All too often, hinges, doorknobs, drawer pulls, and other vintage hardware are caked with ugly layers of paint. But you can bring them back to life without a single toxic chemical – just throw them in your crock pot.
If you need to use disposable dinnerware for a party or BBQ, please skip the plastic and styrofoam. Leafware plates and bowls are a stylish and environmentally friendly alternative, made entirely from natural palm leaves.
When it comes to creating an eco-friendly shower, most of us focus on a low-flow showerhead to reduce water use. But don’t forget the shower curtain. Cheap plastic shower curtains come from petroleum by-products, and they usually end up in landfills pretty quickly since they just don’t last. And worst of all, they can seriously hurt the indoor air quality in your home by off-gassing some nasty toxins.
Homeowners love the warmth, comfort and quiet of carpeted floors. Unfortunately, traditional carpets can contain nasty chemicals like VOCs (volatile organic compounds), and their resource-intensive manufacturing process can be extremely wasteful. FLOR aims to change all that, offering high-performance flooring with an emphasis on sustainability all the way from its design to disposal.
Many people purify their drinking water, either with built-in under-sink filters or with pitchers in the refrigerator. But few homeowners think about filtering their shower water, even though contaminants can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled in steam. Luckily, a Vitamin C shower filter is extremely effective and easy to use.
A high-quality polyurethane finish is the key to preserving wood furniture and floors. Unfortunately, traditional petroleum-based products (and even many water-based finishes) contain some pretty nasty chemicals. Produced in Vermont using whey protein from the dairy industry, PolyWhey is a natural, safe, and durable alternative to these toxic finishes.
Bioshield is a wood surface finish perfect for butcher-block countertops, as well as other types of wood and bamboo surfaces. Bioshield is made from various natural wood oils, and is safe to use on food preparation surfaces.
The kitchen is the heart of a modern home, so we’ve selected some of the best environmentally friendly kitchen- and food-related gift ideas. Read on for some holiday inspiration.
Ironically, some of the products commonly used to clean a home can actually introduce some pretty nasty chemicals. But good old fashioned steam cleaning can quickly remove dirt and grime, as well as sanitize surfaces – without a single toxic chemical. The Oreck Steam-It is one of the most versatile and user-friendly options we’ve seen.
Pyrethrin, also known as Buhach (its most common brand name in the US), is a naturally occurring organic compound from a species of Chrysanthemum flower. Although it’s essentially harmless for humans & pets in normal household use, pyrethrin is a highly effective insecticide and pest repellent.
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