Art | Resources
RX4NAILS
All-natural nail and cuticle oil made with certified organic essential oils guarantees it will improve your nails so they don’t bend, tear, or break. “Rx4Nails is a proprietary blend of all natural, certified organic oils and vitamins. The base ingredient is Soybean oil, with a dollup of coconut oil.”
Ward Pumice Company
“Sustainably harvested pumice kept exactly the way nature made it….over 99% of stores’ so-called pumice is adulterated..crushed to granule and powder, then “glued” back together and injected into molds.In corporations’ quest for product uniformity and large consistent supply, pristine stone’s original abrasive quality is compromised.” Retail outlets
My Thoughts on the Presidential Election
I removed this post and all its comments after a reader brought to my attention that it was off topic for this blog. I agree, I’ve never discussed politics and I will continue that policy.
How to Get Chemicals Out Of Your Washing Machine
I’m writing this post because more often than I’d like I get questions from people who have washed clothing with chemicals in the fabrics and then are not sure if the chemicals are still in the washer. Or they wash something scented and can’t get the fragrance out.
Here’s what to do.
One day I was doing a test on a product and intentionally put perfume on a piece of clothing and then washed it in my washer. My washing machine was now scented and I couldn’t get the scent out.
What worked was a product called “washing machine cleaner”. I used the Clorox brand, but there are others. You find it in the laundry products section of a supermarket.
It’s really really really strong chlorine bleach.
But it did remove the fragrance from my washer.
The product itself is toxic, but we’re dealing with removing industrial chemicals from your washer.
Just use it once and be done with it.
Is Your Gas Stove Producing Combustion By-Products?
On my post Q&A: OK to Use Gas Stove? a reader posted a comment asking “How do you know ‘If your burners are not adjusted properly, …they will produce more combustion by-products’?”
And also since more of you have been testing your indoor air quality by signing up with HomeLab, I’ve frequently been hearing that problems are being found in the kitchen, with combustion by-products being produced by their gas stove. I even found that in my house, where my VOC readings were “in the green” until I turned on my gas stove to cook.
A properly adjusted gas burner should have a blue flame continuously around the burner, like this:
The blue color means the flame is getting enough oxygen and burning completely.
Yellow flames mean the flame is not getting enough oxygen and is not burning completely.
To fix the problem of a yellow flame yourself see http://homeguides.sfgate.com/causes-burner-flame-gas-stove-yellow-82498.html
If a flame is missing, it means that the burner is clogged and needs to be cleaned.
If you want to clean your gas jets yourself see: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/clean-gas-stove-jets-26836.html
This burner really has a problem—uneven, yellow and missing flames—and is producing a lot of combustion by-products:
It’s a good idea to get your gas stove checked by a professional every once in a while, especially if you see any of these problems. Your local energy provider may offer a free service.
Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve Company
A large selection of body care products—including soaps, face and lip care, shampoo bars, and bug repellant—made from “certified organic ingredients–herbs and flowers, vegetables and fruits, sustainable oils and butters and pure essential oils to create fresh, wholesome products that will nourish your skin and be kind to our planet.” The company is certified organic as well as the ingredients.
EarthlyThread
Bags and backpacks made from natural fibers, including hemp, nettle, cotton. Designs are “hippie.”
O1L23
I tried this oil for hair, skin and nails and it improved my hair with one drop. It’s made from three ancient oils—buckthorn, macula and baobab—each cold-pressed, wildcrafted, organic, non-GMO. Each bottle is hand blended by an organic hairdresser with over 30 years in the industry. This is very potent!
Hullo Pillow
“A simple, natural pillow designed for comfort….From the 100% organic cotton twill pillow case, to the carefully sourced and selected buckwheat hulls, Hullo pillows are made in the U.S.A. with the finest materials available.” Larger than traditional buckwheat pillows. Easy to adjust fill levels.
Mary’s Alpaca Poop
Compost tea “poop paks” made from alpaca manure “proven to be best organic fertilizer.” It’s clean, with no mess or smell, so it can be used indoors for houseplants as well as in the garden. It provides all the nutrients found in compost, including beneficial micro-organisms. Approved for organic farming by OMRI.
