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 ARE CLEANING PRODUCTS REALLY TOXIC?
It might seem hard to swallow, since they are used so commonly in our households, but conventional cleaning products have been documented to contain harmful toxins -- endangering both consumers and the world we live in. |
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MusicNomad, a Sonoma, CA based company, has developed the first line of green cleaners for musical instruments.
Founder Rand Rognlien calls his new line "the most human and instrument friendly line of guitar and drum cleaners available."
Most existing products contained harsh chemicals such as acid and silicone. The MusicNomad line is made up of various products including biodegradable guitar and drum cleaners, silicone free guitar polish and acid free cymbal cleaner. Packaging is 100% PET, the most earth friendly recyclable plastic (same material used in water bottles), while other companies use less recycling-friendly plastics.
A portion of all proceeds goes to help independent musicians thru the company's advocacy website, MusicNomad.com- where thousands of musicians go each month to discover resources, tips and articles to help them in their music career.
For more information, visit www.musicnomad.com.
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FURNITURE POLISH
1/2 teaspoon oil (Olive Oil, Flaxseed Oil, or Jojoba)
1/4 cup vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Add scent if desired.
CREAMY SCRUBBER
A popular formula is just BAKING SODA and LIQUID SOAP (Like castile Soap); Mix it until
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Thank you to the United States goverment for the wonderful comprehensive and cross referenced information in the Ingredients database. We could go into all the whys and wherefores, but this simple list will be handy in the store, and all the details can be found in the toxicity studies in these databases. Here's what's on the NO list: ingredients proven poisonous to you and to the ecosystem.
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 Before the days of electric power, Spring Cleaning had a whole other meaning: it was a time to scrub the place from top to bottom, removing soot for candles and oil lamps, washing every surface linen and airing the place out after a long winter. The need for that’s not so great now, but the longing for a fresh start as the days get longer is still there.
This is traditionally the time of year when people buy paint (the second quarter is consistently the highest architectural coatings consumption). They buy linens. Refresh and prepare the garden. |
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Products that are made to last and made to be loved do not end up in landfills at the same pace as their more ramshackle and disposable counterparts. Products that are durable are designed to perform well, be generally tough, and to accept later  upgrades or repairs. They are also designed so well that they create emotional attachment-
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What makes a cleaning line "Green", really?
Non-toxic ingredients- to people and other living things:
Proven hazardous chemicals generally carry warning labels like "Poison" or “Danger”. Oven and drain cleaners and some toilet-bowl cleaners often bear this label. Other types of products can harm with vapors, skin irritants- and some even contain |
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 You only need a few things to make basically all household cleaners- from window cleaner to soft scrubbing tub cleanser.
Here they are:
- Baking soda
- Washing soda (a stronger version of baking soda)
- White distilled vinegar
- A good liquid soap or detergent (like Castile/vegetable oil soap)
- Borax
You may want to have small amounts |
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There are a lot of toxins and pollutants in the home that are designed to make it easier to care for our surroundings, and have pretty things. Unfortunately, many of these chemicals were never designed for or tested for their impact on humans over the long haul, and we've been running a collective experiment on ourselves. We're just starting to see the connection between environmental chemicals, allergies, diseases, and even genetic impact. Collectively, the amount of these chemicals our bodies have to deal with, to clean out and manage, is known as the Body Burden. Some of our common household chemicals are in the category of "NOT GOOD FOR PEOPLE OR OTHER LIVING THINGS", and it's a really simple place to change your routines. Whether you move to commercial non-toxic cleaners, or you begin to use simple ingredients to make your own, you can save money and have a positive impact on the health of your family by making this change.
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Now that you’ve sorted, let’s responsibly pass on that stuff. The most efficient use of energy is to keep an object in it’s “done” state- not pick it apart or recycle it. You can do this for charity, for fun, or profit.
o Direct Gifting to others who may be in need of the object. Who’s having children? Who’s setting up there 1st apartment? Setting up an office? Taking up a hobby you can outfit?
o Freecycling. This is a national movement where in lieu of selling stuff, people swap it- you post something on your local freecycling group, and people who need it claim it. When you need something, you post what you need. Check out Freecycling.org.
o Resale or Garage sale: Whether eBay or a good old fashioned yard sale, you may be able to recoup some cash from all that stuff.
o Targeted gifting to organizations: We like to think about directly offering gently used stuff to those most likely to make direct use of it- |
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