A natural solution to toxic turmoil

Most cleaning products you'll find on your supermarket shelves contain toxic ingredients and chemicals which are harmful not only to you, but also to your babies, children and your pets.

I've always been under the impression that Pine-Sol, now owned by Clorox, was one of the most natural commercial cleaners.  But after doing a little bit of research I've come to the conclusion that over the years as the formula has changed, so has its toxicity level.

On the Pine-Sol safety web page I noticed a contradiction.  On one hand they say that Pine-Sol is safe to use around pets and in pet areas.  On the other hand they say it's highly toxic if ingested and they say not to use Pine-Sol to wash dishes because "it is not approved by the EPA to be used on food-contact surfaces."  Here's an example of the problem this poses using pets as an example but substitute "baby" for pet if you have a baby crawling around on your floors.

If the Pine-Sol warning label states, "Avoid contact with food" yet it states it's safe to use in pet areas (but not as a shampoo for pets) then what would happen if you've just mopped your floor and your pet walks on the wet floor and then begins to groom him/herself?  Or a similar scenario would be if you've just cleaned your floor with Pine-Sol and your pet is eating.  The pet drops the food on the floor and licks it up along with the freshly applied Pine-Sol.

You may find these scenarios insignificant and they could be if this only happens once in a pet's lifetime, depending on how much cleaner they ingest.  But if they continually ingest harmful chemicals, over time you may have a problem, or I should say, your pet may develop a problem.

The good news is to every problem there is a solution!  Using cleaners that are safe for everyone including our environment (soil, water and air) will be a big step towards clean living, and though being clean on the outside is important it's more important to be clean on the inside because what is inside spills over on the outside.  But that's for another post.

First, I recommend making an investment of Liquid Sunshine concentrate from the Vermont Soap Company.  Vermont Soap carries all natural, organic and chemical-free products.  You can purchase Liquid Sunshine as a concentrate or already diluted in a variety of sizes.  My husband and I purchase the 5-gallon drum and make our own cleaning solutions from that.  The 5-gallon drum lasts us at least 1-1/2 years and if I didn't give out samples, it would last even longer.

Take a look around the Vermont Soap Company website.  Here's a quick order form for easy ordering.  Purchasing the concentrate will save you $$$$ and when your spray bottle is empty, just whip up another solution.  Liquid Sunshine cleans everything under the sun!

I'm also including some other natural cleaning ideas and recipes I use.  These will also save you money.

Cleaning Recipes and Ideas

All Purpose Cleaner:  In a clean spray bottle add 3-3/4 water and 1/4 cup of Liquid Sunshine.  My recipe includes 7-10 drops of Rosemary and Thyme essential oils each.  Ten drops of Tea Tree oil instead of Rosemary and Thyme oils can substituted.

Windows:  In a clean spray bottle add 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 teas. Liquid Sunshine or liquid soap and 2 cups water.  Shake well before using.

Scouring:  Instead of commercial cleansers, buy a large bag of baking soda* (BJ's has the large bags) and keep a jar of it upstairs and downstairs.

To use, first wet the surface.  Using a cloth with a some Liquid Sunshine or soap, scrub the surface, then rinse.  This works on pots and pans, too.  For burnt pans, sprinkle some baking soda in the pan and add hot water.  Let soak overnight and scrub.

*Tip:  To brighten your clothes and remove odors, add 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda to your laundry (add it with your laundry detergent to the water before adding clothes).

For Disinfecting:  Disinfect after you have cleaned your surface.  Here are two ways to disinfect without harsh chemicals. 

•  Lemon Juice:  Squeeze a lemon or lemon juice concentrate on a clean surface and wipe.   If you're a skeptic, here's scientific proof of the effectiveness of lemon juice as a disinfectant.
• Vinegar and Peroxide**:  In one clean spray bottle add straight vinegar and in a second clean spray bottle add 3% hydrogen peroxide (can be found in most grocery and drug stores).  Spray one on the surface you're disinfecting and then spray the other (it doesn't matter which you spray first).  Wipe and rinse.  This method can also be used on fresh produce to disinfect it before eating.  Not convinced? Click here.  
  
  **NOTE:  DO NOT MIX vinegar and hydrogen peroxide together in one spray bottle.

If you have any recipes not listed or you've tried the ideas and recipes above, please comment.  Thanks! 

~ Lisa

If our pets could speak...

Those of us with pets know that one of their favorite pastimes is eating.  Our pets depend on us for their survival.  If we don’t provide them with the proper nourishment, they will suffer eventually. 
Pets know when it’s time to eat. In fact, if breakfast or dinner is late, they make sure to tell us. But it’s not just meals our pets look forward to. Treats are also part of their diets. They even understand our language when we speak the word, “treat.” When we say that five letter word, their ears perk up and they get excited (anyone who has a pet understands what I'm saying). It’s amazing how they actually know what a “treat” is and how they anxiously wait for it. Some pets know exactly where we “hide” their treats and some will lead you to them. Some will do tricks for a treat (I taught my cat Emma to “sit” for a treat) and some will feel entitled to it (I have one of those).

Dogs and cats were domesticated long before any of us were even born.  However, there are still wild dogs and cats.  We refer to them as feral.  These animals are born outside and are not open to having their freedom taken away.  This is not to say that they will never accept it, but from my own experience with a feral cat, you can't take the feral completely out of them.

Have you ever thought about what a “domesticed pet” actually is as opposed to a wild animal?  The term domesticated pet is a term we use for wild animals that we have domesticated.  We have taken them from their natural environment and provided them with a totally different habitat, our homes.  Over a long period of time, these wild animals have adapted to a new lifestyle.  Here's an accurate description of what a "domesticated pet" is taken from Wikipedia:  Domesticated pets are the most common types of pet. They have consistently been kept in captivity over a long enough period of time that they exhibit marked differences in behavior and appearance from their wild relatives.

So a domesticated pet will take to the comforts of a human home while a wild animal will not. Most wild animals are afraid of humans (and visa versa) and when they feel threatened, they'll even attack.  They are not trained to obey our commands and if admitted into our home, would tear it up and us in the process.  They live outside on their own and have to fend for themselves, finding their own food and shelter and protect themselves.

Domesticated pets, though they are wild by nature, have succumbed to daily living inside our homes, for the most part.  We feed them, shelter them and protect them.  Because they primarily live indoors and they look to us to take care of them, they have no reason to hunt for food.  Even so, they are not able to eat whenever they feel like it.  They can't go into the refrigerator and pull out a juicy steak.  They have been domesticated, but they have their limits.

I’m sure we would all agree that though domesticating dogs and cats has caused them to be dependent on humans, it has not caused the inside of their body structure or their instincts to change. If my cat went outside and saw a bird, instinctively he'd go after the bird as his prey (which he has). Or if a mouse entered my house, most likely my cat would chase it and try to kill it (or play with it as I’ve heard some cats will do – this could be a case of confusion if they play with toy mice). And if a dog saw a cat, his instincts would tell him to go after the cat. Of course, generally speaking, animals can be trained.

Many families have rescued pets right off the street or have adopted them from a another family or a local shelter. Pet owners have different reasons for having pets.  We can see how their roles vary.  In many instances, pets become like family.  Some pets are desired for protection, companionship, a playmate for the children or help with seeing. Whatever the reason, pets offer many benefits. So why would anyone, including their owners, want to cause them harm?

It's clear that our pets are dependent on us for their food and proper nourishment.  If they don’t have the ability to eat what they should and when they want, isn’t it our responsibility to give them what they need? It sure is! Pharmaceutical companies and veterinarians are cashing in on our pets’ ill health. Pet insurance has even been available as if to warn pet owners that there will come a day when their pet will likely get sick. It’s inevitable that they will, too, mainly because of the foods of they eat. So what can we do?

I’m not going to go into detail about what I’ve discovered about pet foods in this article because Dr. Becker, DVM has already done that. So I hope you’ll take the time to read Dr. Becker’s article and inquire about the book she’s written called, Dr. Becker's Real Food for Health Dogs and Cats Cookbook. Take a minute also to check out the Primal Pet Foods website as well as Aunt Jeni’s and EVO.

To your pet's good health and long life!