Accidentally Green

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

How to Safely Dust Your Home

I’ve written about dusting a lot in the past year. In March I explained the dangers of furniture polish sprays. I also shared a recipe for a do-it-yourself furniture polish made out of lemon juice olive oil, and white vinegar. I issued a dusting challenge. And I explained how I switched over to a different way of dusting without any chemicals or sprays. In many ways, today’s just a review – but a timely one, since dusting is a typical way to prepare for a holiday party. Why should you get ... Read more

Greening Your Cleaning

Within a couple of weeks, the holiday season will be in full swing. If you’re planning on hosting parties and dinners, you’ll be cleaning your home beforehand. This year, instead of reaching for a toxic spray for a quick clean, use products that won’t hurt you, your family, and your guests. Throughout the next two weeks I’ll highlight dangerous products that are typically used, along with homemade alternatives – and I’ll share what I use in my own home. Interested in the two week ... Read more

Microwave Ovens: Are They Safe or Unsafe?

Do you know when it feels like deep down you suspect something’s wrong, but you’d rather not know it? Some of my friends comment about Accidentally Green’s posts in this way – they’d rather not know the truth, because ignorance is bliss. I’ve had a similar question about microwave ovens for the past five years. I’ve wondered if they’re safe, but haven’t wanted to do any research because they’re just so convenient. Ever since my parents got their first microwave for Christmas in 1985, I’ve ... Read more

The Quicker Sticker Picker Upper

Disclosure: I am a Norwex Independent Sales Consultant. All opinions in this post are my own. How many of you, in a rush to wash and dry your piles of laundry, forget all about stickers that are left on clothing and end up seeing something like this? Earlier this week, I was folding my family’s clean laundry when I saw it – white gunk from a big white sticker that my son had left on his shirt. In my hurry to sort laundry, I completely missed the sticker – and I was sure ... Read more

My 10-Month Fast from ‘Retail Therapy’

At the beginning of 2013, I started a personal challenge I thought would be virtually impossible: a clothing fast. Could I survive going three months without shopping for clothing for myself? Or six months? How about a year? The challenge seemed impossible, especially when the thrill of bargain shopping was one of my favorite things. While it took going cold turkey, I’m happy to say I have survived—and thrived. Since I decided to commit to just three months of the fast at a time, I was ... Read more

Natural Ways to Trap Fruit Flies

Have you ever wondered if there’s a difference between fruit flies and gnats? There is – but it’s visually difficult to see. Fruit flies are slightly larger, brownish insects that are attracted to ripening fruit. (Female fruit flies typically lay their eggs on rotting fruit and vegetables.) Gnats, on the other hand, are smaller, black insects that are attracted to moist places like bodies of water, damp sink drains, garbage cans, and moist houseplant soil. Both fruit flies and gnats are ... Read more

Make Your Own Rose Water

Delicately fragranced rose water has been used for thousands of years throughout the world in culinary circles and cosmetics. I’ve always wanted to try to make my own rose water, even though I never used it before. This fall, when I noticed the blooming cycle of my rose bushes was coming to an end, I gathered handfuls of the bright pink petals to attempt homemade rose water. The process is a simple one. (And it’s so much like my homemade basil leaf mosquito repellent!) Simply gather ... Read more

My Cosmetic Realization

Six years ago, when I filled a trashcan with all of my toxic cosmetics, I thought I would only buy safe products for the rest of my life. For a long time, I did. I tried different brands of mineral makeups – and liked them. When I occasionally went to natural food stores and needed makeup I bought different kinds. But then life became really busy, and as a mother of two I didn’t feel like adding another store onto my list of errands – and sometimes I just didn’t want to pay for shipping on ... Read more

Identifying and Avoiding the Top Toxins in Cosmetics

We’ve spent the past month looking at the good, the bad and the ugly in cosmetic ingredients. Many cosmetics are safe – yet some are downright toxic. For the most part, the hazardous cosmetic products include the same toxic ingredients. Here are the repeat offenders, along with their effects: The big 3 Parabens Parabens are dangerous because they’re known reproductive system and developmental toxins, as well as endocrine system disruptors.  Parabens also accumulate in breast tumors. ... Read more

The Reduce, Reuse & Recycle Lip Challenge

Are there any Veggie Tales fans out there? You might remember the song “Love My Lips,” where Larry sings: "If my lips ever left my mouth, packed a bag and headed south, that'd be too bad, I'd be so sad." Larry continues on with scenarios (“If my lips said ‘adios, I don't like you I think you're gross,’ that'd be too bad, I might get mad."/"If my lips moved to Duluth, left a mess and took my tooth, that'd be too bad, I'd call my Dad.") until he explains why it would be too bad: "Because I ... Read more

Choosing Between Safe and Unsafe Lip Balms

Maybe it’s just me, but lip balm has always seemed so … safe. Many varieties are colorless and flavorless. When I think of lip balms I think of therapy for dry, chapped lips. Have my preconceived notions been right or wrong? I checked the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database. The EWG ranked 702 lip balms and the majority were safe. In fact, more than half of lip balms – a total of 427 – received a low hazard rating. Out of the rest of the 273 products, 260 were ... Read more

Looking Into the Safety of Lip Gloss

I love lip gloss. One of the first “real” cosmetics I ever started using was Bonne Bell’s Lip Smackers. And while I constantly wore lipstick during my 20s, I’ve applied lip gloss all during my teen years and my 30s. So when it comes to the safety of lip gloss, I’m curious. IS it safe? Since it doesn’t have the same look or feel as lipstick, could as many toxins be included? To find out, I had to check the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. The EWG rated ... Read more

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