It would be easier for us to give advice is we knew why you are "having to 'green' my household".

What is the goal you have? How do you define "green"

That ambiguous term 'greening', in today's jargon, means the elimination of substances known or suspected to be harmful to ingest, inhale, absorb. Pesticides are just the tip of the iceberg, unfortunately.

I have developed an acute sensitivity to neurotoxins and other chemicals that overload liver function.

I am even looking for products as simple as soaps that won't dry my skin like a pine cone! I am resigned to trying cleaning agents of various kinds until I find products that work reasonably well, but have hopes that there are others out there who have been forced to go this route and can help lead me down (up!) this path.

Does that make more sense?

Most modern cleaning products, including those intended to clean skin and hair are made from detergents. They may be wonderful for cleaning your house, but they're far too harsh for using on yourself. I wear plastic gloves for everything now, even washing plates because my skin drys out, cracks and hurts if I don't. When I clean myself I use soap. Not the solid detergent bars people call soap these days, I mean the traditional soap made from fats. It's mostly glycerine and it takes off the dirt without stripping the skin.

There is very little difference between floor cleaner and modern shampo, and detergent based hand washes are similar to washing liquid. The personal products just contain oils and silicone to coat the skin/hair so you don't instantly feel the damage they cause.

Kind of like after your dye your hair, it feels amazing, even better than before you dyed it. But then a few days and a few washes later you'll notice it doesn't feel or look very nice any more, in fact it's in horrible condition. Most personal products rely on the same "wreck it and coat it in oil/silicone so the consumer doesn't notice" technology.

It's amazing what you can do with vinegar and baking soda! Separatly and by scrubbing with soda and following up with vinegar to foam the bad stuff away.
Making your own soap can be a good idea too....without perfume of course!
Ah, the side effects of being an arborist and working with lots of pesticides and fungicides. You are not the first one I have heard this happening to. A friend who owned a green house/florist's shop had it happen to her.
Also watch what you are eating. I have an awful timew ith some food additives. I never eat canned soups or flavor packets of any sort, no sliced "lunch meat" things, no hamburger helper, no dry salad mixes etc.
I hope you get a handle on this soon!
Linda C

Rhizo -- I agree with Lindac -- its amazing what you can do with vinegar and baking soda.
Also you may want to check out a steam cleaner -- because its amazing what you can do with just really hot water.
I try to use "eco" brands -- things like Ecover, Seventh Generation and the like. To see whats out there -- you can check out the Natural Store on Drugstore.com. I think Method is another good brand, and many formulas come in unscented.
Do you live in a house or an apartment? The reason I ask -- if you live in a house, its a good time to green your garden as well.
That's how I moved to low/no chemicals inside the house, by going organic in the garden. There's even a forum on organic gardening on the Gardening Web!

Like previous posters I use vinegar & soda. It does a good job (I use it on all drains once a month too,) I paste of of soda & peroxide removes stains on tub, sinks, etc.

I also make window cleaner: 1/4 c. alcohol, a drop of liguid dish soap, a tsp. of cream of tarter & water in a spray bottle a really fine job. IMO Miracle Cloths are great. (Got a bundle of them at WalMart for $5.)

Suzi

I use soda crystals a lot, they're cheap, ecologically sound and do a lot of things around the house. The chances of being allergic to them are low, but they do dry out skin so I wear gloves.

Washing up liquid is also a good all purpose cleaner. I use the cheap stuff since it works just as well and doesn't gas you with strong chemical scents. I think you could clean your entire house with this stuff. It does floors, walls, surfaces, baths/tiles, windows, and it has even worked ok down the toilet the times I've run out of toilet cleaner.

I'm more sensitive to fumes then to chemicals. My poor cleaning lady gets frustrated with all my less fume requests, but I don't like spray cleaners or pine cleaners (ech!) Instead of Pledge or other dusting sprays, we use those magnetic dust cloths. If you dust & vacuum regularly, one of those cloths can go a long way. I use lemon oil with a soft cloth on my wood every 2 months. Do a search on Google for household cleaning recipes or buy a box of borax and you will get many cleaning recipes that are less toxic. Baking soda, vinegar, and Dr. Bronner's soap are all good healthy alternatives. Real lemon juice, and lavendar oil can make your house smell sweet and are natural.

Know where you are coming from rhizo.
I use a perfume free and filler free clothes washing powder produced by an environmental group (but sold at the regular shops). No bleach. Vinegar as a rinse and softener.
I have, after several itchy years of trial and error found the one shampoo I can use on an ongoing basis (I always avoid anything with that pearly sheen as a starting point).
Soap free body wash with a puff. Never use a soap anymore as it makes my hands itch and crack- I especially avoid the type with disinfectants in them as they make may hands extra chapped.
A perfume free moisturiser- I ask for trial sizes and experimented until I hit the jackpot.
Around the house- enjo (microfibre clothes and mop) and water. That's all.
Vaccum -I NEVER even considered bagless as the dust then become airborne when you empty the vaccum- which is terrible for asthmatics like me. I bought a Miele with a filter.

Hope you get on top of things soon.
Em

I also really like Method. Melaleuca brands may be good also, However you have to find a melaleuca representative to order the products.
If you have natural food stores or co-ops near you I would visit them. They have so many natural products for you home. They are more expensive than other products but that is the only drawback

-renee

Rhizo, I hope things are better ---- I had to do the same thing last year for an allergy to formaldyhde --- before you laugh too much, know it's in everything! Here's what has worked for me:

Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap for washing dishes, hand laundry, hands, hair (only followed by a vinegar rinse), floors and woodwork.

Trader Joe's eco laundry detergent + borax for really dirty loads.

Kirk's Hardwater Castile soap for face + body.

Vinegar + water + a little bit of essential oil (I use rosemary or mint) in a spray bottle for counter clean ups.

Baking soda and water to scrub out sinks, tubs, teacups, etc.

Now, I do miss harsh stuff when I'm trying to scrub out the tub, so sometimes I use Bar Keeper's Friend. I also use regular dishwasher detergent.

Hope this helps. if you need to use natural shampoos and stuff, I have had great luck with Aubrey Organics (I buy it online). Also, any book by the woman called the Queen of Clean (just Google that) has good green tips.

svryn wrote: Melaleuca brands may be good also, However you have to find a melaleuca representative to order the products.

My sister in law became a rep. so she could buy the products. She only has one customer, herself but she swears my the products.

Katy

Thank you, all. Your tips have been most helpful. I have found it surpringly easy to rid my household of the products that I know are problems for me. Now, if only I could get all of the places I visit to do the same, lol! Pesticides, chemical fumes (formaldehyde, etc.) and other irritants galore!!!!