by
Angelo February 27th, 2012 -
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Okay it’s getting to that time of year again. Out with the old in with the new to me. I say “new to me” because I’m not much of a new clothes guy. I tend to shop at consignment and second hand stores. I like the value and I figure the less I buy new the less that need to be manufactured and the smaller my carbon footprint. I recently cleaned out my closet and donated a good number of items to my local charity. The clothes are still in good shape and wearable, I’ve just gotten tired of them. What this annual ritual ultimately leads to is … spring cleaning. I’m actually looking forward to it. It always ends up as a bit of a purge and leads to a more dynamic life as I spend more time outdoors.
There are a number of products on the market that can make a difference to the planet and here are a few of them.
Seventh Generation has a mission statement that states “To inspire a revolution that nurtures the health of the next seven generations”. I can get on board with that. Their all purpose cleaner effectively removes grease, grime and dirt without creating harsh fumes. This non-toxic, VOC-free formula works great on marble, granite, stainless steel and many other surfaces.
Ecover is a Belgian company that has been around since 1980. Their products are plant and mineral based and garnered them numerous awards. In 1992 they built one of the worlds first green factories. With a mission statement that reads “Making a Healthy & Sustainable Lifestyle Easy” they’re my kind of company. I kind of like the subtle Chamomile and Marigold fragrance and the and gentle milk whey is ideal for anyone with sensitive skin.
Method has a great concentrated laundry detergent. I never did see the sense in shipping water and the smaller packages make for smaller waste. Their 600ml bottle does 50 loads of laundry and not only that, their plant-based formula has a 35% smaller carbon footprint than conventional detergents.
Mrs. Meyers has a line of products base on aromatherapy and free from ammonia, chlorine, bleach, paraben and phosphates. None of them are tested on animals and the line was founded by Mrs. Meyers’ daughter. But as life will have it the big boys stepped in and it’s now owned by S.C. Johnson. Looking for a surface scrub? How about basil, lavender, lemon verbena or geranium scented.
Finally Clorox brought out a line of green cleaners called “Green Works”. Props to them for actually listing the ingredients on the side of the bottle. (Yes I know Seventh Generation has been doing it for a while now.) Most of their products are coconut based with plant oils. Their toilet bowl cleaner is a gel formula which is 99% naturally derived.
Okay the sun will be shining soon and the beach (not bleach) will beckoning so I best be getting a move on with that spring green cleaning … yeah, spreen cleaning, call me corny.
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I came across a friend’s social media posting indicating that she wanted cashmere sheets and I thought to myself, “Now that would be wicked” (as in wick-ed, slang for something excellent, not wicked as in wicked away, making a very bad play on words). With a bit of internet sleuthing, I found out that Manrico Calzoni decided to fill the need a few years ago by introducing cashmere sheets at a paltry $5,200 for a king size set. The set includes two sheets and two pillow cases. If you want custom colours, decoration or trim the prices go up. The silky softness of the wicking wool maintains a comfortable sleeping temperature by moderating both hot and cold temperatures. With a two year warranty, the machine washable sheets are guaranteed for a little over seven dollars a night. The downside is pressing king size sheets would be a bit of a pain. The fabric is woven from the belly hair of Mongolian goats and took five years to develop.
