Toxic Confusion...

On this journey of discovering more natural alternatives to everything, there are some things that I find totally beyond my level of intelligence. One of these is trying to decipher what is natural and non-toxic to myself and to the environment. No matter how much I Google or Wiki, if it involves a bit of science then I'm stumped.

Toiletries...

My Mum has bought a new hand wash after far too many comments from her eco-daughter. Why anybody would want to wash their hands with something that is not only a garish luminous green, but looks like it belongs in a hospital and bears the paradoxical name 'Carex', is beyond me. She has now got a lovely pear shaped bottle of 'Method, Sweet Water, Hand Wash', which displays it's econess with the words:

• Naturally derived
• Non toxic
• We're against animal testing (We'll so you should be, this is not the 80's!)

Now the bottle is of course recyclable ('recycle always' on the label), so minimal brownie points there, but it's always the list of ingredients that, to me is like reading Mandarin (I studied it for a year a long time ago) I get a few bits and pieces, like I know what Sodium is (of course) and Citric Acid... but the rest, it could all be the main ingredients for bomb making and I wouldn't have a clue!

As always, ingredient number one is Aqua, or water as it is commonly known where I come from. Then second on the list comes our partner in crime 'Sodium Lauryl Sulphate'.

Now even after reading the Wikipedia definitions of both Sodium Lauryl and Laureth Sulphate, I'm none the wiser. It does say on the Laureth definition:

"The Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA) and the American Cancer Society have stated that the common belief that SLES is a carcinogen is an urban legend, a view confirmed by toxicology research by the OSHA, NTP, and IARC. SLES and SLS, and subsequently the products containing them, have been found to contain parts-per-thousand to parts-per-million levels of 1,4-dioxane, with the recommendation that these levels be monitored. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers 1,4-dioxane to be a probable human carcinogen (having observed an increased incidence of cancer in controlled animal studies, but not in epidemiological studies of workers using the compound), and a known irritant (with a no-observed-adverse-effects level of 400 milligrams per cubic meter). While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration encourages manufacturers to remove this contaminant, it is not currently required by federal law."

So is it or isn't it toxic? Is it just toxic for our bodies, or is it toxic for the environment? Either way, I'm not taking my chances and I want to move on to totally natural products, not even the ones that come in a plastic bottle, more like ones that come directly from a tree... in a perfect world.

So do I forgo washing my hands at other people houses? I do I carry a little pot of shikakai with me everywhere I go?

(By the way Mum, your doing a good job, I know it's hard to break habits and even harder when you are bullied into it!)

Laundry... 

On the subject of 'Growing on trees', I found this post from a fellow Blogger, who I linked to in my Soap Nuts post ... a great set of tips on how to grow your own Soap Nuts.

Then received in the post today is my Mums sample of Soap Nuts, generously purchased by eco-daughter herself here. I will have great pleasure, for once, getting involved (briefly) in the copious amounts of washing that gets done in this house.

Medication... 

ThinkTank

I don't really like to take medication unless I really need to. I prefer to go down the alternative path for most things, but I won't put myself at risk to prove a point. I put my hands up and admit that even after a totally natural birth plan that started in the drug free birthing unit, I ended up after 30 hours and complications, being trolleyed up to the maternity ward, completely exhausted, to be administered Pethidine and booked in for an emergency epidural (which thankfully never happened).

Even over the last few days of back pain, I gave in after day 2 and started taking Ibruprofen, because my Mum told me that after countless years of pain, she has found it to be true that 'coping' makes things worse and using pain relief helps long term because you are not limiting your movements, which in turn seizes your muscles up.

In India, I have in the past had many traditional Ayurvedic massages. When my back plays up I have found great relief from Shiatsu, Acupuncture, Aromatherapy and Magnotherapy and have rarely had to resort to Allopathic medicine. Here in the UK, I just cannot afford to go down this route at £35 per session for Acupuncture. I do appreciate that in some areas, alternative medicines and therapies are funded by the NHS, but only for long term treatments and by referral from your GP. 

Dentistry... 

Jiva Dental

This morning I had my 6 month check up at the dentist. I actually enjoy going to the dentist because he is from the same area of Kerala that my husbands family is from, so we always have a lot to talk about and he is always very gentle when it comes to cleaning and injections.

So this got me thinking about how green is the dentist?

"Many aspects of “green dentistry” exist: the architecture of a dental practice, energy sources, clinical and administrative technology, materials used for treatment, and more. For an existing practice, moving toward “green” slowly may be the best option. The existing practice can go paperless, use digital x-ray, stop using mercury altogether, and install energy-efficient windows to flood the interior with natural light. Indoor plants, an air filtration system, and a commitment to reduce office waste (recycle!) are simple changes that don’t cost much"

Dentalblogs

• The main eco point seems to revolve around the x-rays. Digital Radiology eliminates photochemical waste, radiation and lead components.
• Chemiclave solutions for cleaning along with bleach cleaners are considered hazardous waste and should be replaced with eco alternatives.
• Oil-free air compressors should replace those using oil.
• Paperless administration is a simple way to go green.

More information can be found here and here.

There are some dentists following this path, for example Jiva Dental in Kingston, Surrey. There's even an Eco-Dentistry Association in California. So next time you pop in for your check up, ask your friendly tooth doctor 'How green are you?'

And no, I'm not about to have my dental treatment administered without pain relief in the form of Local Anesthetic, until they offer me hypnotherapy or half a bottle of gin, that is!

Did you know some patients have brain surgery done without being under general anesthetic?

***

So, as they say in the eco-world, I'm taking 'baby-steps' to a more non-toxic future, but like most of us just starting out on this journey, I'm no eco-goddess, well not just yet anyway. I do however make a conscious effort to be mindful in my everyday life, research my options and take the eco-route, wherever I find one.

Natural Cleaning the 'Naked' Guide...

 

In June of 2000, the World Health Organization warned that antibacterial products directly contribute to the rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Bacteria and viruses, are naturally, everywhere we go. We can’t escape them and we shouldn’t want to…

Our bodies produce antibodies in response to exposure to bacteria. Those antibodies protect us in the future from the same germs. If there were no exposure to bacteria and viruses, how would we make antibodies?

Babies who are exposed to bacteria and viruses at an early age produce antibodies quicker than babies who are kept in virtually sterile environments. You only have to look at the increase in ‘sick’ babies over the years. Allergies, food intolerances; every ‘yummy mummies’ little precious has something wrong with them these days. What happened to all of the snotty nosed, knee scraped, mucky faced scallywags running around in the mud?

While staying germ-free can prevent the spread of disease and infections, leading a cleanlier lifestyle may be responsible for an increase in allergies among children.

“It’s called the hygiene hypothesis,” says Marc McMorris, M.D, a pediatric allergist at the University of Michigan Health System.

“We’ve developed a cleanlier lifestyle, and our bodies no longer need to fight germs as much as they did in the past. As a result, the immune system has shifted away from fighting infection to developing more allergic tendencies.” 

 'Science Daily'

So what is the answer?

Well the usual one that keeps coming up … lets go back to basics and take advice from the elders. Clean naturally. 

My ‘funda’ is: 

If it looks clean and it smells clean, then it probably is clean and if it isn’t it probably doesn’t matter anyway. So if you are on a mission to save the world from toxins, chemicals, pollution and plastic, then here is my basic guide to:

'Naked Cleaning'…

Most of the research I have done has brought results in the form of a million recipes for a million different things to clean. Now I get a bit impatient when it comes to recipes and my mind starts to wander. By the time the idea of logic has briefly entered my head I overload and end up sitting down for a cup of tea instead…

So simple and natural cleaning is all about understanding the ingredients and how they perform. If you know the basic chemistry of the product, then your common sense will lead you in the right direction without the need for a measuring jug...

So in no particular order, they are...

Lemon...

  
The number one in natural fruity freshness…
The citric acid in lemon juice makes it perfect for natural bleaching, disinfecting, deodourising and cutting through grease. Take a cut and squeezed leftover lemon, sprinkle it with bicarbonate of soda and use it to clean just about anything. Rinse the surface after a few minutes with a clean wet cloth.

Vinegar...

White distilled vinegar is mildly acidic and leaves no odour behind.
Use to shine windows, wiping away with scrunched up newspaper. As a fabric softener, one cup in the rinse cycle. To clean mineral and lime deposits from taps and ceramics, mix a paste of vinegar and bicarb, leave for a few minutes to work then rinse off thoroughly. Vinegar and water in a spray bottle makes a fantastic deodoriser spray. Vinegar on a damp cloth is great for dusting. Be careful not to use vinegar on marble surfaces.

Bicarbonate of Soda...

(aka baking soda/powder = bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar/sodium bicarbonate)

Bicarbonate of soda is an alkaline, abrasive and a great deodoriser – it doesn’t just absorb odours but it also neutralises them as well, making it a great cleaner for the refrigerator. Shake and Vac carpets to remove nasty smells. For tea and coffee tannin stains, scrub with a little bicarb paste.

Olive oil...

Just the simple cheap stuff. Of course oil has great moisturising properties, so it makes a wonderful furniture polish. Mix with a little lemon juice or vinegar and buff on with a soft clean cloth. Use olive oil to keep your wicker baskets supple and your hands soft after all that washing up (no fairies round here!)

Salt...

Multi purpose cleaner, naturally anti bacterial, stain remover and abrasive. It’s also incredibly cheap.

Borax...

Borax, or sodium borate, is a naturally occurring alkaline mineral. It isn't toxic and it's safe for the environment. It cleans, deodorizes, disinfects and softens water. Used mainly for laundry it beats 'Daz' on whiteness. Be careful as it can irritate skin and of course don't eat it.

Castile Soap...

Made exclusively from vegetable oils, it should be 100% olive oil to be classed as ‘Castile’. It lathers up for use in washing up, washing and cleaning, in fact use it for just about anything that needs a good clean or heavy duty degreasing. Grating it makes it easier to use.

Water...

Don’t for get the main ingredient for cleaning. Cold water is best for anything stained, warm water helps to lather up soap, boiling water will kill all the nasties and make you a nice cup of tea too.

Weather...

Sunshine naturally kills off dust mites and mould and air-drying in good weather is quick and gives your laundry that wonderful sunny smell.

Plants...

Produce oxygen and purify the air from toxins. Top purifiers are Philodendrons, Spider plants, Palms, Ferns and Dracaenas.

Essential oils...

It is simple to choose your oils by how you feel when you smell each one. Fresh fruity citrus fragrances are good for cleaning, try lemon, lemongrass, orange or grapefruit. Medicinal fragrances are good for naturally disinfecting: rosemary, lavender, tea tree. Add to vinegar and water and spray on shower curtains and other mildew prone areas for a natural fungicide. Never underestimate the power of pure essential oils and always check the properties before use. Do not use undiluted and avoid contact with skin or plastics when neat.

Flowers...

The perfect finish to a good days spring-cleaning. Fresh flowers will make it all seem worthwhile. If you can pick them from you own garden or get someone else to buy them, then consider yourself extremely lucky!

Time...

A very often forgotten ingredient for cleaning. The 'power' of natural cleaning products, needs a little more time to work compared to commercial products. This gives you a well deserved few minutes to sit down, guilt free and savour your tea…

***

Thank you for the beautiful images...
(lemon)(cleaning kit)(vinegar)(bicarb)(borax)(washing line)(oil)(water)(salt)(soap)(essential oil)(plants)(tea)

Cleaning Baskets in the Sun (or Shade)...

As you may already gather from this post, I have a big love of baskets. Our flat at the moment, with the weather getting colder, is becoming quite a haven for mould. No it's not very nice and yes, I know it's not at all good for our health. But we're off, so I don't really loose much sleep over it. The problem is though, apart from the teabags and flour I had in the cupboards going mouldy (sorry I couldn't offer you a cup of Peppermint tea Mum!), all my baskets have taken on a light tinge of green!

I couldn't live without my baskets (well I'm sure I could really) to contain all the silly clutter that flutters around my life. I absolutely love anything that can be classed in the 'Things to Put Things In' catergory... I like my surfaces clear and easy to clean, so for me the basket is the epiphany of clutter containment.

I thought I'd have a go at cleaning them, since they will be going on the 'by sea' journey to India. I'm not sure how long they will last in the monsoon humidity, but they may as well come along for the ride instead of going up in the loft.

The wonderful Rhonda Jean wrote a post a while back on just this subject and the lovely Julie (Oh bugger, you wern't on my blogroll... why isn't my google reader updating my list properly?), wrote a post about how she transformed her baskets in one of her super duper 'Doing/Making/Garden/Dinner' frenzies. (Simple Days she calls them!)

So with a little help...

...we collected up the mouldy baskets and using a little antibacterial, supposedly 'natural' washing up liquid from Sainsburys, (a little dig there because I thought I was buying eco, no more eco than 'Herbal Essences'!) we scrubbed and showered them down (I wasn't about to get the cold hosepipe out in this weather). Now the next step is to leave them to dry in the sun for a few days... yeah right! As the weather here is not quite as predictable as one would hope and the only patch of sun I could find in our little yard was a bit too high up to string up my basket collection, I settled for the cold shade.


So when they do finally dry, I will take an old cloth and rub them over with some Olive Oil to give them a new lease of life, fill them with beautiful things and post them off to India to meet me in the sun...

Washing Powder Doesn't Grow on Trees...

(Thanks Saheli)

I just realised that I don't know how we will wash our clothes in India. The usual laundry method will result in lovely fresh pressed clothes at a bargain price, but not exactly on the eco path of ours. Washing powders along with everything else are largely sold in never ending sizes of plastic sachet which unfortunately often end up blowing around in the breeze before they float down the river. So with the chemicals they contain and the plastic they come in, a natural substitute had to be found...

Soap nuts! Sapindus...

(from Pasadena Housewife)

I discovered the most natural washing product in the world, whilst writing this post. So I guess with a bit of asking around at the local dukaan, I should be able to source some. Maybe I should give them a go before hand and try doing some washing in a bucket!

Back up to the claims of a miracle laundry product can be found at:

* Revolutionary laundry soap product grows on trees, replaces laundry detergent

with eco-friendly solution

* Soap Nuts: a Review

* In a Soap Nut Shell... Clean Your Laundry and Your Concience!

Oh and I'm glad I decided to give the nopooing a go before we leave...

I just washed my hair with a mix of 2 parts Shikakai, 1 part Amla and 1 part Neem... I don't really like the way my hair feels, maybe I didn't wash it out enough, maybe because I made the paste a bit thicker this time. I'll give it another go with a runnier mix and wash it out more thoroughly next time. If my hair still feels icky then I'll try without neem, then without amla.

Amla is said to make your hair lose it's red tones, which is a good thing for me because I'm trying to grow out all the chemicals I've saturated my hair with in the past, leaving it a bit coppery. So the more brown the better.

Neem is said to leave a slight tinge of green on fairer hair, which is quite scary, so I hope to God I don't end up looking like an Oompa loompa

I really was impressed by the Shikakai, so I will be sticking to it.  I heard screams from the bathroom last night when my husband realised I had given away our shampoo and conditioner!

I feel cleansed in every way now!

Shikakai Shine...

(Indian Beauty Secrets)

I mentioned in this post about using Shikakai as a natural shampoo. I was going to wait until I'd used up the last of the Body Shop bottles before I gave it a go...

 

It has to be said that I am very impatient. 

So I thought that now we are leaving anyway, I may as well give away my 'Sodium Lauryl Sulphate' and get used to using the shikakai before I go. I went to the local Indian supermarket and started scouring the hair products, finding only a 'Shikakai Hair Soap' in a bar, by several different brands, all of which had no list of ingredients. I wasn't too sure about the soap, so I asked for help from an assistant. She ran all over the shop and came back to me with a packet of shikakai powder, only 99p.

I picked up a little steel dabba to store my treasure in an exitedly went home.

We spent Friday night at my Mums so Angel and I got to have a bath, something I really miss. So we both tried it out together.

I used about a tablespoon of the powder with a little water and massaged it in. It's not soapy, in fact it doesn't lather at all and it feels a bit grainy like exfoliating your scalp. I left it on for about 2 minutes and then rinsed it out.

As soon as I started to rinse I knew it had worked a miracle! Because my hair is quite long I wear it up all the time, even in bed, so it gets very tangled. I only wash it about twice a week so the knots are a usually a mess. When the shikakai washed out my hair felt incredibly soft.

Brushing it through was easier than usual and it dried completely straight (I usually have a slight wave) My hair has truthfully never been this good. I'm sure it looks thicker and it just feels beautiful. 

I never use shampoo on my daughters hair so she was a bit unsure of the scratchy head massage at first and hated the rinsing, but it was well worth it because her curls are looking lovely now.

So thats me hooked... 100% natural, pure and has a low pH that doesn't strip you hair of it's natural oils.

I'll probably use it twice a week and see how things go from there. I may try the soap bar too if I can find out what's in it. Whilst looking for a list of ingredients, I found this thread, which is extremely informative with regards to Indian herbal hair care. 

From here on I'm will endeavor to join the 'nopooers' of the world...

***

Second nopoo last night, my hair still feels wonderful! I used it on my face and body this time, like an exfoliating scrub...wonderful! 

I'm going to get some Neem powder and Amla powder too as I have read they are also great for hair. Neem is a 'miracle' of nature, having a list of medicinal properties longer than a sari. Amla, Indian gooseberry is a natural conditioner, so mixed with the shikakai it should make my hair look and feel even more beautiful. 

Neem has been used in India for thousands of years to clean teeth. Simplicity and sustainability in a stick!

(Thanks Helga)

As you can probably tell by now, I have found the answer to all sorts of problems I constantly battle against... The miracle powder for instant beauty, instant decluttering, instant anti-consumerism, instant traveling light and instant happiness!!!

A-Z of Homemaking...

Inspired by Lizzie's Homeworld and My Life Makeover Journey ...

A ~Aprons--y/n If y, what does your fav. look like?
No! 

I'm not afraid to get dirty and I don't even own any 'nice' clothes, in fact all my clothes fit into a Waitrose posh jute shopping bag. Except the jeans and underwear, I live (and I'll probably die!) in jeans. They are perfect for every occasion, hot or cold and they don't look bad when they're dirty either! Hmmm... I'm changing the question to Jeans y/n? Can I live without them? 

No!

B ~ Baking--Favorite thing to bake?
Well I've only just got back into baking since my cheffing days, see this for proof! So I guess I'll say simple loaf cakes... The Angel likes to help...

C ~ Clothes line?
Most definitely, fresh air is free!

D ~ Donuts--Have you ever made them?
No, I'm not really into sugary things... give me chocolate cake instead

E ~ Everyday--One homemaking thing you do everyday?
Wash up, wash up, wash up, I spend my life washing up!

A very unusual sight for me...

F ~ Freezer--Do you have a separate deep freeze?
No, I don't have a house to put it in. I won't have one in India because power cuts are too common.

G ~ Garbage Disposer?
I think this questionnaire started in the US! Sometime in the 80's they came to the UK for posh people with bidets in the bathroom. 

H ~ Handbook--What is your favourite homemaking resource?
Definitely the internet, you can know anything at any time.

I ~ Ironing--Love it or Hate it? Or hate it but love the results?
Hate it but love the results... I bought an iron for £5 when we moved in, I've never used it yet. In India we get our washing done by the Dhobi and they give it back ironed to perfection, it's wonderful and cheap! I do however love handwashing clothes outside next to the well in the sun.

J ~ Junk Drawer--y/n? Where is it?
Oh yes, a nasty one in the kitchen full of hammers and string and horrible things. Baskets of stuff are my trademark, for bits and bobs.

K ~ Kitchen--color and decorating scheme.
This is my dream...

L ~ Love--what is your favorite part of homemaking?
The satisfaction at the end, whether washing up, cleaning, laundry or cooking. That I have done it myself for my family.

M ~ Mop--y/n?
Hardly ever... One thing about working in a kitchen with mainly males is you tend to wipe everything off the surface onto the floor, then the cleaner comes along at the end of the day with the huge industrial cleaning machine and it's spotless for you to mess up the next day... the habit has stuck with me.  But I do hoover nearly every day and mop if I'm having an obsessive compulsive day once in a blue moon.

N ~ Nylons, machine or hand wash?
You what?! I think they mean tights and I wear them if I'm cold and fancy wearing my denim skirt and brown boots. Chucked in with the rest of the washing. No special treatment from me.

O ~ Oven--do you use the window or open the oven to check?
That's a bit silly because I don't have a window, I guess I'd open the door.

P ~ Pizza--What do you put on yours?
Vegetables, peppers, sweetcorn, mushrooms, onions, olives, chilis, and goats cheese and fresh rocket on top... dribble!

Q ~ Quiet--What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
Sit down and stay quiet so I don't wake her up! Usually I'm on the internet...

R ~ Recipe Card Box--y/n? What does it look like?
My mum has one from the 70's in a cupboard somewhere, waste of time really they never get used. I use the internet and a couple of nice books.

Style of house--What style is your house?
In my head it looks a bit like this...

T ~ Tablecloths or Placemats?
That's funny I was just thinking about that this morning!

We have some horrible Argos placemats that have got wet around the edges and bubbled. Only because our table belongs to the landlord, if I had a table it would be natural, wooden and waxed.  I love old tables that show memories of family dinners and friends for coffee, letters written and paintings painted... in other words covered in knocks and scratches and stains! We saved one table from my husbands restaurant and 4 wrought iron chairs he designed and had made. It's a reminder of those days, the friends and the happy times we spent around it. I painted the chairs brown and recovered them. It's now in storage in Kerala... waiting!

In the restaurant...

At home...

U ~ Under the kitchen sink--organized or toxic wasteland?
Wow, it's a disgrace, not my fault, I just can't get it to scrub up nicely.  It's mouldy and musty, full of odd bits like boxes of tiles and I just throw things in on top! Becoming less toxic as I move towards natural cleaning products... see scrubbers!

V ~ Vacuum--How many times per week?
Hoover... nearly every day, always covered in dropped food. It was new (cream) when we moved in, I'll have to hire a carpet cleaner when we leave!

W ~ Wash--How many loads of laundry do you do per week?
1 or 2, my husband has a uniform and I'm not a clean freak for clothes or linen.

X's--Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?
List?! Cross off?! If I remember it I may do it or I may not, it depends how I feel.

Y ~ Yard--y/n? Who does what?
Yes we have a 'yard', and I do everything in it. I drink coffee, grow vegetables, hang washing, play and paddle in the pool. My husband is in charge of putting out the rubbish which he sometimes/often forgets to do. We have a very large wheeliebin and only use one bin bag a week, everything else gets recycled.

ZZZ's--what is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
Turn off lights, check taps aren't dripping, check doors are locked, glass of water for bed.

Scrubbers!

 

I spend most of my time washing up...or so it seems!

I have found that this has been where most of my wonderings have occurred too.

Whilst working towards purging our life of all the nasty unnatural things in our home one of the main concerns I have are chemical laden, detergents and toiletries.  Simple you may say, don't use them. Well I don't want to, but what is the best way to dispose of chemicals you already have?

1) When we moved in to our home a few months ago, there was already about 10 different bottles of cleaning products including bleach, all purpose cleaner, window cleaner, bathroom cleaner, kitchen cleaner, carpet cleaner x2, washing powder, liquid hand soap and bug spray!

2)  When we moved, my mum gave me about 10 litres of washing liquid detergent and 10 litres of fabric conditioner.

3)  I used to be a Body Shop consultant for a couple of months.  (I didn't really agree with how dramatically the ethics of the company changed after Anita died, so I stopped doing it.  They held regular competitions for consultants and the last one included winning extremely expensive designer diamond jewellery and a trip to 'sparkle like the stars' in Monte Carlo...not really an image I would want to have a part in promoting, what happened to Community Trade ?  I would have liked to ask them where the diamonds came from... anyway rant rant!)

Hence I still have quite a few bottles of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel left over from those days.

So what should I do?  I'm not in a position financially to just get rid of them or give them away.  Beggars can't be choosers as they say. Anyway, whether I pour them down the sink or give them to someone else, they still end up in the place we don't want them to be.  They have been paid for already, so the companies producing them know there is a demand for their products already...they will keep making more, regardless of whether I use them or not. So I just have to plough through them until they are gone!

Easy you may say but every second they are sitting there in my cupboards, I feel I am a liar and a cheat...what kind of eco warrior are you with all that chemical crap polluting your cupboard real estate?

Sometimes I find myself giving the bathroom sink an extra squirt, just to rid my stuff sooner...Hmmm that's not being frugal now, is it?

I use those awful spongy scrubber things for washing up pots and pans, only 14p from Tesco's for 5.  I'm sure they can't be any good for the environment.  In India my father in law uses a soap bar, a coconut husk and a lemon...wonderful!  With the price of lemons and coconuts and the air miles to get them here that's not very ecological or economical, so I've been trying to come up with a better option.

Ideas....on natural cleaning.

* Thank you Crazy Mumma for this idea, a pot scourer knitted from garden twine.  Brilliant idea, get the knitting needles clicking!!

* Soapnuts,  (Sapindus) I just found this blog entry, sounds interesting!  I'll look into it more.

* My husband always goes on about some white beans they use in Kerala for washing with, skin and hair that is.  Googled it and found this blog about ayurveda.

* Another hair care product I have heard of in India is Shikakai, it means "fruit for hair" and is a traditional shampoo used in India. It is made from Acacia concinna, a shrub native to the warm, plains of central and south India.