Our family will be selecting some of these fun ideas to help support our earth this Earth Day! These are all pretty simple, not terribly time consuming, and lots are even a GREAT bonding time!
- Plant some trees
- Stop using plastic straws
- Vow to stop buying plastic single use water bottles
- Bring your own bags to grocery stores
- Shop at your local farmer’s market!
- Use natural cleaning alternatives – like your Norwex products 😀
- Pick up trash at your local park
- Start a backyard garden; it doesn’t have to be big!
- Reuse materials, toilet paper rolls for crafts, cardboard boxes for moving, so many options.
- Recycle materials
- Cut down water use in your home
- Choose and ice cream cone instead of an ice cream cup!
- Buy energy efficient light bulbs
Just think, if we could all put a few of these into action how big of an impact it would make! I’d love to hear what you and your family are doing to give back for Earth Day!
I wanted to share with you guys about some of the Norwex products that I don’t talk about too often. I share so much about the EnviroCloth, mop system, Envirowand, etc. I think it’s time for some lesser shared products to shine in the spotlight and I promise you’ll love them if you give them a try!
Fragrance disc – This little guy is SUCH a great substitute for regular car air fresheners. I was honestly floored when I found out how many chemicals are in car air fresheners – OVER 100!! Holy cow! Including names like Formaldehyde, BHT, Acetyldehyde, and Fragrance (usually whenever you see “fragrance” as an ingredient, it’s an umbrella term for a huge blend of other chemicals and toxins). You can hang this guy over your rearview mirror and enjoy the refreshing scent of whatever essential oil you choose to put on it! Buy a few discs and have different scents for different times! Lavender for crazy long road trips to help calm everyone. Lemon & orange for a burst of energy! So many yummy options. The disc doesn’t come with any essential oils. If you’re in need of essential oils, Norwex offers a few AMAZING smelling blends that are perfect for the Fragrance disc!
Bath Mat – I always rave about our towels, and this guy is similar, just a slightly different purpose! Did you know bacteria thrives in wet environments like your bath mat that stays on the floor all day?! The Norwex bath mat is able to absorb up to 10 times its weight in water. It contains silver, which deactivates the icky odor causing bacteria. This bath mat keeps our bathroom floors dry, which is a pretty big feat with 6 kids!
Cutting board – We love our Norwex cutting board! This is a great way to reduce plastic in your kitchen – recycle your old cutting board and replace it with this awesome substitute! Regular plastic cutting boards stain and scuff easily from knives, this raises the chance of your plastic cutting board harboring bacteria in its little cuts and crevices. The Norwex cutting board is made from natural rice husks and is so strong and durable. Even with all the cooking we do in our family, our boards are still in tip top shape! One of my favorite parts about these boards is their food grade silicone grip ring, which allows the kiddos to assist in slicing in dicing fruits & veggies without worrying about the board sliding.
Naturally Timeless Set – If you’ve been looking to start or switch your skin regimen, I totally recommend checking out the Naturally Timeless products! I don’t often share my love about these, but the love is there!! Before Naturally Timeless, I found it so difficult to find an anti-aging skin regimen that wasn’t riddled with toxins. Norwex’s products are a blend of botanical extracts, peptides and plant-based ingredients. Free of SLS, SLES, parabens, gluten, phthalates, artificial dyes and fragrances and animal-derived ingredients. This product quartet is formulated with eco-friendly ingredients that help moisturize, smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve clarity, and contour the skin for a healthier, more youthful appearance. The Naturally Timeless Set comes with four awesome products; Firming Facial Serum, Anti-Gravity Night Cream, Day cream, and Radiant Eye Cream which work together to hydrate, smooth, tone, firm and increase clarity and resiliency for a healthier, fresher complexion!
What is it? To make bleach, a direct electrical current is sent through a sodium chloride solution (table salt and water). This process “splits” the atoms leaving chlorine and the caustic soda. Both chlorine and caustic soda are incredibly dangerous. These two chemicals react together to create bleach.
Where is it found? All household cleaners and wipes containing bleach.
Why should I avoid it? Bleach is highly corrosive and even deadly, yet it’s still found in every grocery store and in most households! If you feel a burn, or experience a cough while using bleach, this is evidence of bleach’s corrosive properties happening inside your body. During my research, I discovered chlorine (in bleach) and dish soap can combine to make mustard gas – which was used as a chemical weapon in WW1! Holy smokes guys. You might think you’ll be safe wearing gloves and turning on the fan & keeping the door open while working with bleach, but the gas emitted by this chemical is still in the air you’re breathing and can easily make its way into your lungs. Bleach has been known to deteriorate the esophagus and lungs, and cause scarring in the respiratory tract. Yikes.
Safer Alternatives – Norwex Microfiber has the ability to remove up to 99% of bacteria from a surface, and instead of using bleach on your laundry, try our chorine-free Norwex Laundry Detergent. For extra tricky stains, try the Norwex Stain Remover – free of bleach & chlorine and always gets the job done for us!
What is it? Perchloroethylene, aka PCE, is a manufactured chemical used mostly as a cleaning agent. PCE is a colorless, nonflammable liquid with a faint, sweet odor. It is also a volatile organic compound, which means it can turn into a gas. It’s usually a liquid, capable of dissolving another substance.
Where is it found? Scouring cleaning supplies, stain removers, paint products, degreasing agents, and other household cleaners. It’s the solvent used by about 85% of U.S. dry cleaners.
Why should I avoid it? First of all, you need to know that there is no safe level of PCE. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has classified PCE as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans”. Studies have linked it to a slew of different cancers:
· Bladder cancer
· Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
· Multiple myeloma
· Leukemia
· Rectal cancer
· Lung cancer
· Esophageal cancer
· Kidney cancer
· Cervical cancer
· Breast cancer
· Liver cancer
· Ovarian cancer
· Prostate cancer
Not only has this chemical been determined to play a role in cancer, but it is especially dangerous for pregnant women. It can cause a handful of horrible symptoms to expecting mothers and unborn babies. While small levels of PCE have been found in the air and water supply, I would recommend avoiding having it in your home by choice.
Safer alternatives – Norwex offers an awesome stain remover free of chlorine, bleach, and other harsh chemicals. There are also safer alternatives for removing grease or other sticky substances. One of my favorites is Cleaning Paste. You can get years of use out of one container. Cleaning Paste is “elbow grease in a jar”! Use it for scuff marks, grease, permanent marker, anything sticky, and so much more!
Since tomorrow is Valentines Day, let’s talk about a HUGE way you can show some love to your family – reducing the amount of chemicals in your home!! This might not be noticed as much as chocolate or a bouquet of roses, but trust me, your family’s bodies will be thanking you!
Did you know: The average home today contains 62 toxic chemicals – more than a chemistry lab at the turn of the century. More than 72,000 synthetic chemicals have been produced since WWII, and less than 2% of those chemicals have been tested for toxicity, mutagenic, carcinogenic, or birth defects. ?!?!?!?!? Oh my word!! Crazy you guys. Show your people how much you loooove them by removing some chemicals from your home and introducing them to some earth-friendly alternatives! And maybe buying chocolates or roses, cooking them a nice dinner, or simply telling them how much they mean to you 🙂