I Can’t Remember

Since the end of March they’ve given me: two colds, a horrible virus(flu?), a sinus infection, tonsillitis, a fungal rash (don’t ask), and strep. Now I have mono, which isn’t their fault, since I caught it in grad school. It just reoccurs when your immune system has been beaten into submission by something else.

The good news is that the children haven’t really been slowed down by any of these things–although they make me tired just watching them run around.

Which all brings me, in a round about way, to thinking about “Healthy Homes.” (Since I’m the only one sick, and all the asthma and allergy-ridden ones are all fine, my house is at least healthy, right?)

A “Healthy Home” is not a germ-free one. Normally. There are germs everywhere. Only a few make us ill, so trying to “kill all the germs” is inefficient.
Besides anything that can “kill all the germs” isn’t good for us usually.
Bleach, for instance, will “kill all the germs” but it also kills the indoor air quality and has been linked to cancer, which kills us.

After crawling out of bed from my latest illness, I have cleaned every time.
And since not everyone has gotten ill, and I haven’t been re-infected with the same thing (always something new–aren’t they running out yet?), I must have done a good job.
But no bleach, no ammonia, no non-Earth-friendly cleaners.

The sheets and towels are washed in hot water, and I’ve added Vinegar to the rinse cycle for added germ-killing. The countertops, kitchen table, desk, etc have all been wiped down with an eco-friendly surface cleaner. The phone, doorknobs, sink handles, and light switches have been wiped down also. And the toilet and shower cleaned.

Wait, didn’t I just say that a “Healthy Home” isn’t germ-free and we shouldn’t try to kill all the germs?

What’s the difference?
The difference is that had I used bleach yesterday, it would still be working on the germs and my children today. The safer cleaners worked on the existing germs–some of which I knew were harmful since I had just been ill–but did not stay around.
Safe cleaners are safe for you to come into contact with (no gloves needed) and are safe for the environment by not being an endemic enviro-cide.

Germicide, fungicide, pesticide?
“-icide” means it’s deadly.
So don’t use any of those things if you want a “Healthy Home.”

Technorati Tags: clean, germs, healthy home, ill, sick, sterilize

[Part of my series on Non-Disposable Alternatives to Disposable Items]

OK, there are no real alternatives to brushing your teeth. Not for Americans, anyway. The Toothbrush is the invention most Americans say they cannot live without.

But we throw away a lot of toothbrushes during the course of our lifetime–4 times a year if we follow our dentist’s recommendations! It should come as no surprise to find out that the best-selling toothbrush is sold by Gillette, the company that invented throwing things away.

What are the alternatives to disposable toothbrushes?
1. Recycline makes Preserve toothbrushes. These are made from recycled yogurt cups, and when you send them back to Recycline (they come with a mailer), they are recycled again into plastic lumber. Now they have ones for kids, too!
2. Radius makes the Source toothbrush. It has a reusable handle, and disposable brush head.

Or, you can just go back to cleaning your teeth with a sharp stick.

Technorati Tags: disposable, eco, environment, toothbrush

[Part of my series on Non-Disposable Alternatives to Disposable Items]

Computers were supposed to save trees.

Records were to be kept on computers, instead of in file cabinets. All was well, until someone thought up the idea of “back up hard copies.” Which makes sense for banks and defense contractors…but for email chain letters and jokes?

Epsom, IBM, and Xerox all claim to have invented the personal home computer printer. HP is responsible for the laser printer. Goody for them. Bad for the environment. Sure, you recycle ALL your home office paper, right? Still, wouldn’t it be better if you used LESS?

The solution:
Unplug your printer.

Right now, I’m serious.
Don’t get me wrong–I’m a mom. I print up coloring pages and activities (see: Coloring pages! Free and downloadable.) . But I print them on the backs of other printed pages or advertising flyers. And I use them in lieu of coloring books.
And I THINK about whether I really NEED to print something.
If it’s worth the hassle of restarting the printer, it’s worth printing.
But how many times have you just printed up something because it’s convenient?
Make it inconvenient!

And if you MUST print something, if it’s worth restarting the printer, print wisely!
1. Consider using software that prints 2 or 4 pages per side.
2. Always print on both sides.
3. When you get that almost blank page at the end of a printing job, stick it back in the paper drawer. What’s the worst that could happen? That you won’t be able to read the indecipherable string of numbers on the bottom of the page? Who cares!

If you NEED information off the computer, but it’s not worth printing, write it down on SCRAP NOTE PAPER.
How do you make scrap paper?
1. Take advertising flyers, print jobs that didn’t turn out right, pages you are done with, etc.
2. Cut the paper lengthwise and horizontally.
3. Now you have a stack of scrap note paper.
Use the back of pages that have only been printed on one side, or, if it won’t distract you, use marker over printed words and write on both sides.

And when you’re sure you can’t use a piece of paper anymore, recycle or compost it!

Technorati Tags: disposable, eco, environment, home office, paper, print, recycle, reuse

[Part of my series on Non-Disposable Alternatives to Disposable Items]

Plastic Baggies–we use them for everything.
And then we throw them away.
WHY?
No, not “why do we throw them away?” Although, they do make Plastic Bag Dryers so you have a place to dry your plastic baggies out after you wash them by hand so you can reuse them.
Ummm…I don’t do that.

Why do we use plastic baggies?
“To keep our food safe and fresh, and keep it from leaking out onto other stuff!”
Believe it or not, there are other ways to do this!

1. Wrap-N-Mat –which, let me tell you, is a cool way to pack you sandwich in your lunch everyday. They have adult- and kid-friendly designs, are easy to clean, and wear well.
2. Corningware –bet your mom and grandmother still have these! Although, they may have lost the rubber, leak-proof lids. Freezer-, Microwave-, and Oven-safe. (The Corningware and glass lids, don’t put the rubber lids in the oven–that’s probably what happened to your mom’s!).
3. Glass containers like Pyrex can be used in the fridge, freezer, microwave, and oven. And they won’t leach chemicals into your food! Bake n’ Keep Food Storage Containers are old-fashioned glass containers with glass lids.
4. Stainless Steel Watertight SealFood Containers –I haven’t used these, but they sure look great!
5. If you must use plastic containers, let it be Tupperware –your mom still has hers, because these last forever! Or try Rubbermaid, which is also fairly durable.
6. And if you must use disposable, Wax-paper bags are recyclable and compostable, unlike their plastic counterparts.

Technorati Tags: disposable, eco, environment, plastic bag, recycle, reuse

[Part of my series on Non-Disposable Alternatives to Disposable Items]

How many paper towel rolls does your family go through a week?

Even if you buy 100% recycled paper towels and compost all of them, that’s too many!

Paper towels are convenient, but they’re expensive–for you and the environment.

Here’s the Alternative:
1. Buy painters rags–a couple bags at least. Or use shop rags or cloth diapers. Get them at hardware stores, paint stores, auto supply shops. They come in T-shirt material or terry cloth.
2. Get a tissue box cover(those decorative plastic/wood/metal ones)–search thrift stores, eBay, Craig’s List, or request one on Freecycle. Try to find one that has a bottom.
3. Get a pail that will fit under the kitchen sink–find a used one at a thrift store, garage sale, eBay, Craig’s list, Freecycle, or a garage sale.
4. Fold the rags so that they interlock. Fold one in half, then slide the next one between the fold and fold it in half. < -, <>
5. Place the stack of interlocking folded rags inside the tissue box cover.
6. When you need a paper towel, pull a rag out of the tissue box (the next one should “pop up” just like a tissue.)
7. When you are done with the rag, throw it in the pail under the sink instead of the trash.
8. Wash the rags with the laundry.

This works best if you have enough rags so you won’t run out. How many you need depends on how often you would use paper towels, and how often you do laundry. Don’t worry, this won’t actually mean extra laundry–just add the rags to the laundry load you are already running.

Technorati Tags: eco, environment, recycling, reuse

In honor of Earth Day this year, I’m going to begin a series of posts on Things We Don’t Have to Throw Away.

Used to be, people didn’t throw away much. Honestly, Middens (ancient trash heaps) contain small animal bones, tiny bits of broken pottery, and a carbon layer that was originally spoiled food and fire ashes. That’s all that was thrown away! Everything else was used, fixed, reused, fixed again and again, re-purposed, and on and on. Even hundred years ago, people didn’t throw much away. City dumps contained coal ashes, dead horses, and spoiled food.

What do we throw away today? Everything! That couch that we no longer like the fabric, last year’s clothes, newspapers, knick-knacks, broken toys, old appliances. The list goes on and on.
Giving stuff to charity and recycling helps a lot.
But even the most conscientious of us take throwing away thing for granted.

So here’s my “outside the box” list of things we don’t really need to throw away (click on name to read about alternatives!):

Disposable Razors–the item that started the throw away craze!
Paper Towels
Plastic Bags
Home Office Paper
Cotton Swabs
Coffee Filters and Disposable Cups
Facial Tissues
Disposable Toothbrushes
Water Bottles
Feminine Products

Technorati Tags: disposable, eco, environment, recycling, reuse, reuseable

I consider myself pretty green, but apparently, I’m outta the green loop.

There are FOUR “R”s for the environment, according to the EPA:
-Reduce
-Reuse (my favorite!)
-Recycle
(and the one I didn’t know about)
-Rebuy

Rebuy is described as: ” re-thinking your purchasing habits” to include “biobased, recycled content, and other environmentally preferable aspects.”

I’m doing this, I just didn’t realize it had a name.
It was much easier when it was just me to consume less, but with kids it sometimes seems that I have a part-time job as a personal shopper. Trying to find eco-conscious items for kids (especially around back to school time) can double the work, but if shopping’s part of my job description, then I plan to do the job right!