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. 

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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:

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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!

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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:

• • Produce Magic 16oz Fruit and Veggie Wash- A quick rinse under water is not sufficient enough to clean our foods before eating. Pesticides, fertilizers, dirt-or worse! On our food! Use the Fruit and Veggie Wash and wash the worries away.
  • Organic Liquid Sunshine Non-Toxic Cleaner 16oz- Liquid Sunshine contains no Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, d-limonene, artificial colors, fragrances, or preservatives. This multi-purpose cleaner is made from Castile Liquid Soap and a blend of essential oils.
  • Vermont Soap Organics Citrus Sunrise Body Bar-  great for normal skin and a popular summer soap. Great for shaving, and guys too.
  • Vermont Soap Organics Tea Tree Body Bar- soothing and mild, the organic tea tree bar is perfect for those who seek a truly relaxing and healthy cleansing body bar. A great facial soap!

More give aways after the jump.

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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!

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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.

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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?”

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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.

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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.

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Should plastic toys have crept into your home from well-meaning relatives, many of them can be cleaned in the top row of the dishwasher. This is the suggested method in a preschool curriculum I used to follow. This is a simple manner of cleaning them, but it may not lighten your impact on the earth. Washing them by hand in a sink full of soapy water may be a better option.

For wooden toys, I usually just wipe them with a damp rag to remove the dust. If other children have been over, and I am concerned about germs, I will wash them in a sink full of warm water and dish soap. I use Ecover Dishwashing Liquid, which I assume if it is safe enough for my children’s dishes, it is safe enough for their toys. Wooden toys should never be soaked in water for long and should be dried immediately, otherwise the wood can swell and the grain may rise to the surface.

For plush toys, I use the hand washing gentle cycle on my washing maching. We have a Maytag Neptune, which is a front loading machine that uses very little energy and water. Even when our hydro is down, I am able to run the Maytag Neptune off two solar panels. Front loading machines are more gentle on items, and I have yet to have a plush toy fall apart when washed in cold water.

Just like every other aspect of cleaning your home, toys can be cleaned naturally. The best part about using natural cleaning products is you don’t have to worry about your child being harmed while they help you. Have you seen those horrible images of a boy with terrible rash from a Mr. Clean Eraser Sponge?

Only 5 days left to leave a comment and enter our monthly drawing for a hemp Eco Child’s Play bag. This will be our last monthly drawing for a hemp bag. Don’t miss your chance!

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 your favorite herbal scent or essential oils, and sprinkle on your rug. I prefer to sprinkle lavender flowers from the garden into my homemade carpet freshener, but using eucalyptus or citronella oils will get fleas hopping just before vacuuming. This natural, homemade deodorizer works best when left on your carpet for several hours (optimally overnight). If you do have fleas, be sure to empty the vacuum canister or bag immediately, in order that the fleas do not crawl out of the vacuum and return to your home.

Commercially-made carpet fresheners come with many warnings, and suggest that you use them everytime you vacuum. These products can be irritating (so can essential oils), as well as create unhealthy indoor air. In addition, such products come with warnings to keep the product out of the reach of children and pets. Baking soda and cornstarch are safe to use on all carpets, like the hand woven, naturally dyed tribal rugs in my home, and I find I only need to use it once or twice a year. I wouldn’t think of using a commercial, artificial product on my antiques rugs or around my pets and children.

Making your own cleaning products saves money and creates a greener, natural home. Simple recipes, such as this carpet freshener, make greening the good life simple. This tip also works well to freshen the bottom of trashcans!

To make your own carpet deodorizer, combine one cup of baking soda with 1/2-cup cornstarch. Next, add your favorite herbal scent or essential oils, and sprinkle on your rug. I prefer to sprinkle lavender flowers from the garden into my homemade carpet freshener, but using eucalyptus or citronella oils will get fleas hopping just before vacuuming. This natural, homemade deodorizer works best when left on your carpet for several hours (optimally overnight). If you do have fleas, be sure to empty the vacuum canister or bag immediately, in order that the fleas do not crawl out of the vacuum and return to your home.

Commercially-made carpet fresheners come with many warnings, and suggest that you use them everytime you vacuum. These products can be irritating (so can essential oils), as well as create unhealthy indoor air. In addition, such products come with warnings to keep the product out of the reach of children and pets. Baking soda and cornstarch are safe to use on all carpets, like the hand woven, naturally dyed tribal rugs in my home, and I find I only need to use it once or twice a year. I wouldn’t think of using a commercial, artificial product on my antiques rugs or around my pets and children.

Making your own cleaning products saves money and creates a greener, natural home. Simple recipes, such as this carpet freshener, make greening the good life simple. This tip also works well to freshen the bottom of trashcans!

Got a tip for Jennifer and Amy? Send it to them!

To make homemade window cleaner, combine 3 teaspoons of vinegar to one quart of warm water. Pour the solution into a reusable spray bottle, and you have the safest, best window cleaner for your home. To prevent streaking, do not clean your windows while the sun is on them and use crumpled newspaper to wipe them dry. The newspaper can still be recycled after cleaning your windows. It is hard to break the paper towel habit when it comes to cleaning windows, but once you do, you will be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Vinegar is very inexpensive. A gallon of organic vinegar costs about $12.00 (non-organic vinegar costs about $3.00 a gallon) and will last you for many years of window cleaning. You will find many other uses for vinegar beyond cooking , such as killing weeds and rinsing laundry, as you explore this amazing liquid. It is also relatively easy to make your own vinegar from juice, then you would have a truly homemade window cleaner!