Clean your home naturally, without the use of toxic chemicals

The harsh reality:

That "fresh" smell we have come to associate with "clean," is often a harmful mixture of toxic chemicals we are forced to inhale everyday, increasing asthma rates in children and other respiratory problems.

Aug. 25, 2004 -- "Two new Australian studies show that many common household cleaners and appliances give off fumes, which can potentially increase the risk of developing asthma in children."

Excerpt from: "Common Household Cleaners Can Trigger Asthma," by Miranda Hitti
to read more visit web md., click here.


Recently, the EPA found that indoor air contains 2-5 times more pollution than outdoor air. In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission found that of the homes tested, the outdoor air contained less than 10 volatile organic compounds (VOC's) while the indoor air contained one-hundred and fifty VOC's. Many of the VOC's involved were traced to household cleaners.
for more,visit www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html

For information on the effects of chemicals commonly found in your household cleaning products visit:
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/household_hazards

Practical Solutions

You can clean just about anything in your house using white distilled vinegar, dish soap, baking soda and washing soda(this is sold under the brand name Borax, and Arm and Hammer has recently come out with their own brand. You will find it in the laundry detergent section of most grocery stores.

Scouring powder for bathtubs, sinks and grout(serious grime)

Use washing soda and hot water to scrub clean, just as you would use any scouring powder. When cleaning grout, put the washing soda directly on the scrub brush and add hot water, or you can mix it in a spray bottle. For the tiles, you may need to scrub the grime off with the washing soda, but be sure to rinse it well or it will leave an unsightly residue. Vinegar works well to wipe off any residue.

Toilet Bowl
Pour some washing soda in the toilet and scrub with a toilet brush

Counter tops
You'll want to use straight baking soda here, not washing soda as it is more abrasive and can scratch counter tops.

Window Cleaner
Distilled White Vinegar
Note: You will need to make sure that the vinegar is completely wiped dry, otherwise it will streak.

Furniture Cleaner
Combine 1/4 cup (60 mL) of white vinegar in a bowl with a few drops of vegetable oil.

Soft Scrubber for pots and pans
Mix 1/4 cup of baking soda with enough liquid soap to create a frosting-like consistency.

Drain Cleaner
Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of salt down the drain, add 1 cup of vinegar and follow that with 3 cups of boiling water-repeat as necessary. As a precaution I like to do this once a week whether I have a clog or not, just to keep the drains clear. If the clog is major you may need to use a plunger, but you don't want to use a commercial drain cleaner. They are highly toxic can be harmful if they get on your skin and the fumes they give off are unhealthy to breathe.

Oven Cleaner
Sprinkle 1/4 inch (6mm) of baking soda over the bottom of the oven. Keep the baking soda moist by periodically spraying water on it. Let it sit for six hours or overnight, then scoop the baking soda out and rinse the oven well.

Refrigerators inside and out:
We've found straight vinegar to work best but if you have a stubborn spill, you may need the more abrasive baking soda.

Always rinse all these solutions thoroughly. We recommend using vinegar to rinse any baking soda or washing soda residue.

Any residue will attract dirt quickly

For automatic dishwashers and laundry detergent:
Previously, I had recommended CalBen Soap Co. for dishwashing and laundry detergent, but I need to take back my recommendation since I've learned that their dishwashing detergent contains phosphates. Also, their laundry detergent hasn't been working too well for me. I'm now on the lookout for a better option and will keep you posted.

Something's Fishy, Making Sensible Seafood Choices

If you are confused about the seemingly contradictory information we're hearing about fish, you are not alone. According to the American Heart Association, research has established a link between eating a diet rich in seafood and a decreased risk of death from coronary heart disease. At the same time, we are hearing more and more about the potential risks of eating certain kinds of fish due to toxins in our waterways, including mercury, and pcbs.

Thankfully the Monterrey Bay Aquarium has come up with an easy to follow seafood guide that will help you make the right seafood choices for your health as well as the health of our oceans.

Best Choices
Tilapia, Catfish that is farmed and from the U.S., Halibut, Mahimahi, Wild Salmon and farmed shrimp

Tip: Trader Joe's is a great source for reasonably priced Tilapia and Wild Salmon.
Wild salmon is also available to New York City residents at www.organicdirect.com

Tip: Try some healthy halibut recipes.

Worst Choices:
Swordfish, Shark, Chilean Seabass, Tuna, fresh and canned due to its high mercury content and Farmed Salmon.

Farmed Salmon contains 10X the amount of contaminants, including PCBs and other cancer causing chemicals and the fish are treated with antibiotics. To read the Sierra Club's article, on five reasons not to eat farmed salmon, visit http://www.sierraclub.org/e-files/wild_salmon.asp

For more information on making healthy seafood choices, visit Monterrey Bay Aquariums website:
http://mbayaq.org/default.asp and click on Seafood Watch Guide.

Dolphin Safe?
Fear of a public boycott of tuna, when it became known that tuna fisheries were inadvertently killing thousands of dolphins as bycatch, caused the largest tuna fisheries to switch to dolphin safe nets. These nets, while they are dolphin "safer," are more dangerous for sea turtles and sharks which get caught in the nets. Worldwide, fisheries throw away 25% of what they catch. To learn what is being done to stop bycatch click here

Why are some fish safe for the environment while others are not?
It all has to do with how the fish are caught. Line caught fish and trapped fish have a much smaller impact on the local environment than fish caught by trawling and dragging. Read more

For Teachers:
http://mbayaq.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_hd.asp for information on fish farming and aquaculture

Are all organics worth the expense?

When it comes to choosing between conventionally grown food verses organically grown food we have a situation known as the tragedy of the commons. While the individual may be able to save a few dollars by choosing low cost conventional food, the collective population must bare the burden of that choice. This burden comes in the form of damaged soil, polluted rivers, lakes and streams and a warmer climate. Organic farms help control global warming because they have a greater amount of peat in the soil. This organic material absorbs carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
Each dollar spent on organic food is essentially a vote for clean air, water and soil. We, as consumers of organic food, are sending a powerful message that these are important to us and apparently we are finally being heard. While, ten years ago you needed to shop in specialty health food stores to find organic foods they can now be found in just about every supermarket. Therefore, I recommend buying organic, and locally grown, whenever possible. However, when you can't afford to purchase organics exclusively: avoid the dirty dozen.
According to the Sierra Club, if every American switched just 10% of their diet to organic food we could take 6 billion lbs. of carbon out of the air and return it to the soil. A good place to start would be with the dirtiest dozen fruits and vegetables.
The environmental working group has compiled a list to show the varying levels of pesticides on 43 kinds of produce. To request a list and to learn more about how it was compiled visit, www.foodnews.org.

1 (worst)	Peaches	100 (highest pesticide load)
2	Apples	89
3	Sweet Bell Peppers	86
4	Celery	85
5	Nectarines	84
6	Strawberries	82
7	Cherries	75
8	Pears	65
9	Grapes - Imported	65
10	Spinach	60
11	Lettuce	59
12	Potatoes	58
13	Carrots	57
14	Green Beans	53
15	Hot Peppers	53
16	Cucumbers	52
17	Raspberries	47
18	Plums	45
19	Grapes - Domestic	43
20	Oranges	42
21	Grapefruit	40
22	Tangerine	38
23	Mushrooms	37
24	Cantaloupe	34
25	Honeydew Melon	31
26	Tomatoes	30
27	Sweet Potatoes	30
28	Watermelon	28
29	Winter Squash	27
30	Cauliflower	27
31	Blueberries	24
32	Papaya	21
33	Broccoli	18
34	Cabbage	17
35	Bananas	16
36	Kiwi	14
37	Sweet peas - frozen	11
38	Asparagus	11
39	Mango	9
40	Pineapples	7
41	Sweet Corn - frozen	2
42	Avocado	1
43 (best)	Onions	1 (lowest pesticide load)

Where can I find low cost organics?
New York City residents can get low cost organics delivered right to their door through www.organicdirect.com.
Please comment if you have a low cost organic store in your area.