Eco living is not just for the home anymore. I was impressed that many offices and businesses are embracing the eco friendly principle and spreading the message throughout their organization.
When it comes to an eco home or office, you can expec furniture made from recycled materials and sustainable forests. Whether you are shopping for the home or office, buying furniture with this assurance helps you know that you are supporting the environment. If you are searching for new office furniture for your work space, find out if it is made of recycled wood or material. Even when it comes to cleaning your home or office, you can choose eco friendly household cleaning products instead of the common ones with chemicals and pollutants. Biodegradable products are safer for your home and work space.
You may also want to check on the energy ratings if you are looking for a new home. These are simple steps towards eco living.
Since my cleaner resigned two months ago, I have been doing most of the household chores on my own until a part time cleaner came along last week. I suppose she wasn’t used to all the environmentally friendly cleaners that lie around in my bathroom as most cleaners are used to the powerful and strong cleaners in supermarkets.
But it seems that some manufacturers tend to misuse the word ‘eco’ on their products. It may carry the claim ‘eco’ but when you study the ingredients and labels, there are just as much chemicals than the non-eco ones. So sometimes, the term ‘eco’ can mislead people and retailers or manufacturers use that as a selling gimmick. Eco cleaners usually mean biodegradable and it should also contain the most natural ingredients instead of chemicals that will bring environmental harm. Whether you are cleaning stainless steel drums or your house, using eco cleaners is the way to go if you want to do your bit for the environment.
With so many eco friendly cleaning choices in the marketplace today, there is no reason why anyone should not give a thought about it.
Last weekend, there was an organic awareness campaign in my neighbour and that event sought to promote eco living too. There were organic vegetables and fruits sold during the event and it was packed lots of shoppers and green enthusiasts.
I enjoyed listening to the few talks organized during the event and one of them was on making household enzyme solution. I have been using enzyme for cleaning the house and I love it. First of all, it is free and secondly, I can reuse the waste from my fruit peels. Often times, we throw these peels away but it feels nice to be able to use it for the good of the family. I use the enzyme solution for cleaning anything in the house. It is effective when use for floors and bathrooms. I would mix some in a spray bottle and clean it for my daily cleaning. Since I work from home, I need a clean office so the solution is used to clean our office equipment, from our Linksys router to our printer. It’s eco friendly!
Eco living can be simple and most of all, it is affordable. I mean isn’t it nice to reuse what you would normally throw in the bin? This is what we mean by ‘green living’.
Early this year, some of the stores in my suburb decided to launch an eco friendly lifestyle campaign. Consumers or shoppers were required to bring their own shopping bags on Wednesdays and Saturdays and failing which, twenty cents will be charged per plastic bag.
Such a campaign is great to increase awareness towards a greener lifestyle but it isn’t without challenges. I saw angry and frustrated shoppers at the beginning because they were ready to pay for plastic bags! This was especially when they had patronize the stores. Also, many shoppers bought a whole trolley full of groceries and they weren’t prepared to pay for so many plastic bags. It took a while to educate the customers and acceptance did take time too. I was reading some information on an insurance blog and found that education is important for all disciplines.
After a few months of eco friendly lifestyle campaign, things are alot better now and shoppers tend to bring in their own bags. It also promotes a better awareness of how we can all play a part in making this earth a better and friendlier place to live.
An eco home is one that many parents seek to build for the good of the entire family. Since becoming a mom six years ago, my interest towards green living has increased over the years.
For someone who has sensitive airways and allergic rhinitis, I am careful with the household detergents I use at home. Breathing in strong chemicals will bring a blockage to my nose and it can also trigger an asthmatic cough. After so many years of allergy relief seeking, I have found that keeping a home free from strong allergens can be helpful. An allergy blood test is needed to find out what is causing the triggers and you can then be more cautious with your food intake or environmental conditions.
Having an eco home means focusing on natural living and avoiding chemicals, preservatives and pollutants. It used to be expensive to buy eco friendly household products but not anymore. These days, you can find affordable Eco Natural home products on the supermarkets or health store. Otherwise, you can also concoct your own eco friendly cleaning solutions from home by using fruit and vegetable enzyme.
In the last post, I wrote about an eco natural lifestyle with aromatherapy oils. In this post, I would liek to highlight a few of my favourite essential oils which are common ones used in the home.
Essential oils provide a fantastic natural alternative to common ailments we see at home. The actions of essential oils are broad, ranging from topical antiseptics and anti-inflammatories to analgesics, digestive system tonics, and anti-depressants. While essential oils should not be a substitute for professional medical care, they can be successfully employed for many minor complaints, and as adjuncts to other therapies.
1: Tea Tree Essential Oil
When first examined for it’s antiseptic properties, Tea Tree essential oil was found to be 100 times more powerful than carbolic acid ñ the medical standard at the time. Tea tree has an extremely broad range of antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal properties that have been confirmed by modern scientific research. Often used topically on small wounds, Tea Tree is also commonly found in oral hygiene preparations, and can also be effectively employed for Candida, athlete’s foot and acne, among other things.
2: Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender has often been called the ‘medicine chest in a bottle’ for its broad range of applications. Every home should keep Lavender on hand, even if no other oil is used, as it is so very effective on burns. It’s anti-inflammatory action is responsible for the beginnings of modern aromatherapy. Lavender is considered to speed wound healing and reduce scarring. The oil is also pleasantly calming, and can be used to reduce stress in a variety of situations – a commonly used technique is to apply Lavender oil (undiluted) to the soles of the feet of patients recovering from almost any ailment.
3: Peppermint Essential Oil
An excellent digestive tonic, Peppermint essential oil can sooth many stomach complaints. For the traveler, itís effectiveness on calming motion sickness can be of great help. Further, at least eight controlled studies have shown Peppermint oil to be effective in reducing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, a painful condition of the intestines. Beyond it’s support of the digestive system, Peppermint is delightfully stimulating to the mind, brightening and sharpening mental focus. My business plan writers friends can stand a claim to this! Finally, Peppermint is considered by some to be a more effective insect repellent than citronella when used on the body (rather than in the surrounding air).
As you embark on an eco natural lifestyle, you will soon find that nature has the answers to many things. I’ve been a long time fan of aromatherapy and has enjoyed the benefits all-natural, pure essential oils all these years. Nature holds various useful resources which can be put to several uses. And this is what aromatherapy makes the best use of. Aromatherapy blends are a natural way to cure your problems.
Aromatherapy uses natural extracts, botanical essential oils from plants, leaves, seeds, and flowers as a healing art. Aromatherapy blends refreshes and relaxes the skin while soothing the mind by helping to induce a sense of well-being and reinforce the freshness.
Aromatherapy blends can be used in oil diffusors, or blended into a product base such as massage oil, or bath salts. Finest blends of essential oils in quality base oils are what aromatherapy blends is all about. Enjoy the uplifting power of essential oils; find relief from menstrual cramps, headache and congestion by using aromatherapy blends. I once gave an aromatherapy gift pack to a friend who does cad drawings and she became a convert not long after.
Have you been pampering your skin with the artificial products that contains harmful chemicals? If yes, it’s time to embrace an eco natural lifstyle. Aromatherapy blends are available in wide variety, use them and give your skin an opportunity to benefit from it. Relaxation, stress relief, energizing, healing, meditations, sinus relief, citrus passion, romance, and headache relief are some of the commonly found aromatherapy blends.
Very soon, we will be entering the new year. By then, we would have finished our Christmas turkeys, honey baked ham and pudding. I’m sure some of you are already setting goals for the New Year and perhaps endeavoring to build an eco natural home for the family.
I’m planning to get a few items for the house as far as eco living is concerned. I told hubby about getting a new water filter, an air filter and perhaps look into humidifier filters for our bedroom. With more chemicals in the living environment, it is necessary to do whatever we can to keep the air in the house clean in the most eco natural way. It can also mean a lifestyle change and adjustment for some of us but everything in life comes with a price, isn’t it?
So as you enter the New Year, think about what little you can do for a more eco natural home. It can be for yourself or your family but once you start thinking and getting the ball rolling, the influence can be contagious. Have a blessed Christmas.
