I’ve used the chair for 10 months now, snuggling up with my baby before bedtime.  Last week I noticed the cover had a few stains on it so it was time to peel it off and wash it.  Not only did it have the normal dirty fingerprints but it also had dried milk from spilled bottles and denim rub off from my new jeans.  I’d like to think that I would wash my slipcovers every month or so but let’s face it – not at the top of my ‘to do’ list.  So it had been a few months and I was worried those stains weren’t coming out.

I hosed the slipcover down with my new favorite stain remover, poured some chlorine-free bleach in for good measure and threw it in the wash on cold.

Not bad for Round 1 – all the fingerprints and blue jean stains came out. It was the milk that didn’t come out, something I didn’t expect.

On Round 2, I followed the same steps with the stain remover on the milk only, a couple ounces of chlorine-free bleach but I used warm water this time. 

And it worked.  Perfectly white slipcover again.

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Or not. I’d be happy if stains just stayed away permanently.

Months ago I almost never had problems with stains.  My girlfriend asked me, “ how is that even possible with two kids”?  I figured it was some “eating with good manners” skill I’ve taught them, making me a stellar parent. Unfortunately, I’m not the amazing parent I imagined. For more than one reason.

So the answer is….my daughter, who is now 4, is old enough to eat (mostly) without spills. And at the time, my son was 6 months old and just starting solid foods so there were few spills.  We were a stain free household and proud of it.  But like they say, “pride comes before a fall” and now that my son is eating finger foods, he’s a mess!  And so are his clothes.

I had some Dreft Stain Remover on hand so I used it and it worked fine but I wanted something a little more eco-friendly.  Toys R Us had a sample of BabyGanics Stain, Stain, Go Away and after dousing shirt after shirt with it – I’m a believer. When it took a coffee stain out of a white shirt that had been sitting in my laundry bin for over a month – I was SOLD. I bought a big bottle and it’s gloriously stored right on my washing machine for daily use.

So ladies, what do you use to get stains out?

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Until recently, I had no idea that Bon Ami carried multiple cleaning products.  I’ve used their Polishing Cleanser for years and like I said here, it’s a great safe alternative to Comet or Ajax.   It’s extremely affordable – just over $1 per can.

I’ve been using their other cleaning products for about a month and they are just as good as my favorite Polishing Cleanser (now called Powder Cleanser). In fact, I was actually disappointed when my first bottle of the All-Purpose Cleaner ran out.  It cleans well, has no soapy residue, doesn’t leave any film on my black granite counters and has no smell ( a big plus to me ).

Their Liquid Cleanser is similar to their powdered Polishing Cleanser but easier to use on surfaces like shower walls and tubs.  I’ve been using it in my porcelain kitchen sink because I’m out of the Powder Cleanser and it works just as well.  Tough on cleaning but super gentle.  Gentle enough to use on stainless steel and porcelain without scratching. The consistency is similar to Soft Scrub – so if you’re a Soft Scrub kind of girl – make the switch to Bon Ami Liquid Cleanser – it’s non-toxic and works just as well!

Bon Ami uses safe, simple ingredients that you can pronounce like baking soda, limestone and feldspar – all ingredients in their original formula made in 1886.  They don’t smell fake because they use essential oils for fragrance.

The company has totally updated all their packaging but it’s still got a great classic and clean look (I’m a sucker for cute packaging).  All the cleaning products are also bottled in recycled and recyclable packaging.  Unlike many other green cleaners, Bon Ami is also priced comparably to conventional brands – from just over $1 to $3.99.   You can buy online or find a local retailer.

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With the exception of detergents, my laundry routine was eco-friendly before I even wanted to be eco-friendly.

WASHING

I sort all the laundry into piles in the following order:

1. Adult or child
2. White, dark or color
3. Gentle or Heavy

While the sorting in itself isn’t all that eco-friendly, I do make sure that the piles are large enough to fill up the washer. No use in running half a load. If they aren’t, I’ll combine piles to make a load big enough.

I wash almost everything in COLD water. It saves $$ and energy and IT WORKS. Promise. The only things I wash in hot water are sheets, towels and anything with poop on it (thank you to my kiddos).

I use eco-friendly detergents like Seventh Generation or Earth Friendly Products. I don’t add fabric softener to the cycle but if you wanted to, Seventh Generation makes an eco-friendly version. I rarely use stain removers or bleach and if I do, they are…you guessed it. Eco-friendly stain removers or bleach. If I think something might be stained, I wash it at least once or twice to see if it will come out on its own. It generally does. If it won’t, I will use a stain remover, like BabyGanics or an eco-friendly bleach like Seventh Generation and voila – almost everything comes out.  We do occasionally having a clothing casualty but it’s rare.

DRYING

Almost all clothing gets thrown directly into the dryer for 10 – 20 minutes of light drying, enough to take out the excess water and wrinkles. I never use fabric softener sheets. Then I hang *almost everything* on a drying rack or on a hanger. I consider this to be the most important part of my laundry routine for several reasons:

• I rarely have to iron since everything is dried hanging and comes out wrinkle free.
• Clothes don’t shrink. Believe me, I’ve compared brand new dried in the dryer pants to brand new dried on the hanging rack pants and there was a whole size difference.
• Far less wear and tear. Colors don’t fade. Dark blue jeans stay dark blue. The fibers don’t get as ruffled and worn looking.
• There is no static cling.
• We save tons of energy and less wear and tear on our dryer.

I’m not going to lie, this does take more time than just throwing everything in the dryer but seriously, most of our clothes are wrinkle free and I could pass down my kids clothes for years because they stay in such great shape. I’ve even had friends comment on what great condition their clothes are in.

For sheets and towels, I use Seventh Generation Fabric Softener sheets. They are paper so once they are used, I can recycle them – LOVE THAT! I also dry sheets and towels in the dryer all the way. If I had the space for a laundry line outside, I would definitely put them on the line outside. The sunshine dries whites whiter!

There you have it – my laundry routine. Not as simple as most but has lots of great benefits! What is YOUR laundry routine?

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Home Depot

• 120 Gallon E-Composter with Base $49.97
• 57 Gallon Ruscany Rainwater Barrel $98
• 4×4 Raised Garden Bed Kit $29
• Ortho Ecosense Lawn Weed Killer $10
• 64 oz Ecosmart Home Pest Control $8.99
• BOGO All Organic Veggie, Herb and Flower Seed Packets
• Solar LED Walk Lights $3.88
• Martha Stewart Cleaning Products $3.98
• Honewell Programmable Thermostat $29.98
• Lutron Skylark Eco-Dim 600 Watt Dimmer $22.88
• TCP 14 Watt Soft White CFL Bulb $1.97

Target

• GE Energy Smart CFL light bulb $5
• Seventh Generation Dish Soap $2.49
• Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent $12.99
• Waterpik EcoFlow Showerhead $25

Fred Meyer

• Fiskars 48 gallon Rain Barrel $89
• Eco-Friendly Hoses $9.99 – $34.99
• Eco Fiber Bamboo Gloves $3.99
• Rain Bird Drop Patio Plant Watering kit $23.99
• 120 Gallon E-Composter $34.99
• 1  Gallon Kitchen Compost Carrier $16.99
• Easy Go Eco-Friendly Multi-Purpose Cart $26.99
• Concord Black Solar Light $4.99
• Earthwise Corded Electric String Trimmer $24.99
• Eartwise 3-in-1 Cordless Lawn Mower $289
• G-Oil 2 Cycle Engine Oil $5.99
• G Bar & Chain Oil $9.99
• Herbs in Pots 2 for $3
• Organic Veggies or Tomatoes in Pots 4 for $9
• All Seventh Generation Products 30% OFF

For Earth Day only freebies, check here.

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We had a little visit from 4 firefighters tonight.  Our carbon monoxide detector was going off so we called the fire department and asked them to stop by. The good news is that everything was fine – no carbon monoxide in our house. It turns out that our carbon monoxide detector was about 5 years old and ready to be replaced.  While they were here, they suggested we make a few changes with our carbon monoxide installation because ours wasn’t installed properly.  We only had 1 installed (in our 2 story house) and it was on the ceiling upstairs.  Review these three tips to make sure your family is protected properly:

1. install a carbon monoxide detector on each floor of your house
2. install carbon monoxide detectors at the floor level and preferably near a furnace vent
3. replace every 5 years or more frequently – regardless of whether or not it says it lasts longer

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Several months ago, I read about Eco Mist Solutions but it had not yet been released in to the U.S. for sale.  They have a line of home products, professional products, and industrial products that are non-toxic and eco-friendly.  What I particularly was interested in was their non-traditional cleaning products – those that typically don’t come in ‘non-toxic’ versions like patio furniture cleaner, deck wash, BBQ grill cleaner, and LCD cleaner. 

Fortunately, I was able to get a couple bottles to test out while I was waiting and I’m happy to say that I really like the two products I’ve used:

Eco Mist Solutions LCD Plasma Cleaner - we have both LCD and plasma screens in our house and this worked on all of them.  It doesn’t streak and is odorless – I prefer odorless cleaning products.  It’s made with sugarcane, coconut extract and non-chlorinated water so it’s non-toxic and safe.

Eco Mist Solutions Granite and Counter - this is one of my favorite cleaning products in the house.  We have black, speckled granite counter tops in our kitchen and they show EVERYTHING ( my advice: don’t get black granite counter tops ).  I use a general cleaner every day in the kitchen and it always shows streaking.  Every couple days, I get out this Granite Cleaner and wipe down all the counter tops and there are NO streaks – they come out nice and shiny.  It’s made with non-chlorinated water, corn, tree sap, coconut extract and sugarcane.  Like all Eco Mist Solutions products, it’s scent free and non-toxic.

NOTE: The U.S. distributor does not carry the Granite and Counter cleaner but suggests: “using the All Purpose Cleaner would be a great substitute for cleaning granite top surfaces because it’s a multi-purpose cleaner for all surfaces such as – kitchens, bathrooms, appliances, fixtures, walls, floors and more.  Please ensure that it is sprayed lightly and wiped off with a damp cloth.”

WHERE TO BUY: In Canada, you can pick up Eco Mist products at Home Depot.  In the U.S., DewItGreen is the distributor.  For a 10% discount, use code MMUW04XE6RD4J by April 30, 2010.

WIN IT! 

CONTEST CLOSED.  Congratulations to Alison, Karen and Charity for winning!

 DewItGreen is generously giving 3 readers any 3 Eco Mist Solutions cleaning products they choose!

You can enter to win in any of the following ways:

• Leave a comment telling us what Eco Mist Solutions products you want to try out!
• Follow us on twitter @mommygoesgreen.
• Retweet this contest.
• Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.

Leave your comment by Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 11:59pm PST. Contest open to all U.S. residents, ages 18+. We will choose 3 winners, at random, and notify them by email. Privacy Policy.

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BonAmi is a great non-toxic alternative to Comet or Ajax.  The active ingredient in Comet is sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate, a chemical rated ‘highly toxic’ by the EPA.  

Created over 120 years ago, BonAmi is made from calcite & feldspar mineral abrasives, and biodegradable detergent.  It contains no chlorine, dye, phosphorus, or fragrance.  It’s recommended for use by those with allergies or chemical sensitivities. I use it on all of my stainless steel appliances and in my ceramic sink – it’s not abrasive so it cleans without scratching.  At just over $1 per can, it’s totally affordable.

For tips on how to use BonAmi for cleaning crystal, swimming pools, wooden decks and other items, check out the BonAmi website.

WHERE TO BUY:  BonAmi is available at grocery stores, mass retailers, hardware and health food stores.  You can search for a local retailer by state.

This post may contain affiliate links, please see my disclosure policy.

The Land of Nod and Mythic Paint – Mythic Paint is a VOC free, solvent free and carcinogen free latex paint.  In 55 colors with names like ‘Grass Stain’ and ‘Tutu’, your child can have fun picking out their next room color!  You can purchase online or at some Land of Nod locations.  4oz samples are available for $6.99 and 1 gallon cans are $44.99.

Pottery Barn Kids and Benjamin Moore Paint – Benjamin Moore’s line of VOC free paint is called ‘Natura’.  Natura is a waterborne acrylic paint that is VOC free both in the base paint and the colorant.  Natura is very low odor – I used it to paint my son’s nursery and with the window open for a day or two, the smell was gone (unlike other “low odor” paints I’ve used).  Pottern Barn Kids comes out with a new paint palette 2 times a year and you can pick up the current paint deck in their stores.  Their current spring/summer line has 15 cheery colors. You can purchase online or at Benjamin Moore stores.  8oz samples are $7.99 and 1 gallon cans are $49.99.

Restoration Hardware Baby & Child - The RH Baby & Child line of latex paint is VOC free and low odor.  Available in 6 signature colors, they perfectly match any of the bedding and decor items from Restoration Hardware.  Available in satin sheen and sold online only. 4oz samples are $4.25 and 1 gallon cans are $29.00.

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Lead is often a topic of concern in children’s toys and there are numerous recalls every year just to prove it. Lead poisoning can cause damage to the brain and kidneys.  Research has linked lead with lowered IQ in kids and high blood pressure in adults.  During pregnancy, a baby receives lead from the mother’s bones which may affect brain development.

Toys are not the only source of lead contamination.   Water, paint, dust and even candy can contain lead.  Last spring I sent a sample of our standing water to the city water bureau for lead testing.  A standing water test uses the water that has been sitting in your pipes.  

The standing water test results returned telling us that we had 2 parts per billion of lead in our drinking water. Compared to the EPA Action level of 15 parts per billion, that seemed pretty safe.  However, on further review, I found that there is NO known level of lead is considered safe.  Particularly for pregnant moms and young children – we had both in the house.

Since we had young children, the water bureau offered to perform another test of our water but this time, we did it with running water.  A running water test uses water after the faucet has been turned on for two minutes.  The results?  Non-detected!

Since then, we have been vigilant about running the water until it’s very cold and we never use warm water for the baby bottle.  We just pop the cold water in a glass bottle in the micro for a few seconds to warm it up.

To reduce your family’s exposure to lead in water, follow these tips:

• run your water for a minimum of 30 seconds up to 2 minutes until it becomes cold, if using for drinking or cooking
• ONLY use fresh, cold water for cooking and preparing baby formula
• use a water filter and make sure it reduces lead as not all filters do
• buy low-lead plumbing fixtures
• have your child’s pediatrician do a blood lead level test
• have your water tested

To have your water tested, call your local water bureau to see if they perform testing.  For residents in the Portland, Oregon Metro area, FREE testing is offered by the water bureau – take them up on it.  If your water bureau doesn’t offer testing, the National Water Council will test it for $9.97.  The NWC will test for lead along with other common contaminants.

Remember, lead doesn’t only enter our bodies through water, it can also enter through lead-based paint and contaminated dust.  Houses built before 1978 are likely to have some lead-based paint.  According to the CDC, “approximately 24 million housing units have deteriorated leaded paint and elevated levels of lead-contaminated house dust. More than 4 million of these dwellings are homes to one or more young children.”  If your house was built before 1978, make sure you stay away from any peeling paint and the phrase “don’t eat the paint chips” absolutely applies here.   If you are renovating a house built in this time period, the CDC recommends that pregnant women and children not be present.  Also, clean your children’s hands and toys frequently as they can get contaminated dust on them.  Finally, regularly wet mop floors and wet wipe all window components to remove any leaded dust.

This post may contain affiliate links, please see my disclosure policy.