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The idea is to make an impact at the micro level so that it can have a collective, macro effect. So let us do our tiny bit to save and protect our world, thereby protecting ourselves.
Let us begin by stopping the pollutants, which are washed out from homes on a regular basis.
If we take a close look at the ingredients of our personal and home care items I promise you would be completely shocked to find out about the chemicals we expose ourselves and our families to. these chemicals are then washed out through our drains into the oceans setting in motion the vicious cycle of pollution.
Eco-friendly Personal Care
What you need to do:
On a Sunday, WAKE UP, and even before the sleep flees from your eyes, make a change with the toothpaste and brush used.
Tip #1 – Tackle the Teeth
Now think, is there a natural solution? Yes, it is the common salt and lemony lemon to the rescue. Take a small piece of lemon, dip it in salt and scrub your teeth sparkling white. Salt with its anti septic properties, gets rid of the bacteria along with tightening of the gums. Lemon adds the dash of white along with vitamin C.
For a little more pampering, you could scrub strawberries.
But what about mouth wash to attack those nasty germs at the back of our throats? Well add the same salt and lemon to a glass of warm water and gargle away to glory. This takes care of even minor inflammations. Now you regret ignoring granny’s advice huh?
- Ah ha! For a relaxing luxurious weekend bath or a shower.
- Pause – check – bath foam or gel – chemicals again.
- Shampoo – oh! More chemicals.
- Face wash – even more chemicals.
But then don’t worry. Let’s really pamper ourselves. Let’s make a paste from rice or chick pea flour + yogurt + turmeric and give ourselves an authentic herbal scrub.
Benefits – the flour naturally scrubs and takes away the dead skin. The yogurt not only softens the skin but armed with acidophil bacteria (good bacteria) takes care of the fungal infections common in humid weather. The turmeric as you know is famous for its medicinal whitening and anti bacterial properties.
An ideal replacement for shampoo would be a herb called Shikekai (Acacia Concinna) and soap nut (readily available in India). these are the wonder herbs which helped the Indian beauties manage their long dark tresses, without a single bad hair day.
I understand though ideal it is not the best solution for chemically treated, permed, straightened and colored hair. But then in that case my dears how about getting yourself a relaxing Indian head massage with a personalized aroma blend? Let it be an oily hair day. The scalp would be grateful after all those harsh chemicals.
Hey, hold on, I can hear you say, what about our hand wash? We need to wash our hands every now and then? Yes, the same simple lemon cut into piece, kept in a beautiful looking box on our wash basins and used for scrubbing hands whenever needed, will not only disinfect our hands but add a glow to them (please do not keep them for more than 6 hours).
These are just a few chemicals we have successfully eliminated from our personal care items. So now let’s turn our focus to home care.
Let’s begin with the kitchen. Oh please! How can one clean the greasy pots and pans and kitchen platform without our regular kitchen solutions?
Eco-Friendly Home
Here’s a relatively gentler and eco friendly household cleaner. Mixed together one teaspoon baking soda plus two teaspoons common salt plus half a lemon and watch the grease running for cover.
Then we have to have sparkling floors free from dust mites and other germs. Mix half cup white vinegar + 2 -3 drops of Tea Tree essential oil in a bucketful of warm water. Now mop the floor and see how the fragrance of T3 will banish your nose blocks while sparkling and disinfecting the floors.
But what about the yucky toilet pots and wash basins? Well, our simple baking soda and vinegar can do wonders. Pour half cup baking soda into the toilet pot, then drizzle with vinegar, scrub, let it stay for 10-15 mins and flush.
If there are difficult stains then borax can come to the rescue. This combination of baking soda, borax and vinegar can also treat choked drains.
What about the washing machine? Should we keep it idle? Ideally yes. Consider the savings of electricity. how about hand washing of clothes to burn a few calories? I can already hear you saying – “We prefer the gym”.
OK then, here is the solution.
1/3 cup washing soda + 1 litre water + soap flakes instead of detergents + ½ cup borax for additional cleaning power. Add this to the machine before adding the clothes. Stir and add the clothes.
Yes I know his is not entirely the natural solution, but just much eco friendlier than our usual cleaning agents. But this is all that I have found. If you have better suggestions, please forward it and then let’s pass the word around to save the world.
Hey, have you realized the savings on our pockets that we may enjoy en route to saving the environment?
Ah ha! Now the environment is blessing us, the home is clean, money is saved. We have had some spa pampering. So how about burning some aroma oil in a burner, listening to some soft music and relaxing our tired nerves. Happy relaxation. See you later.
