By Julie Finn •
July 30, 2009
Often when my daughters were very, very young, and even now that they’re older as a special treat, I like to set them up to fingerpaint in the bathtub. It’s certainly an art activity that’s more about the process than the product, since the fun is in smearing around and mixing and getting oneself all paint-y and colorful. And when they’re done painting, there’s more fun involved in using the handheld shower nozzle to give everything a good rinse before settling down for a nice bath.
To make clean-up just that much easier, or just to provide a different sensory experience or have a fun time following a recipe, you can also try making your own fingerpaints from soap.
By Julie Finn •
July 29, 2009
A clothesline in a shady spot can air dry your laundry without the expense of energy resources, keep your clothes in better condition without subjecting them to the wear and tear of a clothes dryer cycle, and return them to you smelling fresh and sweet without the chemicals contained in a dryer sheet.
A clothesline in a sunny spot can do all that and bleach out soil and stains, to boot, again without the worry of harsh chemicals.
This factor, combined with a very gentle handwashing and some pre-treatments, can restore even very stained and very valuable vintage fabrics. It can also get your kids’ grape juice stains out of your beloved childhood Snoopy sheet set. Here’s how:
By Jamie Ervin •
April 1, 2009
It’s Spring time, finally! I’m hopping for joy right alongside that giant white rabbit we call “Bunny”. As the daffodils and hyacinths begin popping up with their vibrant color, I’m thinking it’s time to spruce up the house.
Because I’m often asked what cleaning solutions I use (especially what I use to replace chlorine bleach and disinfectant cleaners), I’ve decided to share a “Works For Me Wednesday” here on Eco Child’s Play. I don’t want to bring toxic cleaners into my home where my children sleep, eat and play, do you? Give these solutions a try, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
By Jamie Ervin •
March 25, 2009
Thanks to Meg over at the Earth Friendly Shoppe (and just in time for Earth Day 2009), we have THREE fabulous give aways.
First up, a gift basket from Vermont Soap Organics - $25.00 value
Protecting the environment and your health, Vermont Soaps are USDA Certified Organic. All products are free of artificial colors, fragrances and preservatives. No animal products (except honey soap), no animal by-products and no animal testing. Winner receives:
By Jamie Ervin •
December 29, 2008
I prefer to do our major cleaning during the holiday break when its cold and wet outside and save Spring time for playing outside and trips to the beach.
Our mission this week is to tackle all the problem areas in our house. Each day we will tackle one or two areas. That region will be decluttered, recycled, repurposed, and scrubbed until it shines before we move on to the next space.
I’ve been motivated in my cleaning style by Squeaky Green The Method Guide To Detoxing Your Home. When I first read the chapter on dust mites I went bonkers, removing every item from underneath my bed, vacuuming, scrubbing, and fluffing until I felt reasonably assured that our sleeping spaces were free of creepy crawlies.
Throughout the book you will find Dirty Little Secrets. My favorite is no.00 found on the back cover of this manual. ”What you think makes your home clean might be making it dirty. Sometimes the chemicals in household cleaners are worse for you than dirt and dust.” Um, yeah… let’s get it clean and chemical free!
By Jamie Ervin •
November 10, 2008
Whenever I talk about all natural or home made cleaning products the response is always, “does it work?”. The short answer is ABSOLUTELY.
Somewhere along the way we have been brainwashed to believe we must KILL KILL KILL bacteria and viruses by using toxic substances like chlorine bleach, triclosan and fancy “antibacterial” products. Thanks to mass marketing ploys such as Clorox’s “Essential to a Healthy Home” advertisement.
The truth is simple. Yes we need to keep things clean, no we don’t need super antibacterial products to do that. In reality, over use of bacteria killing products can be counter productive. Clean well, clean naturally, clean often.
A wonderful cleaning solution is the Vinegar of Four Thieves recipe. We’ve been using this for years. It does have a vinegar smell (add more herbs to help counteract), but it works beautifully.
By Jamie Ervin •
September 11, 2008
Absolutely.
Non-toxic cleaners are the far better, safer choice in household cleaning. That said, there is still some danger in any cleaning product. Your child could have an allergy to an ingredient, it might contain an eye irritant or could cause stomach upsets. This is much less of a concern than carcinogens and mutagens in cleaning supplies, but that doesn’t mean we can store our solutions under the sink in an unlocked cupboard and assume that our child is safe.
This topic came up last night with a girlfriend of mine, she is one of the most environmental people I know. She shot me an email saying, “As a Mom who has changed to eco-friendly products, be it Seventh Generation, or Vermont Soap Organic All Purpose Cleaner, or even a vinegar, baking soda and water mix- what if my child were to get into it, swallow it/drink it? How non-toxic is it really, as far as having to call 911, etc…? I mean, you still have to call a doctor, right? Even though it is “non-toxic” you should still follow some sort of instruction in case of eye contact/swallowing?”
By Jennifer Lance •
August 26, 2008
Usually, I make my own cleaners or simply use Ecover dish soap on everything. I figure if it is safe for my dishes, it is safe for everything else. One place I struggle though is the bath tub/shower. I have tried every homemade concoction under the sun from vinegar to cream of tartar, but those stubborn mineral stains remain. I have finally found the solutions: Seventh Generation Natural Tub and Tile Cleaner.
My spring water comes from the roots of an old oak tree and is gravity fed to my home. This may sound idyllic, until you see the mineral stains it leaves on the shower and tub walls. I scrub and scrub until I get tendonnitis, but those stubborn stains return in about a week. Like my toilet, I like to keep my bathtub clean for my little ones. Seventh Generation Natural Tub and Tile Cleaner has simplified this tedious job. I simply spray it on, let it sit for about three minutes, then gently scrub the stains away with a walnut scrubber sponge. No more crazy scrubbing until my arms ache, and since it is made by Seventh Generation, I am not worried about my children being exposed to this cleaning product.
By Jennifer Lance •
July 22, 2008
I have a confession to make: I am not the best housekeeper. I don’t really enjoy cleaning, although I do enjoy a clean house. There is one area of my house I insist is clean: the toilet! Usually, I just pour in a little vinegar and sprinkle a little powdered laundry soap into the bowl and scrub away, but recently I discovered Seventh Generation’s Emerald Cypress & Fir Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner. There’s nothing like a new natural cleaning product to motivate me to clean.
Most toilet bowl cleaners are made with caustic acids that can burn your skin, and I certainly don’t want my little one’s bums to experience that! Seventh Generation’s Emerald Cypress & Fir Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner is biodegradable, safe for septic systems, chlorine-free, phosphate-free, dye-free, etc. It comes in a cool shaped bottle allowing you to squirt under the toilet bowl rim. Unlike many other natural cleaners who guard their ingredients in a shroud of secrecy, Seventh Generation fully discloses its ingredients. This toilet bowl cleaner is made from:
Aqua (water), lactic acid (plant-derived demineralizer), polyglucose, coceth-7, coceth-4 and deceth-5 (plant-derived cleaning agents), xanthan gum (natural thickener), essential oils and botanical extracts* (citrus aurantifolia (lime), abies balsamea (balsam fir), calilistris columellaris (emerald cypress). *d-limonene is a naturally occurring component of these ingredients.
By Jennifer Lance •
September 26, 2007
When reviewing our stats to see how people find Eco Child’s Play, I’ve discovered that many parents are looking for ways to clean their children’s toys naturally. I thought I would share a few of my tips with you for soft, wooden, or plastic (ugh) toys. My methods are gentle for the earth and your family, as I don’t use harsh chemicals like bleach water, yet they may not kill viruses such [...]
By Jennifer Lance •
August 31, 2007
If you have pets in your house or an older carpet (such as in a dorm or apartment), your flooring may need freshening and deodorizing. Although there are many natural carpet fresheners available in health food stores, it is much simpler and cheaper to make your own. You probably already have the ingredients in your kitchen.
To make your own carpet deodorizer, combine one cup of baking soda with 1/2-cup cornstarch. Next, add
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