CasaSugar

Teddy Needs a Bath: Kid-Friendly or Are You Kidding?

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:41:28 PDT

When there's a foul odor coming from my kids' bedrooms, the first place I look is the pile of stuffed animals that sits near their beds. While some parents consider stuffed animals to be little more than dust collectors, in our home, they are a necessity, helping soothe my kids to sleep each night. But cleaning them has always been an issue - I fear the day one of their loveys is destroyed in the washing machine and we have to suffer through nights of inconsolable children.

That's why my interest was piqued when I heard about Teddy Needs a Bath ($15). Basically just an oversize, eco-friendly laundry bag with a serious zipper on it, Teddy Needs a Bath keeps stuffed animals safe during routine washings, ensuring that they can be returned to their rightful owner looking the same way they did earlier - only cleaner and germ-free! What do you think?

Clean Up Your Home: 5 Chemicals to Avoid in Home Cleaning Products

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:32:32 PST

Keeping a clean and healthy home is a priority for many moms - so much so that it is the number one thing moms think they are judged about - but what they clean with may be doing more harm than good. Even products labeled as "green" and "kid safe" can be causing allergic reactions or contributing to long-term health issues.

Healthy Child Healthy World has teamed up with Women's Voices For the Earth to share the results of a surprising study about hidden chemicals in household cleaners. An independent lab tested 20 of the name-brand cleaning products and found allergens and toxins in bottles, detergents, dryer sheets, and air fresheners from some of the most popular companies around. Take a look at which products landed on the list, and see what to look out for before buying your next cleaning product.

Clean Up Your Act: Keep Kids' Sleep Space Naturally Clean

LilSugar — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 07:11:51 PDT

Parents need to know that the room where their lil one rests her head is peaceful, safe, and clean. Anywhere that diapers are being changed and accumulated needs serious freshening up on a regular basis. As tempting as it may be to reach for that jug of bleach, there are better options for keeping a nursery sparkling clean.

From left:

Munchkin Arm & Hammer Nursery
Wipes ($3): These handy little wipes safely clean changing tables, cribs, high chairs, shopping carts, and any other surface your tot might come in contact with. Alcohol free, the wipes kill germs on contact without leaving harmful residue behind.
Aussan Natural Nursery All-Purpose Cleaner and Nursery Odor Eliminator ($8 each): Aussan Natural takes the concept of natural cleaning products very seriously. It's partnered with the Environmental Services of Melbourne, Australia, to develop a truly safe, eco-friendly line of products that actually work as well as their non-natural alternatives. The odor eliminator isn't an overwhelming scent at all - it really just neutralizes the diaper scent that just seems to waft around the house no matter how many times you clean the diaper pail.
Dapple Toy Cleaner Spray ($6): This nontoxic spray is ideal for cleaning anything that tots get their little hands (and mouths) on. It uses only natural ingredients like baking soda and leaves no nasty residue.

Clean Up Your Act: Baby-Safe Solutions For an Eco-Friendly Kitchen

LilSugar — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:25:49 PDT

The kitchen is the center of the home, and for families with young kids, it's generally a very messy center. From sinks filled with bottles to floors (and walls and ceilings) splattered with toddlers' leftovers, parents spend as much time cleaning up after their children, as they do feeding them. How parents clean it up takes on new meaning once kids are in the home - both for the health of their tots, and for the good of our planet.

From left:

Bon Ami Liquid All-Purpose Cleaner ($4): Bon ami was making natural products far before natural was something to aspire to - since the 80s, the 1880s. Made with recycled and recyclable packaging, this all purpose cleanser works without phosphates or chlorine, and without leaving any residue.
Arm & Hammer Baking Soda ($3): It's not the sexiest cleaner available, but in terms of green cleaning, plain old Arm & Hammer baking soda is pretty tough to beat. The uses of this ubiquitous household staple go far beyond protection against a funky smelling fridge. Baking soda is perfect for safely cleaning dirt and residue off fresh fruits and vegetables, and for cleaning counters, stainless steel sinks, cutting boards, microwaves, plastic containers, lunch boxes - even for polishing silver.
iQ All-Purpose Cleaner Starter Kit ($4): Though the word innovative is overused, it really is the only way to describe iQ products. Made from plant-based and ecologically sustainable ingredients, the line of household cleaners allows users to reduce plastic waste by 80 percent. Instead of buying a whole new container of cleaner, iQ comes in concentrated recyclable cartridges. To make a bottle of cleaner, consumers just fill the re-usable iQ bottle with their own tap water and drop in the cartridge.
Dapple Dish Liquid ($6): Parents are very conscious about using baby friendly detergents on their tots' tiny clothes, but not everyone pays such close attention to the type of dish soap they use. Not all dish soaps rinse completely clean, and lingering suds can wind up right in your baby's mouth. Dapple Dish Liquid is designed specifically for households with babies and children - made using natural-based ingredients, with no harmful SLES, parabens, phthalates, dyes, or synthetic fragrances - and it really works to remove all traces and odors from food, breastmilk, and formula.

Clean Up Your Act With Earth- and Baby-Friendly Laundry Products

LilSugar — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:09:50 PDT

Everything changes when a baby comes along, especially parents' perspectives on safety. Every decision is made with protective goggles on as parents want the best bottles, the healthiest food, and household products without toxic chemicals. This is especially important when it comes to washing tots' tiny clothes and cloth diapers. What's good for baby is generally what's good for earth, and detergents made with irritating petrochemicals are harmful to both. Check out these products that are both eco and baby conscious.

Clockwise from top left:

Vaska Spotoff Advanced Botanicals Spot Remover ($10), and Vaska Herbatergent Light Lavender, 48 oz. ($12): Vaska products earned recognition by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment Program as they break down quickly to non-polluting compounds. The natural lavender scent actually smells like lavender because it is - unlike most brands which use manufactured scents.
Rockin' Green Classic Rock Laundry Detergent ($15): One of the most popular brands used to clean cloth diapers, this detergent was developed by a parent whose kids had very sensitive skin that broke out with every cleanser they tried.
Seventh Generation Liquid Laundry 2x Ultra Concentrate, Baby, 150 oz. ($22): Seventh Generation products have been a go-to for eco-conscious mamas for a while. The liquid is super concentrated so a little really does go a long way.
Biokleen Laundry Powder, 5 pounds ($22): This nontoxic, biodegradable powder is gentle while strong enough to launder cloth diapers - and everything else. The price is also right so customers don't have feel like they have to choose between green (eco) and green (money).
Method Baby Laundry Detergent, Sweet Pea ($15): When Method launched a line of laundry detergents in 2010, it was an instant hit with fans of green, clean laundry. The cleverly designed pump bottle means multitasking mamas can do laundry and hold the baby at the same time.

Roundup: Colorful Cleaning Tools For Spring

CasaSugar — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 05:00:00 PDT

When I'm trying to motivate myself to go to the gym, I always find a new workout outfit jump-starts the process. The same can go for Spring cleaning. Maybe all you need to get excited about vacuuming the house is a cheery yellow vacuum? (Check out my review of another colorful Dyson!) Possibly some apple-red rubber gloves would be reason enough to scrub the toilet? Perhaps you would be so enamored with your seafoam green mop that you'd forget you were doing housework? And the best part is, next time you open your cleaning supplies closet, you'll be greeted with a rainbow of options. See the colorful tools, below.

How-To: Ten Garden Uses For White Vinegar

CasaSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:30:11 PDT

Now that you know the household uses for white vinegar, I thought you might like to know how you can expand its use to your garden. As you may remember, white vinegar is an eco-friendly product, and it's also cheap: You can buy a gallon of white vinegar for less than $3.

The word "vinegar" is from the French term vin aigre, meaning "sour wine." White vinegar is made from allowing a distilled alcohol, like white wine, vodka, or gin, to oxidize. This changes the chemical components of the alcohol, making it more sour, but also more useful.

To find out how you can use white vinegar in your garden,

Pesky raspberry leave stains on your palms? Banish berry stains by rubbing your hands with white distilled vinegar.
Make sure your hummingbirds avoid toxic cleansers in their nectar by cleaning feeders with white distilled vinegar.
Rust on your tools or spigots? Soak them overnight in white vinegar to loosen and get rid of rust.
Dingy plastic patio furniture gets cleaner with a solution of one tablespoon white distilled vinegar to one gallon of water.
Hate slugs as much as I do? Say sayonara by spraying them with one part water and one part white distilled vinegar.
Azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and gardenias are all acid-loving plants. Add a cup of white vinegar to a gallon of water, and water them generously every month or so.
If you have weeds or grass in cracks in your sidewalks and steps, pour white vinegar in the cracks to get rid of the greenery.
If your terracotta pots have white mineral bits on them, soak the pots for an hour or two in a sink filled with half white vinegar and half water.
Make your cut flowers last longer by adding two tablespoons of white vinegar and a teaspoon of sugar to each vase. Fill with water, and enjoy.
Stop the ants from marching in by pouring white distilled vinegar on their paths, as well as in ant hills.

Do you have other garden uses for white vinegar? Tell me about them by commenting below!
Source

Nice and New: Mrs. Meyer's Basil Collection

CasaSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:30:00 PDT

Mrs. Meyer's has just released a new collection of basil-scented aromatherapeutic household cleaners, including shower cleaner, window spray, automatic dishwashing liquid, scent diffusers, bar soap, and toilet bowl cleaner. Prices range from $4.99 to $34.99. What could be sweeter than having a house that smells as fresh as your garden? Mrs. Meyer's is known for its environmentally friendly cleaning products, which gives them bonus points in my book. I'm a big basil fan so these products are right up my alley; how about you?

Steal of the Day: Mrs. Meyers Gingerbread Products

CasaSugar — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 08:31:08 PST

TeamSugar member Sweetnlow tipped me off to this great deal on Mrs. Meyers gingerbread products (50 percent off all gingerbread products). The Gingerbread Holiday Clean-Up Kit ($7.49 marked down from $14.99) includes smaller sizes of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day cleaners including 8 ounces each of room freshener, liquid dish soap, countertop spray, and all-purpose cleaner. The Gingerbread Hand Care Set ($4.99, marked down from $9.99) includes 8 ounces each of creamy gingerbread liquid hand soap and soothing gingerbread hand lotion with aloe vera.

Snap up these steals while supplies last!

Casa Shops: Thymes Home Cleaning Products

CasaSugar — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 06:00:29 PDT

Here at Casa, we love Method, but that doesn't mean there isn't room in our hearts for a few other natural home product lines. Take Minneapolis-based company Thymes, for example. With cleaners and dishwashing liquids in scents like apricot quince, mandarin coriander, lavender bergamot, and kumquat lime, these yummy scents will leave your home smelling fruity fresh. And while it might not make your cleaning time any shorter, it will make it a little more enjoyable to the senses.

Thymes ships internet orders the same day they are received, and the site has a convenient store locator, too: Just plug in your zip code and you'll find out if Thymes products are available in a boutique in your city.