Green Cleaning Recipes

One of the problems with the recent "green" fad, is that many consumer cleaning products that claim to be "green" are still full of toxic chemicals that you cannot pronounce. These chemicals may be a little more biodegradable, but how do I know that they are safer for my 6 month old to touch? These "green cleaners" still have to have emulsifiers and preservatives in them to give them a very, very, very long (and required) shelf life. It is nearly impossible to get a completely natural cleaner in the store. In fact, the best way to get a truly natural cleaner is to make it yourself. That is what I have done, and it works fabulously and is so easy. Visit your local dollar store for some spray bottles, and take a look at the recipes on this website: http://www.lesstoxicguide.ca/ It has a wide variety of ideas, and all the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store!

Castile Soap... ever heard of it???

Castile soap is one of nature's most natural and multi-functional cleaners. It is made of vegetable oils - usually olive, but can include coconut or others as well. It doesn't remove the glycerine from the oils, so it is also moisturizing. Because it is made of vegetable oil, it is so safe it is edible! It can be used in small amounts, diluted with water, to clean floors, bathrooms, hands, faces, hair, dishes, etc. If you google "castile soap" you will find many, many blogs and sites on how to use it. The most common brand I am aware of is Dr. Bronner's. www.drbronner.com It is certified fair trade, organic, and easy to find. It is often sold at health/vitamin stores, but my favorite place to buy it is at Trader Joe's in The States. A 1 quart bottle is around $10. www.traderjoes.com My favorite use for it??? I recycle old foaming soap containers (like from Bath and Body Works), add two good squirts of castile, fill the rest up with water, and it is the most perfect nontoxic, non-drying hand soap.

A Great Place to Start

Interested in reducing toxins in your home, but not sure where to start? My most favorite resource for non-toxic living is Slow Death by Rubber Duck, by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie, two of Canada's leading environmental activists. They wanted to find out if some common toxins, such as mercury or parabens, would show up in their bodies if they consumed a lot of products containing the toxins. So, they experimented on their own bodies. Not only is this book a personal and candid exploration of common household toxins, but it is also an easy, fun, and informative read with Canadian information. For more information, go to http://slowdeathbyrubberduck.com or http://environmentaldefence.ca