Dear Annie,

What eco-friendly solution do you recommend for spot cleaning carpet? I don’t need to clean the whole carpet because I am happy with a local person who steam cleans them without fragrances. Thanks!

–Sarah M, TX

Dear Sarah,

Good question! One spot cleaner I really like is to make a special carpet foam cleaner. To make it squirt a few teaspoons of a good liquid green detergent into a bowl (your green hand dishwashing detergent is fine), get out the handmixer or a whisk, and agitate it all until it comes into a big foam. Scoop some of the foam onto a clean sponge or rag and scrub into the spot. Rinse. this formula is easy to do on the spot (as it were). Just make enough for what you need at the time.

One hint is to blot up carpet spills immediately before cleaning.

Dear Annie,I want to go back to basics and make my own laundry soap. What do you suggest? Brenda,  NY

Dear Brenda,
There must be an uptick of interest in back-to-the-land living because I’ve had a number of people ask me this question recently!

First, while I am all for simple, nontoxic living, washing clothes with soap and not a vegetable-based, green detergent, will result in the greying of your clothes if you have hard water. When hard water minerals combine with real soap, soap scum forms. If you have hard water I’d consider buying a good green detergent, such as from Ecover or Seventh Generation.

If you want to wash laundry with soap, here is a tip from a friend of mine who had 11 siblings and her mother washed a-l-l the clothes with soap. She would buy high quality castile bar soap (traditionally made from olive oil), grate it on an old-fashioned laundry board, and use the resulting soap flakes in the laundry. Given that soap boards aren’t readily available, you could substitute a cheese grater.

If you do end up with some soap scum, add 1 cup of white distilled vinegar to the rinse. Let soak for an hour or so before rinsing as usual. Good luck!

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Half art and half technology, Flowform sculptures allow water to cascade in a series of figure eights, replicating the path water takes in undisturbed flows found in nature. The natural movement of the water allows for better oxygenation, and it improves the water’s capacity to support life-forms. Flowforms can regenerate water’s natural power and are used around the worldin agricultural irrigation and sewage treatment systems.

Even Prince Charles of Great Britain uses Flowforms for the sewage system at Hygrove Castle.

Flowforms are also beautiful, sculptural designs, reflecting inventor John Wilkes study of sculpture at the Royal College or Art.

The book shown here is John Wilke’s classic book, Flowforms:  The Rhythmic Power of Water.

Jojoba is a liquid wax that offers some sealant properties when polishing wood and never goes rancid. The only drawback is that it is expensive. The wonderful aspect is that it is nontoxic.

Simply dab some on a soft cotton cloth, and buff into the wood.

To make a polish that is less “oily” than straight jojoba, squeeze some lemon juice in a bowl and add a few drops of jojoba.

Here’s another good reason to avoid processed food. BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) and BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) are commonly used as preservatives in some foods such as crackers and cereals to reduce rancidity. BHA is listed as a possible carcinogen with the World Health Organization and is considered an endocrine disrupter.

BHT is sometimes added to packaging cardboard. BHT may be toxic to the kidneys according to researchers at Michigan State University. It may also have a deleterious effect on those who take steroid hormones and oral contraceptives. BHT is prohibited in England.

If BHT and BHA are added to an ingredient used in a processed food, they need not be specifically listed. To avoid BHT and BHA you need to avoid processed food.

Dear Annie,

I have heard that disinfectants can cause superbug overgrowth, and besides, I don’t like using synthetic chemicals around my pets. What do you suggest I use instead?

Thanks, JC, FL

Dear JC,

The cheapest way to kill bacteria in your home is with vinegar. If you add some herbs your kill rate is even higher. Here are three ways to kill bacteria with vinegar, each with their own attributes. Note, however, that to be called a disinfectant, a product has to be registered with the EPA as a pesticide. Vinegar isn’t so registered. If you are interested in buying something with a 100 percent kill rate, I recommend that you buy a botanical disinfectant.

#1: Straight white distilled vinegar. By far the easiest and the cheapest solution, put the vinegar into a spray bottle and spray straight onto the area of concern. Don’t rinse. The smell will dissipate in a few days. Why the the white distilled? Organic apple cider vinegar will be fine, too, but it could stain.

#2:  Straight white distilled vinegar with a few drops of lavender essential oil. I recommend this formula for those who don’t like the smell of vinegar. The drops of lavender mellow the smell considerably, and they also provide some antibacterial qualities of their own.

#3:  The most ambitious formula but also the most fun, make the famous Vinegar of the Four Thieves, made famous during the Black Plauge when a family of perfumers used it to rob the dead, knowing that the antiseptic herbs would protect them from the germs. To make it place a small handful each of lavender, rosemary, sage, rue and mint in a large jar, and cover completely with organic apple cider vinegar. Cover tightly and set for six weeks. Strain into a spray bottle.

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