Accidentally Green

Making Healthy Decisions That Honor God and Happen to Help the Environment

Safe and Creative Gift Ideas for Children

Wondering what kinds of gifts you should get children this year? The most important kind of gift to buy is a safe one. For help in determining what’s safe, check out my two posts: How to Choose Safe Toys this Holiday Season, and How to Choose Safe Toys. Once you know what toys are safe for children, get some unique ideas in my post, Creative Christmas Gifts for Children. What are some creative gift ideas you have for children? ... Read more

Creating a Greener Christmas

Just as there are many shades of the color green, there are also many shades of green living. As you get ready for Christmas, there are plenty of shades of green preparations. You might choose a very light shade of green and only switch to LED Christmas tree lights – or cloth napkins at your Christmas table. Or, you may go all out in a deep, vibrant green shade and only buy consumable gifts in reusable wrapping – while using decorations that have been passed down through the generations or ... Read more

6 Simple Ways to Ease Holiday Stress

Feeling a little overwhelmed by your December plans? As I shared yesterday, unnecessary expectations of Christmas celebrations can add a lot of stress – even when you try to avoid it. Ever since my show choir days two decades ago when multiple Christmas performances were crammed into each December school day, I’ve been dealing with the stress that comes during the Advent season. (How strange, when the season of expectation should bring peace and joy.) I’ve acquired a variety of ways that I ... Read more

Avoiding Christmas-Induced Panic Attacks

Christmas shouldn’t be stress-inducing. At the heart of the holiday, we’re celebrating the birth of Christ. Yes, Mary and Joseph experienced a lot of stress before and after the birth of Jesus. (Do you think their family and friends believed in a virgin birth? What about the arduous journey to Bethlehem, only to discover there was no comfortable lodging available? How about fleeing to Egypt when Herod went on a killing spree?) But we’re celebrating our Savior and his humble birth. Making ... Read more

How to Safely Clean Floors

If you’re getting ready to host a holiday event, floors will be part of your cleaning plans – both before and after your party. Vacuuming and mopping may be part of your pre-party prep – and vacuuming, mopping, and stain removal will most likely be part of your post-party clean-up. Commercial options Have you ever stopped to consider that commercial mopping and stain removal products may not be very healthy? When the Environmental Working Group evaluated 62 hard floor cleaners, 29 ... Read more

How to Safely Clean Your Kitchen Sink

Are their any fans of Flylady out there? Years ago when I was a newlywed, I tried to organize my life and clean my home with the help of Flylady. Flylady’s first baby step is to shine your sink. I remember following her step-by-step sink shining instructions for the first time – and I was such a new homemaker that I was surprised that I actually needed to clean my sink. All sinks do need to be cleaned. But because I want to keep all chemical cleaning products out of my home, I can’t follow ... Read more

How to Safely Clean Your Oven

Did you know that oven cleaners are some of the most dangerous cleaning products on the market? Take, for example, Easy-Off Fume Free Oven Cleaner. Cleaning without fumes is a good thing, right? Yes, cleaning without fumes is a good thing. But NOT when you’re dealing with a toxic product. In their Guide to Healthy Cleaning, the Environmental Working Group gave Easy-Off Fume Free Oven Cleaner an F because it contains: Ethanolamine, a chemical that irritates allergies and damages skin. ... Read more

How to Safely Clean Microwave Ovens

Yesterday  I shared how I tend to forget to regularly clean the hidden areas of my kitchen – mainly inside my refrigerator, freezer and microwave. Years ago, I hated cleaning inside my microwave because plain old water and a dishrag didn’t do the job. So I tried all-purpose sprays and paper towels, but I ended up using at least five paper towels and a lot of spray. The sprays didn’t smell good – even Nature’s Source Natural All-Purpose Cleaner. A year ago I was happy buy it at a great ... Read more

How to Safely Clean Your Refrigerator

In my hurry to prepare for company, I usually completely forget to clean one part of my kitchen – my refrigerator. And inevitably, my company brings something that needs refrigerated or frozen, opens the door to my fridge and bam! I’m busted. My messiness is outed. (The same thing typically happens with my coat closet.) While I usually focus on cleaning wherever I can see, I forget to clean those areas in my kitchen I don’t see so often – my fridge, freezer, and microwave. As long as I ... Read more

How to Safely Clean Bathrooms

  Did you know that bathroom cleaners are some of the most toxic cleaning products on the market? They’re so harsh to kill organisms – yet when used in bathrooms that typically have poor ventilation, the fumes can be quite overpowering. Let’s take a quick look at Soft Scrub Total – it foams, sprays, and can work upside down. Yet it received a C in the Environmental Working Group’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning. Soft Scrub Total includes fragrance that irritates skin and allergies, and ... Read more

How to Safely Clean Hard Surfaces

All-purpose cleaners are so handy, aren’t they? Just spritz a little bit of spray, wipe with a paper towel, and your hard surfaces are disinfected. But at what cost? Sure, 32 ounces of an antibacterial all-purpose cleaner only cost $2.98. But what is the cost to your health? I checked out the Environmental Working Group’s rating of Fantastik Heavy Duty All-Purpose Cleaner. My husband used to use it liberally on our kitchen counters. It received a rating of F because of: Alkyl Dimethyl ... Read more

How to Safely Wash Your Windows

Ah, cleaning windows. I’ve spent hours throughout my life trying to get windows clean – washing off dog slobber, kids’ fingerprints and trying to remove the foggy, streaky haze left by so many chemical varieties of glass cleaners. Like most cleaning chores, it seems like washing windows is a task that never ends. After trying many commercial products, I realized I just didn’t like them. They didn’t clean windows effectively and their scent and spray left me sneezing. It’s no wonder. I ... Read more

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