OK, I'm back on the natural thing yet AGAIN.
But truth be told various aspects of my life have always been natural this last couple of years.

First, I'd like to thank two folks:

Anxiety and tackam: For being an inspiration by way of their vegetarian/vegan lifestyles. I used to think that doing it, even part-time, was just impossibly dificult. But in reality, it isn't. I start my vegan life over again tomorrow. I've been what you call a 'felxitarian' meaning that I'll eat anything to include meat and junk--but I MOSTLY eat vegan/vegitarian. Well, having gained a bit of weight back since early last year, and feeling a bit 'blah' from time to time, has taught me that it's very true what folks tell you--you do feel so much better when you eliminate certain things from your diet (including lots of cooked meat).

Secondly, I'd like to thank Mach for introducing me to Tea Tree Oil. Holy fucking shit, this stuff is better than a west sloppy blowjob after having watched homemade MILF porn. I love tea tree oil!! Tea tree oil is a natural oil that disinfects and cleans. It has a sanitary 'clean' smell and makes a great disinfectant as well as cleaner--chemical free!



FACIAL EXFOLIATOR (after a week your skin will be smoothy and glowing..TOXIC FREE)
2 tablespoons salt
lemon juice from one slice of lemon (or lime)
1/2 teaspoon of olive oil
one mint leafe -ground up and crushed (OPTIONAL)

Scrub face for 2 minutes--be careful not to get it in your eyes.
Olive oil is amazing at moisterizing your skin without causing breakouts. The lemon juice invigorates and smells fresh. And the salt both cleans and scrubs the face.

SKIN SOFTENER (for face or hands)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
tablespoon water (or until you get a nice thick, pasty consistency)
scrub face with it then wash it off after 2 minutes. Will soften skin and add glow.


FOR CLEANING

ALMOST EVERYTHING IN YOUR HOUSE CAN BE CLEANED WITH A MIXTURE OF WHITE VINEGAR, WARM WATER AND a little bit of liquid soap, completely non toxic.




For stainless steal faucets, tubs, and sinks:

Make a paste of peroxide and backing soda. Then scrub the metal sink, faucet, etc. with the paste using a brush. Rinse with water. This instantly gets rid of hard water stains and shines metal like it's brand new.




General purpose cleaner for surfaces and floors:

1 cup vinegar
1/2 gallon warm water
2 or 3 drops of Tea Tree oil (you can find this at GNC or organic stores)

If you don't have tea tree oil, you can add a little bit of dish washing liquid or liquid hand soap (though commercial soaps may have chemicals in them--it's still safer than the household cleaners you'd by to do it).





CARPET CLEANER (powder)

1. 1 small box of backing soda
2. 20 drops of your favorite smelling essential oil (I love combining Orange oil, Eucolyptus, and Jasmine).

Put in a plastic container, shake very well, and let it sit for 4 hours or overnight. Sprinkle on carpet and it'll smell fresh as ever. THe best part is that it is all non-toxic.
Carpet cleaners like Glade products actually contain toxic chemicals as well as potroleum products.


Lastly:

I tracked how many plastic bags I was using late last year. Mind you, I was a sngle male, buying food mostly for myself as well as other items. I averaged in a month between 40 and 60 plastic bags!!
It takes petroleum to make plastic bags folks.

So around December of last year, I phased in reusable canvas bags. 2 Resusable canvas bags is about all I ever need on shopping trips if I'm buying alot of food. Most of the times, I only need one. I'm saving at least 40 bags a month now. It only took me about 3 weeks go get used to remember to always have canvas bags in my car (I own about 6 canvas bags JUST IN CASE).

I would imagine married couples with kids use about 100 bags a month. That's a whole lot of bags when you multiply it by just the people you interact with on a daily basis.

Every store now sells those bags for between 1 and 2 dollars. And they are so well worth it. They're much stronger, durable, and easier to carry than the plastic bags they give you at the stores. I look at those plastic bags now as oddities.



Anyways, if anyone has any other GREEN TIPS, please post em!



,
[Edited 11/2/08 21:53pm]

good info

That's a LOT of bags!!!!!

Since this summer I've been reusing my bags as well. I have a reusable bag from Target if it's a light trip and if it's a bigger trip I bring additional paper or plastic bags from my stock pile (as I keep all the bags I get anyway).

CarrieMpls said:

Yes it is.

But consider in one trip to the grocers if I bought:

2 bags for (double bagged):
4 apples
4 oranges
grapes

1 bag for:
Olive oil
toothpaste

2 bag for
Chicken (double bagged)
soy milk

1 bag for
Toilet paper

That's 6 bags for a very modest 10 minute trip to the grocers--1 single trip.
Now imagine most folks go at least two or 3 times a week. That's alot of friggen bags.

Imago said:

I am ready to join the reusable bag crew. I'll purchase a few this week at Trader Joes. Its such a damn waste.

Imago said:

So instead of meatspin you will now be sending links to veggiespin?

if you use fresh bacon grease from organic bacon and fry up some chicken and use the rest in your mac n cheese.its real good.and all natural toxicss free

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Boil up a bowl of green or white tea and wash your face with it, using the tea to lightly scrub your face as you do it.

Black teabags are great to put over your eyes and freshen the skin up a bit.

Tea is also good to soak your feet in.



.
[Edited 11/2/08 19:56pm]

2the9s said:

2the9s said:

Christopher said:

Fauxie said:

Fash?

:cantspellforshit:

Fauxie said:

How about some yellow tea baggin?

I'm not sure where this thread went wrong, but it's now just your typical, morally corrupt, cesspool of a GD thread

I've never been assfucked....until I read this thread...

Imago said:

To say that it went wrong would be to suggest that it was at one point right.

Muse2NOPharaoh said:

wtf was that? :fash:

Laundry soap and general purpose cleaner such as when you need a scouring agent.


1 bar of soap, grated. I used Fels Naptha laundry bar, but you can use Octagon or even Ivory.
4 cups washing soda
2 cups Borax

You can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil for scent or antibacterial properties (such as the tea tree oil-- I like lavender).

One tablespoon per load of laundry. Two if heavily soiled.

I always include a cup of vinegar in the rinse.

Don't forget good old line drying. All the bleachy goodness, antibacterial properties and fresh dried crispness of the sun. I hate a dryer and avoid it as much as possible.

Cheap and biodegradable. I use it for everything from laundry to scouring surfaces. It can be used for mopping, but you'd want to do a vinegar rinse afterward.

Fauxie said:

Switched to using a Britta pitcher and filters on my tap instead of bottled water. It's disgusting to see how many plastic bottles I used ~ I'm still finding them in odd places and it's been over a year.
Green plants in your home can help purify the air and make you feel happy. and I have aloe which heals burns and is a nice astringent.
My garden includes several types of lavender and I make scented little bags from the buds and use stems of it in a reed infuser type of bottle with essential oils that soak up from the bottom to the buds and softly scent a room.
I love all teas and decaf coffee but Green tea is running through my veins like blood.
I've been trying to buy more things in bulk to reduce packaging and
have switched to the energy saver lightbulbs but am a bit concerned about the hasmet procedures if they break or when they need to be disposed of.
My thermostat is down to 60 degrees and I am sure to change my oil frequently in my car. I'm planning some home inprovements and am researching a solar panel to help heat my house. It's very small and may work with the lower rates of sunshine we get in Michigan Winters.
Nearly all of the products I use for cleaning and personal use are not tested on animals and as soon as I use up what is on hand, all of the replacements will be that way. I am vegetarian and try to eat as low on the food chain as possible. These are small steps but if everyone did what they could our planet would be so much healthier.

Horsefeathers said:

I'm very paranoid of store bought soaps.

Do the hippie aleternatives sold at natural food stores work as well?
I know that dial and Ivory and all those commercial soaps have 'surfactants' in them from phosphates, etc. which work well... But I'd rather not have to use those.

Great info though! I was hoping to find a homemade soap formula.

Here in my neighborhood, we're not allowed to hang close up to dry but my house has plent of room to hang stuff inside.

MoonSongs said:

Terrific!

I have used handmade soap and it worked well. I prefer it, actually, but you'll want to get plain soap and not superfatted. Superfatted is great for skin, but not so great for laundry.

I buy handmade soaps, but I'm planning to try my hand at making my own after the first of the year!

I meant to add that you'll want to grate the soap very fine. It's a pain in the ass, but worth it.

Horsefeathers said:

Would baking soda and some essential oils essentially replace the need for grated soap possibly?

This is fascinating. I need to look this up.

Imago said:

Imago said:

I really don't know how that would work. I believe the baking soda is going to be very similar to the washing soda.

It's sure cheap enough that you could experiment all sorts of ways.

Horsefeathers said:

Yup.

That's yet another benefit of going green with your cleaning. A few minutes of preparation saves you TONS of money over the course of a year.

I would imagine I'm spending about a fifth of what I used to on cleaning supplies... if even that.

It only expensive part was acquiring essential oils, but because you only need a few drops, it's an upfront investment, and saves you a TON over the course of your usage of them.

Why didn't I wake up to this years ago? I've been paying an arm and a leg to poison myself.

Fauxie said:

I love your underwear pictures.
I do.

Imago said:

I love t-shirts. I think we have an understanding.