Ever wonder if the greener products work just as well as the ones that you’ve already used?
Huddler is an awesome website that just contacted me, to let me know just how awesome they are.
This new site allows you to rate your green products and to check product reviews. Basically, it’s a Consumer Reports for those interested in sustainable living. I’m pleased to see that Seventh Generation laundry detergent got a strong review, and my friend Mimi approves of it as well. (I need some!!! And remember, at Whole Foods, you can just keep refilling the same laundry containers. Sweet.)
Another interesting site I found is a blog called Fake Plastic Fish. Beth is trying to completely eliminate disposable plastic use from her life. I like her post about plastic women’s razors, and the history of marketing for shaving for women… but I’m kind of an info geek like that.
Also, I know this is a little bit late, but I think it’s a good example of how we can make things healthier by using less chemicals. I guess I hadn’t thought about the extra dye that’s left on the egg after you peel it, until this video!
Right? I mean, what are they? And are they really essential?
I decided that the best way to figure that out was to go out and buy some for myself.
Of course, like almost everything I do, I was in a hurry. I was supposed to be meeting with a friend who was in town for only a day, but thought I could squeeze in a quick trip to Jane’s Health Market first. (What is this simple life they speak of?)
My scent ideas came from this “green cleaning” seminar I went to - the one I mentioned in my last post. Apparently you can use them to make a vinegar cleaning solution smell better than it otherwise would. (I can imagine that would require some help.)
So, I picked up Tea Tree Oil and Rosemary. Of course I tried smelling nearly half of the 70 scents they had there, effectively making my “quick trip” take about 4 times longer, but I couldn’t help it. On the sides of the bottle, it lists what kind of effect each essential oil is supposed to have, and I kind of wanted to know if the lavendar would really make me feel relaxed, or if the orange blossom would make me feel awake, or if the lemongrass would make me feel energized.
After I started to feel pretty much confused about my own state of being, I finally just selected my original two scents. The woman at the register (Jane?) directed me to some recipe cards in the back of the store, and I gladly took at least 20. Nevermind that I hadn’t bought Ylang Ylang, Bergamot, or Wild Chamomile. I wanted to know what I could do with them.
I found a card on Rosemary, too. Apparently, its “fresh, bracing aroma seems to have an invigorating effect on the senses and on memory.”
So… if we can convince students to sniff Rosemary instead of glue, we might be onto something here.
Wild Chamomile is balancing and calming, and they encourage you to use it in your home or office. Hmm… I have a hard enough time being alert in the morning.
Me to boss, while standing at coffee maker: “Yup, yup, on my seventh cup today. That Wild Chamomile really works.”
OH, nice… Bergamot. “Especially helpful to creative work, the fragrance can inspire fresh perspectives and renewed energy.” It also “promotes feelings of cheerfulness and self-confidence.” Wait… what about the suffering artists? What happens to their work when bergamot is introduced into the environment?
This recipe made me giggle, but I think I want to try it anyway:
Place one or two drops of the mixture on your finger tips and gently massage your temples. Close your eyes and enjoy the warm, sweet aroma while your powers of creativity and concentration return to full strength.”
Okay, so essential oils are supposedly completely natural, purely derived from plants. If you see “essential oils” listed on a product, you can know that they’re a good thing. And I defer to Wikipedia for a real explanation (I hope).
I haven’t much used my two oils yet, but I have them, and I will let you know how it goes down.
So do any of you have any experiences with essential oils? What have you used them for? What are your favorites? Do they work?
Okay I’m done asking questions. Let me know your thoughts!
When I open up my cleaning cupboard, I witness a gathering of evil cleaning products that would give Al Gore a heart attack.
The furniture polish, the window cleaner, the bleach, the anti-bacterial kitchen spray, the bathtub foam, the toilet gel, the dishwasher capsules, the liquid dish soap, pet odor remover…. whoa. Is this stuff safe?
Crap. So what do I do? Get rid of it all? Start again? And if I get rid of it all, is there a safe way to dispose of it? If not, then heck. I’ll just keep using it and start fresh later.
The advice on this site, Cleaning 101, is just to use your cleaning product, since most of them are designed to be water soluable anyway. I like how that sounds.
You know what else I thought sounded cool? My friend Mimi told me that you can take your empty spray bottles and detergent bottles to Whole Foods to refill them with safer cleaning product. Brilliant!
Hmm how nerdy am I that I get excited about that???
Which brings me to my point.
I recently discovered this, the Green Omaha Coalition, (the existence of which indicates that there’s hope that Omaha can be on the top 50 list eventually!). One of the subcommittees, Green Neighborhood, is hosting an event on this Saturday, February 23, from 10 AM to 12 PM (noon! 2 hours! not 14).
The FREE event is called “February’s Green Living Workshop” and will be held at Word Made Flesh on 1013 Leavenworth St. This month’s topic: How to Detox and Green Your Cleaning. When in attendance, you can win green cleaning products and learn how to make your own.
Hey - even my frugal friends would be interested to know how to make their own cleaning products! Come on down! If you want to attend, RSVP to Daniel Lawse at livesimply93@gmail.com. Or let me know you wanna go so we can carpool.
