The Green Scene

As we become more committed to our yoga practice, we become aware that doing yoga is more than just rolling out your mat and practicing postures.  Yoga becomes a way of living.  One of the yamas, or disciplines in yoga, is the practice of Ahimsa, or non-violence.  This can be as simple as honoring your body as you practice.  But it can extend far beyond your mat - and it should.  

One very important area that we can participate in the practice of non-violence, is honoring the gift of our beautiful earth.  More and more people are banding together to keep our earth clean.  It is important that we educate ourselves to do our part.

This page is dedicated to ways to keep our Mother Earth in her beauty - not only for ourselves, but for the rising generations.  Namaste

Cleaning Greener

There are a lot of small things that we can do to make this beautiful world that we live in a healthier place to be. Cleaning greener would be an excellent place to start, since all of the household cleaners and personal care products that we use every day end up going right down the drain and making it back into our ecosystem.

It is getting easier to find nontoxic versions of these products that we use now that more and more people are starting to care. If you are like me, it's hard to come up with “the greens” to go green. It can get pretty pricey. However, there are some inexpensive alternatives for those of us who are pinching our pennies! Here are some recipes that will have your home sparkling clean without all the toxins.

Your Basic Green Cleaning Arsenal

• Essential Oils
• Organic Liquid Dish Soap
• Eco friendly laundry detergent.
• 3% and *35% Food-Grade Hydrogen Peroxide
• Borax
• Salt
• Baking Soda
• White Vinegar
• *Citric Acid – derived from citrus fruits - 
  *purchase online or in health food stores.

All Purpose Cleaner:

2 teaspoons borax

4 tablespoons white vinegar

4 cups hot water

½ teaspoon of lemon oil

2 drops of essential oil

2 drops of liquid organic dish soap

Mix together until borax is dissolved. Pour into a 32 oz. Spray bottle. Be sure to label all bottles. Do not use on Corian, granite, or marble.

Corian Granite or Marble: Mix 3 drops of lemon verbena essential oil in a 32 oz bottle of distilled water.

Disinfectant: 1/3 c of distilled white vinegar in a 32 oz. spray bottle, then fill with water. Spray first with 3% hydrogen peroxide, follow by spraying with vinegar.

Air Freshner:

Place a few drops of essential oil into a spray bottle filled with water. Shake before using.

Glass Cleaner

1/3 cup of distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon organic dishwasher detergent

2-3 drops of essentail oil

Place all in 32 oz. Spray bottle, shake until detergent has dissolved. Finish filling the bottle with distilled water, leaving room to shake the contents before use. If spotting occurs, eliminate detergent.

Shower Cleaner

1 cup baking soda

1/3 cup borax

½ cup of liquid soap

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 cup warm water

4 drops of essential oil

Mix soda, borax and soap. Add water, mixing until the soda and borax have dissolved. Then add vinegar and oil. It will bubble and fizz a little due to combination of vinegar and soda. Pour onto damp cloth, clean surface, then rinse thoroughly.

Scouring Powder/ Dishwasher Detergent:

1 cup borax

1 cup baking soda

¼ cup of salt

¼ cup citric acid

30 drops of essential oil.

Mix thoroughly. You can use this mixture to scour sinks, and tubs. If using as a dishwasher detergent, add a generous splash of vinegar to the bottom of your dishwasher first. You will need to rinse dishes for increased effectiveness.

Fabric Softener

Add 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar in the fabric softener cup. And another 1/2 cup in the tub if you have a top loader.

Brighten Whites

Add ½ cup of 35 % hydrogen peroxide to your laundry instead of bleach.

Sources:

Books  

Green Cleaning, second edition by Mary Findley and Linda Formichelli

Web Sources:

Real Life Natural Health

One Good Thing by Jillee


Products:
Mountain Rose Herbs - Essential Oils, bulk herbs and spices, carriers, ect.  You can purchase citric acid through them.