Are Air Fresheners Really Fresh?

By the time I got home from a ride in my friend’s car one day, my lungs felt tight and I was coughing.  I knew immediately the air freshener in the car was the culprit, one of those new clip on air fresheners filled with a “scent” to eliminate car odors like food, dirt, and cigarette smoke.  I decided I must post about this on my blog!

Car air fresheners have gone from pine-scented cardboard cut outs of trees that dangle from the rear view mirror to the new plastic (more plastic!) containers filled with chemical scents.  They clip on the air vent and are activated with the airflow.  There are several brands with enticing names like Meadows and Rain, Hawaiian Aloha, or Linen and Sky complete with adjustable dials to control “freshness”.  The Febreeze ad says, “In just a few moments, you and your passengers can all breathe happy.” I was not happy!

The chemicals used in air fresheners are anything but fresh and do nothing to improve the quality of the air.  They just mask the odors and in fact can be quite toxic.  The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that most air fresheners contain phthalates, which are at the center of a large debate about their negative health affects.  High exposure to certain phthalates, also found in cosmetics, nail polish, paint and other everyday items, can cause cancer, developmental and hormonal abnormalities and can affect fertility.  One of the active ingredients found in mothballs, 1,4 dichlorobenzene, is also found in some air fresheners.  The EPA lists this ingredient as toxic since its vapors can affect respiratory function.  There seems to be a correlation with air fresheners and asthma, according to the U.S. National Institute of Health Sciences. Other known ingredients that cause serious health issues are formaldehyde, acetone and terpenes.  According to ehow.com, “These chemicals contain pollutants that, when mixed with ozone, cigarette smoke or dust can cause breathing complications, headaches and damage the central nervous system.”  What’s worse is that companies aren’t required to list the ingredients if the product is labeled a “fragrance”.

Air fresheners are everywhere – in the home, office and car.  It is estimated that around 75 percent of American homes use some form of them, which amounts to more than $1 billion in profits for the industry. The best air freshener for your car however, is rolling down the windows. You can also easily make your own– a sachet with natural potpourri or dried lavender flowers, baking soda poured into an old sock and placed underneath the seat, or a piece of felt scented with a pure essential oil.  You control how much scent you want!

Play it safe and do away with air fresheners!

Information compiled from www.ehow.com, www.the-lifestyle-doctor.com,

www.silentmenace.com

 

UNCLOG YOUR DRAINS SAFELY

One of my readers contacted me about unclogging her bathroom sink.  As a conscientious environmentalist, she was surprised and frustrated when baking soda and vinegar didn’t unclog her drain.  She was adamant about not using conventional, off the shelf products with lye and other toxic chemicals and wondered if there were other natural products that work.

Baking soda and vinegar really do work, but it‘s important to use the right amount and follow the directions of this tried and true recipe I’ve listed below.  For stubborn clogs, you may even have to repeat it a couple of times.

Unclog Your Drain Safely Recipe 

Important:  Do not use this recipe if there is standing water in the sink.

Pour ½ to 1 cup of baking soda down the drain; slowly pour ½ to 1 cup of vinegar (distilled white vinegar is good) after.  Cover the drain immediately with a cloth or rag so the fizzing interaction cannot escape. (This is the same fizzing action that happened when “erupting volcanoes” with the kids by mixing baking soda and vinegar.)  Let it sit for 5 minutes or up to 30 minutes depending on the severity of the clog.  Follow with a gallon of boiling water.  If necessary, pour more boiling water down the drain or repeat the entire process.

Some recipes add a cup of salt to the boiling water, followed by running warm water for 10 minutes to clear any product from the drain.  If this doesn’t work, try using a sink plunger after pouring down the liquids.  The plunger creates suction and forces open the clog.

Image via Wikipedia

This procedure by the way also cleans your pipes at the same time.  And unlike conventional chemical products, baking soda and vinegar won’t harm your pipes and of course not you or the water table.

I used to tell my kids if you are ever stranded on an island, make sure you have baking soda with you. There are millions of uses – culinary, medicinal and for cleaning.  Click here to read more.

 

Information compiled from Home Comforts – The Art and Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson and thegoodhuman.com.  

Home Comforts is a great book, a true encyclopedia of anything and everything having to do with the home.

 

 

 

DON’T JUST BAKE WITH BAKING SODA!

Image by Peter Wild

I used to say to my kids, if you are ever stranded on a deserted island, make sure you have baking soda.  Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a natural salt essential to the functioning of the human body.  In addition to its primary use as a leavening agent in baking, it can be used to heal, clean and polish just about everything. Baking soda is simple and cheap and over the years people have discovered some ingenious uses for it. It is used in animal feeds, fire extinguishers, textile processing and more. In addition to its common use as a deodorizer for refrigerator smells, baking soda can be used in numerous ways for personal care.  For example, as a natural tooth polish, athlete’s foot treatment, burn soother, deodorant, earwax softener, or foot soak.  It can be used to treat bee stings and insect bites or as an antacid.

There are environmental and health concerns about toxic chemicals in cleaning supplies. Baking soda’s versatility, safety and effectiveness have led to using it as a cleaning alternative.  Its gentle abrasion makes it perfect for cleaning stained kitchen sinks and mildewed shower tiles.  Baking soda’s effervescence and detergency clean spills on rugs and deodorize pet bedding.  Try it for dirt and grime on the legs of kitchen tables and chairs. Coffee and tea stains on your china are easily removed with baking soda.  So are counter and tabletop stains.

Baking soda has been around since the 1800’s.  It is tried and true.  Don’t just use it for baking.  Check out Peter A. Ciullo’s book called Baking Soda Bonanza, which lists hundreds of ways to use baking soda, or go on line for ideas and recipes.  It’s safe, effective and cheap.

Information compiled from Baking Soda Bonanza by Peter A. Ciullo. 

NATURAL TEETH WHITENERS

We all want a beautiful smile with pearly white teeth, but years of drinking tea and coffee, smoking or just plain aging can discolor teeth.  Teeth whitening is popular right now, especially since so many celebrities are doing it, yet whitening teeth is not a new discovery.  It was practiced in Greece and India for thousands of years.  The Greeks actually used urine to whiten their teeth and as a disease cure.  While there are many more modern products today, some are safer than others.

Harsh bleaching agents used to whiten teeth can burn the teeth and wear down tooth enamel, erode gum tissue, or get absorbed into the body through the lining of the mouth.  Hydrogen peroxide is a key ingredient in whitening products, but should not exceed 6%, even when prescribed by dentists. Be sure and check the ingredients of teeth whitening products found on on-line websites – many have been found to burn the lining of the mouth.

One of the most tried and true natural teeth whiteners which has been around for 6 generations is baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, “the only product in use today that was on the original list of products accepted by the American Dental Association”.  Baking soda is safe and non-irritating to all oral tissues; with its gentle polishing action, it removes stains and plaque.  The mild alkalinity of baking soda reacts with and removes substances that stain teeth.  Tests have shown that toothpastes with 60 to 65% baking soda clean as well as conventional abrasives and show much less abrasion.

Another simple and tasty natural whitening solution is the strawberry.   If used daily, strawberries can help rid the teeth of tea, coffee and cigarette stains.  Simply take one medium-sized strawberry, remove the green top and stem, mash it into a pulp and brush and rinse normally.  (Do not store; just mix as needed.)  Eating strawberries when they are in season helps to brighten teeth too.

For healthy white teeth and clean tasting mouth, try the recipe below.  There is a natural alternative to everything.

Soda and Salt Toothpaste

from Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles

1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, finely ground, 1 drop peppermint, spearmint, sweet orange, clove or cinnamon bark essential oil, a few drops tap water

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly with a toothbrush, your finger or a small spoon until a smooth paste forms.  The paste shouldn’t be too runny; it has to stay on your toothbrush.  Use daily.  Do not store – mix as needed.

Information compiled from  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1304856/Online-alert-toxic-tooth-whitening-kits.html, Baking Soda Bonanza, by Peter A. Ciullo, Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles.

 

For more green tips, please visit greenwithbetsy.com.

 

Recipes for Safe Household Cleaners

Source: Green Living – The E Magazine Handbook for Living Lightly on the Earth

There are many non-toxic cleaning products available today, but using basic kitchen staples you can make your own – at a fraction of the cost!

All Purpose Cleaner

Mix 3 tablespoons dish soap in one quart of warm water, or use baking soda and a small amount of water.

Kitchen Countertop Sanitizer and Vegetable and Fruit Spray

Spritz countertops, cutting boards, vegetables or fruit with vinegar (apple cider or white), then spritz with 3 tablespoons ordinary hydrogen peroxide.  Rinse produce with water.  Tests found that the two mists killed virtually all salmonella, shigella, or E coli bacteria making it more effective than chlorine bleach.

Kitchen/Bathroom Surfaces

Use baking soda on a damp ponse to clean and deodorize.  Toss sponge into clothes washer or dishwasher to kill germs.   Baking soda also removes stubborn countertop stains.

Glass Cleaner

Mix 2 tablespoons white vinegar with 1 quart water.  Increasing the vinegar will deepen the cleaning action.  Put into labeled spray bottle.  For stubborn spots and streaks, use undiluted vinegar.

Floor Cleaner

Wash slate, ceramic tile, wood and no-wax floors with 1/2 cup white vinegar mixed with 1/2 gallon of warm water.

Rug and Upholstery Cleaner

Clean spill immediately with soda water and  baking soda paste.  Vacuum.

Laundry

Eliminate soap residue by adding 1 cup of white vinegar to the final rinse.  Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle to make clothes feel soft and smell fresh.  Do not use chlorine bleach and vinegar together – you will produce harmful vapors.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Sprinkle baking soda in bowl, then drizzle with vinegar and scour with toilet brush.

Drain Cleaner/Opener

Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain.  Add 1/2 cup of vinegar and cover drain opening.  Let stand a few minutes, then pour bowling water down the drain to unclog and deodorize drains.

Tub and Tile Cleaner

Use white vinegar full strength on mold and mildew stains.  Add 1/4 cup or more of vinegar to 1 gallon of warm water to clean most dirt.  To remove film buildup on tubs, wipe full strength vinegar on with a sponge, then use baking soda or borax like as scouring powder.  Rub with a damp sponge and rinse with water.