4/20/14

Can you imagine a tree that grows soap? In Asia, a species of the lychee family grows nuts that people have been using to make soap for centuries. The soap nuts contain a natural ingredient called saponin, which is a natural surfactant that suds up and can remove dirt, grime and odor from clothes. Online sites like abesmarket.com sells soap nuts that you can use for laundry. Simply place a handful of the dried soap nuts into a sachet and toss it into the washing machine. It will make the water sudsy and get your clothes sparkling clean. After 10 uses, simply toss the nuts into the compost bin, and they'll completely biodegrade.

4/19/14

Dust in your home is more than just unsightly -- it can also be toxic. According to the Environmental Working Group, products like furniture, electronics, shoes, plastics, fabrics and even food can shed chemicals, and many are flame retardants, or PBDEs. Even in minute doses, these chemicals have been found to affect a child's development, including impacting their reproductive systems and endangering their motor skills, learning, memory and hearing. When dust builds up around the house, PBDE-laden dust bunnies can get into kids' system easily. To remove toxic dust, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter, wipe surfaces with an absorbent microfiber towel and use good filters for your heating and cooling system.

4/18/14

If you're looking for a new case to protect your smartphone, like the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, consider going green with your purchase. Innovez Products designs modern looking covers for phones that have the look and feel of plastic, but are actually made from a biodegradable material called EcoPure. It's a 100 percent organic material that is fully biodegradable, even under landfill conditions. Given the fact that plastic phone covers are hard to recycle and not biodegradable, going this extra step to use bioresin "plastics" is a step in the right direction. Find these covers at innovezproducts.com.