What are your personal cleaning habits?

Every couple of years I like to ask these personal hygiene questions since I'm always curious to see the answers. I do this because there is such a huge focus in our culture on bathing and bath products and sterilizing everything that I wonder how much that advertising infects our consciousness. And our pocketbooks.

One thing that always sticks in my mind is the commercials from the late 1970s for Mitchum antiperspirant. The ad's tagline was "so effective, you can even skip a day." Back then, the concept of not showering everyday wasn't such a big deal.

Well, there's no way in hell you'd see the same sort of ad campaign today. What has changed in the last 30 years that people are so averse to appearing not up to bathing "standards"? That is: showering, shaving, shampooing and getting all gussied up every single day?

So, with that in mind...

What are your personal cleaning habits?

1. How often do you shower/bathe?
2. How often do you wash your hair?
3. How often do you brush your teeth?
4. How often do you floss?
5. Do you use "natural" body cleansing products or conventional ones?
6. Do you use deodorant, antiperspirant or something else?
7. If you shave, how often do you shave?
8. Have any of these habits changed as you've tried to live a greener lifestyle? If so, which ones and how?
9. Where do you live?

What's your green cleaning routine?

I always like to check in with my readers and find out what kind of green cleaning products they use. So, your task for today is to enlighten the rest of us as to what you use:

What is your favorite homemade or green product to clean:

1. bathrooms (replacing something like Comet)
2. countertops (replacing 409)
3. mildew (replacing X-14)
4. soap scum (replacing Comet)
5. windows (replacing Windex)
6. laundry (replacing Tide)
7. dishes (hand - replacing something like Joy)
8. dishes (machine - replacing Electrasol)
9. linoleum
10. wood floors
11. skin
12. hair
13. teeth (replacing Colgate)

Looking at the list of replacements above, it's amazing how toxic mainstream cleaners are. How do your green replacements stack up?

Now get crackin'. I want answers, people!

Getting rid of soap scum

We've got a real problem with soap scum build up in the shower and the tub, mostly because we use actual soap instead of body wash or some other liquid petroleum based product that doesn't leave a film.

I know this is one reason why people are using body washes over soap because they don't like the film left behind from bar soap. But, the cost is one of plastic packaging and expense for buying a product that is mostly water. Not to mention the petroleum-based product you are using on your skin.

So, what's a conscientious consumer to do? Let it build up for a couple of years like we do? No, that's really not a good answer, but I hate scrubbing the walls and tub mostly because it doesn't seem to do anything particularly if you are using a non-toxic cleanser. I don't care what people claim about baking soda or borax, but it doesn't do anything to budge the build up. And we have the softest water in the country. I'd hate to see what it would look like if we had hard water.

Anyway, a few weeks back before our vacation I ran across a product in our grocery store that claimed that it was a heavy duty cleaner for scrubbing away soap scum and mildew on porcelain tile and grout. I finally got around to test driving it out over the weekend.

It is called the Earthstone BathroomStone which claims that it is 100% eco-friendly and 100% non-toxic. It's basically like a soft pumice stone on one side and a thin spongy thing on the other for wiping down.

Well, let me tell you, with some (serious) elbow grease it really does work. I found it easier to remove build up on the porcelain tiles than on the glass door, but that's mainly because our glass shower door is kind of bumpy. One problem I did notice is that the soap build up transfers from the shower (or tub) to the stone and it's hard to remove.

I ended up using a pumice stone to scrub it off the BathroomStone. If you don't do this you are basically scrubbing a thick layer of soap crud on the shower wall which, not too surprisingly, doesn't work well in removing any more goop. In spite of their claims about removing mildew, particularly in the grout, I found it to be totally worthless in that regard.

Another thing to keep in mind with this product, since it is so abrasive, is that you'll want to wear gloves while using this unless you want to remove some skin in the process.

Do you have a favorite, non-toxic method for removing soap scum build up?

Photos courtesy of Earthstone. No compensation was received for the review of this product.

Getting the dirt on cleanliness

I haven't asked these personal hygiene questions in two years and I'm always curious to see the answers. I do this because there is such a huge focus in our culture on bathing and bath products and sterilizing everything that I wonder how much that advertising infects our consciousness. And our pocketbooks.

One thing that always sticks in my mind is the commercials from the late 1970s for Mitchum antiperspirant. The ad's tagline was "so effective, you can even skip a day." Back then, the concept of not showering everyday wasn't such a big deal.

Well, there's no way in hell you'd see the same sort of ad campaign today. What has changed in the last 30 years that people are so averse to appearing not up to bathing "standards"? That is: showering, shaving, shampooing and getting all gussied up every single day?

So, with that in mind...

What are your personal cleaning habits?
1. How often do you shower/bathe?
2. How often do you wash your hair?
3. How often do you brush your teeth?
4. How often do you floss?
5. Do you use "natural" body cleansing products or conventional ones?
6. Do you use deodorant, antiperspirant or something else?
7. If you shave, how often do you shave?
8. Have any of these habits changed as you've tried to live a greener lifestyle? If so, which ones and how?
9. Where do you live?

Photo credits: Chad Miller

Eco friendly car wash

First of all, let me state that the picture to the left shows what not to wear while washing your car unless you are expecting to use your cleavage to hold the sponge. And, if that's the case, you'll really want to make sure you are using a non-toxic, and non-irritating, soap to do the job.

Anyway, what's the most eco friendly way to wash your car? That is, assuming you still have a car and haven't switched completely over to public transportation or personal modes of transportation (like walking or biking)? There are a number of "eco friendly" products on the market that tout being low phosphorus and the like, but what's the environmental cost of using them?

The biggest issues at hand are those dealing with water usage for starters, but the most striking problem has more to do with what gets washed off your car and goes down the storm drain. In most areas, the water that goes into the storm drain (the drains on your street) doesn't get processed by your local, friendly waste water treatment plant. Most likely it drains directly into your local waterways, affecting fish and other wildlife populations with the soap, grit, grease, salt, oil and pollution that has been collecting on your vehicle as you drive it about town.

How can you mitigate the junk coming off your trunk? Look for a car wash that uses non-toxic soaps and phosphate-free, biodegradable detergents plus one that recycles its wash water. If you don't have a car wash like that in your area, you can get your car washed at a car wash that sends the spent water to the nearest waste water treatment plant for processing.

Another option if the above isn't available or you don't want to pay for it is to wash your car at home using one of the no or low phosphate soaps on the market. However, if you wash your car at home, do it on a flat grass or gravel area that will absorb the wash water before it can run into the storm drain.

If you want to try something quite fancy you can check out the environmentally friendly car washes that don't require any water at all. So, not only do you save money and resources on water, but there's no water runoff. You would just need to clean the cloth you use to wash the car, but the water used for that would go to your waste water treatment facility. I haven't tried these products yet, but The Lucky Earth Waterless Car Wash, Eco Touch Waterless Car Wash, Freedom Waterless Car Wash and Dri Wash are some to check out.

Of course, like many alternative methods, this one requires a lot more elbow (or cleavage?) grease. Finally, when in doubt, I generally just don't wash my car very frequently. It saves all sorts of time, energy, money and resources. Plus, I'm just too damn lazy.

How do you wash your car and how often?

Eco cleanser roundup

Since we're discussing cleaners this week I thought I'd throw this out to you. It's been a long time since I've gotten feedback on your favorite green cleansers all in one post, so please answer the following for everyone else to reference.

For each type of cleaner:

name what you use

state how you like it (love it, like it, it's okay, hate it)

other comments

What's your favorite green:

1. dish soap (for hand washing dishes)
2. dishwasher detergent (for machine dishwashers)
3. laundry detergent (do you have a front loader, top loader or high efficiency machine?)
4. bleach alternative
5. bathroom scrub
6. window cleaner
7. mold cleaner
8. floor cleaner (for linoleum)
9. floor cleaner (for wood floors)
10. body soap
11. liquid hand soap
12. shampoo
13. toothpaste

Thanks!

Another eco-dishwasher product miracle

A few months ago I reviewed an eco-dishwasher detergent that we had received a sample of and loved. It worked great with our crappy dishwasher and had minimal environmental impact. Unfortunately, the brand, Wave Gel, is hard to find in our area or, at the very least, is inconvenient to buy.

Because of the cost (free!), we went back to the plastic bottles of cheapo dishwasher detergent my mom gets on super-sale and gives to us, but it's been driving me crazy not using something more sustainable. We were out of detergent this weekend and using up the rest of the Seventh Generation detergent that doesn't work for us - it leaves a greasy film all over the dishes - and trying to figure out what to buy.

So, Saturday, before I went shopping, I went back through all the comments from the post and re-read which detergents you guys love. After reading through them all I decided to look for the ECOVER Dishwasher Tablets. We had tried some other non-sustainable gel pack things (again, from my mom on super-sale) and liked the fact that it was packaged in a cardboard box with only a thin plastic liner (albeit non-recyclable) on the inside. I was hoping to find something similar instead of a product in a big hunking chunk of plastic.

Our local grocery store, that I love with all my heart, doesn't sell the Wave detergent but they do sell ECOVER tablets. I was happy to see that the tablets were individually wrapped in recyclable plastic, the box is made of 95% recycled cardboard, it has plant based ingredients, is biodegradable and has a minimum impact on aquatic life.

But do these miracle tablets work in a crappy dishwasher? Well, I'm here to testify that, yes, they do work just as well as Cascade and the other "leading" brands. Who knew that something so simple as finding a decent eco-dishwasher detergent could be so satisfying and make me so pleased! Thanks to everyone who regularly supplies their input on what does and doesn't work for you. Without your suggestions, I'd still be fumbling around with trying to figure out what to do.

Safe cleaners for kids

Emma's taken a shine (literally!) to cleaning the sink in her bathroom. She's been spending a lot of time using the hand soap to clean in and around the sink and is very meticulous and excited about doing it.

It doesn't matter if she cleaned it the day before either. She's very proud and feels a sense of accomplishment in her efforts.

Over the weekend I thought I'd give her some real cleaning materials, but I didn't want to give her something that was at all toxic and even the Mrs. Meyers cleaning powder I use seemed a little too wrought with potential danger in a 5-year-old's hands.

So, I hooked Emma up with one of my favorite cleaning combinations: baking soda and lemon. I like to cut the end off a lemon (we had some leftover lemons from the holidays) and dip it in baking soda, squeezing it a little to get the foaming action going. It makes for a great smelling cleanser and does a decent job of getting things clean. The lemon itself acts as a scrubber.

She ended up making more of a mess than not, but after I wiped down the baking soda, the sink and the counter-tops were pretty darn clean. Now, if only I could get her started on the toilet.

What kind of cleaning tasks do/did your young children do? What kinds of cleaning products do they use?

Eco-friendly moss and algae removal

I'm surprised that, after living in wet and rainy Seattle for so many years, we've never had a problem with roof moss before. I recently started noticing that a portion of our roof was getting a little green, even though it was in an exposed area that gets lots of daylight and no shade. Well, our roof is about 10 years old, so I guess it's time for the embedded shingle chemicals to stop doing their moss fighting duty.

So, what's a green homeowner to do about the green? Well, the classic method of treating moss and algae, whether on roofs or sidewalks, is good old-fashioned bleach. But, this is an environmental quandary since bleach presents all sorts of problems in general and, when used outside, causes even more issues specifically dealing with runoff into storm water drains and groundwater.

I've read that 1/4 vinegar to 3/4 water solution will kill the algae. Has anyone had any success with this or does it just come right back? Or is some sort of allegedly eco-friendly commercial product the way to go?

What about oxygen bleach? Is that just as harmful as chlorine bleach? What about zinc sulfate or zinc/copper strips installed on the roof line? Or do I need to just scrub the bejeezus out of the shingles?

Do any of you have any suggestions for an eco-friendly method of removing roof moss that someone can easily do themselves? Or is it just better to hire someone with the chemicals, the skills and a roof pressure washer to take care of business?

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Fighting mold and mildew season

This time of year in the wet Pacific NW becomes a verdant time indoors as well as outdoors. And that means more moisture in the house and mold growth.

Since we don't have a fan in our bathroom and rely on opening the window, we always have a problem of mold growth on the walls and ceiling where the steam likes to collect and hang out all day, even with the window wide open.

I've tried a number of desperate measures spreading from toxic (bleach) to inert (vinegar) with varying levels of success. So, let me give you a few suggestions of how to fight mold in your home.

Bleach solutions - This is probably the most effective way of getting rid of mold for longer periods of time. Unfortunately, the environmental impact of using bleach is high, you have to deal with the fumes and it's possibly dangerous (atomized droplets of bleach landing back on your face as you spray the ceiling, anyone?) and generally toxic.

Tea tree oil - Although tea tree oil is rather expensive, you are using only a small amount. This is probably your best bet for a natural solution, but the smell is strong and some people have issues with tea tree oil. Mix two teaspoons of tea tree oil in two cups of water and place into a spray bottle. Spray onto moldy areas - do not rinse. This mixture lasts forever.

White vinegar - Using straight up vinegar (don't even bother diluting it) can be effective in removing mold, but it takes a bit of work and doesn't last very long. The smell isn't so great, although it's much better than bleach, and can sting so be careful if you're doing ceiling spraying. I recommend applying directly with a sponge. That said, this is an inexpensive solution to your mold problems. Used straight up, vinegar purportedly kills 82% of mold. You can always try adding an essential oil like tea tree oil to boost the mold killing.

Grapefruit seed extract - The one nice thing about this mixture is that it is odorless and a little goes a long way. Mix 20 drops into two cups of water in a spray bottle and get to work. Many people have reported success with using this, although I haven't tried it.

Lemon juice - Apply full strength with a sponge. The smell by far is better than any other option listed here, but it's only moderately effective. So, if you are short on mold patience and hate redoing your lemon juice application frequently, you might try something else. Like the vinegar, it works for a short period of time.

Hydrogen peroxide - If you are dealing with mold on tiles, try using one part hydrogen peroxide with two parts water. Spray on and wait an hour.

Clove oil - Clove oil is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal and supposedly can help remove mold. Add several drops of clove oil (about half a dozen will do) to a half-filled bucket of water and apply with a sponge. Not all of the mold will be removed immediately. It may take a few days to work, and the surfaces should be dusted off after the mold looks dusty.

Concrobium mold control - This is an off-the-shelf product that contains mostly inorganic compounds that leaves behind an antimicrobial film upon drying that encapsulates fungus microbes and prevents growth. Supposedly, it's inert and the salespeople will drink it to prove how safe it is. This stuff works fairly well and lasts longer than the other options, but mold is mold and it always comes back.

Other options - It might be better to prevent mold in the first place by providing the right mix of ventilation and dryness. If your mold problems are in the bathroom, installing an exhaust fan should help. You may want to consider getting a dehumidifier if you really have a bad mold problem or using a space heater to heat and dry up trouble spots.