A Clean Green Round-up: The Four Green Cleaning Products You Really Need

In an earlier post, I shared some tips on how to approach spring cleaning, Realistic-Mummy-style. An additional aspect of this is limiting the complexity of the job, namely simplifying your cleaning arsenal!

I find it boggling that there seems to be a separate product available for nearly every conceivable domestic cleaning job, in addition to the "general purpose" cleaner. At last count, I figured I'm supposed to truck in at least four different bottles of stuff for each room I tackle, plus find space to store the myriad of bottles when they're off-duty.

If you're looking to simplify, here are the basic tools that also work wonders in a variety of situations:

1. good-quality vegetable-based soap

I'm talking about some simple dishwashing liquid soap. It's amazing what some hot water with a little soap will clean. Almost everything! Walls, countertops, floors... It's the first thing I usually reach for.

What I use:

I've tried a lot of different dish soaps and found they are not all created equal. Citrasolv has impressed me with its long-lasting, hard-working suds.

Citrasolv dish soap

2. soap-scum removing antiseptic cleaner

In the bathroom, something to cut through soap scum is helpful. Look for a cleaner with some antiseptic properties as well --tea tree oil or orange essence are common ones. (And, if your bathtub works as hard as ours, a synthetic scrubbing pad or nylon brush in addition to the cleaner are unbeatable in removing that tenacious grime residue!)

What I use:

Nature Clean's Tile & Bath Cleaner for everything in the bathroom --tub, sink, toilet, faucets.

Nature Clean tile & bath

3. vinegar

Yep, plain ol' household vinegar is a great multi-purpose cleaner, especially for glass and mirrors. A lot cheaper than commercial glass cleaner, it also doesn't release toxic chemicals into your home. The secret of getting (virtually) streak-free glass? Use a small amount of vinegar and rub vigorously with lots of scrunched newspaper. 

4. water

I spritz a little water on a soft clean rag, just enough to dampen it, and use it for dusting. This has worked reliably for me, safely dusting even my grandmother's antique dining room sideboard!

(Okay, I lied; here's a fifth one:) 

5. laundry detergent

For cleaning clothes, we use a single, unscented vegetable-based detergent for everything: baby clothes, fine washables, darks, lights, etc. Got stains? Pour a little detergent directly on the stain, rub in and let sit for a few minutes; then wash in the hottest temperature water the fabric can take.

And, truly, skip the fabric softener and dryer sheets --for the cost and extra step, they don't add anything useful (plus, the conventional ones are purely nasty chemicals).

  

What I use:

Bio-Vert unscented high-efficiency detergent.

Bio-Vert laundry detergent

With lots of companies offering green cleaners, it seems that part of our reluctance to banish noxious chemical cleaners is based on our fixation with pseudo-perfection. Let's just lay that burden down, sisters and brothers! (A few streaks on your mirror? Really, who cares?)

Plus, I've noticed that in our city, most large supermarkets now carry some natural cleaners, so they're even easier to get ahold of. Excuses, your time is up!

(That said, do read the label before buying a new brand... just 'cuz it says "green" on the package, doesn't mean it is "green"!)

How about you? What products are your best performers?

Cargo bike: The No-Car Family Mover

With the arrival of good weather a lot of us start thinking about bike riding. My partner and I love peddling around, but after we went from one kid directly to three when our twins were born, I found I was out on my bike virtually never, as both of us needed to be available.

What to do for the urban mummy on the go with more than two kids?

The answer came via friends with three young children and no car: a cargo bike! I had not known these genius contraptions even existed, but apparently they're common in Europe.

WorkCycles

Essentially, a cargo bike is a bicycle with an extended platform between the handlebars and the front wheel, making room for a cargo bin, flat hauler skid or numerous configurations of people seats. Online, I found styles that accommodate two, three or four kids, sometimes even with additional cargo space!

My interest peaked, our friends generously offered to loan it to us for two weeks. With my four kids (then aged one, almost three, almost three, and five) I took several trips with the bike, including to local parks and across town on a day trip.

What a blast! The kids loved it, and cars generously shared the road with us (presumably owing to our impressive width). Certainly it handled a little differently than a regular bike, but after taking it slow for a few minutes I caught on quickly. It was easy to get the kids in and out and wonderful that they were in front of me and up at car-window height.

Babboe: what our friends have...

One caveat would be regarding steep hills: cargo bikes don't seem to come with a great range of gears and, being heavier, can be a challenge to peddle up a serious incline. And that heavy weight means it's no easier to get off and walk it up.

But, unless you live in a super-hilly area, a cargo bike is a great alternative to a car for a multi-kid family.

(A helpful site to find local dealers in parts of North America is http://www.cargobike.ca/)

Have you ever tried one? Share your experience with us!

5 Realistic Ways to Go "Greener": #2 Gift Wrap Alternatives

Turns out, gift wrap is not so environmentally-friendly. The paper kind, though recyclable, is usually virgin paper (i.e. no recycled content). The same for gift bags; plus, these also typically have a laminated surface, which often render them non-recyclable.

Hmmm. So what's a Realistic Mummy trying to be "greener" to do?

Here are my favourite gift wrap alternatives:

1. Fabric
I'll use this when I'm giving to relatives ('cuz then I can ask for it back!). As versatile as wrapping paper, and very long-lived. I have bought new fabric for wrapping purposes, but more "eco" would be to repurpose an old sheet or whatnot.

2. Newspapers and Plain Recycled Newsprint/Kraft Paper
A time-tested favourite! Give your newspaper a second job before heading to the recycling bin. Or, pick up a bulk roll of already recycled paper. (The recycled content is key here, with "post-consumer recycled" content more important than "pre-consumer recycled"). And who says they have to stay plain? Paint, markers, crayon all pretty-up these recycled paper options.

3. Kids' Artwork
Most parents seem to have more artwork than any household can keep. Why not use some of it to wrap gifts? It's like giving two presents at once!

4. Scarves
I mean the "silk" type ones, though I imagine a wool one would work too, in the right circumstance. Again, this idea did not originate with me. A millennia ago, we were given a wedding gift wrapped in a scarf. Lovely! And polyester scarves are easy to find and inexpensive at thrift shops.

The additional challenge is then to wrap the gift in question without tape! (Tape is just strips of sticky plastic, after all.) Reusable fabric ribbon and raffia are my preferences. For a mature gift recipient, safety pins --maybe diaper pins?-- could also work.

Tying fabric/scarves around objects in the Japanese style of furoshiki is a great option. Check out Japan's Ministry of the Environment pdf on tying techniques!

How about you? What gift wrap alternatives have you tried?

(And in case anyone is keeping track, the numbering for the "green" tips is indeed now ascending. I realized that doing it the other way was dumb...)

Natural Food Colouring

I'm following up on my own question regarding the availability of natural food colouring (my Lightening McQueen cake turned out well, but the amount of dye involved kind of freaked me out).

The following does not represent an exhaustive search, but I did find some concentrated natural food colourings online. This line from Chocolate Craft Studio in Oregon looks especially good.

I'll definitely look into their colour pastes and powders for my next major cake adventure.

pastes

powders

5 Realistic Ways To Go "Greener": #1 - Clothes

We all know. We know that many items common in most of our houses are bad. Toxic, carcinogenic, brain-frying, bad for us, bad for you, bad for polar bears...

They're everywhere! Phthalates in our toys, food containers and personal care items. Bisphenol-A in baby bottles and canned-food liners. Parabens in our lotions and soaps. The list goes on...

The problem is, for my part, I often find I'm a bit overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the task of identifying and removing these nasties. Plus, I've already confessed to my sometimes-paralyzing "all or nothing" mentality.

So what's a Realistic Mummy to do? For starters, I've had to accept that doing something is okay, and far better than nothing. So here's #1 on my list of not-too-difficult, "green" choices:

#1. Give clothes with experience a second chance
By and large, the garment industry is hard on the environment. The production and transportation of clothes involve a lot of chemicals and petroleum products. And then there's all the off-gassing and what-not once the clothes reach your home. So, go for second-hand, and help cut down on the demand for new clothes and get ones that are already rid of their chemical emissions.

My "to-grow-into" stash...

Second-hand is generally not a problem for younger kids. A friend's daughter is outfitted entirely by thrift stores and she's a real five-year old fashionista!

Our family has a wonderful --and no charge!-- pipeline for clothing for our boys that supplies copious quantities. I sort items that come our way by size/age and store them in labelled totes. (Currently my stash is stored at my in-laws, the long-suffering dears...)

Older children will have a great time seeing how far a clothing allowance will go in second-hand land. (And, hey, a few carefully-chosen brand-new items will ensure a "new to you" wardrobe is right on trend.)

Check out neighbours' yard sales. Spread the word among your friends that you're open to pre-loved togs, and ask them to canvass their friends and relatives. Get to know your local thrift store. Join a Freecycle group in your area.

Yep, clothes with experience --good for your health and for your pocket-book!