Cleaning your floors - The Ecofriendly Way

Let's face it, your floors are important and your kids and pets are all over them! Winter is approaching and you'll be spending more time in your house and on your floors - so how do you keep them clean and your family safe?

My BFF sent me this link to an ecofriendly, chemical free floor cleaner that can be purchased as a kit at Beth Bath and Beyond (love that store!)

Anyway, I checked it out and it appears that this company has been around since 1919 and they boast a chemical free hardwood floor cleaner as well as sealants if you need to finish your floors.

Here's some literature direct from their website:

http://www.mybonahome.com/home.html

Bona waterborne floor cleaners are safe for floors, families, and the environment. Bona's specially-developed non-toxic formula also limits the harmful effects of downstream pollution.

Bona waterborne finishes have no toxic fumes and low VOC's so they are healthier for your family, pets, and the environment. In addition, there is no need to vacate your home during the finishing process due to fast dry times and easy water clean-up. This Swedish waterborne technology highlights the true beauty and elegance of the wood and provides the ultimate in durability. It, too, is GREENGUARD certified for indoor air quality

Not only are they good for your family, but they are also kind to the environment. That's win-win!

If you are shopping at your local Target and can't get to a Bona store - remember that Method is always another alternative for your floorsl. I have used this and it works and smells quite lovely.

Method- See here

And there is always the vinegar and water combo that you can spray on and wipe off
(see directions here: http://cleaning.lovetoknow.com/Vinegar_to_Clean_Hardwood_Floors)

Next up- safe carpet cleaners! Check back soon. I am researching now!

Healthy Ice Cream

It's been a hot one, and I have been on vacation, so I apologize for the lack of new posts.
However, while I was out and thinking about enjoying some good ol' fashioned ice cream this week, it occurred to me that ice cream could be really unhealthy if you don't read your labels.

I did a bit of research and found this on a blog called Natural News:
Some pretty frightening sounding chemicals like caroxymethyl cellulose, butyraldehyde, and amyl acetate are additives in some commercial ice creams. How about some diethyl glycol -- a cheap chemical used to take the place of eggs, which is also used in anti-freeze and paint removers.

Aldehyde C-17, flavoring for cherry ice cream, is an inflammable liquid used in dyes, plastics, and rubber. Piperonal, used in place of vanilla, is a lice killer. Ethyl Acetate, a pineapple flavor, can also clean leather and textiles.

Unfortunately, this doesn't work out to be like any natural substances like lemon that can be both eaten and used as a powerful cleaner. Ethyl Acetate's vapor has been known to cause chronic lung, liver, and heart damage.

There are quite a list of other unsavory ingredients littering many of today's most famous grocery store ice creams. Here are just some of them: Mono and diglicerides, disodium phosphate, benzyl acetate, mono stearate, propylene glycol, sodium benzoate, polysorbate 80, potassium sorbate, modified corn starch and soy lecithin.

Now, just because most of these additives are on the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list by the FDA, doesn't prove they aren't harmful and besides, the real question is: Are any of these ingredients desirable or even necessary to an originally wholesome treat? Remember, the FDA does not require ice cream makers to label all of their ingredients. Oh, boy.


So, now that I took the fun out of ice cream for you- what's a girl to do.
Well, just stick with these brands:

Breyers - remember those commercials circa 1980 (polysorbate 80?) Well read the ingredients on Bryers- milk, cream, sugar, cocoa - really isn't this how it SHOULD be?

Trader Joe's Brand Ice Cream a.k.a Joe Joe's Ice Cream is very good!

Horizon makes an organic brand (the same people who make milk) so if you want to go that route, I am sure you won't be disappointed.

Finally- Haagen Daz does a "take five" ice cream that literally has just five ingredients (again, that is all you NEED to make ice cream!) I have bought this on more than one occasion and was not disappointed.

Now go forth and enjoy!