Accidentally Green

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

3 Ways to Find Safe and Simple Cleaning Products

Unless you’re new to Accidentally Green, you know that most cleaning products on the market contain hazardous ingredients. U.S. manufacturers still aren’t required to list all ingredients in their cleaning products – so they don’t. And U.S. marketers still can claim any product is natural – even if and when it’s false advertising. With all of the deception and toxicity that come with cleaning products, how can you make sure your cleaning routines are safe – and simple? 1. If you ... Read more

How to Reuse Lemon Rinds

If you're a fan of lemons, chances are you like to use almost every part of a lemon - except, maybe, the seeds. I love to bake cakes, pies, cookies, bars and breads with lemons, especially in the springtime. Lemons also are great to add when roasting whole chickens. I flavor my drinking water with fresh lemons. If I'm in a springy - or squeezy - kind of mood, I make my own lemonade. Get ready, though, because you need to squeeze a LOT of lemons for a pitcher full of lemonade. (I used ... Read more

If You Watched Me Clean My Sinks

When cleaning bathrooms and kitchens, sinks are essential areas to clean. My bathroom sink typically shows traces of dried toothpaste or tiny nubs of facial hair after my husband shaves each morning. And even though I wash my dishes in our kitchen sink, the sink always attracts splashes of coffee or saucy food. So how do I clean my sinks? In my bathroom, I wipe our sink down with a damp Norwex EnviroCloth. Easy peasy, and completely free of cleaning sprays (chemical or ... Read more

Safe and Simple Ways to Unclog Drains

Clogged drains can be such a pain. As my long, stray hairs accumulate in my bathroom drains each day, I know all too well about the need to unclog drains. Commercial drain cleaners are just plain nasty, though. You know … the kinds that advertise that they’re as effective as a plumber? The vast majority of these products contain sodium hypochlorite and surfactants – both damages skin, irritate allergies, and are toxic to aquatic life. Since these chemicals go right down your drain and ... Read more

9 Ways to Repurpose Pantyhose

Wondering how you can reuse the old pantyhose stuffed in your dresser drawer? Back in my middle school days, I thought that I was oh so old because I could start wearing pantyhose. What seemed like a treat at the time quickly became more of a burden as I realized how much better it felt to have bare legs when wearing dresses and skirts. Because it’s been years since I’ve worked in the corporate world where I needed to wear pantyhose, I don’t wear it unless I’m going to a funeral, formal ... Read more

Safe and Simple Rainy Day Ideas for Kids

During spring and summer, rainy days can put a big damper on kids’ fun. If you’re looking for safe, simple and cheap solutions, check out these ideas from Accidentally Green: Make your own homemade finger paint,   Recycle your old toys,   Head to the library,   Make your own greeting cards for friends and family, Create crafty collages out of old magazine clippings, or   Have a spa day with girls and make your own sugar scrubs. (For other great, basic scrub ... Read more

Fabric Softener Alternatives {Safe and Simple Monday}

While I was growing up, fabric softener was a normal part of laundry. All of my clothes had double scents – the faux fragrances of scented laundry detergent and scented fabric softener. I even had a Snuggle Bear stuffed toy. I thought that fabric softener was a necessity when I first was on my own and establishing a new home. So I faithfully used it – until one day I stopped. I’m not sure if I simply forgot to add it to my grocery list or was trying to save money by reducing unnecessary ... Read more

Greening Your Laundry Routine? Try These 12 Tips

Greening your laundry routine isn’t difficult – but I’ve found that it can take a lot of trial and error. Here are a dozen Accidentally Green posts to help you on your way: Finding Safe Laundry Products The Reduce, Reuse & Recycle Laundry Challenge A Laundry List of Problems and Solutions Discovering a Natural and Safe Laundry Detergent What in the World is a Soap Nut? You’ll Never Guess Why I Can’t Use Fels-Naptha Soap   My Huge Homemade Detergent ... Read more

How I Wash and Dry My Laundry

If there’s been one area of my housekeeping that keeps fluctuating over the past decade, it’s my laundry routine: For four years, I faithfully used a scented variety of Tide – but no fabric softeners. For two years, once I was ready to welcome my first child into the world, I switched to fragrance-free, dye-free detergent. I bought whatever was on sale, so I bought everything from Tide to Era to Purex. I still didn’t use fabric softeners. For another two years I made my own ... Read more

Safe, Natural Alternatives to Bleach {Safe and Simple Monday}

In 1913, America’s first bleach factory – the Electro-Alkaline Company – was founded. The company began manufacturing its industrial-strength bleach in 1914 and named its product Clorox. [Source] Three years later, Clorox started becoming a part of American households after it was marketed to consumers at the California State Fair. Bleach does sanitize and disinfect. It purifies water and removes odors. But it’s corrosive. It burns skin and damages the esophagus and respiratory, eyes, and ... Read more

My Top 2 Tips for Going Green

If you haven’t lived with any inclination of a green life – and I’ve been there – how in the world do you begin making greener choices? Since I made a major turn-around in my own life, I know it’s possible. It’s not even very difficult. And it can be fun. If you’re just getting started, here are my Top 2 tips: 1. Know why you’re going green. Please don’t go green just because it’s a fad and you feel a bunch of peer pressure. While you might begin to make some beneficial changes with this ... Read more

Facing My Own Green Stereotypes

Before I started turning green, I admit that I had a very narrow stereotype formed about environmentally-conscious individuals. In general, I believed they: Wore Birkenstocks (with socks in the fall and winter and bare feet in the spring and summer). Had long, straight, greasy-looking hair. Were politically, religiously, philosophically and socially liberal. Were typically vegetarians – and grew the majority of their own food. Cared more about saving the earth than people. Recycled ... Read more

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