Natural Household Remedies

Via:  Trying Traditional

I thought I would be posting once more to warn of my absence, but alas I didn’t meet the deadline. I am, however, back and ready to go now. Sorry about that readers!

Do you make any household cleaners yourself? We make our own laundry detergent and are quite happy with it. Here’s the recipe I follow.

Read her recipe here

Via: Greenopolis

There’s some ‘green’ products out there that just aren’t quite as green as they claim to be. Whether you call it greenwashing or just plain dishonesty, here’s a few products that don’t live up to their green hype.

“Green” Cleaning Products: To meet the growing demand for environmentally-friendly products, a number of companies have created “green” cleaning products. For people concerned with the number of chemicals in traditional household cleaners, these seem like a great solution. However, these new “green” products contain some of the same chemicals. The real green cleaning solution? Homemade cleaners from everyday items such as baking soda, vinegar, cola, etc.

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Energy Trackers: There are a lot of devices out there marketed to green people that display or keep track of the electricity your electronic devices use. These trackers supposedly conserve energy by making you aware of the electricity you’re using, thus helping the environment. However, these devices seem to me to be a big waste. They are made of plastics, metals and other materials, and take energy to produce and ship. And the problem is, they don’t offer anything to the consumer that isn’t common sense knowledge. Keep the following four things in mind, and you can save yourself from buying one of these gizmos:

* Your stuff uses electricity.
* When you turn your stuff off, it uses less electicity…
* …But even when it’s turned off, your stuff still uses electricity.
* Your stuff uses a lot of electicity (the exact amount can be found on your monthly utility bill).

And guess what? Energy trackers use electicity, too!

“Eco-shape” water bottles: These “eco-shape” bottles use less plastic than traditional bottles, and are thus labeled as “green.” Unfortunately, these bottles use almost infinitely more plastic than your kitchen faucet. So fill up a reusable container from the tap (like this one) and be a real eco-hero.

Organic /Hemp / Recycled Fabric clothing: Sure these might be a bit greener than the clothes for sale in the mall (or they might not be), but the greenest choice would be not to buy new clothes at all. Unless you absolutely need a new item of clothing (and how many of us really do), these eco-friendly clothes can’t really be considered a green decision. If you do want to buy some new threads, go vintage and give some older clothes new life. Now that’s a green choice!

Well, that’s some of the stuff you might want to avoid. Here’s some stuff you can buy that will actually make a big difference:

* CFL bulbs
* Appliances rated highly by Energy Star
* Reusable shopping bags
* Anything used!

Hopefully this will help you make your spending dollar a little greener. Happy shopping!

Competition Bureau sees red over false green claims

Competition Bureau sees red over false green claims
Sarah Schmidt , Canwest News Service
Published: Thursday, June 19, 2008

OTTAWA - Consumers weary of environmental claims about products can soon expect more straight talk from manufacturers when the Competition Bureau releases tougher standards for green marketing pitches.

As early as next week, the agency is expected to release updated guidelines for self-declared environmental claims to make clear the federal government wants companies to stop making false or misleading claims.

Customers are bombarded with eco-friendly pitches for products, ranging from household cleaners to electronics as companies try to cash in on a desire by Canadians to help the environment. But the bureau says the truth has been a casualty in some cases, and wants to see an end to vague claims, such as pitching a product as “ozone-friendly.”

Via: Faith Acre Farm

Tara writes:

Homemade Cleaning

Six or so years ago I started making homemade household cleaners out of the neccessity to save money. It didn’t take long for me to realize the enormous benefits of making and using homemade cleaners. Yes it is a great way to cut costs, but even better than that is the fact that you are cutting out harmful chemicals from your home! Not to mention reducing waste by not buying & rebuying containers full of chemical cleaners.

I’ve tried many different recipes over the years and have come up with a few favorites. One thing I have noticed is that you don’t have to have a cleanser for every purpose. I’ve simplified things and use 2 basic recipes for almost every cleaning need.

Read her recipes here

Stubborn sports are difficult to clean in a porcelain sink without leaving scruff marks.  But this herbal remedy will be hard on even the stubborn stains, yet soft on your beautiful porcelain sink.

Ingredients:

• 1 part sage, rosemary, lemon balm, thyme or mint, either fresh or dried
• 1 part water
• 4-6 drops of your favorite essential oil
• baking soda

Steep the herb in hot water for 2-3 hours, brewing a strong infusion, the strain and reserve the liquid.  Pour the liquid into the sink after closing the drain and let sit overnight, or for several hours.

If the stain persists, drop essential oil directly on the  stain and scrub after a few minutes with baking soda sprinkled on a damp sponge.