Every month EcoFresh would like to reward our customers with special appreciation. This month, we are offering free application of Carpet Protectant when having your carpet cleaned, to the first 5 clients to respond and register their name. From there, an EcoFresh representative will contact you to schedule your service. You pay nothing for the Protectant! The only requirement is that you have used our service in the past. (Winners posted immediately).
Welcome to the July issue of Green Home, your EcoFresh Newsletter!
In this month's issue:
Before you reach for the bleach, consider a natural bleach substitute for disinfection. One of the main uses for grapefruit seed extract is as a natural cleaner and disinfectant in the kitchen and throughout the home. Learn about its benefits and how to use it.
Using Grapefruit Seed Extract
Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is a natural product available for purchase at many health and natural food stores. Studies show that it has broad-spectrum activity, with reports that it is effective against about 800 types of bacteria and viruses as well as 100 fungal strains and some other parasitic organisms. It is effective at relatively low concentrations.
It has been used throughout the world, particularly in South America, as a preservative, disinfectant, antifungal, antibiotic, and antiviral. It is used as a replacement for chlorine in treating sewage, in swimming pools, and for treating drinking water. It is preferred for its ability to kill harmful pathogens without upsetting the beneficial gut flora, and for its ability to kill pathogens unaffected by chlorine such as Giardia lamblia. One researcher reports that it is at least as effective an amebicide as any other compound and does not show any undesirable side effects.
Increasingly, people in the US seeking natural options for health and home are seeking out grapefruit seed extract for its ability to kill harmful organisms in pets and people and in the home.
To use GSE for cleaning and disinfecting kitchen counters, bathroom counters, and other household surfaces, add about 25 drops to a cup of water in a spray bottle. There is no need to rinse, the solution can simply be left to dry.
When travelling or camping, use GSE to disinfect local water. Add about 10 drops per gallon of water and allow it to sit for several hours. It can be consumed even in therapeutic doses safely, so the low concentration used for water disinfection is safe as well. Use this solution to disinfect toothbrushes as well by soaking the brushes in the solution.
Grapefruit seed extract can be irritating if applied directly to skin in undiluted form, and should be kept away from the eyes and from mucous membranes.
It is estimated that 6.1 million children under 18 years of age currently have asthma. Asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15 and it is the leading cause of chronic illness among children.
Asthma is a disease of the respiratory system: the lungs and the system of air tubes that lead to the lungs. It is a chronic inflammatory condition that causes the tiny air passages in your lungs (bronchioles) to become narrowed when they react to something in the environment (triggers). Many substances that cause allergic reactions in children and adults (allergens) can also trigger asthma episodes. Other asthma triggers include airborne substances that irritate the lungs and airways, such as tobacco smoke, as well as stress and cold weather.
Here are some of the most common asthma triggers found indoors, with tips on how to reduce or eliminate them from your home:
It is time to make THE window decision for your remodel. If you are looking for energy efficient windows then you will run into many new vocabulary terms: U-Factor, SHGC, Visible Transmission… And all you want are windows that will save energy, and look amazing when your remodel is done!
So what do all these new vocabulary words mean? Turns out this new language does not find its root in Latin. These terms actually belong to the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). Fenestration, when it comes to your home, are windows, doors, and skylights. The NFRC is a non-profit that develops and publishes standards for fenestration performance. Windows, doors and skylights are then labeled with a sticker like the one example in the upper right.
Turns out that understanding the terms and acronyms on this label can help you quickly navigate the glassy waters as you are considering one window over another - assuming you are looking for efficient windows that transmit a great deal of light into your home! Here is your guide for the label, consider yourself now dangerous:
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
Bread:
Frosting:
Instructions:
For the Bread:
In a large bowl cream the butter, maple syrup, eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, with a wire whisk, mix together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Then, stir in the pecans.
Fold the wet ingredients into the dry, until JUST fully incorporated. Do not over mix. Spoon into a well greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
For the Frosting:
Cream all of the ingredients together well. Instead of frosting the entire loaf, I like to cut slices and then frost individual slices!
Homemade flea sprays are natural and safer than the flea repellants you will find at pet stores. They are also easy to make, and they prevent your pet from getting diseases that fleas often carry. With a few ingredients and a little time, you can create an effective and cost-efficient flea spray.
When your pets get fleas, it can cause you a big headache. They can get into the carpets and any other soft fabrics and start biting you too. Pets can get fleas during all of the seasons, especially in the winter when the weather temporarily warms up. To prevent your pet from coming into contact with those pesky fleas, a natural flea repellant can provide an excellent barrier between your pet’s skin and the fleas.
Store Products vs. Homemade Flea Spray
Making a flea spray at home can be less expensive and just as effective as the ones you find at pet stores. Not only is it cost-efficient, but it’s also convenient, because most of the ingredients that go into the homemade flea repellants are ones that you usually keep in your refrigerator or kitchen pantry.
The best part about homemade flea spray is that it’s nontoxic and safer to use on your dog or cat. Many of the store bought flea sprays contain toxic chemicals that your pets will end up ingesting when they lick their paws and clean their fur. Using natural ingredients can keep your mind at ease and prevent your pet from having an upset stomach, skin irritation, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.
Flea Spray Recipes
Mixing equal parts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle can be an effective and cheap flea repellant. Mist the solution onto your pet’s coat and work it in with your hands or a brush. This solution is free of fragrance and skin-irritating chemicals.
Another option, which is just as easy, is to thinly slice a couple lemons and boil one pint of distilled water. Place the lemon slices in a heat safe container and pour the boiling water over them. It’s best to prepare this solution ahead of time so it has a chance to steep overnight. To apply, use a cotton ball and dab it into the mixture and stipple you’re your pet’s fur (avoid soaking your pet). The citrus oils from the lemon will naturally repel the fleas.
Both of these recipes can be used on dogs and cats, and these treatments should be repeated every couple of days to ensure that your pet is protected. Please keep in mind that cats will be more reluctant to cooperate because of how these treatment smells and the fact that they involve wetting down the fur. However, protecting your pet from fleas, regardless of how much of a hassle it can be, can keep your home itchy and disease free.