Natural products

My co-worker, Pamela, was asking me about natural cleaning products the other day and suggested I write about them. I've mentioned some of these ideas before but the basic premise I go by is that we live in a world full of toxins, from pollution to chemical cleaners, to fire retardant chemicals in your chairs, mattresses and airplanes, to fluoride in your toothpaste (yes, it is a toxin), to pesticides in and on your produce, to growth hormones in your meat, and on and on. I live in Chicago, I sleep on a regular mattress (though I plan to buy a chemical-free one soon), I fly on a lot of airplanes. I'm exposed to a massive amount of toxins. So I try and limit what I can. In my home, I don't use anything unnatural. From what is used to clean my floors, bathrooms, dishes, laundry and windows, to what I use in the shower, on my toothbrush and in my hair -- it's all natural. This is better for me and it's better for the environment. It also all works essentially just as well. Yes, it is more expensive, but to me it is worth it.

Another very important reason to do this: my pets. Cats and dogs lick their feet and put toys in their mouth that have been washed or been on the ground or fell in the toilet (gross, but it happens). They tend to be much smaller than us, and therefore their tolerance for chemicals is much less. If you use chemicals to clean your carpet or your wood floor, your cat or dog is literally ingesting those. (Yes, I also feed my cats $5/day organic, human-grade food, but that's a different story.)

Babies are of course a similar issue. They crawl on the ground, touch everything, then stick their hands in their mouth. Look at what your baby may actually be sticking in his/her mouth. A lot of traditional cleaners are extremely toxic. If you swallow any you need to go to a poison control center. My natural cleaners just suggest you drink a glass of water. That makes me a lot more comfortable if I had a little bugger crawling around.

Now what to buy and where to buy it.... This is of course a personal thing, but I'll be presumptuous enough to share my thoughts. Whole Foods has everything you need in this department. But it is expensive and the variety may be limited. Though now many of the larger Whole Foods have a decent selection of 2-3 brands of anything you need and they have their store brand. I've had pretty good experience with the store brand and it's relatively cheap. Your regular grocery store will have some items. Clorox now sells a line called Green Works. I have never used it and would prefer not to give my money to a company that is a main purveyor of toxins generally, but it is available. Target sells Method. I have had decent experiences with this brand. They also are one of the few to offer a natural air fresheners like a Glade Plugin but with essential oil. I always have one plugged in by my litter box. But my favorite place to buy natural products is Drugstore.com. They have one of the widest selection of natural products I have ever seen, all at prices that match or beat what I've seen elsewhere. If you spend $50 shipping is free (and that's pretty easy to do), you get 5% cashback towards future purchases and if you go through the United or American Airlines online "malls" you can rack up the miles. From recycled napkins and trash bags to natural cleaners, hand soap, toothpaste and sunscreen to multivitamins, I buy all my natural products there.

People have asked me what products I like best. My personal view is that Mrs. Meyers is one of the worst. Seventh Generation is usually pretty good. I really like Earth Friendly Products, Ecover, Jason, Kiss My Face, Avalon Organics, Dr. Bronners, and a few others. If you don't know whether you'll like the smell of certain products or you don't want to mix scents, almost every natural brand has unscented products -- that's what I always use. Below I've listed what I actually use in a bunch of categories for those who care :)

Dryer/fabric softener sheet: Seventh Generation (free & clear)
Laundry detergent: Seventh Generation (free & clear) / Earth Friendly Procuts ECOS
Dishwasher rinse aid: Earth Friendly Products WaveJet
Dishwasher detergent: Ecover Ecological Dishwasher Tablets
Kitchen trash bags: Glad 65% recyled (all fully natural brands leak)
All purpose cleaner: Bi-O-Kleen Super Concentrated All Purpose Cleaner
Toiler cleaner: Ecover Ecological Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Counter-top cleaner: varies but de-luxe all-purpose spray
Glass cleaner: Better Life Window Cleaner
Air freshener: Methood Aroma Pill (Sweet Water)

Shaving cream: Avalon Organics (Aloe, unscented)
Aftershave: Origins Fire Fighter
Hand lotion: Burt's Bees shea butter hand repair creme
Hand soap: Jason Natural Cosmetics Satin Soap (Tea Tree Oil)
Bath soap: Dr. Bronner's All-One Hemp Pure-Castile bar soap (peppermint)
Shampoo / Conditioner: de-luxe
Deoderant: Kiss My Face Liquid Rock (fragrance free)
Hair gel: Modern Organic Produts orange peel modling cream
Toothpaste: Jason Natural Cosmetics Powersmile, All-Natural Whitening (peppermint)
Toner: Kiss My Face Balancing Act
Face lotion: Zia Skin Basics (with spf)
Body lotion: Kiss My Face Olive & Aloe Mosturizer (fragrance free)
Face wash: Origins Mint Wash
Travel face wash: Frownies Complexion Wash
Acne: Kiss My Face Break Out, Botanical Acne Gel
Sunscreen: Kiss My Face Face Factor / Kiss My Face Sunspray Lotion