Herbal Stress Relief Bath with Lavender and Oatmeal

Photo credit: melodi2 from morguefile.com
Instead of soaking in a tub full of bubbles that can irritate the skin, try a natural herbal stress relief bath. Trade in the synthetic fragrances and preservatives for skin nourishing ingredients with a lavender and oatmeal soak. Lavender essential oil will normalize the skin, reduce inflammation and help to destroy bacteria on the skin. It also has a calming effect on the mind, easing tension and anxiety. Oatmeal will sooth and soften dry skin. And of course the hot water is relaxing for tired, aching muscles.

To make an herbal stress relief bath with oatmeal and lavender add one to two cups of dried oats to a muslin pouch. Add this to bath water while the tub is filling with hot water to let the emollient compounds and nutrients of the oats to infuse into the water. Meanwhile, add eight drops of lavender essential oil to a cup of water. You can also use a cup of milk as a carrier for the essential oils for a more skin-softening effect. Add the lavender to bath water right before getting in.

Soak in this herbal bath for twenty minutes to relieve stress naturally while also giving your skin a nourishing botanical treatment. This is an excellent natural alternative to synthetic bubble bath products which contain chemical ingredients that are not good for your skin or the environment. Using natural bath additives such as essential oils and herbs is a great way to reduce your exposure to chemicals while also pampering. Just make sure to make this herbal bath a once a week treat to avoid heavy water usage!

The Eco Advantages of Reusable Grocery Bags and Where to Find Them

photo by Kat

Its the twenty-first century and it is time for plastic and paper grocery bags to be a thing of the past. Like many products of the twentieth century, from gas-guzzling cars to clothes dryers, they do not make sense in terms of efficiency, expense or the environment. Plastic and paper bags cost stores money, an expense that it inevitably passed on to the consumer. They also have a negative impact on the environment. Why not make the switch to reusable grocery bags? There are so many advantages for the environment, but also for you.

The Facts on Plastic and Paper

Both plastic and paper bags are made from the earth's natural resources — plastic bags are made from oil and paper bags are made from trees. The extraction and manufacturing process of both materials also puts a strain on the environment. After use, what happens to these bags? Some are recycled, but the majority of bags become trash and end up in landfills. From 1 to 3 percent of all plastic bags produced (and hundreds of billions are produced each year) end up as stray bags, jeopardizing marine life, clogging sewer piper and simply polluting, according to the Environmental Literacy Council.

Benefits of Reusable Bags

Switching to reusable grocery bags is a simple way to make this environmental nightmare go away. Many grocery stores now sell reusable bags for one to two dollars. You can also find cute reusable bags online — try Envirosax for washable, designer bags. ChicoBag offers customized reusable grocery bags made from a variety of materials, including their trademarked rePETe fabric, which is made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.

From the cute and customized to the standard and sturdy, these bags can be used for years, over and over again. Reusable bags are designed to be super strong, able to carry much more weight than a typical plastic or paper bag. They also are easier to carry, with handles that are not going to break.

Using reusable grocery bags just makes sense. For a few dollars you never have to worry about the hassle of using and properly disposing of paper or plastic. Also, you can use reusable grocery bags for, well anything. When you go shopping for clothes, books, hardware supplies, when you need a few things for a road trip, or to bring a bottle of wine to a friend's house, you have a bag to carry whatever you need.

Are There Dangerous Chemicals in Dryer Sheets?

photo by Sean Naber

Are dryer sheets toxic? What exactly are these fragrant, softening, wispy sheets? Should I be putting them in with my drying clothes? There are quite a few chemicals in dryer sheets, which may be harmful to the chemically sensitive and undesirable to anyone trying to live a more natural lifestyle. Dryer sheets are essentially pieces of nonwoven polyester (a petroleum-based synthetic fiber) that are coated with softening agents and fragrances.

Every ingredient that goes into a dryer sheet is not dangerous, for example stearic acid, a fatty acid that comes from rendered animal fat, may be used as a softening agent. It helps to make clothes feel soft by actually making them slippery. Softening agents are also used to reduce static. Other possible softening agents, such as quarternary ammonium salts may sound more threatening, but according to the Environmental Working Group's database, they pose no contamination concerns.

Where there is likely to be the harmful chemicals in dryer sheets is in the synthetic fragrances that are intended to make clothes feel so fresh. Fragrance formulas are protected by intellectual property law, so there is no way to know the exact ingredient list in a fabric softening product, nor the potential health risk. In general, many substances that are used in synthetic fragrances can be irritating to skin or the respiratory tract. There are some serious harsh chemicals that may or may not be used, some that are even known carcinogens, but without the specific set of ingredients in a product there is no way to check for danger or not.

Will you get cancer from a lifetime of using conventional dryer sheets? Probably not, but reducing your chemical exposure as much as possible cannot hurt, and dryer sheets are an easy item to give up to do this. Is it eco-friendly to use dryer sheets and other fabric softeners? Well, no. From the polyester to the actual manufacturing process to the chemical fragrances using conventional dryer sheets is not a green choice.

A great natural alternative to being exposed to the potential chemicals in dryer sheets is to freshen your laundry with essential oils. Naturally anti-bacterial, they add a little extra cleansing and a non-toxic, fresh scent. Add three or four drops to the washer per load of laundry. Try lavender, clary sage or eucalyptus. You can add two or three tablespoons of baking soda to the wash for extra softening. For eco-friendly, chemical-free clothes drying, line drying is your best option. If you do like to use the drying machine, you can also choose natural alternative dryer sheets, such as those made from Seventh Generation, which are made from recycled paper and plant-derived softening agents.

Eco Advantages of Line Drying Clothes

photo by Tabitha Blue

Most of us toss our laundry in a clothes dryer and add a dryer sheet for that clean, fresh scent. Line drying clothes has become a thing of the past. As more and more people look for easy ways to save money and energy it will probably become a thing of the future.

Using the clothes dryer costs the average household between $2 and $10 dollars per month and accounts for about 12 percent of household electricity use. Unlike many other appliances there are not more eco-friendly, Energy Star versions of the clothes dryer — dryers use a lot of energy no matter what the make and model. Unlike many other appliances the clothes dryer is one of those things that you really can do without, with little or no loss of convenience.

Why not start hanging your clothes to dry? With many inexpensive, easy to set up outdoor and indoor options, there's really no reason not to give up conventional dryer use and evolve into line drying.

What are the benefits? You'll lower your household carbon footprint with less greenhouse gas emissions. You'll save money on your electricity bill each month. You can avoid the toxins found in drier sheets. You will be taking a great step towards eco living with little effort on your part.

When line drying clothes you can of course use an outdoor clothesline or umbrella. For those who don't have outdoor space, you can still line dry indoors. For a good indoor retractable rack you can spend as little as thirty to forty dollars. The rack would pay for itself in a few months with reduced energy costs. If you aren't ready to spend the money but you are ready to give up your dryer, be creative. You can hang clothes over the bathroom shower rod and towel rack. Use hangers and hang drying shirts and pants on chairs and doors. Just make sure your clothes have space and ventilation. An open window will greatly speed up the line drying process.

Removing Mold and Mildew in the Bathroom Naturally

photo by Dr. Cornelius

With safe, non-toxic ingredients, such as baking soda and vinegar, you can kill mold in the bathroom, prevent more mold and mildew from growing and keep your bathroom clean and disinfected, naturally. Mold and mildew thrive in a moist environment, which is why shower walls and bathtub corners are prime areas for the growth of these fungi. Mold is not only unsightly, but it can have an adverse affect on health as well, particularly for sensitive people. Instead of using harsh chemicals which are often more harmful then the mold itself, you can opt for natural cleaning solutions for bathroom mold.

To make a solution for removing mold and mildew in the bathroom use:

• 1 cup of baking soda
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 gallon of warm water

Use this solution to clean all bathroom surfaces — shower walls, sinks, bathtubs, floors and outside of the toilet. It may smell like vinegar while you are cleaning, but you will not be inhaling any toxic fumes. Also, don't worry, the vinegar smell will go away. Try this anti-mold cleaning solution once or twice a month, depending on how much use your bathroom gets.

For more regular care you can simply spray a solution that will help kill bathroom mold. Using a small plastic spray bottle, mix:

• 8 ounces of warm water
• 1/4 cup of baking soda
• 2 to 3 drops of an anti-fungal essential oil such as lavender or myrrh

Shake well and mist over mold-prone surfaces.

While routine cleaning is a cornerstone of getting rid of bathroom mold, fresh, dry air is also essential. Keep the bathroom well-ventilated with a fan and/or open windows and always remove any standing water.

How to Dispose of Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs — Are You Recycling Your CFL's?

photo by Nioxxe

Compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFL's, have become popular over the past several years as the eco-friendly alternative to incandescent light bulbs, which use the majority of their energy to produce heat, not light. According to the US Department of Energy, Energy Star qualified compact fluorescents use 75 percent less energy then your typical incandescent bulb and they last up to ten times longer. While CFL's themselves are more expensive, they can greatly reduce your electricity bill — by as much as $40 for the lifetime of one CFL bulb.

Green, eco-friendly and a positive step towards more energy efficient lighting. There is a catch however. CFL's contain mercury, and when they are not properly disposed of, they can become hazardous. Polluting landfills with tiny doses of mercury (about 4 milligrams per bulb), which can eventually end up in local groundwater, is not exactly eco-friendly. The mercury is not released when the bulbs are used, but when the bulbs are broken. ("Eco-friendly light bulbs switch on problems." The Washington Times, July 20, 2009).

The solution to eco efficient light bulbs potentially becoming eco hazardous is recycling. In some states in fact it is the law to properly dispose of your CFL's. So, how can you recycle your compact fluorescent light bulbs? You can look up a list of local waste collection agencies and recycling opportunities at Earth911.com. Also, many stores that sell the bulbs, including Home Depot and Lowe's, have CFL recycling programs. Another option is to mail the bulb back to the manufacturer to be recycled and disposed of properly. Check the website of your CFL's manufacturer for more info.

Two Recipes for a Natural Homemade Kitchen Floor Cleaner

photo by Alan L

Regularly cleaning the kitchen floor is important for getting rid of bacteria and dirt that can easily find its way onto your floor. While conventional cleaners can certainly kill bacteria and remove dirt, they also come with a negative side — harsh chemicals. It is possible to use natural products, or even to make your own to avoid the introduction of chemicals into the air, your home and the environment. Natural ingredients such as lemon juice, vinegar and essential oils also have anti-bacterial properties. They leave a fresh scent after cleaning as well, and unlike conventional products, are completely non-toxic. Try these recipes for a natural homemade kitchen floor cleaner.

Lemon and Baking Soda Natural Floor Cleaner

• 1 fresh lemon
• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of baking soda
• 1 gallon of warm to hot water

Fill a small bucket with the warm water. Add the fresh lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda and then stir. Use to wash the kitchen floor. You can also use it as an all-purpose cleaner for countertops, the stove and refrigerator.

Homemade Floor Cleaner with Essential Oils

• 15 drops of essential oil
• 1 gallon of warm to hot water

Simply add the essential oil to the water. Great essential oils for cleaning include lemon, orange, lime, peppermint, pine and tea tree. Blend the citrus oils together, using five drops of each for an uplifting homemade kitchen cleaner. Peppermint, pine and tea tree make a more invigorating blend. As with the lemon, vinegar and baking soda blend, you can use the antiseptic power of essential oils on kitchen countertops and other surfaces.

5 Easy to Grow Vegetables

photo by Medved

Spring is here and you're ready to start your organic vegetable garden — but what should you plant? Which vegetables grow well together? What about easy to grow vegetables for the novice gardener?

Growing your own veggies is a great way to:

• Save money
• Eat organic
• Cut down on the eco effects of food transportation and packaging

Organic fruits and vegetables are increasingly expensive. At the same time, the sustainability and health benefits make going organic an important green living step. If you haven't already, this is the year to start your own little plot of sustainable, eco-friendly, organic food — may as well go for the vegetables that are easier to grow and work well together in terms of companion planting.

Start your cop with these 5 easy growing veggies:

photo by CDC

1. Beans
2. Lettuce
3. Carrots
4. Beets
5. Cucumbers

If you want to plant a couple companion herbs, consider borage, which has lovely little purple flowers that attract honeybees and predatory insects, and sage, which repels bean parasites.

The best green way to wash dishes: eco friendly dishwashing

What is the best way to wash dishes, to conserve water and energy?  Dishwasher machines require quite a bit of energy, but are they more water-efficient?  What about hand washing?  Isn't the DIY way always better for the environment?  What exactly is eco-friendly dishwashing? 

Hand washing vs. automatic washing

Both can be eco-friendly ways to clean the dishes, or detrimental to the environment.  It depends on how each method is approached.  The best way to wash dishes and conserve water is to do everything possible to use the least amount of water.  The energy saver cycle on an efficient automatic washer may use less water and energy than hand washing.  An efficient hand washer, minimizing hot water use, can be just as eco-friendly. 
As a general average however, the machine method is greener, using 15 gallons of water for every load on a normal cycle, and 20 to 30 for hand washing the same amount of dirty dishes.

Eco-friendly dishwashing tips for machine washing

There are ways to make dishwashing as green as possible, whichever method is used.  For automatic dishwashers:

• Use the most energy efficient cycle button, which may be a 'smart' energy saver button for newer models, or a water miser cycle. 
• Don't use the heat dry option.  This is an unnecessary use of a lot of energy.  To help dishes dry naturally, open the door a bit once the cycle is done. 
• Only wash with a full load; don't run the machine without enough dishes.
• Don't put plastics in the machine as the hot water could cause plastics to leach out into the water and onto other dishes, potentially making their way into food. 
• Use a natural dishwashing detergent, such as Seventh Generation Dishwashing Powder or a homemade eco-friendly dish soap.  Also, white distilled vinegar works well as a rinse.  

Eco-friendly dishwashing tips for hand washing

The focus of eco-friendly hand washing is to use as little water as possible.

• Clean dishes before washing by scraping off food beforehand.  Pre-soak really grimy pans.
• Fill up sink with sudsy water and wash all dishes in that tub of water, cleaning less dirty dishes first.
• Instead of running water to rinse dishes, put some lukewarm water in the other side of a double sink, or a large bowl, and dip dishes in to rinse.  Fill only as much as needed initially, then when too sudsy, dump and replace, again being conservative with water use.  
• Use a natural dishwashing soap, or a homemade green liquid detergent. 

photo by Aaron 13251

Green laundry tips: efficient clothes washing and drying

Ever thought of the impact on the environment of washing a load of clothes?  How much water is used?  How much energy?  What about the effect of laundry detergents?  With 40 gallons of water per load for conventional washing machines, 1800 to 5000 watts of energy used (and average energy costs of twenty to forty cents) per dryer cycle, and a host of unnecessary chemicals, dyes, and perfumes added to the ecosystem, just doing a load of laundry has quite a carbon footprint.  There is such a thing as efficient clothes washing and drying.  Follow these simple green laundry tips for eco-friendly washing.

Green, efficient clothes washing

• Use full loads to maximize use of water and energy with each load
• Wash and rinse with cold water — 90% of energy used for washing clothes goes towards heating water, according to the US Department of Energy
• Clean heavy stains by hand with soap and water before washing; this will eliminate the need for heavy washing, hot water, and harsh chemicals
• Use natural, biodegradable laundry detergents, or make a homemade detergent from eco-friendly ingredients such as borax, baking soda, and essential oils
• When in the market for a new washing machine, buy an energy efficient, Energy Star rated model

Green, efficient clothes drying

• Clean lint filter after each load to improve air circulation
• Wash heavy linens and towels separately to reduce drying time of lightweight clothing
• Air dry, air dry, air dry!  Use an outdoor clothes lines, or even an indoor rack as much as possible.  According to Project Laundry List, if everyone in America switched to clothes lines, several power plants could be shut down, so much energy would be saved.  
• Switch to an energy efficient, Energy Star dryer when it is time to upgrade your appliance

These green laundry tips require minimal effort and cost.  Saving water and energy will in fact save you money as well!  Buying a new washer and dryer for efficient clothes washing does come with an initial cost, but the lifetime financial and environmental savings of Energy Star models are well worth it.

photo by: Mysza831