Take one long-haired cat, a bushy-tailed dog, and two active little boys, and what do you get? Well, in my house you get lots of fun times AND a very dirty family room carpet. I’m not one for using chemicals for cleaning anywhere in my home but I like a clean carpet (who doesn’t?!) so I was super excited to try out the new Oreck Halo Vacuum Cleaner. The Oreck Halo not only vacuums up dust and debris like typical vacuum cleaners, but actually kills microorganisms without the use of harsh chemicals thanks to the use of UV-C light technology. If you’re an allergy or asthma sufferer, this vacuum will hold special appeal in that it kills dust mites eggs (up to 90%), which can trigger allergies. Beyond just killing dust mite eggs this vacuum also kills a host of other microorganisms, such as flu viruses, e-coli, mold and salmonella. According to the company, the Oreck Halo’s UV-C light is even powerful enough to kill the superbug MRSA, the antibiotic-resistant bacteria that causes staph infections. Wow! Now for the performance of the vacuum itself… Prior to trying out the Oreck Halo, we had a high-end vacuum cleaner which retailed for more than $400 but I felt the Oreck had stronger suction, was easier to maneuver, and had a better all-floors function. In addition, the attachments were longer and more user-friendly to take out.  My assessment is that the Oreck Halo performs better than expected for vacuuming debris, PLUS it includes UV-C light technology for killing microorganisms. And considering that the floor in your home probably has more bacteria (much more) than your toilet seat, I’d say that the Oreck Halo is worth a look, especially if you are in the market for a high-end vacuum. Or you have a crawling baby. Or you just want your floors to be cleaner than your toilet seat :)

Find It Here: Oreck.com

You like green stuff, right? Yeah, we knew that about you guys (we haz powers!) and that’s why we’ve partnered with Ecostore USA to give away a $25 gift certificate to one lucky reader. Ecostore USA carries plant and mineral-based, non-toxic personal care stuff, baby stuff, household stuff and pet stuff and and it’s all “super concentrated” so that a little bit goes a long way and saves you some of that other kind of green.

Find It Here: Ecostore USA

Win It: We’re giving away a $25 gift certificate to Ecostore USA. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter ECO5 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is the Ecostore USA slogan? Enter by 5/21/09. $25 value. Open to US and Canadian residents. Contest closed. Congratulations to Beth!

I love to travel and explore with my family. At the same time I dread it—being out of my comfort zone, being away from my kitchen where I prepare meals that nourish our bodies with good food and our souls with tradition, and stepping into the unknown of chemicals and cleaners used at the place where we will rest our heads.

Since we’ve stopped using chemicals and have been eating real food, we notice it, even the kids do. Walking into a shoe or toy store makes our eyes water with all the off-gassing. It’s amazing what we can subject our bodies to, lack of nutrition, bombarding it with chemicals and disease, and our lovely bodies continue to function. Our family, thankfully, is more in tune so we can make better decisions knowing what’s good and not.

We realize this and are more accepting of the outside world when we travel but there is one thing we cannot tolerate. And you shouldn’t either. When you think about it, it’s an amazing invention that never existed and now has become a necessary element in making a house a home.

Sprays, plug-ins, plug-ins that self-spray, odor neutralizers, air sanitizers, and aromatherapy candles in just the right scent are all there, something for everyone. Air fresheners seem to work to help erase the smells in the room and clean the air, but actually they work on us. The chemicals coat our nasal passages with a film that deadens the nerve endings. They mask the problem and fool us into thinking the room is fresh, the smell we have learned to think of as clean.

Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t know about you but I can hardly remember life before hand sanitizers, although I’m certain having kids figures prominently in my desire for cleaner hands, what with all manner of virii constantly  circulating through my son’s preschool. But, as much as we depend on them, conventional hand sanitizers aren’t known for being very…natural. Frais, however, is one hand sanitizer that happens to be free of unnatural chemicals such as parabens, propylene glycol, petrochemicals, ethoxylates, silicones, phthalates, mineral oils, DEA, sodium lauryl sulfate or other sulfates, artificial colors and artificial fragrances. Frais uses pure sugarcane alcohol and a blend of eight natural essential oils to kill 99.9% of harmful germs including influenza, the common cold, tuberculosis, bird flu, MRSA staph and many others. As if that weren’t enough, Frais is also dermatologist-approved and cruelty-free and it’s my new first choice for all the germy hands in our family!

Find It Here: Frais

My grandmother recently emailed me some homemade recipes for cleaning products that she clipped from the paper. I was surprised to find that I already have all of the ingredients to make them, and since I have 2 young boys I clean up A LOT of messes. I thought I’d pass them a long to you so you can try them out, and save a little money.

Furniture Polish: Combine 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of distilled vinegar, and 2 tsp. lemon juice and shake well. Dip a clean and dry cloth into polish and rub wood in the direction of the grain. Refrigerate any remaining polish.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Sprinkle bowl with baking soda and drizzle with white vinegar. Let soak 30 minutes, and scrub with toilet brush. For tough stains, let soak overnight.

All Purpose Cleaner: Combine 2 cups of white distilled vinegar and 2 cups of water. Use on counter tops, kitchen floors, windows, mirrors, and any other hard surfaces. For tough jobs, warm the cleaner in the microwave.

Let me know how these work for you!

Author Patricia Wooster is the founder of the Project Organic Eating blog, where healthy eating meets affordability!

Around my place, we eat a lot of veggies—especially carrots and potatoes, which means a lot of scrubbing and cleaning of said vegetables. Thankfully, we found the Tampico scrub/vegetable brush by the good people at GreenBoatStuff.com. (This family-owned company has a range of green products, with particular emphasis on boating and watersports, and proudly asserts its Earth-friendly nature in its name.) What I adore most about this rough brush, though, is not that it makes vegetable-cleaning a hundred times easier and quicker than, say, a toothbrush, though it really does; not its great price (a steal at $3.25 plus shipping); and not the health factor of having well-cleaned versus inadequately cleaned veggies. I love the green denominator best: It’s plastic-free and constructed to be as biodegradable as possible, even if it were to accidentally make its way into the marine ecosystem! The bristles are made of Tampico fiber, which is a vegetable fiber from a plant indigenous to Mexico, and the handle is of finished hardwood. A few of the other great things about Tampico are its capacity to store and release water, its resistance to heat and oils, and its abrasiveness, which makes it ideal for other applications on and off the boat and around the house. Although not the sleekest, most fashion-forward brush (but who needs form when you’ve got oodles of function?), it more than gets the job done—sans chemicals!

Find It Here: GreenBoatStuff.com

If you’re like me, an undomestic goddess of a kingdom comprised mostly of pet hair and assorted baby stuff, any help in biting back the dust is welcome. National Geographic’s Green Guide recently published an article on vacuum cleaners, including product comparisons and buying pointers. I dug that they say vacuums are super-easy to repair but that seldom happens. It could, however, probably save you some money, not to mention please Mother Earth (and who doesn’t like to keep on HER good side?) to try having the vacuum repaired or parts replaced (or do it yourself!) before you donate it to a thrift store, charity, or even “freecycle” it.  But if it’s time for a better vacuum or your household includes an asthma-and-allergies sufferer (like mine), take heart because today’s vacuum cleaning market lends credence to the idea that there’s a sucker born every minute—but this time, it’s in a good way! Some models with HEPA filters (sometimes pricier, sometimes not) even help whisk away and imprison the brain cell-killing chemicals in flame retardants, the hormone-tampering phthalates as well as the carcinogens and pesticides that sneak in from the outside world. I take safeguarding the environment seriously but I can’t resist one final pun—peruse The Green Guide and, for a more comprehensive list of vacuums’ green ratings, Consumer Reports. With these helpers, it’s sure to be a wind-wind situation when you choose your next vacuum cleaner!

Find it Here: The Green Guide

The Walt Disney Company recognizes the danger of cleaning chemicals for their animals living in their Animal Kingdom, but the same care is not taken in the other parks, hotels and restaurants.  Disney makes millions from their theme parks, and now it is time for them to act for the sake of our childrens health.  The Center for Health, Environment and Justice is waging a campaign to persuade Disney to adopt a Green Cleaning Purchasing Policy and phase out the use of 84 toxic cleaning products.  On October 29, 2008, the National Day of Action, join in a worthy cause by signing a postcard to send to Disney.  Other ways you can act? Host a green cleaning party and join other groups and families calling for a healthier environment for children and Disney employees.  Let’s send the message that safer, greener cleaning is not a fad, but an important issue that needs to be addressed, not just for the animals but for everyone!

Find it Here: The Day of Action

Don’t Forget:  Our awesome $140 Seventh Generation giveaway ends today (Oct 17) Enter now if you haven’t already!

Yep, we’re giving away a ton of cool stuff courtesy of Seventh Generation. Squeee! It would take me about 5000 words to tell you about all of their products so I’m just going to highlight a couple of their baby items today, like the Seventh Generation wipes which are, hands down, my favorite brand. Their wipes are always really moist (especially the ones that come in the fill packs…my advice is to get those and forget buying the new box every time). Their disposable diapers aren’t bad either. (Did I just say disposable and diaper in the same sentence?) Oh yes, that’s right. I *gasp* do use disposables. I cannot tell a lie. I’ve also used cloth, as well, and go back and forth. Admittedly, I’m not perfect — so, if like me, you set out intending to use cloth diapers but you don’t quite make it happen and you’re looking for something disposable, then Seventh Generation is a pretty good option. First off, they work well. I have yet to have a leak and I have used them with my son overnight, after a marathon breastfeeding session, so I consider them well-tested! The diapers are fragrance-free, hypo-allergenic, and latex-free. Additionally, the wipes are hypo-allergenic, whitened without chlorine bleach, unscented and alcohol free. Also, because their diapers and wipes are chlorine-free, they won’t contribute to toxic dioxin pollution. In the name of full disclosure, Seventh Generation diapers, like other disposable diapers, are made with man-made materials that are petroleum-derived (not so great). So yes, cloth is definitely the greenest option, but if you’re not quite ready to do cloth yet, Seventh Generation is worth a look!

Find It Here: Seventh Generation

Win It! Win an awesomely huge prize package of Seventh Generation products worth $140, including a package of diapers and wipes; phosphate and chlorine free automatic dishwasher detergent; natural kitchen cleaner; natural all-purpose cleaner; natural glass and surface cleaner; natural shower cleaner; natural toilet bowl cleaner’ natural tub and tile cleaner; and natural laundry detergent. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “SG55” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is the name of your favorite Seventh Generation product? U.S. and Canadian residents eligible. Enter by 10/17/08. Giveaway closed. Congrats, Leigh!

Oh, the joys of school being in full swing… Just yesterday when I picked up my preschooler, I witnessed the germy wonders of pre-k learning which included mud being molded into pancakes, runny noses and shared sticky snacks — totally germolicious. However, there was a beacon of hope or rather a small 2oz pump bottle of  it… Clean George was quickly whipped out of the back pack and sprayed into several little hands. What the heck is Clean George, you ask? Well, it’s an awesome all natural and alcohol free hand purifier lotion that is good for humans and good for the planet! The mere mention of the three available scents, Grapefruit n’ Sage, Mint-alyptus & Lovin’ Lavender, will make you want to use some just so you can covertly sniff your hands! Created by a passionate gal who loves cleans hands and a clean planet, Clean George contains all natural oils with antibacterial properties, no harsh chemicals and it has some serious moisturization packed inside, too. It’s also kid friendly and does not promote germ resistance (although the “Sage” scent is not recommended for pregnant women). Priced at around $11.99 per bottle, I can tell you that it last for about 400 scentsational sprays and then some!

Find it Here: Clean George

When I found out that the chemicals used in conventional disinfectants can be toxic, I was compelled to start searching for safer alternatives. At least one mom out there has taken it a step further and has created and bottled her own non-toxic disinfectant! Mompreneur Christine Stewart developed her All-Natural Alternative to Antibacterial Disinfectants after finding out about the health hazards of using chemical cleaners. Modeled after the well-known Vinegar of the Four Thieves formula, Christine’s disinfectant is made from white distilled vinegar and certified-organic herbs and spices grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. That means you can spray it all over your house to kill germs and never have to worry about what kind of chemicals you (and your kids) are breathing in or getting on your skin. I’m actually considering sending a case of this stuff to my sister — she’s just completed a twelve step program for Lysol abuse and needs a good alternative.

Find It Here: For My Kids

Congratulations to Shirley, Bree, Beth and Kelly, winners of a bottle of All-Natural Alternative to Antibacterial Disinfectants courtesy of For My Kids!

Replacing blades for my husband’s razor was as expensive as filling the tank — well, until *that* started costing as much as our monthly grocery bill. I decided to nip it in the bud the other day when I discovered this super new recycled-materials razor by Preserve (they also make those awesome recycled toothbrushes). It’s far less expensive for the replacement blades, and you can use the packaging to return the razor handle for recycling (postage prepaid!) when it’s time to send it to razor handle heaven. The husband is pretty pleased — he’s loving it en tandem with this shaving oil — and I’m pretty pleased because hair removal and eco-cool and wallet-friendly all in one shot? What’s not to love?

Find It Here: Preserve Everyday