A THOUSAND AND ONE USES FOR LEMONS
Not only are lemons a wonderful fruit full of vitamin C and antioxidants that help you combat many illnesses, they are also a wonderful addition to your household. Here are some tips for the many useful ways you can use this versatile fruit:
- Air fresheners—use equal parts of lemon juice and water and pour into a spray bottle or atomizer. It makes it a wonderful air freshener without unnecessary chemicals.
- Ant repellent—pour lemon juice in areas frequented by ants and you’ll get rid of those pesky insects in a matter of a few days.
- All-purpose cleaner—mixing equal parts of water and lemon juice makes a powerful cleaning agent you can use anywhere in your house. For extra punch in hard-to-clean areas, add some vinegar.
- Toilet cleaner—mix lemon juice with borax or baking soda for a powerful and fresh-smelling toilet bowl cleaner.
- Drain cleaner—mixing hot lemon juice with baking soda works well on your clogged drains.
- Disinfectant—lemon juice has antibacterial properties so it can be used on wounds (it will sting though), cutting boards and any other area where killing bacteria is of priority.
- Mouthwash—mix equal amounts of water and lemon juice and gargle away…It makes an effective and most importantly natural mouthwash.
- Glass cleaner—lemon juice mixed with water is a very effective glass or mirror cleaner because of its high acidic content.
- Nail nourish—rubbing some lemon juice into your nails will not only make them whiter, it will also nourish them with Vitamin C. It is also true for other areas of your skin, hair included.
RANGERS RETURN TO CONGO
photo credit: Phil Romans
On Friday, November 21, 2008, park rangers returned to Congo gorilla park after a year’s absence. The reserve in Congo is home to nearly a third of the world’s population of mountain gorillas. Over a year ago rebel fighting forced the rangers to abandon the park and its occupants but fortunately, the fighting has ceased and they were allowed to return.
Moreover, UN agreed to send additional 3000 armed forces to the camp in Congo (making it 17000-strong) to ensure some semblance of stability and enable rangers, who are neutral in the conflict, to do their job.
The Virunga National Park is home to 200 out of 700 of the world’s mountain gorillas and the re-establishment of the rangers in crucial to protection of both fauna and flora of the region. Park authorities state that the animals (gorillas, elephants, hippos, antelopes) inhabiting Virunga (on the border of Uganda and Rwanda) have been facing many dangers from the rebels and other armed groups as well as poachers, squatters and coal burners. During 2007 repeated attacks 10 mountain gorillas were killed, among many other animals.
Therefore, it is vital to the survival of the species and the preservation of the ecosystem in the region for the rangers to return to work and hopefully forces on both sides of the conflict will agree that (at least in this case) preserving the hills of Virunga is beneficial for all.
GREEN THANKSGIVING
Thanksgiving is just a few days away and it is a big celebration for a number of people so it is quite important to keep it green and eco-friendly. Here are some ideas for a green thanksgiving feast:
- Buy local/organic—food is the most important ingredient of any Thanksgiving feast, especially turkey. It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it so this year purchase organic or range-free turkey. It will be slightly smaller than the conventional bird but it will taste better. Also, go for locally raised produce for your side dishes.
- Use green decorations—stay away from plastic and paper plates and cups and instead use regular dishware and silverware. Not only is it much nicer-looking, it also helps the environment by reducing the waste. However, if you’re throwing a party for a large crowd, go for re-usable heavy duty plastic plates and such. And for decorating the table, use cotton tablecloths and napkins.
- Travel smart—if you’re traveling this holiday season, you should consider taking a train. And if your family lives quite far, take a plane instead of driving. Statistics show that flying is a more eco-friendly choice of travel. Or better yet, stay home and invite friends and neighbors.
- Don’t throw away leftovers—Thanksgiving leftovers can last up to two weeks, which can save you some grocery shopping (and force you to be creative with the menu). For storing the food in your fridge, use re-usable containers (preferably glass or ceramic) instead of disposable ones.
RECYCLE YOUR OLD TOOTHBRUSH
photo credit: Nico Kaiser
Most of us change our toothbrushes once every 2-3 months and find ourselves either throwing the old ones in the trash or shuffling them somewhere in the house for later use (if you’re anything like me). So why not simply recycle them and extend their lives for a few more uses?
Here are some ideas for re-using your old, used up toothbrushes:
- For scrubbing your bathroom faucets or grout in the shower (pr any hard-to-reach places).
- Use for cleaning the leather parts of the sneakers between washings
- For cleaning the soles of your boots or other dirty shoes you wouldn’t otherwise want in your house
- For scrubbing nails or getting dirt from under your nails
- For brushing your eyebrows (especially for thick bushy ones)
- For removing stains out of your clothes before the laundry
- For shining tools and hubcaps
- Excellent for cleaning items such as jewelry, bottles, combs and window screens.
There are many more ways you can re-use that old toothbrush and your own creativity is the limit here. So give it another go and next time switch to toothbrushes that can be recycled.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ALL-PURPOSE CLEANERS
If you haven’t switched to the eco-friendly all-purpose cleaners (e.g. Seventh Generation), you may want to consider what you’re exposing yourself and your family to each time you clean. There are many ingredients in the conventional all-purpose cleaners that are not only hazardous to your health but to the environment as well.
According to National Geographic, 9% of all the exposure reported to US Poison Control Centers was caused by cleaning products, out of which 36 resulted in death. The effects chemicals in cleaning products have various health hazards, form mild (such as skin or respiratory irritation, watery eyes or chemical burns) to more serious and long term ones, such as cancer.
Here is the list and explanations of most of the volatile ingredients in the conventional all-purpose cleaners:
- Enzymes—intended to remove stains and grime from clothing, carpets and upholstery. Enzymes, particularly protease enzymes remain in the fabric and can be inhaled continually, which leads to various respiratory problems, such as asthma.
- Ethanol—natural alcohol made from plants, however it can irritate skin, eyes and lungs.
- Potassium hydrate (also potassium hydroxide, caustic potash and lye)—is very corrosive so keep in mind to wear gloves every time you use products containing potassium hydrate and store it in a place unreachable for children since ingestion causes damage to the digestive system, and in severe cases even death.
- Surfactants—these chemicals enable cleaning chemicals to spread more easily by lowering water surface tension. Unfortunately, manufacturers are not required to disclose what type of surfactant they use in their product and use terms such as “nonionic surfactant”, “anionic surfactant” or “wetting agent”. Some are milder and safer than others, e.g. alklyl polyglycoside (made form corn) and some contain 1.4-dioxane (a human carcinogen), e.g. Sodium laureth sulfate (also SLES and sodium lauryl ether sulfate).
Furthermore, you should keep in mind that products labeled “Danger” or “Poison” mean that the ingredients it contains are corrosive, flammable, combustible or irritating and may cause serious health damage or illness during or as a result of its normal use. On the other hand, labels such as “Warning” or “Caution” are less hazardous but if used improperly may still cause damage to your health.
Lastly, steer clear of vague claims such as “eco-friendly” or “non-toxic” and instead choose products with more specific claims, e.g. “TEA-free” or “No sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate”. And don’t be fooled by ‘biodegradable’ since when it comes to cleaning products this term is pretty meaningless. All substances eventually break down; the question here is how long it takes them to degrade. So, go for products that state, for instance, “Biodegrades 90% in 7 days”.