Posts Tagged ‘green cleaning Alexandria’

In October I posted a summary of all the recipes I had blogged about so far:  The Joy of Cleaning!

Lots of good recipes. Below is a list of all recipes since that last collection for easy reference. Happy Cleaning!

Tile Cleaner: Q&A Forum: I’m Not Mad at You, I’m Mad at the Dirt!

Fill a bucket with water, 1/4 vegetable oil-based soap, 1/4 baking soda. and 15 drops of your favorite essential oil for fragrance.

Record Cleaner: Watch the Stained Glass Explode/Praise the Union/Praise God!

Cotton ball with equal parts water and vinegar. Lightly touch record as it spins and work towards the center.

Rust Remover: Turf Wars!

• 1 tbsp. of cream of tartar
• 1/4 c. of baking soda
• 1/4 c. of hydrogen peroxide

Laundry: Q&A: Theology and Geometry!

For the wash cycle add 1/8 cup of liquid vegetable soap and 1 tbsp. of washing soda. (Note: Washing soda – not baking soda. It is a little harder to find than baking soda but Arm & Hammer makes it also.) Add 1/4 cup of scented vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Swimming Pools: Q&A: Dirty White Boy!

switch from a chlorine based cleaning system to a salt based cleaning system

Ice Treatments: Q&A: Brother Sun and Sister Moon!

equal parts water and vinegar for windshield

birdseed for driveways and sidewalks

IceClear

Green Cat Toys: Today’s Trash is Tomorrow’s Fun!

Business cards, paper bags, junk mail

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This Saturday the Fairfax City Farmers’ Market opens! Be there! Buy a bottle of MultiPurpose Cleaner!

The Market is every Saturday from May 7th through October 29th from 8AM to 1PM.

Located at West & Main Streets behind the Wachovia Bank and adjacent to the Historic Fairfax County Courthouse

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Did you ever notice that babies smell funny? Or that they look weird? Or that they are always crying or doing something annoying? OK, maybe it’s just me, but, I still think I have found out what’s making those chubby, little bundles of joy so cranky all the time. We slather them down all day long with gasoline! That’s right. Baby oil – and all of the other lotions and potions we smear on their bottoms and faces before putting them in those silly ‘onezies’ (I’d be cranky too if every time I stretched my toes it choked me) – is a byproduct of the production of gasoline.

Baby oil is mineral oil and fragrance. Mineral oil is a liquid byproduct of distilled crude oil for the production of gasoline. There is a lot of it and it is very cheap. It has been approved by the FDA as safe for human skin. So, it is used in the production of most baby oils, lotions, conditioners and cosmetics.

Despite the FDA’s opinion, serious health problems exist with the use of mineral oil. First, it clogs the pores making it difficult for the skin to release toxins. Once the skin absorbs it, the oil absorbs any fat soluble vitamins it comes in contact with thereby robbing the body of essential nutrients.

The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for mineral oil warns that it is harmful if inhaled, swallowed or if it comes in contact with the eyes. It also warns – and this is my favorite part – that mineral oil causes irritation to the skin! So, with all the risks and no benefit, exactly what is the point of using it? It’s making that diaper rash worse!

My research into baby oil has nothing to do with irritated bottoms. I was looking for a stainless steel polish. So, I needed to know what people use as an alternative to baby oil. The only baby with whom I am personally acquainted is Joshua C. in Columbia, SC. He’s not very talkative, so I contacted his Mom, MaryBeth, for a solution. She recommends Trader Joe’s 100% Jojoba oil. I bought some and noticed for the first time (I usually only look at food), that Trader Joe’s has really good prices on personal care items. They are, in many cases, less expensive than their toxic competition – which is unusual.

And I can tell you, honestly, that Joshua is not cranky at all. He is all smiles, curiosity and playfullness. He is more like a small person than a baby. Perhaps his parents deserve some credit for that. But, we cannot dismiss the fact that his diaper is a dumping ground for Joshua only – not for the oil companies!

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Just a reminder that GreenItUp! will be at the Loudoun County Market this Saturday. Please stop by for a bottle of MultiPurpose Cleaner or a refill. It was great working with Judy, the other vendors (it was especially nice to be right next to Simply Nut Free Chocolates… yummy), and all of the Market shoppers who showed up in all kinds of weather.

I hope to be back in Loudoun County next Winter. For the Spring, Summer and Fall GreenItUp! will be in the Fairfax City Market which is every Saturday from 8AM to 1PM beginning May 7th. The Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market in Alexandria is a possibility for Sundays – I will keep you posted on that.

Thank you and see you at the Market!

http://www.loudounfarmersmarkets.org/news_winter.php

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For those that do not know about boiling frogs, I will explain. If you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water he will jump out immediately. If you place a frog into a pot of water and slowly bring it to a boil, the frog will not resist. The image is often used to explain how we can become comfortable with situations and environments that might otherwise cause panic. Watch the news, look at your personal finances, turn on the radio, think about your job, watch an Adam Sandler movie, eat fast food, remember who you wanted to be when you were 18 – do any of these things and you will see how we are a culture of slowly boiling frogs.

We are resistant to change – even when the change is good for us – simply because change (of any kind) is scary. So, for Earth Day this year I propose that you begin the process of slowly changing who you are as a consumer. You don’t have to throw everything away for a life on the Ranch with the Manson family.  Take it one step at a time. Change one thing this Earth Day and make a plan to make another change every month. On the 22nd of each month, change some aspect of your routines or consumption that will benefit yourself and your environment.

I have listed some suggestions for actions you can take now. Not all of these apply to everyone so be creative – look around your home and at your life and find solutions that fit you.

1. Carry your own reusable water bottle.

2. Make sure you are recycling everything your city or county supports.

3. Change your bulbs.

4. Turn off lights and electronics that you are not using.

5. Support local farms – buy as many of your groceries as possible from a Farmers’ Market.

6. Don’t buy meats and dairy products with hormones.

7. Limit junk mail – ask companies to take you off their mailing lists.

8. Reuse scrap paper, packaging materials and bags.

9. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater.

10. Switch to cloth diapers and napkins.

11. Try to buy used items or repair broken items before purchasing new.

12. Drive the speed limit.

13. Give up paper-towels.

14. Wash your laundry in cold water and line dry.

15. Buy GreenItUp!’s MultiPurpose Cleaner!

Change can be scary but the alternative is far worse. Have you seen a weather report in the last two years? Heavy snows, crazy hurricanes, Japan, tornadoes everywhere, fires in Texas…  These are not changes that I am willing to accept. With Frankie’s arthritis, we would not make it very far on McCarthy’s Road…

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GreenItUp! will be at the Fairfax Earth Day / Arbor Day Event this coming Saturday April 16th. The Event will be from 9AM to 2PM at the Fairfax Government Center. Workshops and seminars will be available to teach adults and children practices for cleaner living. Come out and meet the vendors and non-profit organizational members who are making everyday Earth Day. Don’t forget to pick up a bottle of GreenItUp!’s MultiPurpose Cleaner!

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