Dirty Dirty Grapes!

If you think running your fruit or veggies under your sink faucet is going to get rid of all those nasty pesticides, residues and just plain dirt, think again! My grandmother and mom loves using Shaklee's Basic H2 as a fruit and vegetable wash. So I thought I would finally give it a try!

My grapes and Basic H2

This is a picture of the grapes after they were rinsed with water and then I let them dry. You can see all of the residue on the grapes.

I added 2-3 drops of Basic H2 to the bowl and then filled it with lukewarm water.

I added the grapes to the water and swished them around a little bit and now you can see the disgusting, dirty water. Let me remind you that these results are after the grapes have already been rinsed in water! The pictures don't do it justice but the water was sooo dirty and gross!

This is really disgusting! After I dumped out most of the water from the bowl, there was so much dirt and debris on the bottom of the bowl. Look at the photo below! To think that is what we digest when we don't thoroughly wash our fruits and veggies!

Here are the Basic H2 washed grapes! Don't they look gorgeous! I'm not even stretching the truth in the slightest when I tell you that the fruits and veggies actually taste so much better after being washed with Basic H2. Once you try Basic H2, you will never go back to using traditional cleaners again!

Cleaning My Stove Without Toxic Fumes!

Here are some photos of my stovetop before using my non-toxic cleaners. My stove was really dirty and I made sure not to clean my stove for a few days so you can see exactly how well these cleaners work! I used the Basic H2 Degreaser spray and the Scour Off

all-natural scouring paste (my favorite product!) For other posts about Scour Off, click here. Here's how it turned out!

 BEFORE PHOTOS:

AFTER PHOTOS:

Can you believe that it took barely any scrubbing at all! The Scour Off is the most amazing product and it's made from cherry pits so it even smells delicious! I just love these products so much, can you tell?! For more information on Scour Off, check out my

Shaklee Website.

The Real Dirt on Clean & 4 Simple Ways To Get Clean

 The Real Dirt on Clean

You know that good, healthy feeling you get when you’ve just cleaned house? Sorry to spoil it, but you may have just made your home dirtier. Think of it this way. You wouldn’t let your kids play with toxic chemicals, so why would you let the baby crawl over a floor that’s just been wiped with them? That’s much more dangerous than the orange juice that was just there.

How dangerous? Just take a look at these statistics.

• Over 90% of poison exposures happen at home.

• Common chlorine bleach is the #1 household chemical involved in poisoning.

• Organic pollutants, found in many common cleaners and even air fresheners, are found at levels 2 to 5 times higher inside your home than out.

• A person who spends 15 minutes cleaning scale off shower walls could inhale three times the “acute one-hour exposure limit” for glycol ether-containing products set by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

• Common cleaners give off fumes that can potentially increase the risk of kids developing asthma, the most common chronic childhood disease.

• 1 in 13 school-aged children has asthma. Rates in children under five have increased more than 160% from 1980 – 1994.

• Children are highly vulnerable to chemical toxicants. Pound for pound of body weight, children drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air than adults. The implication of this is that children will have substantially heavier exposures than adults to any toxicants that are present in water, food, or air.

Chemical ingredients to look out for:

• Sodium hydroxide

• Hydrochloric acid

• Butyl cellosolve (2-Butoxyethanol)

• Formaldehyde

• Bleach (sodium hypochlorite)

• Ammonia

• Sulfamic acid

• Petroleum distillates

• Sulfuric acid

• Lye (potassium hydroxide)

• Morpholine

www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ingredients.htm

4 Simple Ways To Get Clean

Your home should be the safest, healthiest, cleanest place in the whole world. So we’ve put together some pretty easy things you can do to make your family safer and your home healthier. And, as it turns out, what’s good for your home is good for the earth and everyone else on it, too. So let’s make our homes healthy. Let’s clean our hearts out. Let’s Get Clean.

1. Get the dirt. Educate yourself about what you bring into your home at

2. Have a clean-for-all. Put on the gloves and get rid of the nasty stuff in your home. Responsibly, of course. Your local waste collection service has guidelines for proper household hazardous waste disposal, as well as collection sites for things like paint, batteries, and cleaners. Whatever you do, please don’t toss this stuff in the garbage.

3. Welcome healthy into your home. Commit to carefully considering everything that crosses your doorstep. Here are some safe, healthy things to have in your home:

• Cleaners that are truly cleaner. Get Clean offers product choices that are: nontoxic, natural, biodegradable, concentrated, and hypoallergenic. Look for Green Seal Certified products.

• Fresh air. Open your windows to reduce indoor air pollution.

• Essential oils. Use these instead of air fresheners.

• Plants. Besides being nice to look at, they can absorb harmful gases and help clean the air.

• Organic cotton bedding. Avoid standard bedding treated with chemicals.

• Floors made of recycled and renewable resources.

• Healthier paint. That new paint smell can be as nasty as it smells. Choose low VOC paint instead.

4. Clean up our collective home. Make the earth healthier for all of us who call it home by using these things in yours:

• Compact fluorescent lighting. They last a whole lot longer.

• Energy Star-rated appliances. Save money and energy.

• A low-flush toilet. Replace the largest user of water in your house. Ultra low flushers cut water use by one-fifth.

• Low-flow showerheads. Same pressure. Less water.

• Your flicker finger. Turn off lights and appliances when you’re not using them.

• Gray water system. Install one to recycle used household water for your lawn.

• Tankless water heater. Save money, energy, and space in the broom closet.

www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ingredients.htm

Can Household and Personal Care Products Really Affect Your Health?

Asthma, Digestive and Respiratory Issues, Eye and Skin Burns, Reproductive Issues, Headaches, Liver and Kidney Damage...
 

These are just a few harmful health effects that household and personal care products have on your health. Sorry, this is a long post, but so important. :) I was amazed and disgusted after seeing a list of the chemicals and health risks in products most people use everyday and sometimes several times a day. I was angry to see that some of these chemicals are even in baby detergent like Dreft, diaper rash cream, baby wash and lotion like Aveeno and Johnson's. I think it is sad that as mothers, we cannot trust the most popular brands or the "gentlest" of products or even "Pediatrician Recommended" brands. I am happy to see that parents are becoming more aware of the effects of these chemcials, especially on babies, and sharing with others. Please read product labels with caution. Make sure to read the ingredients and do your own research, companies can print words like these without strict regulations. These chemicals may have alternative names so I have listed the synonyms for the chemicals also. I'm not saying that if you use a product with these chemicals, it guaranteed that you will immediately have health problems, but why would you want to breathe or put these chemicals on your body at all?

MONOETHANOLAMINE (MEA)
Synonyms: 2-Aminoethanol, 2-Hydroxyethanamine, Ethanol, 2-amino-, Ethanolamine, MEA

Toxicity Information:

Inhalation has been reported to cause asthma, immediate allergic response, acute liver damage and chronic hepatitis, severe eye and skin burns. May be harmful if inhaled or absorbed through skin. Irritating to skin, eyes, respiratory system. Large doses produce sedation, coma, and death following depression of blood pressure and cardiac collapse. 

Chemical found in:

• Tide Liquid Laundry and Tide Free Liquid Laundry
• Dreft Liquid Laundry
• Cheer Liquid Laundry
• Ivory Snow Liquid Laundry
• Gain Liquid Laundry
• Dawn Power Dissolve
• 409 Spray Degreaser
• Easy Off Oven Cleaner
• Damp Rid Mold & Mildew Control
• Windex
• Pledge
• Spray n' Wash Stain Remover

SODIUM HYDROXIDE
Synonyms: Ascarite, Caustic Soda, Soda Lye

Toxicity Information:

Causes 75% of all caustic injury to the esophagus of kids under 5 years old. Can cause burns in tissues, chronic skin irriation, irriation to the respiratory tract, can cause liver and kidney damage. Inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact with material may cause severe injury or death. Instructions for first aid if inhaled is to move the person to fresh air, if they are not breathing administer artificial respiration. 

Chemical Found in:

Household Products:

• Cascade Rinse Formula
• 409 Degreaser
• Clorox Clean Up Spray and some Cleaners
• Soft Scrub Liquid Gel
• Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner and some Cleaners
• Comet Cleanser with Bleach
• Soft Scrub
• Easy Off Oven Cleaner
• Palmolive Antibacterial Hand Soap
• Woolite Liquid Wash
• Tide Ultra Liquid
• Shout Laundry Stain Remover
• Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Brush
• Arm & Hammer Detergent
• Tilex

Personal Care Products:

• Johnson's Baby Wash
• Aveeno Naturals
• Aveeno Baby Cream and some bath products
• Old Spice Deodorant
• Some Olay Total Effects, Regenerist, and Pro-x creams
• Oil of Olay Body Washes
• Jergins Skin Firming Moisturizing
• Softsoap Hand Soap
• Neutrogena Moisture for Sensitive Skin
• Dove Ultra Moisturizing BodyWash
• Method Foaming Hand Wash
• Gilette Shave Gel
• Pantene Shampoo

Now think of how many times the toxic chemicals from the dishwasher or laundry detergent are lingering through your home every time you do a load of dishes or laundry. How about when you use your Oil of Olay body wash in the shower, then you use your anti-wrinkle face cream, brush your teeth with Crest and then throughout the day you are putting on your Aveeno moisturizer. Oh, and don't forget that i'm sure you will do a little wiping down of the counters and maybe wash your hands a few times with Softsoap or Method hand wash. This is a lot of exposure to one chemical that your body experiences in one day and all of the things you put on your body are absorbed directly into your bloodstream. Stay tuned, these are only a few chemicals but I will be posting more.

Please note: These are only some of the products that may contain these chemicals. For more information on the products and toxicity, please visit the Toxicology Data Network or the Hazardous Substance Database at http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/list?tbl=TblChemicals&alpha=A

Eco-licious Mama was featured on

Dinker & Giggles!!

Check out the article:

"Eco-licious Mama: Tips on Eco-friendly Cleaning Products"

Thank you Dinker & Giggles for spreading the word about toxic chemicals!

Click here to see why chemical cleaners are so harmful

Click here to purchase Get Clean non-toxic products

Cleaning Your Carpet Naturally with Amazing Results

Let's talk about clean carpet. If you're a parent like me, clean carpet is far and in between. Between the milk or juice that finds it's way out of the "spill-proof" sippy cup, food being thrown by my toddler, cheerios and cheddar bunnies scattered throughout the floor, and occassionally dragging the wagon or strolling the stroller onto the carpet, my carpet is dirty!! It gets dirty easily because it is old carpet, so see, it's not all my fault lol! :)

I am always hesitant to have a professional carpet clean because most of the cleaners are extremely toxic. My mother-in-law was so kind and gave us a Bissell carpet cleaner and I was super excited because now I can clean the carpet with my Shaklee products and know that it is completely safe and non-toxic!

Carpet cleaners can be extremely toxic to children, who tend to play and crawl around on carpets. The fumes given off by carpet cleaners can cause cancer and liver damage. Carpet and upholstery cleaners accounted for 5,397 poison exposures in 2005. The majority of these exposures, over 3,500, involved children under 6.

Source: Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' Nat'l Poisioning and Exposure Database


                              

I'm sure you are thinking, "How clean can natural products really clean carpet, right?" Not to mention very old and very dirty carpet! Here's how I did it:

I used my Basic H2 all-purpose super cleaner, Basic G Disinfectant (this gets rid of bacteria, mold, odors, etc.) and Nature Bright brightener. I know that water is disgusting and that wasn't even my entire carpet but I to show you so you can see how well the products work! :) There are still a few areas that I should have pre-treated, especially the entry, but I just wanted to do a quick clean and disinfectant of the carpet.

Cleaning Your Carpet Naturally:

1 Tablespoon of Basic H2 per gallon of water

1 Tablespoon of Basic G Germicide per gallon of water

1-2 scoops of Nature Bright depending on how dirty your carpet is

Any time you use the Nature Bright on carpet, make sure you go back over it with water and don't let it sit on carpet without every wiping it up after the stain has lifted. It will continue to lighten and brighten so it's best to make sure you wipe/soak it up and blot with water after it has removed the stain/pre-treated. Of course if you are going over it while cleaning the carpets, that is not necessary.

Pre-treating: About a week before I cleaned the carpet there were two horrible stains caused by my adorable, innocent toddler! :) She got into my loose powder blush and then threw a blackberry onto the carpet which completely smooshed into the carpet. I used the Nature Bright dissolved in hot water and kept applying every couple hours as needed. The stains were so bad, I had to repeat the next day. I knew the stains would come out because Nature Bright is a miracle worker, I just had to apply it a few times.

Here is the stain from my make-up. That's my daughter's hand to show you how big the stain was. The left picture was before using Nature Bright. The right picture is after I applied Nature Bright one time so you can see that the stain started to fade quite a bit. 

This was after two applications of the Nature Bright. The carpet was so clean that it was lighter than the rest of the carpet which was another reason why I needed to shampoo the entire carpet.

This was the blackberry stain. The right picture is after one application of Nature Bright. This stain took three applications of Nature Bright. I really didn't think it would come out but it finally did!

 

Now onto the carpet clean before and after photos:

Before  and  After



                                                                          Before:

After:

Before pictures of the entry - This was sooooo dirty and stained I didn't think anything would come out!

                                                         After pictures of the entry:

                                      

Vunerability of Children Related to Typical Household Cleaners

If you haven't decided to make the change to non-toxic cleaners and remove all chemical cleaners from your home, I hope these statistics will help you make the change to a healthier home!

Why are children so vulnerable?


Children exposed in the womb are at greatest risk of all. Because cellular structures change so rapidly during embryonic and fetal growth, a toxic exposure at the wrong moment can permanently alter further development... Government and university scientists are currently investigating the possibility of a connection between fetal exposures to toxins and developmental disabilities such as ADHD.

Children are highly vulnerable to chemical toxicants. Pound for pound of body weight, children drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air than adults. The implication of this is that children will have substantially heavier exposures than adults to any toxicants that are present in water, food, or air.

Asthma is the most common serious chronic disease of childhood.

Children's metabolic pathways, especially in the first months after birth, are immature. Their ability to metabolize, detoxify and excrete many chemicals differs from adults.

Carcinorgenic and toxic exposures sustained early in life, including prenatal exposures, appear more likely to lead to disease than similar exposure encountered later.

There are over 80,000 chemicals registered with the EPA and fewer than 20% of them have been tested for toxicity.

Organic pollutants are 2 to 5 times higher inside homes than outside. According to the EPA, sources of organic pollutants from household cleaners include: solvents, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, cleansers and disinfectants, and air freshners. Health effects from organic pollutants include: eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; and damage to liver, kidney, and cental nervous system. Many organic compounds are known to cause cancer in animals; some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause, cancer in humans.
Source: U.S. EPA

Source of data: Data Related to Typical Household Cleaners. Compiled by Shaklee Corporation. For all sources, see Shaklee Article.
Sources: U.S. EPA, New Chemicals Program, Landrigan, P.J. & Weiss; Natuional Research Council

Shaklee Cost Comparison with Other Brands!

Below are two Shaklee Cost Comparison with other well known brands. The first comparison focuses on more of the "green" cleaners and the second has more of the traditional cleaners. Remember when you are comparing Get Clean with "green" companies or cleaners, "green" means better for enviroment, not necessarily better for you or your family! It is crucial that you look for products that are "non-toxic".

Shaklee Get Clean is both green and non-toxic. Basic H2 has the highest "green" seal of approval by being Green Seal Certified!

To see the comparisons larger, please click on the comparison charts.

Want to save over $13,500 by changing the way you clean?

I have the simplest way for you to save over $13,500 by switching to Shaklee's Basic H2 concentrated cleaner!

Yes, you read that right! Talk about money savings, I don't know how it gets better than that! I am so passionate about this one little 16 oz. bottle of cleaner that I had to post about this famous product one more time! You will never go back to traditional cleaners after you try this, guaranteed! Most Basic H2 customers say their bottle lasts about 2 years! I'm going on 18 months and not even half way through the bottle! I love love love this and promise that you will be amazed at how it works on everything!

SHOW ME HOW I SAVE:

You will save over $13,500 in window cleaner! One 16 oz. bottle of Basic H2 is equal to over 5,824 26 oz. bottles of windex. Every time you fill up your window and mirror spray bottle, it costs you less than one cent!

One 16 oz. bottle of Basic H2 is equal to 48 gallons of toxic-free super cleaner.

You would have to spend over $12,000 to get the same amount of clean as one 16 oz. bottle of Basic H2. You would spend:
   -Nearly $482 for the equivalent amount of all-purpose cleaner
   -$12,250 for the equivalent amount of window cleaner
   -$144 for the equivalent amount of degreaser

See my Basic H2 review here.
Learn more about Basic H2 and product details here.

Improving Indoor Air Quality With Plants

A NASA study shows that plants can help clean indoor air quality and absorb potentially harmful gases indoors and states that “house plants can purify and rejuvenate air within our houses and workplaces, safeguarding us all from any side effects connected with prevalent toxins such as formaldehyde, ammonia and also benzene.” These side effects from homes and workplaces is commonly called the "sick building syndrome".

The top 15 plants most effective in removing Formaldehyde, Benzene, Carbon Monoxide, and Trichloroethylene from the air are listed below. Underlined plants remove all 3 toxins.

1. Pot mum-chrysanthemum

2. Gerbera Daisy

3.`Massangeana'-cornstalk dracaena

4. Hedera helix, English ivy

5. Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

6. Janet Craig dracaena

7. Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii', Warneck dracaena

8. Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)

9. Epipiremnum aureum, golden pothos

10. Peace Lily
11. Philodendron selloum, selloum philodendron

12. Chinese evergreen

13. Bamboo or reed palm 

14. Snake plant 

15. Dracaena marginata , red-edged dracaena

Formaldehyde is in almost every household and can be harmful. It can be found in:

• foam insulation/particle board
• grocery bags, tissues, and paper towels
• many common household cleaning products
• carpet backings and adhesive binders and glues
• water repellants and wrinkle resisters

For more information on air cleaning plants and the NASA study, visit:
http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/Spinoff2007/ps_3.html
http://www.zone10.com/nasa-study-house-plants-clean-air.html
Photo from: <p><a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net">Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net</a></p>

Oprah Likes Shaklee Get Clean

Toxic Chemical Regulation in 30 States

Information on toxic chemicals seems to be the talk of 2011 and that makes me so happy! :) With the harmful effects of so many chemicals and scientific evidence growing, it is good to see that some states are starting to take action. Unfortunately, California is not at the forefront of this battle, but let's hope that changes soon!

Check out this article posted by Safer States!

To see the full article, CLICK HERE.

"In response to continued public concern over the presence of dangerous chemicals in common household products, coupled with Congressional inaction on the matter, on Wednesday, January 19, legislators and advocates in thirty states across the country and the District of Columbia will announce legislation aimed at protecting children and families from harmful chemicals.

"With over half of state legislatures introducing policies that protect kids and families from toxic chemicals, Congress and chemical industry lobbyists should take notice. As long as toxic chemicals such as cadmium and BPA remain in consumer products, states will continue to pass commonsense policies to address this serious public health threat.”
- Laurie Valeriano, Policy Director at the Washington Toxics Coalition in Seattle, Washington.

Bills to be considered in the 30 states include: bans on BPA and hazardous flame retardants in consumer products; requirements that children’s product manufacturers use only the safest chemicals; and resolutions urging Congress to overhaul the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) – the federal law that allows dangerous and untested chemicals to be used in everyday products and materials.

"A substantial body of scientific research shows that the public is exposed to chemicals that increase the risk of serious health threats, including cancer, asthma, infertility, and learning and developmental disabilities," said Dr. Ted Schettler, MD, MPH, Science Director of the Science and Environmental Health Network. "For most chemicals, no Government agency has the authority to require safety testing before they are put into widespread use. It's an uncontrolled experiment, and individuals and families across the country are paying the price."


Policies to be considered in 2011 state legislatures include:

Comprehensive State Laws: Nine states, including Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Washington and Vermont, will be introducing or have introduced policies to change the way we regulate chemicals at the state level.

BPA Phase Outs: At least seventeen states will be introducing or have introduced policies to restrict the use of BPA in infant formula cans, receipt paper, baby bottles and/or sippy cups including: Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and the District of Columbia.

State TSCA Resolutions: At least eleven states will be calling on the 112th U.S. Congress to bring our federal chemicals policy into the 21st century: Alaska, California, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.

Banning Cadmium in Children’s Products: At least eight states will be introducing or have introduced policies to ban the use of cadmium in children’s products, including: Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey and New York.

Deca BDE (toxic flame retardant) Phase Outs: At least three states will be introducing or have introduced policies to reduce exposure to deca BDE, including: Alaska, Massachusetts, New York and the District of Columbia. "


Information provided by Saferstates.com. This is only an excerpt from the entire article.

Finally Found A Cleaner For My Floors That Works!

I am so excited that I finally found something to clean my bathroom and wood kitchen floor! If you saw my Shark Steam Mop review, you know i've been trying to find a chemical-free alternative that doesn't require a mop or scrubbing on my hands and knees! I have given the Steam Mop several attempts and I still dislike it greatly! Everything I have tried leaves streaks or a sticky residue on the floor. So many people tell me the Basic H2 works wonders on their hardwood floors, bathroom and tile floors but I wasn't thrilled about using a mop and bucket so I never really considered it. Pre-baby, and before I knew everything I know now about chemicals, I used the Swiffer Wet Jet and Swiffer Sweeper because it was easy, convenient and it worked well. Three things I always look for!

I don't know why I didn't think of this before but I put a Basic H2 wet wipe on my swiffer sweeper instead of the chemical swiffer wipe and it worked amazing of course! I sprayed a little Basic H2 all-purpose cleaner on the floor to make the floor a little more damp & a sprayed a tiny bit of Basic G to disinfect the floors. I now have beautifully clean floors that are streak and residue-free without nasty chemicals! I am so excited that I just had to share this with you! I'd love to hear what you think so leave a comment and let me know how this works for you! If you have the Swiffer Wet Jet, I have had a few people tell me they fill up the solution bottle with diluted Basic H2 and use that as the solution spray in the Wet Jet. I told you that the uses for Basic H2 are endless!

If you haven't tried the Get Clean line, give it a try! I hear from customers all the time about how fun it is to see how effective the products are and how many creative uses there are for them! They are also an incredible time and money saver! I must say, I actually enjoy cleaning now! I do realize how crazy that sounds but it's true! :)