Healthy and Green Living » Ask Annie

5 Basics for Non-Toxic Cleaning

Annie B. Bond — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:00:44 +0000

Learning to clean from scratch&#151making homemade recipes&#151can truly work if you take time to understand a bit about the chemistry behind how the materials work. Here are the five ingredients that I find to be the safest, most effective, and useful for cleaning.

Greenwashed by Simple Green? Ask Annie

Annie B. Bond — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:00:38 +0000

Dear Annie, I’ve been using Simple Green for years thinking that it is an eco-friendly product, but a friend told me recently that they thought it was not green. What is your opinion? –Sally, KY Dear Sally, Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) published the results of a study of five of the leading cleaning product companies regarding [...]

Vinegar for Hair? Ask Annie

Annie B. Bond — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:00:43 +0000

Dear Annie, I’ve read that vinegar is good as a hair rinse. Is this true? It surely is cheap enough, but why does it work? –Jenny, VA Dear Jenny, Hair rinses are meant to soften and nourish your hair and return it to its naturally acidic pH. Organic apple cider vinegar is a good rinse for the [...]

Is Your Indoor Air Clean? Take the Quiz

Annie B. Bond — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:23 +0000

Dear Annie, I am new to being concerned about indoor air pollution but I am pregnant and want to make sure I have a healthy home. How can I begin? –Alice, CA Dear Alice, Great! You are doing just the right thing for yourself and your baby. Why not take this new quiz: Think your home’s air is [...]

Your Axe Makes Me Sick

Annie B. Bond — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:00:10 +0000

Dear Annie, My boyfriend uses a lot of Axe products, including the Axe Shower Gel body wash and cleanser, and Axe Deodorant Stick. I can’t stand the smell and have gotten so sensitive to it I now can pick it up on guys at work. How do I get them to stop using it without causing [...]

BPA-Free Bottled Water Delivery? Ask Annie

Annie B. Bond — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:55 +0000

Dear Annie, A bunch of us at the office are talking about the fact that the #7 water bottle in the office water cooler isn’t the best option to avoid BPA and pthalates. Alhambra and Arrowhead both use #7 bottles (and clean and reuse, which makes them even worse for us!). We don’t have a sink [...]

Safely Peel Paint Off a Porch? Ask Annie

Annie B. Bond — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:00:18 +0000

Dear Annie, I just wanted to know if you could help me. I have wood, which is painted, and over that it has been sprayed with an aerosol can of metallic paint (it’s already flaking) was wondering if you had any ideas of completely removing these paints. I don’t really want to use paint stripper, something [...]

Is Durum Wheat Whole? Ask Annie

Annie B. Bond — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:00:52 +0000

Dear Annie, I always buy whole wheat noodles and I was looking at the ingredients and one package said it had “100 Percent Durum Wheat,” and the other said “100 Percent Whole Wheat.” What is the difference between the two, and which one is better for you? Thank you for your time. –Debra, MS Hi Debra, Even though [...]

Safe Baby Mattress on a Budget? Ask Annie

Annie B. Bond — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:00:18 +0000

Dear Annie, I am pregnant with my second child, and as much as I want to buy an organic wool mattress for my new baby, I can’t afford it. I bought a mattress and am outgassing it on the porch, hoping that all the smells will be gone. Is that OK? –Sara, NY Dear Sara, It is great [...]

How to Refresh Sweaters and Comforters? Ask Annie

Annie B. Bond — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:00:04 +0000

Dear Annie, I’d rather not wash all of our sweaters and comforters, having just taken them out of storage, but they have a stale smell. What do you suggest?–Sally, WI Dear Sally, There is nothing like a good shake, sun, and lots of fresh air for comforters and sweaters. I like to hang mine on the line on [...]