Green Period, Revisited

Ladies, this is mostly a reminder prompted by the fact that it's about time to hit the pool, lake, or beach. If you didn't read my earlier post about reusable menstrual products, you can read it here. It's an overview of what's out there. I mentioned some of the advantages of reusable products (less waste in landfills, no risk of TSS, money savings), but I thought of another last week. I somehow neglected to mention "wicking" in my other post. When you wear a tampon, any moisture present outside your body wicks up the removal string. Chlorine-laden pool water, for example. A menstrual cup doesn't absorb, so there's no wicking. Just another thing to recommend the Diva Cup (or other brand of your choice).

Please see my other post for links to more information, or just search the internet.

Dapper Diapers

I impressed a friend of mine the other day. I was looking at some pictures of his new baby on Facebook when I spied a cloth diaper peeking out of Baby's onesie. Here are the comments that followed:

Me: Is that a bumGenius I see??
Friend: Why yes it is. I'm surprised (a) that you know what they are and (b) you can tell from that picture.

What can I say? I'm a cloth diaper junkie. I always get excited when I find out someone uses cloth diapers. My husband wasn't surprised when I bragged about them to my pregnant dental hygienist. He used to kid me about spending so much time on DiaperSwappers. Several people have asked me "Why do you use cloth diapers? Why don't you just buy disposables?" Here's why (in no particular order):

1. Cloth diapers are cheaper over the long run. When you use disposables, you're literally throwing money away.

2. Cloth diapers are better for the environnment. According to one site "It is estimated that roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills annually. It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone. Although some disposables are said to be biodegradable; in order for these diapers to decompose, they must be exposed to air (oxygen) and sun. Since this is highly unlikely, it can take several hundred years for the decomposition of disposables to take place, with some of the plastic material never decomposing." Also, "when flushing solids from a cloth diaper down the toilet and washing the diapers in a washing machine, the contaminated, dirty water from both toilet and washing machine go into the sewer systems where they are properly treated at wastewater plants. This treated wastewater is much more environmentally friendly than dumping untreated soiled disposable diapers into a landfill."

3. Cloth diapers are healthier for Baby. Possible health hazards due to disposable diapers include toxic shock syndrome, allergic reactions, male infertility, asthma, urinary tract infections in baby girls, and immune system and hormone system impairment.

4. Cloth diapers lead to earlier potty training because the child feels wet. The chemicals in disposables absorb so much moisture that the child never feels wet.

5. Cloth diapers are so darn cute!

Green Period

This post is mainly for the ladies. Gentleman, please share this information with your wives, sisters, daughters, etc. Feminine hygiene products are kind of a taboo topic, but here are some things you should think about if you haven't already.

There are contradictory articles about whether disposable feminine hygiene products, even tampons made entirely from cotton, contain dioxin. There's no question that tampons and disposable pads take up a lot of room in landfills. The cost of these products adds up over time. Many women get "diaper rash" from pads. Also, tampons are associated with toxic shock syndrome (TSS).

Reusable menstrual pads (aka "mama cloth") are a safe, green alternative to disposable pads. They can be made from a variety of fabrics and in different sizes and absorbencies (from liners to post-partum). Most have a snap to hold them in place, while some are "lay-in" types. Many women report that their periods are lighter and they no longer experience cramping after switching to cloth pads. If you cloth diaper and/or use family cloth, just launder your mama cloth the same way. Otherwise, you can rinse it in the sink and wash with dark towels.

For women who prefer tampons to pads, there are menstrual cups (Diva Cup, LadyCup, The Keeper, to name a few). Worn internally, menstrual cups catch your flow instead of absorbing it. You may only need to empty it 2 or 3 times a day (maybe every 2 or 3 hours) depending on how heavy your flow is. After emptying, you can rinse it or simply wipe it out, then reinsert it. Between cycles wash with hot soapy water and store it in the fabric pouch that came with it. Menstrual cups come in 2 sizes - one for women who are under 30 and have never had a child, one for women who are over 30 and/or have had a child.

Mama cloth and menstrual cups can last for years. This means far less waste for the planet and more money in your pocket. (You may be surprised at how much a pad or cup costs, but remember it will last for years. You'll pay more up front, but you'll save money over the long run.) They're also healthier for your body. You may think these products sound "gross," especially if this is the first time you've heard about them. They're no more gross than disposable products. I encourage you to seriously think about these alternatives before dismissing them.

For more information...

Green Families Search for "diva cup" and "mama cloth" for TONS of information. From fabrics to troubleshooting, these ladies discuss it all.

iHerb offers both sizes of the Diva Cup. Use the code NEM401 to save $5.

eBay offers the Diva Cup and the LadyCup.

Etsy is a great place to find mama cloth made by work-at-home moms.

Green Cleaning

A conversation I had with a friend the other day prompted me to write about green cleaning. Alex extolled the virtues of vinegar & baking soda for cleaning counters, faucets, and appliances in an earlier post. I thought I'd include some other uses for these products. I'll also mention a couple more common items that can be used for cleaning.

I hate mops. They disgust me, so I threw mine out. I have a stack of cloth diapers (Gerber flats from WalMart) that I use for cleaning floors, counters, sinks, toilets, etc. I fill my mop bucket with about a cup of vinegar per gallon of water. I wash the floor with the diapers and vinegar-water. When the water gets dirty I start over with clean water and more vinegar. There's no need to rinse. I also replace the diapers as they get dirty. Then I throw them in the washing machine.

Shake baking soda into your toilet and scrub. Add vinegar, let it foam and soak, then flush later.

You can use vinegar as a fabric softener instead of dryer sheets. Just add a cup to the rinse cycle.

Use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect your cutting board. It's used as a teeth whitener (hold one capful in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit). It also removes blood from clothing. This last tip I learned from my midwife. She should know!

Speaking of laundry, here's a recipe for detergent you might like to try. One of my good friends posted it on her blog, along with a cloth diaper laundry recipe.

Everyday Family Laundry
(Add 2 drops of essential oil for fragrance to water before adding clothes)
1 bar finely grated Fels-Naptha Soap (you may use other bar soaps such as Ivory, Castile, Zote)
1 cup Borax
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 cup of Oxygen cleaner powder, such as Oxyclean

Mix all ingredients well. It will look like yellow & white granules. Use 1 tablespoon for light, small loads & 2 tablespoons for large loads. Store in recycled, air tight containers.


Here are some websites with other tips and information:
Vinegar Kills Bacteria, Mold, and Germs
Natural Remedies for Disinfecting Your Kitchen
Vinegar Tips
More Vinegar Tips
Hydrogen Peroxide Uses
More Hydrogen Peroxide Uses
Lemon Tips

Spring cleaning

I just got done cleaning out our rental house and I was appalled by all the chemicals I used. Everything smelled like chemicals and even though everything was technically clean, I felt like we couldn't put food or things like that on the counters because then all of the chemicals would get on them.

I decided to look into greener ways to clean. We buy some green cleaning products, but I thought surely there has to be more natural ways to clean that are not harmful to us or the earth. After scouring the Internet I found the solution! Vinegar to the rescue! I found that you can add some lemon juice or essential oils to the vinegar solution to make it smell better, but I actually enjoy the vinegary smell because it smells clean to me.

I used a cloth soaked with white distilled vinegar to clean the counters and polish the faucets. If you add water to the vinegar to dilute it, you can use that to clean the refrigerator, microwave, oven, and dishwasher. If you add baking soda to make a paste, then you can use that to scour and scrub messes. Plus the baking soda helps deodorize any odors that might have built up.

I found so many uses for vinegar that I felt a little stupid. You can do so much with it! I'm now committed to finding even more ways to be green. I feel like I'm learning something new all of the time!