag those pesticides right in with you.
6. Keep your home clean on a schedule. Green cleaners work great on a mostly tidy house. If you get mold you’ll need harsher cleaners, which by the way don’t even always work to kill mold. Prevent mold and mildew now.
7. Buy your kids green toys that are free from lead based paints and other toxic chemicals.
8. Make sure that you always buy the most pesticide ridden food in organic form. See the Dirty Dozen for a list of the most toxic conventional fruits and veggies.
9. You spend untold of amounts of time in bed. If you purchase one piece, and only one piece of organic, toxic free furniture, an organic mattress will get you the most toxin protection bang for the money.
10. Get all plastics (or most of them) out of your kitchen.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Ten ways to get toxins out of your home

BASICS:

Seventh Generation is arguably one of the most well-known green companies around. They were one of the first self-declared “socially responsible” companies and have been around for 20 years. The company makes a slew of products, some that are very green and some that could be greener, but all in all, they offer some great product choices for green households in various categories…

• Laundry Products
• Dishwashing Products
• Household Cleaners
• Household Paper & Supplies
• Products for Baby
• Feminine Care

ECO-PERKS OF SEVENTH GENERATION:

• Seventh Generation notes that they’re committed to helping consumers make informed choices and I’d say that they’re doing a good job in this area. They fully disclose all ingredients at their website and on their packaging plus offer MSDS sheets. If you want to know what’s in your Seventh Generation cleaner, they make it ultra easy to find out, unlike some eco-companies.
• Some of their packaging is made with recycled content (2 bottles (18%) are 75% PCR; remainder are 25% PCR; 1/3 of our boxes are 100% PCR; remainder are 30–40% PCR). Almost all their packaging is easily recycled and they disclose when it’s not.
• They donate 10% of profits to non-profit community, environmental, health, and responsible business organizations working for positive change.
• They recently eliminated synthetics in all fragrances.
• They make non-toxic products with zero chlorine bleach, phosphates, dyes, NTA or EDTA.
• Because the company makes recycled paper  products and less toxic goods, the company helps to save scads of trees, water, petroleum, and energy yearly.
• No animal testing.
• They have green corporate office policies in place – for example using recycle paper and recycling.
• Also, this is an eco-company that works. For example, while there are plenty of eco-companies around, but they’re only as good as their outreach to consumers. You can easily find Seventh Generation products at just about any store and in online shops. They promote their products and have actually built up a brand, which is something I wish more green companies would work on, because if consumers can’t locate products, if they can’t learn more about a company then they won’t buy those products, they’ll maybe buy other more toxic products. They’re also affordable and offer coupons often.

COMPANY NEGATIVES:

• They make disposable diapers that do not biodegrade. They also make diapers with SAP which is a questionable green debate right now – i.e. it could be ok, but maybe not. Their baby wipes also do not biodegrade.
• There’s non-biodegradable synthetic polymer in their auto dish powder and gel.
• Their new labels on cleaners rock – info wise. However, all of them peel off right away and then leave a lame sticky area on the back of the bottle. Annoying.
• While their cleaners are less toxic than many conventional cleaners out there, you’ve still got that new bottle to recycle. It’s still more eco-friendly to make your own cleaners, although, of course some people will always want to simply purchase cleaning supplies.
• They use plastic backing on their feminine care products; which yes, is made out of oil.
• Some cleaning products could be improved – for example, I’ve tried a few green dishwasher detergents that clean better than Seventh Generation’s brand.

OVERALL:

It’s hard to give a company a full on green rating, because I’m just one green girl with one opinion, but overall, I’d give them a…

3.5 out of 5 little trees. They’re a fairly good green company with many products that work well, a few that don’t and they could make some eco-improvements. However, I do love their disclosures and the fact that they’re continually setting and meeting new eco-goals. Stick around for some product specific reviews coming up.

MORE LINKS:

• Follow Seventh Generation on Twitter.
• Join them on Facebook.
• Read their blog.
• Read their latest corporate responsibility report online (flash). You can also read this report in pdf.

Post from: Blisstree

Green Company Review: Seventh Generation

Baking soda & lemon: Grab some baking soda, sprinkle it in your tubs, sinks, and toilets. Drizzle a fresh lemon over the baking soda and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes. Scrub down with some plain old water.

White vinegar: Use white vinegar to break up deposits on your shower head and improve weak water pressure. Vinegar is also a great way to clean your coffee maker – run a pot full of vinegar through your machine a couple of times and follow with a clean water rinse or two.

Table salt: Sprinkle on oven spills (while they’re still hot). Wait for it to cool and scrub the mess away easily with a wet cloth. If you’ve got rust you can remove it by mixing 2 tablespoons of salt with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Apply to anything rusty and rub well.

Cream of tarter: Use this common baking ingredient to remove stains from aluminum cookware. You’ll need tofill your pot (the one with the stains) with water. Mix in 2 tablespoons (give or take per quart/H2O) of cream of tarter. Bring the pot to a boil. Cut the heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Pour out the water and wash the pot like normal.

Produce and spice: Grab an apple,  brown sugar, cloves, and cinnamon and make some Homemade Spicy Apple Air Freshener. To get rid of gross fish smells in the over, sprinkle an old pie plate with cinnamon and nutmeg. Squeeze some fresh orange juice  over the spices. Place the plate in the warm oven and leave it there as the oven cools. Much better than chemical air fresheners.

Ah, easy and green kitchen cleaners – what other cleaning uses do you suggest for kitchen pantry items?

[images via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Kitchen Cupboard Green Cleaning

I’m really not that environmental, but surely cleaning up our act can’t do any harm? When some people I know criticized Happy Feet for being too eco-nutty I thought, Well, it’s hard to make an argument against the message, don’t treat mother nature like crap.  I mean, I don’t see how treating the world we live in kindly is harmful to anyone.  

Okay so usually my primary motivator is always my budget, but there are some things I do that are pretty eco-friendly. I clean with vinegar and baking soda. It saves money and doesn’t harm the environment. I buy lots of used stuff – I save money and it’s good for the environment. I switched light bulbs because I want my electric bill to be lower.

Get it? I save money and it helps the environment. Economic Ecology. Win – Win. There’s no bad side.

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Economic Ecology – GlamSpirit Carnie

A few weeks ago Oprah did a show on how to be more green. You know, show love to Mother Earth by not trashing her. One of the segments was on green cleaning products. Products that don’t pollute the environment with harsh or toxic chemicals. I have never used any of the recommended products because I am far too cheap to buy them.

Let me tell you about two so-cheap-they-are-nearly-free cleansers that you probably already have.

Vinegar and Baking Soda

These two products are completely non-toxic and non-polluting. In fact, they are so safe that we even eat them. But, they also eradicate smells and germs and get stuff surprisingly clean.

I always use vinegar to mop my floors. I’m lazy so I don’t even mix it with water. I just dump some on the floor and spread it around and then mop it all up with towels. I threw out the mop when I got sick of hurting my back and touching the disgusting thing to wring it out. I just scoot all over the floor with a bath towel under my feet. Gets the floor spotless and then I just pick up the towel and throw it into the washer.

Vinegar has a peculiar smell for sure. I like it, but I understand that some don’t. However, it also eradicates odor. If you have left the wash in the machine until it spoiled you won’t be able to really get rid of the smell with regular laundry detergent. Even after it comes out of the dryer it will still faintly smell of spoiled towel. Just dump a cup of vinegar in the spoiled wash and rewash and the vinegar will kill any lingering spoiled odor. Handy huh?

It will also get smells of baby or animal pee or poop out of carpet. Just spray a little vinegar on the spot, rub a little and the smell will vamoose.

Other green cleaning uses for vinegar include washing glass, including televisions and computer monitors, mirrors and windows. It is also a very cheap replacement for windshield wiper fluid and works just as well or better.

My other secret Susie Homemaker trick is baking soda. Of course, you probably have some in your fridge or freezer to help with the smell in there. But, have you ever run out of laundry detergent and thrown a cup of baking soda in as a substitute? It works great as a substitute for Oxyclean or a stain remover as well. Just make a paste and put it on the stain and maybe scrub with a toothbrush.

I also use it for scrubbing toilets, sinks, shower walls, washing the car, even scrubbing the rims of tires (okay, I only did this once when I was super-grateful to my husband for getting a vasectomy, but the rims totally gleamed). It takes the black marks off white shoes. It also works to get rid of rust stains or burns on pots and pans and makes for a good dishwashing detergent if you need it to.

Post from: Blisstree

Green Clean