Marti Stanley’s Web Log

I just finished reading through two of the three eco books I purchased from amazon.com. The two I have read over are very easy reads. “Baking Soda: Over 500 Fabulous, Fun & Frugal Uses You’ve Probably Never Thought Of” and “Vinegar: Over 400 Various, Versatile & Very Good Uses You’ve Probably Never Thought Of“, they are both by author Vicky Lansky. I have to say, vinegar and baking soda never cease to amaze me. I personally thought the vinegar book was more interesting. (Which says a lot since I am not one that enjoys the smell or taste of vinegar. When using it in your home, the moment the vinegar dries, the smell is gone.)

These books explain how you can use these two products to do everything from baking, cleaning, and laundry to beauty, pets and lawns. These are great products. I highly recommend these books due to the products being safe, affordable, and accessible. Check ‘em out!

This weekend I decided I truly wanted to reduce the number of toxic cleaning products in our home. I think that most of our cleaning needs can be met using a vinegar & water mix or baking soda. Equal parts water and vinegar work well at cleaning our kitchen linoleum floor, mirrors, tub, sinks, counter tops, cabinets and furniture. Borax for the toilet. Warm water on our tile bathroom floors. (Vinegar is bad for grout.) Baking soda to sprinkle on our carpet before vacuuming while using the same vinegar & water mixture for spills on the carpet. I tried all of the above in our home this weekend and can’t say enough how good it feels. I have a clean home (that does NOT smell like vinegar) and I know the products are not harmful to my family.

I will continue to use Planet dishwashing detergent for our dishwashing machine and Planet dishwashing soap for use by the kitchen sink. Both of those products are non-toxic and biodegradable. I also will continue using magic erasers. I can’t find anything else that can get crayon off everything the way it does and it’s website assures customers that it is a safe non-toxic cleaner.

I was going to keep the dreaded bottle of Clorox clean-up spray, but now that I have found disinfecting information on vinegar I’m donating it with the rest of the bottles! Check out this quote from Green Living: “straight 5 percent solution of vinegar—the kind you can buy in the supermarket—kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses).” There’s more info on that link and the reason why the word ‘disinfectant’ is not on the bottle (not registered).

It is also amazing how much room I’m now saving in my hall closet after ridding myself of all the unneeded cleaning products. With all the extra room I look very organized! I boxed up my old products and plan on donating them this week. I have kept a bottle of wood scratch coat for when those little accidents happen to our furniture! I know it’s drastic, but I figured for me it would work best if I took the all or none approach.

As a side note, I wanted to let you know that there are books available on uses for vinegar around your house, uses for baking soda around your house, green cleaning recipes, etc.

Happy Cleaning!

Yup, after reading a few other blogs of individuals who have the courage to write about feminine issues, I have decided to go ahead and do it. So, as the title says, this post is only for the ladies. Men you will not regret skipping this one, I promise!

After I started using cloth diapers, I decided to look into other environmentally friendly options. I came across several positive reviews of the Diva Cup. At first I was slightly hesitant, but decided to go ahead and give it a try. After all, if it worked it would safe money and be better for our environment. I tell you what, after the first day of using it, I was in love. I know the idea of a menstrual cup sounds weird, but it’s great.

The first day was so easy I decided to only take that with me while we were traveling for Christmas. That meant I took it and only it with me on the airplane ride, long car rides, being in someone else’s home…yeah all the fun stuff. To be honest, it was too easy. I’ve learned I only have to empty the cup every 12 hours, so there were none of the usual worries. I didn’t have to take anything with me. I didn’t have to worry about sneaking the “goods” to the restroom. And I didn’t have to worry about disposing of anything. Plus there were no leaks and no odor.

In addition to all these perks, I have now noticed that after only using it for three cycles, my typical menstrual cramping has declined. I had read that using a menstrual cup or reusable cloth pads would decrease the “flow” and cramping. I can confirm as strangely as it sounds, that it does happen. It’s wonderful not having to worry about purchasing different sizes and different kinds of protection. Not having to worry about toxic shock syndrome or putting plastic and used products in landfills.

OK, hopefully we truly have lost all the male readers. The site gives instructions on how the product is used. If you have any questions concerning it, let me know. I have purchased some reusable panty liners to use along with the Diva Cup. I have not had the opportunity yet to use those, but am looking forward to it.

This link is where I purchased my Diva Cup, they have them on sale right now for $17.49! After a few months, the product will have paid for itself.

If I go shopping somewhere other than the thrift store, I go to Target. This week I have discovered three new fun finds! My first find was in the dollar bins located at the front of the store. In various pastel colors, you can get 6 silicone bakeware cupcake liners for $1!!! That’s a great deal and think about it, reusable is always better for the environment and the budget. I have some other silicone muffin cups, they work just fine. I spray them with  non-stick spray, bake, and wait for them to cool. If you remove the muffins or cupcakes before they have cooled they will be more likely to stick.

The second fun find was right beside the dollar bins, Target now offers reusable shopping bags. There are three different bags to choose from. One folds down and zips to the size of a checkbook or wallet. The second comes with a plastic base like the Publix bag I purchased over the Christmas holiday. The third choice was a smaller choice, which might serve as a good gift bag???? Just an idea.

The third and final find I came to when selecting a Valentine’s Day card for my husband. There is a card company called “Recycled Paper Greetings” which has been making recycled greeting cards since 1971. I’m embarrassed to say it’s 2008 and I’m just discovering this company exists! Needless to say, I purchased one of their cards for my husband.

Hope you all had a great Valentine’s Day!

A friend of mine just introduced me to a new blog. I love what I have read so far and wanted to pass it on. It’s another preacher’s wife going green, so enjoy!
www.christinemoers.blogspot.com

Every Tuesday night, I love watching ABC’s hit television show Boston Legal. I love the characters and find the show hilariously daring. In early December an episode (“Green Christmas”) aired that brought up the controversial question: Which is greener, a Hummer or a Prius? At the end of the show viewers were left with the impression that a Hummer is, in fact, a greener choice than a Prius. Mostly due to the toxic nature of the hybrid battery (the plant that makes them). Also, that people were driving more because they were getting better gas mileage. Shocked, (and because two of my readers asked me to) I decided to do a little research on the subject.

Now this is hard for me to say since I am such a big fan of the show, but the arguments they brought up were all very misleading. I’ll give you a few examples. Example One: The plant’s smokestack, in which hybrid batteries are made, was said to have produced so much acid rain that it had killed all vegetation surrounding the plant. Reality, that did happen, in the 70’s until late 80’s. In the late 1980’s efforts were made to replant trees and other vegetation. Efforts were also made to make a cleaner emissions, in fact since 1994 the smokestack has only released water vapors. Example Two: The show stated that NASA uses the area around the facility to test drive their moon rovers. Reality, that did happen, but it was in the 1970’s. Example Three: The television show alluded to this plant only producing horrible hybrid batteries. Reality, the plant produces more stainless steel than anything else. Stainless as in, the appliances and cookware in your kitchen. Toyota, the maker of the Prius, only accounts for 1% of the yearly products produced in this facility. So, as you can see, the “facts” used on the show were very misleading. All of the facts that were given did happen, but they happened a long time before hybrids or their batteries were on the market. And the plant has done an incredible job to correct the earlier problems. I don’t know why the writers published what they did. Especially knowing that they have a prime time spot and (as everyone knows) people truly believe that if they see it on tv, it has to be the truth. Reality: Recent facts from various sources show that a Prius is a greener choice than a Hummer. Now we know! And as far as people driving more because they are getting better mileage. All I can say is, “What?” That makes no sense to me. Nobody decides they want to drive more because they get better mileage. It just doesn’t make sense. Oh well.

There were two things I found while doing this research. First I think it is interesting to know that Toyota has never replaced a single battery in any of their hybrid cars. That to me means they are less likely to be found in a landfill somewhere. Old car batteries are all suppose to be recycled so they don’t end up in landfills. Hybrid batteries are suppose to outlast the vehicle. Many of the Prius taxicabs have over 200,000 miles and are still going strong. Secondly, there is such a thing as a Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV). It is an electric hybrid. This is how it works. When you are in town, you plug it in and use it as an electric vehicle. When you are traveling, you fill up the tank and use it as a hybrid. Genius!

Here are three links in case anyone is interested. The first two concern the Boston Legal misrepresentation and the third one is about the plug in hybrid.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/03/08/hummer-vs-prius-redux-this-time-to-hummer-i-dont-think-so/

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/01/29/hummers-are-greener-than-prius-study-makes-it-into-an-episode/

http://www.calcars.org/