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Casa Verde: Cool Down With Naturally Clean

casasugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:00:48 -0700

Seventh Generation, a brand of environmentally safe household products, launched a special effort, called Get Out of Hot Water, to get people to pick up some green habits in the laundry room.
The company is asking people to pledge to switch to cold-water washing – and are offering a free copy of their book, Naturally Clean, a guide to healthy nontoxic cleaning, to those who do (while supplies last). You already know that washing in cold water is good for your sheets, but it also has a significant positive impact on the environment. Using a cool cycle, saves 90 percent of the energy used in machine-washing a load of laundry, effectively lowering your carbon footprint by preventing the release of energy-related greenhouse gases. It also can amount to a savings of about $70 in annual household energy bills. Making the pledge (easy as pie) and registering your name and address will make you eligible for the book. For those of you who were concerned that washing in cold water doesn't kill as many germs, Seventh Generation has a new production line, 2X Concentrated Laundry Liquids, which works overtime in cold water, getting clothes "hot-water clean with cold-water efficiency."
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Which Diapers Are Best?

babysugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:00:08 -0800

When I was laid up on the couch for the first few weeks of my baby's life, I watched more television than I could imagine. Much of it was background noise, but somehow the barrage of detergent and diaper commercials had me questioning the brands I bought. I still buy a variety of brands (sometimes what's on sale) and I'm not sure which one I like best, but I do have a few favorites. Which ones do you think work best?Source

Organic Cotton Tampons: What For?

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:45:00 -0700

Have you ever thought about the tampons you use? You may buy a certain brand because that's what your mother uses, or it's what you've been using forever, or the brand is on sale.

It pays to read the label of your feminine hygiene products too. The next time you buy tampons, check to see if they are made with chlorine free organic cotton. Organic cotton tampons are made without rayon, synthetic chemicals, binders, or fillers.

Here's why you might not want to be putting rayon inside your body - it is chlorine-bleached and dioxin, a by-product of that bleaching process, is a carcinogenic. Dioxins have been found to collect in the fatty tissues of animals, including humans.

Research has shown evidence that even low levels of dioxins may be linked to cancer, endometriosis, low sperm counts, and immune system suppression. Considering a woman may use as many as 11,000 tampons in her lifetime, she may be subjecting herself to additional dioxin exposure.

Fit's Tips: If you are not using non-chlorine bleached organic cotton tampons, look for ones made by Natracare, Seventh Generation, or Organic Essentials. You can find them at a health food store near you with or without applicators, in Regular, Super, or Super Plus absorbencies.