Grandma’s Laundry - Small Retro Steps for Clean Clothes

My passion for eco-friendly laundry happened by accident. I am allergic to...well it is easier to say what does not give me hives. Years ago I had a battle of the dirty clothes, laundry detergents and dryer sheets were constantly giving me hives no matter which brand I used. I became so frustrated that I abandoned laundry soaps all together for a while and washed my clothes with baking soda. That got rid of the hives but did not leave my clothes with that yummy clean smell and it was not enough for messes that a baby could throw my way. Here is how I clean my clothes using products that leave me hive free, smelling great and with zero residue.

Washing

For laundry soap I love Biokleen products. They are so concentrated that you only need a tablespoon of soap for an entire wash cycle. For baby messes I add a scoop of baking soda and run the water on a medium temperature. I have also recently discovered a brand called Nellie’s which sell soap in small squares that last for a few loads. I am still on the fence about that product because I finally found something that does not flare up my allergies but I thought it was worth mentioning because it is the brand that I use for my dryer balls.

White Without Bleach

Bleach, just say no. Bad, bad, bad...get rid of it. There are natural ways to bleach your clothes and clean your home. The combination of baking soda and vinegar naturally whitens and hydrogen peroxide will also work. For washing machines just use your soap as normal but add some baking soda then pour a little vinegar into the bleach drop off for your washer. You can also whiten your clothes by line drying, for more on that see below.

Machine Drying

In the past I used Method dryer sheets because they were closer to nature and did not make me itchy. When I was visiting Eco Carmel a few weeks ago I found Nellie’s Dryerballs. I had heard of dryer balls before but never took the time to research why they are used. These stood out from others I had seen before because they came with lavender oil fragrance sticks which are placed inside one of the balls to give that yummy laundry smell. Here are some reasons to switch to dryerballs. 1) They are reusable which means they are better for our planet then dryer sheets. 2) They reduce the needed drying time saving you money and resources. 3) They naturally soften fabrics. 4) They reduce lint and wrinkles - this was a BIG selling point for me. I really hate wrinkled clothing and sheets but I rarely have time to iron! 5) They last about 5 years and each fragrance stick will last for 10 loads.

Line Drying

The best way for you to dry your clothes is line drying, it is easier on the wallet, leaves your clothes smelling great and naturally takes out stains. The down side is waiting for the sun! For me living in a foggy coastal beach town does not allow for outside line drying. For those of you in a similar location there is a solution. For indoor drying you will need to buy a laundry rack, these usually are more vertical then horizontal and work well for laundry rooms. The only downside is having enough space and heavy fabrics take forever to dry. The upside, other then saving money, is your clothes will last longer and colors will stay brighter.

Small Steps, Big Results

You do not have to have a complete laundry overhaul, small steps have a large impact. You could change just your laundry detergent or add dryer balls or line dry just a few items. You will be surprised how much money these simple steps will save and if you are full of allergies like me you will be hive free!


Online Resources
Biokleen: http://biokleenhome.com/
Nellie’s: http://www.nelliesallnatural.com/
How to use dryer balls: http://www.ehow.com/how_2123231_use-dryer-balls.html

Healthy Organic Baking

Okay, guilty as charged. I often disguise healthy ingredients in my baking. But when you have finicky eaters at home you have to be creative! Here are some of my favorite ways to bake in a healthy and organic way.

Ditch the Veggie Oil

Heavily processed and little to no nutritional value. Swap it out for a healthy oil or ditch it all together. My favorite healthy oil is coconut. It give so much flavor to pancakes, brownies and cakes. Here is why coconut oil is healthy,
“The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc.” - organicfacts.net
I also love to use it in Asian dishes I create at home like stir fry or pot stickers. It usually comes in jars and in a solid form, heat will make it liquid. I like to use raw coconut oil, the closer you are to nature the more health benefits you receive. I also love olive oil. It has the good kind of fat that our bodies need, however, not so tasty in most baking situations...yep, I tried it more then once! Let’s just say that you learn from my mistake and leave the olive oil to other dishes.
The other option is to ditch oil in recipes all together and substitute another food. Applesauce works well for this option but only in cakes. I have tried to do this with cookies, it created a very weird consistency! My other favorite substitute is yogurt. This works well for brownies and pancakes.

Add a Ingredient...or Two

You can easily hide zucchini and carrots in your baking. I know it sounds weird but I have put zucchini into brownies, told no one, and everyone happily eats them! Just make sure to peel the skin off, once your child finds a piece of green in her brownie she will not eat them again! Carrots are harder to hide because of their color. I like to puree them and add to baked goods that already have color like gingerbread. The great thing about carrots is their sweetness, if you add this wonderful veggie you can cut your sugar amount.

Choose a Healthy Flour

Not all baking flours are the same. In fact, years ago the government mandated that vitamins and folic acid be added to white flour because it had little to no nutritional value and people were becoming sick. If you see the words “enriched” or “fortified” that means that the flour was not good enough to begin with. Here are some facts,
“The truth is, so many of the good things that were originally in it have been stripped out through refinement that they HAD to add a little something back in. Now here’s the really scary part. What they are adding back into your flour is actually toxic!
Iron is one of the “nutrients” added back into enriched flour, except that the type of iron that is added in is not really a nutrient at all, but is considered a metallic iron. Metallic iron is obviously not available for use by the body, and was never meant to be consumed in the first place.
Enriched flour is absorbed by the body not as wheat or a grain, in which case your body could use the energy slowly and effectively, but as a starch. That is because the wheat germ has been stripped from the flour; the FDA specifically states that enriched flour cannot have greater than 5 percent wheat germ.” - globalhealingcenter.com
    My favorite baking flours are oat, quinoa, and coconut. I am always on the look out for new flours to play with. Here is the trick with alternative flours, I have noticed that they soak up more of the liquid then normal flour leaving the pastry on the dry side. To combat this problem I add a little extra of the liquid or I mix flours, 1/2 oat, 1/4 quinoa and 1/4 whole wheat. The other word of caution is with quinoa flour, if you only use this flour it leaves an “earthy” taste to the food. I suggest mixing this flour.

Trade Sugars

Granulated sugar is not healthy, the whiteness in the sugar is not natural and should make you cautious. Opt for cane sugar, it has a slight brown color and the sugar granules are bigger then white sugar. You can also substitute other sugars like honey or coconut sugar (are you noticing that I am in love with coconut?) Applesauce and pureed carrots can also be used to sweeten.

Wrap it up

So here it is, simple tips to make your pancakes, brownies, muffins and cupcakes a little more guilt-free. Let’s face it, life it too short to live with out these lovely pastries but making them contain some nutritional value is helpful to the whole family. If you want help with a certain recipe paste it in the comment box and I will help you out!

Web Resources
http://www.organicfacts.net
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com

Favorite Brands
Bob’s Red Mill flours - http://www.bobsredmill.com/
International Harvest Coconut Oil - http://internationalharvest.com
International Harves’s Lanka Sun Coconut Sugar - http://internationalharvest.com/products/lanka-sun

Coffee - Friend or Foe?

My one true vice, coffee. I have at least one cup a day and not much you or anyone else can say about it will stop that habit. Just so you know, this post is PRO coffee but I will talk about how to be a wise consumer when it comes to this black liquid gold.

The Battle of Corporate Coffee

I know many people out there, especially where I live are anti corporate coffee. I sit on the fence. Years ago in my undergraduate work I had a part-time job at Starbucks. After working for this company I have to say that when it comes to large corporations they do it right. They treated me fairly, provided health insurance (and with only working part time) and were flexible around my school schedule. Looking back I can also say that it was a fun job, we laughed a lot and connected with our customers. We were like a small village in the middle of the huge Orange County. So those are the positives.
Here are the negatives about large companies like Starbucks (but not Starbucks specifically, there are others too). They buy very large quantities of pesticide grown coffees from overseas. Although Starbucks has a commitment to fair trade practices you can be assured that not every company does and there might be some seedy practices going on. Coffee is in the top most pesticide laden crop, right before cotton. Bad for earth, bad for your health and bad for baby’s health while you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Why green your entire life but continue to drink pesticides? So it is for this very simple fact that I try not to stop at Starbucks too often, they rarely have organic coffee choices and since 2007 they have not had organic milk.
It is easy to go organic with your coffee, almost every brand has an organic version. I have one of those fabulous Kuerig single serve machines, who is lovingly named Mo (as in mo’ coffee please!) even my machine has organic pod options.

Pros and Cons

Okay, so you go organic and fair trade on your coffee now here are the health positives and negatives about coffee consumption. Studies I have read over the years talk about how coffee jump starts your metabolism and keeps you regular. The common argument against coffee (especially for pregnant and nursing women) is connected to the caffeine. According to my resources they say that caffeine is okay in moderation and that its consumption did not show effects in fertility or pregnancy until levels reached 3-4 cups a day. Studies that have claimed there is a connection between pregnancy miscarriage or infertility due to caffeine consumption were showing a correlation not a causation. Here are the positives that The Fertility Diet says about coffee,
    “It is brimming with antioxidants and other biologically active substances, including caffeine. Several long-term studies have shown that coffee drinkers are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, gallstones and kidney stones, and possibly colon cancer.” - The Fertility Diet
Here are the negatives, “The main downsides of coffee drinking are caffeine addiction and the fats and calories that come with the sugar, cream, whipped cream, caramel and other toppings and flavorings now put in and on coffee.” - The Fertility Diet
So here is the deal with coffee, just like any food we indulge in do it in moderation. A cup of black coffee or coffee with milk in the morning will not hurt you, in fact it will help you. However, those ice blended monstrosities are not going to help you, those only hurt you! So in conclusion, here is my tribute to coffee. Dispelling all bad rumors and highlighting the good points. To a drink I love, thank you for loving me back.

Book Resources
Organic Baby, Simple Steps for Healthy Living by Kimberly Rider
The Fertility Diet by Jorge Chavarro MD, ScD and Walter Willett MD, DrPH

Items That Make Life Easier

My wonderful Psychologist husband tells me that if you think you have OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) then you don’t. However, if I could pick an area that I fall into an OCD panic about it would be researching and choosing all the baby products we need. I divided this blog into several parts because it would be ridiculously long if it remained in one piece. Here is how I broke it down,
Part 1 - Baby out on the town
Part 2 - Chemical free sleep
Part 3 - Why organic clothes?
Part 4 - Items that make life easier
Keep an eye out for the other sections, here is Part 4.

Items that make life easier

Years of being a nanny for children of all ages taught me basic survival skills. There are some little extras that we sit on the fence wondering if it is worth spending more money. Here are some of my eco-friendly favorites that are time tested and worth the extra cash.

Binky Leash

I cannot tell you how many pacifiers I have chased after as they roll away from me. They always seem to be everywhere that you are not, I move the couch and there’s a binky, I clean out the car and under the seat is a binky, I am searching in my purse for mints and there is a binky. The other common scenario is you are with baby who is ill-tempered for what ever reason, you give them the binky only to have it thrown and now you have a dirty binky. Depending on your experience with children you may choose to hide the binky and search for a clean one or brush off the dirt, wash it off with water from your drinking bottle and hand it back to her. To save myself from this seemingly never ending battle of the binky I began to make and carry with me at all times the binky leash. They come in different forms but the idea is always the same, one end attaches to baby and the other end to the pacifier. With binky leashes it is worth spending a little extra to get one that is organic. If you are going through all the trouble of greening your food, home and clothes then the last thing you will want is baby sucking on the chemical filled and toxic binky leash. Also, buy one that is machine washable...trust me!

Dropper Stopper

A while ago I came across a wonderful invention called a Dropper Stopper. It is the same idea as the binky leash but it is for bottles and toys and it is mainly used with a stroller or car seat. I tried to make similar items before but this was was different. The end that attaches to the bottle or toy had a mesh fabric on the inside making it slip resistant even with a bottle covered in condensation. Since we went with the very healthy glass bottles these leashes are a must have. It saves you from the “Ah Oh” game!

Baby Legs - Leg Warmers

Remember those awesome leg warmers we all wore in the 80’s and early 90’s? Well they are out of the ballet studio and back in a very cool way. Baby Legs makes these amazing and adorable baby leg warmers which are helpful in more ways then fashion. These are great when you have baby in the carrier because they do not bunch up and leave part of baby’s leg exposed. They are also helpful when your outfit for the day is destroyed, you can pull out a pair of these and baby still looks cute. I like to use them in the winter or on rainy days as a type of layering. They come in all types of patterns and colors. Why choose Baby Legs over a different brand? They do not get those annoying fabric balls, they stay up on baby’s leg and they offer many organic options.

Wet Wipes

Not the most earth friendly invention but so helpful. To make these more green for health and for earth pick certain brands. If you think about it, you only use toilet paper when you use the restroom so why are you putting wet chemicals on your baby? The problem with wet wipes, other then the environmental impact are chemicals and toxins again invading your baby’s system. Your baby does not need anything anti-bacterial or fragranced. In fact, wet wipes could be causing your baby’s rash.
    According to greenyour.com, “Conventional wipes may also contain synthetic     fragrances as well as parabens, known endocrine disrupters that are not only detrimental to human health, but also destructive to animal hormones and development. Fragrances are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which add to air pollution, are persistent in the environment, and contaminate waterways and aquatic wildlife. An estimated 5.72 million Americans have skin allergies to fragrance, while around 72 percent of those suffering from asthma claim that their condition can be triggered by synthetic fragrance.”
Taking all this into account the facts are, they make life easier and they make baby’s bottom smell better.  So here is a compromise, skip the normal wipes and opt for brands like Seventh Generation who use only healthy ingredients. Once you get a wet wipe that is free of toxins you can wipe the food off of baby’s face and clean up the spittle on your shirt with a clean green conscious.

Wet Bags

If you are part of the cloth diapering brigade then you already know the importance of wet bags but for everyone else, here are some other uses. Wet bags are made of water resistant (no plastic please) fabric and are great when baby spills liquid down her shirt and now you have to do a wardrobe change. They are also great for those times when one diaper was just not enough to hold everything. Try to find wet bags that are water resistant but machine washable, if you buy these you can throw the whole bag in the washing machine so you do not have to unearth the mess. Kushies brand makes fun designs that are PVC, BPA, Lead and Phtalate free.

Snack Sized To Go Boxes

Plastic bags, they are everywhere. In high school I noticed that my sandwich would smell and taste like the zip bag it was housed in, especially on hot days. Even then before I knew about chemicals I knew that was gross and switched to wax bags. Years later we know what the culprit was for that smell and taste. Not all plastics are counted equal and not all of them are bad news. In fact, for a mommy on the go plastic is helpful.     

       Here are the good plastics from ehow.com “#1 -- Used for soda and water bottles. It is meant for one-time use, so don't refill these bottles. #2 -- Milk bottles. This type of bottle is safe. #4 -- Squeezable bottles. This type of plastic is safe. #5 -- Food containers such as yogurt, butter and other condiments. This plastic is safe. #7 -- Unbreakable water bottles. This plastic has been known to leach Bishpenol A (BPA) and should be avoided.”
Honestly, I can never remember which are good and which are bad so I stick with brands I trust or forgo the plastic all together. To avoid plastic bags switch to wax bags but make sure you do not get paraffin wax bags, that is still an evil chemical. You can also purchase plastic alternatives, thankfully this is a growing market and they are increasingly easier to find. I love the glass water bottles from Life Factory, they also make baby bottles. They have a cute but functional design and the glass is wrapped in a silicone sleeve to prevent cracks and breaks. The other must have are bento boxes from Laptop Lunches. They are the good kind of plastic, rarely leak and come in fun colors. I love these for packing baby snacks like raisins or crackers.

Web Resources
http://www.etsy.com/listing/70502934/organic-binky-leash-help-us-adopt
http://dropperstopper.com/
http://www.babylegs.com/
http://www.greenyour.com/lifestyle/baby/diapers/tips/choose-eco-friendly-baby-wipes
How to Identify Good & Bad Plastic Bottles | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com  /how_5004337_identify-good-bad-plastic-bottles.html#ixzz1HLl9obrH
http://www.lifefactory.com
http://www.laptoplunches.com/
http://www.babyearth.com/kushies-on-the-go-large-wet-bags-2-pack.html

Why Organic Clothes?

My wonderful Psychologist husband tells me that if you think you have OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) then you don’t. However, if I could pick an area that I fall into an OCD panic about it would be researching and choosing all the baby products we need. I divided this blog into several parts because it would be ridiculously long if it remained in one piece. Here is how I broke it down,
Part 1 - Baby out on the town
Part 2 - Chemical free sleep
Part 3 - Why organic clothes?
Part 4 - Items that make life easier
Keep an eye out for the other sections, here is Part 3.

Why Organic Clothes?

You may be thinking, the baby wont eat the clothes so why pay more for organic? I know the trials of choosing which items to pay more for when you are shopping for baby. As I have stated in my other blogs I am a bargain shopper and love a good deal. However, when it comes to the cloth your baby sleeps on or wears I ask you to consider not cutting corners. Organic clothes are not only important to the environment but also to baby, here is why.

The Farmer Wins Too

The farming of organic cotton promotes healthy soil. In addition, although the farmer may take a hit initially he will make more money in a few years if he continues to farm organically. The abandonment of the pesticides will help the surrounding communities to have better air and ground water. Better for the planet!

If Baby Wears it, She will Eat it!

Just because baby is wearing the hat does not mean it wont eventually go in her mouth! According to Green Babies, Sage Moms by Linda Fassa, pesticides are found in baby poo so even if you are nursing your baby and eating organically she can still be effected from pesticides. The effects of these pesticides are still being researched but constant exposure have been linked to allergies, ADD and autism. An added bonus is organic clothing usually is naturally dyed (like veggie or mineral dyes) which are good enough to eat. This means you can let baby teeth on it, wash with it, or sleep on it with out worrying about her ingesting harmful chemicals, synthetic dyes, or plastic based cloth.

The Dirty Truth About Cotton

Here are the facts, “White fluffy cotton may look like the height of purity, yet conventional cotton is anything but. Cotton is the 2nd most pesticide-laden crop on the market, right after coffee and before tobacco. Worse, the pesticides used on cotton crops are some of the most hazardous around. 5 of the top 9 pesticides applied to cotton crops in the US - cyanide, dicofol, naled, propargite, and trifluralin - are classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as Category I and II, the most dangerous. All are known to cause cancer.” - Organic Baby, Simple Steps for Healthy Living by Kimberly Rider
    Organic clothing has fewer chemicals on it when you buy it from the store. If you pick up a cotton shirt right out of the package and it has a soft, slippery feel that feeling is from chemicals used to soften the fabric and make it flame retardant.  These chemicals usually include petroleum products, stain retardants, ammonia, bleach and formaldehyde. Sometimes organic fabric feels less soft then non-organic but the nature of cotton is it wears in to be soft. Remember how mom told you to wash your new clothes before you wear them? She was right, if you knew how many chemicals, people or animals (YUK!) touched your clothes before you took it home you would think twice before washing it just once! 

Wash After Wash it Wears Better

I have noticed that organic clothing is better made and lasts longer. This is just my observation. My organic clothing washes better and keeps from getting those annoying little fabric balls. The exception to this rule is bamboo. I have noticed that jersey knit fabric made from bamboo will get those fabric balls, it is best to stick with a bamboo blend if you are buying jersey knit.

So What is a Green Guru To Do?

Okay, so I know you will make the argument that children grow too fast to spend too much money on clothing and you are right. So here is what I suggest, buy items that are stretchy so they can be worn for a long time. If you look at my Etsy store I make little apron dresses that can be worn as dresses and then as tops making them last for at least 6-9 months. Look for items that have long torsos, are made from stretchy fabrics like jersey knits and have either drawstrings or elastic. These are rules I follow when I create my clothes and it helps well made items to be worn for longer periods of time. Below I outline my favorite wallet saving shops and brands.
      You can also start a healthy mommy borrowing group. This works well for those of you who are blessed to get pregnant for maternity clothes. To start a group you can look at your church or temple or here locally we have a good network of women at Parent’s Place. In this group you can swap gently used clothes of one size for another box of the size you need. Boxes of clothes get passed from one family to another and it all works out even in the end.

Wallet Friendly Organic Clothes

Etsy. There are several amazing women who hand crochet or knit adorable little organic sweaters and sell them at reasonable price points ($25-50). I buy ones that wrap or tie so they can be worn for long periods of time. Here locally I love to shop at Sprout Boutique in Pacific Grove, the ladies there are amazing women and mommies. They support local artists and carry many organic or eco-friendly options. Lastly, online shops. I do not know what I did before Zulily. The idea is like Marshals or Ross, they sell the bulk left over from companies at a discount (usually 40% off). They often have one organic option each day. The only down side is the items take forever to get to you, I sometimes wonder if my package is being delivered by carrier pigeon! Just something to keep in mind, if you are buying an outfit for an event make sure you have at least 2 weeks if you are buying it on Zulily. I provided links to all these wonderful resources for you below.

Book Resources
Green Babies, Sage Moms by Linda Fassa
Ecoholic by Adria Vasil
Healthy Child Healthy World by Christopher Gavigan
Organic Baby, Simple Steps for Healthy Living by Kimberly Rider

Web Resources
http://www.fellinibaby.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/HappyHomemakerMe
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Anyasgreenbaby
http://www.sproutbabyboutique.com/
http://www.zulily.com/invite/aheidenberg399

A Clean Green Home

For a person like me who obsesses over a clean home it was difficult to rip the Windex, 409 and Bleach from my gloved hands. I will even admit to vacuuming the floor, cleaning the canister out and vacuuming again to see how much I had missed. Although the transition was difficult at first I have found green cleaning not only healthier for my family but cost effective.

Basic Cleaning

For a green switch to cleaning all you need is baking soda, vinegar, lemons and essential oils. I buy baking soda and vinegar in ridiculously large packages from Costco. I have a glass bowl and scrub brush designated just for the purpose of cleaning. Into the bowl goes the baking soda, next pour some vinegar and watch the fun volcanic eruption of foam (be warned that this foam will be about twice the height of baking soda). Don’t worry about the smell of the vinegar, it will disappear after a few minutes and will not leave your bathroom smelling of a tossed salad. To create a better smell you can add lemon or essential oils to the baking soda. I like tea tree oil because of it’s antiseptic qualities, eucalyptus has a nice fresh smell and lavender smells pretty and calming. That mixture will work for kitchen, bathroom, floors and even laundry (see more on that below). For specific cleaning I do purchase certain products. The very fashionable 60s hot pink tile in my shower loves to hide mildew and in a beach town the battle never, ever, ends! To combat this problem I needed something that was easy to use everyday so I turned to the Method brand's tub and tile cleaner. It is as safe as you can get with out having to break out the scrub brush. If we do a deep clean every few weeks all I have to do is spray down the tile after a shower every few days. A side note, make sure you buy biodegradable spounges so we do not add to landfills in our green cleaning process! There are natural sponges that work just as well as their evil counterparts. Old rags work wonderfully instead of paper towels.

Carpet

I hate carpet! It traps allergens, tracks the outside inside and gives dust mites a place to hide. Other then a warm floor in the morning when I get out of bed I have no positives to this invention. Sadly, our house is fully carpeted so I had to learn to call a truce. Baking soda and vinegar will also work for carpet stains such as coffee, red wine, oil and grease. Just scrub the mixture into the carpet and rinse with water, after it dries vacuum a few times over the spot going in different directions. To get rid of carpet smells dust baking soda on the carpet, leave for a few seconds and vacuum. If your carpet is a darker color make sure you wash out the baking soda and vinegar or it may fade your colors. You can use this same combination in your carpet cleaning machines instead of the chemical filled cleaners at the store.

Laundry

For laundry I like the Biokleen product, you only need a tablespoon measurement for a full load, for really soiled clothes such as diapers I add a little baking soda. To get that yummy out of the dryer smell I use Method dryer sheets which use only essential oils. For whites add some vinegar into the bleach deposit in your washer, but don’t do that for colors because it does act like bleach and will fade your clothes. Clean clothes that are cost effective, earth friendly and clean!

Dishes

For spot-free clean dishes I like Mrs. Myers products. For heavy grease you can use...YEP, baking soda and vinegar! Make sure to skip the lemons or anything with citrus for dishes, it can break down the metal on your silverware. I fill one side of my sink with about two inches of warm water, 1/2 cup of baking soda and a splash of vinegar. The nice part about using vinegar is it makes all of your glass spot free and shiny. For those of you with dish washers other then your hands there are excellent products from Seventh Generation and please only wash full loads!

Resources

For more information on cleaning green for a happy baby home check out my favorites, no new mom should be with out these books!
Green Babies, Sage Moms by Linda Fassa
Ecoholic by Adria Vasil
Healthy Child Healthy World by Christopher Gavigan