Phosphates

Phosphates are found in nature, and are of high nutrive value to palnts and animals, so you may wonder why they can be dangerous to the health of our water ways.

Phosphates are present in many soaps, detergants, and commercial household products. They are also found in many fertilizers, and are used as animal feed supplements for their nutritive qualities. They are used in pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals as well.

High phosphate concentrations in surface waters is often an indicator of fertilizer runoff, domestic waste discharge, or the presence of industrial effluents or detergents. Although phosphates from these sources are usually organically bound, all will degrade to "ortho" or reactive phosphates with time. In water containing high concentrations of phosphates, algae and other aquatic plant life will flourish, eventually resulting in the accelerated decay of organic matter, causing decreased dissolved oxygen levels in the water, and thus suffocating fish, and other water bound life forms.

You can help reduce the amount of phosphates entering our water supply by reading lables on your household products, and choosing to use those that are phosphate free.

There are a few recipes for eco-friendly alternatives in previous posts, and here is another one for a water friendly oven cleaner...

simply use baking soda, salt and water mixed into a paste!

Eco-friendly House

All-purpose cleaner:
2 Tbsp baking soda
1 pint warm water in a spray bottle.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of vinegar to cut grease. (I also like a few drops of tea tree oil)

This eco-friendly alternative to commercial cleaners has many benefits:
*It reduces the indoor pollution in your home and is less polluting to manufacture.
*It reduces waste from packaging
*It does not harm the environment during or after use

In addition to all of these earth friendly factors, it also saves space in the cupboard by reducing the number of products you need for various tasks. I also enjoy the sense of pride it leaves me with, knowing that I am maintaining my home while also maintaining the precious health of our air, water and soil.

Vinegar

I want the best for the environment and I also want a clean kitchen, bathroom and studio. My grandma has always used it, but I have always wondered just how well vinegar works to really clean...

As it turns out, it really works! A simple 5% solution of white vinegar (mixed with water) kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs! This is great news for the pocket book, the planet and my counter tops!

I am also pleased to learn that it can be used effectively to kill the weeds that have made their home between my patio tiles, with out harming the environment. (I wont even begin to describe the hours I spent dedicated to pulling, picking and scrapping them out last summer. It was nearly a full time job.) You can use it diluted with water, or straight on the weeds, or as a soil soak to deter them from taking root.

Spring cleaning here I come!

Not Quite A Beginning Place

Not Quite a Beginning Place
Oil on Canvas
by Melissa March

This painting is wrought with meaning for me. It is the place my ancestors first stepped foot upon Canadian soil. This is a view of the vast water they crossed to get here, and symbolizes hardship, triumph, and a hardy tenacious spirit that seems to have lived down through many generations.

It also reflects a simpler time, when we were more apt to live in relative communion with our surroundings. It is a portrait of the beauty found in the day to day, and the ways we adapt and harness the wildness that swirls all around us.

I will touch on the topic of wind power in another post, but today I would like to leave you with a touch tone to the past, and perhaps also the future...

Home Made Laundry Soap

1 cup Vinegar (white)

1 cup Baking Soda

1 cup Washing Soda

1/4 cup liquid castile soap
 


* Mix well and store in sealed container.


* I find it easiest to pour the liquid soap into the bowl first, stir in the washing soda, then the baking soda, then add the vinegar in small batches at a time (the recipe foams up at first). The mixture is a thick paste at first that will break down into a heavy powdered detergent, just keep stirring. There may be some hard lumps, try to break them down when stirring (it really helps to make sure
 the baking soda isn’t clumpy when first adding).

This soap makes the laundry feel like it is fresh off the line. It's easy, it's economical, it is good for the environment, and great for anyone who has sensitive skin.

Happy Washing!