Healthy Home Tips

Top 5 Steps Towards an Eco-Friendly Home

General Household

Bedroom

Laundry

Outdoors

1. Check under your kitchen and bathroom sinks … there are guaranteed to be many sneaky offenders hiding under there. Some examples of toxic cleaners are oven cleaners, polishes, bathroom cleaners and bug sprays. Any cleaners containing the words poison or warning should be avoided and safely discarded at the local appropriate hazardous waste facility.

2. Choose non-toxic, chemical free cleaning products. Many products such as Nature Clean and Seventh Generation are among the safe and effective alternatives and can be found at your local health food store.

3. Use reusable supplies whenever possible such as sponges, mops, dusters and cloths. Bagless vacuums containing a washable filter are both environmentally friendly and incur less cost in the long run. Remember to make decisions that save trees, money and your environment.

4. Open windows and let the fresh air in! Fresh air is the best way to rid your house of harmful, stale air. Add plants to neutralize the air and provide fresh oxygen. Burn beeswax candles to purify the air of pollutants, dust and other impurities. They also contain no harmful lead!

5. Get creative with your household supplies. Mix vinegar with water, lavender, tea tree and eucalyptus oils to create a homemade all-purpose cleaner. Use baking soda and vinegar to get out tough stains in your bathtub or sink; and use club soda on your windows and glass to get a streak-free shine.

General Household

Helpful Green Tea
Green Tea is not only good for your health…it is also a helpful, non-toxic deodorizer. Place teabags or leaves in garbage cans and refrigerators. Damp teabags are also helpful in ridding hands of cooking odors such as garlic and onion. Sprinkle tea leaves in pet litter to diffuse odors and to keep fleas at bay.

Cleaning Your Toothbrush
Cleaning your toothbrush is an essential activity, if you want to keep those germs away from your mouth! Let your toothbrush fully dry and then let it sit in a cup of vinegar for 24 hours, rinse and let dry before using.

All Natural Brass Cleaner
Combine lemon juice and baking soda until it becomes a thick paste. Rub paste onto brass, rinse and dry with a soft cloth.

All Natural Sterling Silver Polish
Boil 1 liter of water with 1tbsp salt, 1tbsp baking soda and a strip of aluminum foil. Place sterling silver in solution for 3-4 minutes, then polish with a soft cloth.

Bedroom

Linen Spray:
Linen spray can be such a soothing addition to your bedroom sheets and it’s easy to make at home! Fill a spray bottle with distilled water and add your favourite essential oil. Most choose the popular lavender oil, as it is promotes a deep and restful sleep.

Laundry

Whitening Your Whites:
Here’s how to get your whites really white without using chlorine bleach. Add ½ cup of lemon juice to your whites during the rinse cycle; it will act as a mild bleaching agent. If you hang your laundry to dry, it will work even better.

Baking Soda and Laundry:
Here’s a way to soften and deodorize your clothes AND save on your laundry detergent. Add ½ cup of baking soda to your laundry load and only use ½ the amount of laundry detergent that you would normally use. Use less baking soda for smaller loads to ensure that you don’t end up with a chalky residue.

Grass Stains:
Combine the powder from digestive enzyme pills with water to make a paste. Apply a thick paste over grass stain and let sit. Rinse and repeat if necessary.