To Walmart or not to Walmart?
That is the question.
Just a little history…I had boycotted Walmart for a good 2- 3 years, due to the corporation’s VERY poor rating on the socially conscious scale. Walmart has been accused of holding their suppliers over a barrel- by offering to pull their accounts unless these suppliers agreed to sell their products for unfairly low prices. Then, there was the issue of some clothing lines being produced in sweat shops (remember the Kathie Lee Gifford fiasco?) And then there were the hiring practices- again in the media, due to the company’s apparently bad choices.
In my area, boycotting Walmart was easy to do. My old store was run down, unpleasant and unattractive. But now, we have the Super Center. Ahhhh, the Super Center. My mom and I decided to pop in one day, just to check it out. Couldn’t hurt, right? And what a mistake that was. Lots of products and brands, organic and eco-friendly choices, oh my. Even my mom, who is very P.C., was enticed by the sheer number of Lean Cuisine entrees. The choice to shop there or not is further complicated by the current state of our economy, and my family, like most, is just trying to make ends meet until things turn around.
So my question is, is it bad to shop at Walmart, given their dismal report card as a company or is it every family for themselves? Is it better to shop organic and green at Walmart, because you can afford it, than not at all? I heard on a Walmart commercial last week that the average family can save about $3100 per year if they shop there exclusively. I’d say that’s a pretty compelling reason to shop there. Or not? What do you think?
Household Bleach: Friend or Foe?
Many people depend on products containing bleach for a variety of household tasks, such as cleaning and disinfecting the house as well doing laundry. Before the words “being green” became a catch phrase, television commercials and doctors’ offices alike sent the public the same message, “using bleach is good for your health.” This is due to the fact that bleach is an extremely effective cleaner and disinfectant, killing germs and mold, as well as removing stains. Unfortunately, not only is bleach extremely effective, it is also extremely toxic, both to ourselves and some say, to the environment.
Pure chlorine bleach is toxic to breathe and touch, and can be fatal if ingested. It can be especially dangerous to children and pets and even to adults if they mistakenly mix products containing bleach with other common household cleaners. Recent studies have shown that chlorine bleach, which can also be listed on ingredient labels as “sodium hypochlorite” or “hypochlorite,” and bleach products, can be damaging to the lungs, liver and immune system, to name a few.
The impact of bleach on the environment, however, is not as clear. While chlorine is used to make other toxic compounds, using bleach around the house is considered by some sources to be a safe practice. This is because some say that bleach products will break down harmlessly once washed down the drain. Other sources, however, have expressed concern that chlorine bleach, even when used around the house, will release dioxins into the air, a known carcinogen and environmental foe.
Bleach Alternatives
Luckily, if you are uncomfortable with the possible health and ecological risks associated with using bleach in your home, there are some great alternatives.
- Green Cleaning Products
Many mainstream brands are now offering more natural and green cleaning solutions for kitchens, bathrooms and windows. Look for products stating that they contain plant-based or non-toxic ingredients. Beware of labels that claim to be 99% natural or that they are “greener than other major leading brands” as the 1% may still contain harsh chemicals.
- Laundry Products
It is not necessary to buy laundry detergents containing bleach to clean or to disinfect your laundry. Again, there are many brands that offer plant-based cleaning agents and use natural ingredients, such as baking soda, to fight stains. Buygreen.com carries a line of laundry detergents, softeners and dryer sheets, made by Mountain Green, that are all-natural, free of dyes and irritants and are biodegradable. I have recently tried Mountain Green’s Laundry Detergent for Baby, and have found that it gets our family’s laundry clean and doesn’t irritate our kids’ sensitive skin.
- Do-it-Yourself Cleaners and Laundry Boosters
As I often write, when you make products at home, you have complete control over the ingredients you use. Cleaning products are no exception. According to the article, Why You Should Stop Using Bleach, (www.infobarrel.com/Why_You_Should_Stop_Using_Bleach), there are some common, non-toxic household items that can be used instead of bleach. Here is a partial list:
- Hydrogen peroxide: kills germs, disinfects and is non-toxic.
- Listerine (believe it or not!): kills mold and mildew, is non-toxic.
- Vinegar: can be used to clean and brighten laundry, is all-natural, non-toxic.
- Baking Soda: removes stains (use ½ cup as a laundry booster or mix with water to make a cleaning solution), is non-toxic.
- Lemon Juice: removes stains, and is a natural disinfectant, is all-natural, non-toxic.
For more information about Mountain Green Laundry Detergent and other all-natural cleaning products, visit www.buygreen.com.
Style, Grace, and Upcycling
Who needs a dumpster when you can upcycle?
Upcycling converts items previously considered ‘garbage’ into new creations. Today you can find wallets made out of bicycle tires and purses composed of post-consumer pop tabs. Upcycling was coined in the book “Cradle to Cradle” which flips the ‘cradle to grave’ idea of products into a closed loop ideal. For Cradle to Cradle, each component of a product is designed to continually be upcycled, creating no waste. The vision is to create a world in which waste does not exist, only items that can continually evolve into new things or biodegrade back into nature. The pages of the actual book are waterproof and it is printed with special ink so that it can be collected off the page and reused along with the book.
What if you only owned one book that could be transformed from an economics text book to a romantic fiction novel simply by cleaning and reprinting the pages? The idea is revolutionary, but the concept of upcycling is one we have embraced for quite some time.
You don’t have to be a chemist like Michael Braungart or an architect like William McDonough, the authors, to start upcycling things around the house. The magazine “ReadyMade” hosts stylish and long-lasting upcycling ideas including this vintage Traveling Trunk into a Bar on Wheels transformation. With a quick trip to the hardware store, we can easily makeover defunct or ‘lost’ items into something fun, useable, and unique. ReadyMade is a great source of inspiration because they have anything from small art projects to large-scale furniture and home designs.
It looks like Upcycling has hit the mainstream media as well, check out this article in Reuters about Australia’s efforts.
There are plenty of ‘Do It Yourself’ sites out there, so please feel free to share your favorites and let’s get a rolling list going!
Being Green in the Kitchen
Greening Up Your Kitchen Routine
Cooking you own food at home is not only cheaper than going out, it is also relaxing and allows you to choose all your own ingredients. It is also a great activity to do with kids. According to Stephanie Gallagher, who created the Cooking for Kids Guide for About.com, teaching children to cook has a number of benefits, like increased self-esteem as well as the chance to put reading, math and even chemistry skills to practical use. Cooking with natural and organic ingredients also teaches kids about making healthy food choices. Here are a few tips to be a greener chef in the kitchen:
Buy Local and Organic
When you buy locally it not only helps out the economy in your community, it also reduces the transportation involved with importing products, saving money and energy. When you buy fruits and vegetables in season, it can also bring your costs down. Choosing organic foods, which are produced without pesticides and other harmful chemicals, is best for you and the environment. Farmer’s markets can be a great resource for organic produce and can be cheaper than grocery stores.
Save Energy While You Bake
If you love to bake, here a couple of hints to minimize energy use. First, when using the stove to melt ingredients such as chocolate, sugar or butter, use the smallest burner you can. A lot of energy is wasted by using a burner that is bigger than your saucepan. Second, when you are baking delicious treats in the oven, resist the urge to peek! Every time you open the oven door, the oven temperature is lowered by about 25 degrees, making your oven work overtime while adding to your electricity costs. You can also skip the muffin and cupcake liners, which are made out of paper and aluminum foil that need to be disposed of, if you use a natural canola oil spray instead.
Reduce Waste When Cleaning Up
Use cloth kitchen towels to clean up your kitchen counters and appliances that can be thrown in the wash, instead of using and throwing away paper towels. I also like to tear my old, ratty towels into strips to make rags that can be used again and again. There are also several new mops on the market with removable, washable tops. This is a greener alternative to mops and brooms that use disposable cloths that need to be thrown away. Don’t forget to use non-toxic disinfecting sprays and cleaners in the kitchen, too, that are better for the air you breathe as well as for the environment. Many grocery chains now offer generic alternatives to name-brand green cleaning products, which are cheaper too.
Seventh Generation’s Million Baby Crawl
Seventh Generation is taking action with their Million Baby Crawl to ensure that toxic chemicals found in many of our household products are better regulated.
There current Toxic Substances Control Act that should be protecting us from harmful chemicals, is outdated and not effective like it should be. Since the 1970’s, the EPA has only required safety testing on 200 of the over 80,000 chemicals found in common household products many of us use.
The new Kid Safe Chemical can help strengthen this previous legislation and make sure that all chemicals found within products we use are safe. This means safe for everybody, including our children and pregnant women.
Dr. Greene, notable pediatrician and author of several popular green health books for children, speaks about legislation and what we can do to keep our families safe:
Who knows the effect that many of these chemicals are doing to our families and in particular our children. That’s why it’s great that Seventh Generation is taking action to make sure that this bill gets passed to protect our children from all of these chemicals.
So what can you do to make sure this bill gets passed?
You can join Seventh Generation in their Million Baby Crawl to make sure this bill does in fact get passed. This doesn’t mean you have to march down to Washington DC either. Their site provides a way you can contact your local representative so that they know the importance of passing this legislation. There are also events being held in several major cities throughout America to get the word out.
There are also things that you can do to make sure that you are not exposing dangerous chemicals to your family just as Dr. Greene said. We can begin using safe products in our households including products from Seventh Generation and EcoMist or try making homemade cleaners. By simply using more natural products, especially cleaning products, we can reduce our families’ exposure harmful chemicals.
Good Luck to Seventh Generation and hopefully the Million Baby Crawl is successful in making our households safer.
Green and Natural Carpet Cleaning Methods
Many carpet cleaners available on the market today contain some dangerous chemicals that we shouldn’t be exposing to our families. There’s no reason you have to continue using these harmful products when so many natural cleaners and commercial green carpet cleaning companies are available at our disposal.
Why make the switch?
Carpet cleaning products may not seem dangerous to use, but many available on the market today are not safe for our kids to be exposed to. Our kids spend so much time on the floor playing with their toys, why risk allowing them to be exposed to so many chemicals? On top of that, any waste product from cleaning with petroleum based products can be disposed of improperly and cause pollution. After searching the net about this topic, I even found an article about how the Travolta’s believe their son got Kawasaki Disease from the frequent carpet cleanings they use to get.
Natural Spot Cleaners
One of the best way to stop stains from building up on your carpet is to spot clean them immediately. I emphasize immediately since it makes it so much easier to get rid of a stain when it’s cleaned as soon as possible. Combine that with using an all natural cleaner and you will have no problem keeping your carpets clean for years to come.
Homemade Cleaners
There is no reason to go out and buy expensive spot cleaners when you can make your own at a fraction of the cost. Two of the best spot cleaners I found are vinegar mixture and baking soda paste, which I previously wrote about as great all purpose homemade cleaners. The first vinegar/water cleaners is extremely effective on stains especially if used when the spill is fresh. You will see the stain disappear almost immediately. The baking soda paste is great for when the stain is more set in. Just scrub the paste into the stain and let it sit for a few minutes. It can then be vacuumed or wiped up after sitting for a few minutes.
Green Cleaners
There are also many great green spot cleaners available on the market that use all natural ingredients to effectively remove stains from carpets. One of the best cleaners I have yet to use is EcoMist carpet cleaner. Not only is it extremely safe, but it works so well on removing any stain I have had in my home. There are other brands available at your local natural goods store or online that work great on removing stains from carpets without the harsh chemicals most contain.
Commercial Cleaning
Getting a professional cleaning company or using commercial cleaning equipment does not mean chemicals have to be used in order to get your carpets cleaned. There are so many cleaning companies in most areas that use natural ingredients and/or steam to effectively clean those carpets. Don’t be fooled by companies that claim that only the harsh chemicals will work effectively. Just be sure to do research before choosing a company.
If you instead decide to rent equipment, just be sure to properly clean the chamber of the device so that no chemicals are still left. This will ensure that any natural cleaner use use will not contaminate your carpets unknowingly.
Good luck with any of these methods and please share any methods you have found to ensure your carpet cleaning is both safe and effective.
Eco Mist Solutions New Outdoor Cleaning Products
With summer just around the corner, Eco Mist Solutions just released it new line of outdoor cleaners. This new line of cleaners includes a BBQ Grill Cleaner, Deck Wash and Patio Furniture Cleaner. All three cleaners use the same safe and effective technology used in all of their other cleaners, but they are specifically designed to fight the tough stains and grease you would normally find on outdoor items. They are also made from 100% natural ingredients, are non-toxic and affordable to buy.
BBQ Cleaner
The BBQ Grill Cleaner is specifically designed to fight tough grease you would normally find on any part of the grill. I was fortunate enough to try the BBQ Grill Cleaner and must say it works as it says. When I first sprayed it on my grill, it started eliminating the grease immediately. I normally use natural cleaners such as vinegar or baking soda to naturally clean my grill, but I found that this cleaner required far less scrubbing and was more effective. It also had no fumes and it felt great that I could spray my grill off with no worries that environment would be harmed. You can also feel safe to eat on your grill immediately after cleaning it. With ingredients like grass, corn and coconut, why would you?
Deck Wash
Both the Deck Wash and Patio Furniture Cleaners are designed to remove mold and mildew and safe on just about any surface. The patio cleaner is safe for all surfaces this cleaner is ideal to help brighten your patio furniture. The deck wash is strong enough to get mold, mildew, grease & grime off your deck yet gentle enough for a toddler to pad around on afterwards. It is also safe around your pools, spas and gardens.
Go check your local Home Depot in Canada or one of the many online relaters that carry Eco Mist Solution products to get these great cleaners. Also be sure to check out the great interview I had with the creator of Eco Mist, Ted Fagan if you haven’t already.
