Daniel asks…
how can i disinfect and be eco-friendly?
for a while now i’ve been doing everything i can to leave the smallest negative impact on the earth by:
– recycling all my paper, cans, bottles, and greens (for compost)
-using cloth shopping bags whenever i can
-being a vegetarian and buying organic as much as i can
– using energy saving settings on my clothes and dish washer
– using the least water and energy possible
– taking the bus/train/carpool rather than driving
yet the one thing i cant bring myself to stop doing is using disinfecting wipes to clean my house. its terrible because i go through twelve 35 clorox wipe canisters every two to three months. also when i dust or clean my floor i’ll only use the disposable swiffer pads. in the bathroom i use the flushable toilet cleaners. i guess i’m kind of a germaphobe. but honestly the thought of cleaning my toilet and using that same cloth to wipe the sink counter grosses me out beyond belief! this is a terrible habit that i want to break. whats the best way to go about this? thanks
ps: “disinfecting” the cloth by washing it with warm water or soaking it in bleach still doesnt cut it for me …
The Expert answers:
Use the Method brand cleaning wipes – they are antibacterial and environmentally friendly.
Lemon juice is considered nature’s bleach – it kills lots of bacteria.
Shaklee has a lot of good non-toxic, biodegradable, hospital grade cleaners that work well. ‘
Lemon juice, baking soda and vinegar still remain my favorite.
In fact, those chemical cleaners you are using are worse for your health than the germs you are so worried about getting rid of.
P.s. Purchase different color microfiber cleaning cloths and designate them for different rooms – that way your toilet one is never used on anything else. If you can’t find them in the cleaning section, look in the car care section – they are designed to clean windows and shiny surfaces like car exteriors and countertops.
Additionally, you can wash those in your laundry, and you are not putting disposable anything into a landfill to leech chemicals and breakdown toxins for the next 1000 years.
Read the health report article I also included in the source list…….very enlightening.
The pacificsands link lists the chemicals that are in those cleaners and what they can do to your body over time…..very scary
David asks…
Anyone have any tips for raising children the eco-friendly way?
Hello! I’m 15 weeks pregnant and passionate about the environment.
For some of my pre-baby shopping (I’m waiting to know the baby’s gender before I buy too much) I’ve started picking up the essentials like baby wipes and second hand onsies.
I’ve heard good things about Gdiapers, so I think I’ll pick up some of those when money is available. And dreamsak makes some adorable bamboo baby clothes (although I’m leery about spending so much for them…sustainability is awesome but consumption fever this country has is appaling). The wipes I picked up are biodegradable bamboo, and I’ve been considering getting the degradable poo bags but the package doesn’t say how long it takes for them to decompose so I’m a little leary. I’ve bought the baby gentle formula of Dr. Bronners, I plan to buy target’s BPA-free things like bottles and spoons. I already clean with all natural products (vinegar, baking soda, castile soap, etc), and I plan to get as many things gently used as possible to do my part for the enviroment.
Any tips anyone has would be greatly appreciated 🙂
…I’ll be breastfeeding, and thanks for assuming I’m an idiot.
…and Gdiapers makes cloth, too.
The Expert answers:
Cloth Diapering
Some statistics say each child creates 2 tons of waste from disposable diapers! Since caring for a baby can be so time consuming, it is easy to see why parents choose the perceived convenience of disposable diapers. They just toss them in the garbage bin and forget them right? Well, eco-friendly parents cannot forget that diapers account for an enormous amount of landfill waste that is not biodegradable.
Luckily cloth diapers have become just as easy and convenient as disposable diapers. Forget the flat diapers you need to fold and pin together (although those are still around if you are so inclined). Cloth diapers today are fitted with elastic, close with pins or Velcro, and are easy to clean. For those that do not have the time or the desire to do diaper laundry, diaper services widely available. Cloth diapers can last for years and be used by more than one child. Flushable diapers, such as gDiapers, are another eco-friendly diapering option.
Feeding Your Baby
Not only is breastfeeding the perfect food for baby, it is also the most planet friendly way to feed your baby. By simply breastfeeding your baby you eliminate the need for formula cans and baby bottles. Breastfeeding is waste free! If however you need to pump milk and bottle feed there are eco-friendly options for that, too. Glass baby bottles are reusable and can be recycled or donated, unlike their plastic counterparts which are prone to breakage and do not biodegrade. Furthermore, plastic baby bottles may contain BPA, a chemical that leaches into the milk and can cause hormone disruption. Helpful products for mom such as wool or cloth breast pads and organic creams are also available.
When your baby is old enough to eat solids you can continue to feed “green” by making your own baby food from organic fruits and vegetables that you are already eating. There is no need to buy boxes of baby cereal or tiny jars of baby food when you can mash or puree family foods and feed them those. They can be frozen inside ice cube trays for later use and convenience. A useful reference is Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. That was my feeding bible for my last two children. A book that I wish had been around when I still had babies is Baby-led Weaning: Helping Your Baby to Love Good Food.
Clothing Your Baby
Farming with chemicals is hazardous for our planet and very unsustainable. When you buy clothing for your baby try to buy clothing made with sustainable fibers. Organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and wool in natural colors or dyed with low impact dyes are all good choices. The absence of chemicals is also better for your baby’s tender skin. Here is one source of natural baby clothes.
Consider buying used clothes instead of new. Buying second hand clothing that someone has recycled is much more sustainable an option than buying brand new. Look for used clothing at thrift stores, on local lists such as Craiglist, eBay, or through family and friends. This option is also much easier on the pocketbook.
When we bring a baby into the world we want that world to be as friendly and hospitable as possible. These are just a few eco-friendly tips for raising babies and ensure that that world remains friendly and hospitable for generations to come.
Michael asks…
Eco men clothes (jacket)?
I looking for a nice eco friendly jacket from a real website. It need to keep me warm in the cold New York winter. Do anyone know a place online to get one?
The Expert answers:
Here’s a few. Good luck.
Mark asks…
How much does your Tumble Drier cost to run per annum?
I use a clothes horse and an eco friendly saver Drier would cost over £500. Thinking of getting a heated rail thing which run for the cost of a lightbulb.
any other ideas?
The Expert answers:
I put mine on the line, if the weather looks bad I hang it on a clothes horse in the conservatory or in the garage. Never had a tumble drier and never hang clother over the radiator. 3 loads washed and dried yesterday before dinner (line dried)
Mandy asks…
Eco washing products leave my clothes smelling bad?
I have switched to using eco friendly products for washing my clothes such as Ecover. These products get the clothes clean enough but because they are not loaded with chemical fragrance the clothes don’t smell so good once dry. They smell a bit like dampness no matter how often I was them. I have tried the ecover fabric softener and the adding essential oils but even though the clothes smell ok when damp once dry they begin to smell again, I notice this smell more on synthetic fabrics also. Please give me any advice on what to do as I don’t want to go back to using chemical brands but my boyfriend is complaining about the smell. What can I do?
I normally wash my clothes at 30 or 40 degrees. My clothes are not heavily soiled.
The thing is that I want to avoid coming into contact with chemicals myself so I would prefer not to use a product like Fabreze.
The Expert answers:
Vinegar! Regular white vinegar. You can get it in gallon sizes and it’s pretty cheap, so bonus!
I had the same problem.. I use a drying rack instead of the dryer, and when I switched to eco-friendly detergent, my clothes smelled mildewy.. I tried different things, but then I tried vinegar, and it’s excellent. It also helps my clothes feel softer.
I mix the vinegar with essential oils, but I think it would work just fine without them. Mostly I do it because I like the smell of them drying – the aroma doesn’t stick around much longer than that anyway. And the vinegar smell itself usually just hangs around for a few minutes.
I never measure it, but I’m guessing I use around a 1/4 cup per wash. I pour it into my bleach spout because it’s the closest thing I have to getting it in with the rinse cycle.
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