Earth Friendly Products

tika

my biggest cleaning products in my cupboard are baking soda and vinger white and dark and citus juce such as lemon or orange

Jonesy

I try to use as meany natural products as possible. I have a concern for the enviroment and don't like using chemicals especially when most of the time there are natural products which will do the same thing and cost me less.

kathy

I try to stay away from most chemical based products around my home and also on myself and my children,nature has so many answers to all our needs so there is no reason to use products filled with harmful chemicals when you can get the same if not better results using products of mother nature :]

Kiwi chick

I use baking soda sprinkled on a damp cloth for cleaning showers, baths, and basins. Better than than powder or creme scourers as there is no residue as it dissolves in water. For tougher jobs you can use equal parts vinegar and baking soda. Microfibre cloths are great as well.
Diluted vinegar is also good on food and perspiration stains. I keep a jar by the washing machine and dip the affected part in before throwing into the wash.

Anonymous

I try to use natural products and lately I've been trying to make my own. I'm just looking into dishwashing powder. It doesn't always gets the tea stains out but neither does the normal powder sometimes. I also use cloths with water for baby wipes at home on my daughter. It can't be good rubbing any kind of chemical on little baby bottoms! I try to just use olive or almond oil for nappy cream and if she has a few spots or redness I'll pop on some weleda cream and she'll be perfect for the next change. We also use modern cloth nappies and only wash them in cold water with an eco store wash, which actually works better than others. Then in the final rinse I pop a few drops of tea tree or lavender. They always come out smelling lovely!

Anonymous

You don't need to buy expensive products with earth friendly labels. there are effective earth-friendly products such as vinegar and baking soda that are going to break the bank.

Anonymous

Good on you Pop! There have been a couple of books published in the past few years about cleaning green and even a tv show with plenty of helpful information on using basic pantry ingredients and maybe some pantihose or an old tea-towel - I'm sure the book sold very well, just can't think of it at the moment.

Bazza

I am concerned with the use of heavy chemicals like 1080 to control possums in this country, its killing our native bird species, fish in our rivers and every other animal that resides in our bushland/waterways.

Anonymous

I have just recently gotten back into earth friendly products. I was put off for a while because I had a bad reaction to an earth friendly laundry powder, and the dissenfectant and shower cleaner I brought did nothing - especially when I'm used to using bleach-based products! But I think the manufacturers noticed and the products seem to be getting better and better and now I'm using all earth friendly again and this time there are no reactions and they are working like they need to!

Anonymous

You could do one better and use Enjo or other cleaning cloths like Sabco from Big W to clean instead of any sort of cleaners - and good old bicarb-soda on a rag does wonders.

suzieq

I always like to use earth friendly products, where possible. Insect sprays are banned in my house as my son has autism and finds the odours offensive, so we use the good old fly swat for pesky insects. I try to take spiders back outside where they should be, but can't be as merciful when it comes to cockroaches. If we all cut back on chemicals it might make some positives to our ozone layer.

Bazza

I always like to use earth friendly products, where possible. Insect sprays are banned in my house as my son has autism and finds the odours offensive, so we use the good old fly swat for pesky...

I have found that there is one spider in NZ that is causing great concern and it's putting people in hospital,it's bite has been known to kill humans, it's the dredded whitetail spider, there is no natural preditor of this spider and some chemicals don't work either, except squashing them lol,anyone have some idea to help keep them at bay??

NORTHY

well, i agree on some of the points, but, where i am coming from all the poo/ha ,the stand up cockahoop , by the billionaers , silly barnett , every one is missing the point , a very dangerous point . did any of you go to school, did you do geography , did you study australia and its ARTESIAN WELLS , ARTESSIAN RIVERS , BELOW THE SURFACE ,obviously none of you have, nor has barnett , silly fool, and did you know the nullabore is full of artesian basins , and that stupid twiggy , i would of loved to knock his teeth out the other day . when all these so called people who care for us FINISH DIGGING , USING THE WORST CHEMICALS IN THERE SEARCH FOR GOLD GAS ,IRON ORE , THEY GOING TO LIVE IN EUROPE WHILE WE , OUR GRANDKIDS DIE OF POISON , LARGE HOLES , FILTH , CHEMICALS LEFT BEHIND , WHOSE GOING TO FILL THE HOLES , GET RID OF THE CHEMICALS , WHILE PEOPLE ARE DYING ALLOVER OUR COUNTRY , BECAUSE ALL THE IDIOTS , LIKE TWIGGY , ABBOT , BARNETT , AND ALLTHE CROOKS FROM OVERSEAS THAT ARE STEALING OUR RESOURCES , TAKEN OUR MONEY TO THERE COUNTRY , WE ARE LEFT WITH THE CLEAN , NOW FOR ALL THE MUGGS, THATS WHY WE NEED TO CHARGE EXTRA TAX , HIT THEM HARD , OR ELSE WE ALL SUFFER , YOU DO NOT BELIEVE ME , YOU LIVE IN THE LAND OF FAIRIES , YOU WAIT AND SEE , IT WILL HAPPEN ,

Norbie

I always use only earth friendly products or I find products on the internet that will not cause any harm to anything.

ChrisSB

Hi karlenesoh
ChrisSB here again, We seem to be living on an Anthill !! I use commercial Ant kill granuals, which work for a while, but as soon as they get wet they stop working ! Also I want to be more Pro-Earth in my approaches to my life and other activities. I've tried boiling water down the holes but that is not really effective, also we have a 1 acre property so it is also time consuming. Do you have any products in your line that I could try, or do you have any other solutions that I could try. Thanks...ChrisSB

ChrisSB

we try to as earth friendly as possible, we have recently installed a Biolytix waste water treatment system that handles all of our grey water including sewerage waste and distributes the treated water, sub-surface, to our garden; thus reducing alot of our water intake from the scheme. We buy Earth friendly products from a major supermarket, but we haven't yet found a product to use in our dish-washer that effectively cleans dishes and glassware to our complete satisfaction. Do you have any recomendations for us ??
Cheers !!ChrisSB

Anonymous

we try to as earth friendly as possible, we have recently installed a Biolytix waste water treatment system that handles all of our grey water including sewerage waste and distributes the treated...

Sounds like you might benefit from Neways products, Chris SB

Cam

There are plenty of products out there that you can buy that do not contain any harmful chemicals. Not only are you doing your self a favour, you're helping the environment

terribrown

I try to have a few chemicals as possible around the house. i recently came across a great natural weed killer for paths etc.
Disolve 1 cup of salt into 1 litre of vinegar. (the cheapest salt and vinegar will do)
Allow to cool and add a dash of dishwashing liquid.
Into a spray bottle and spray on weeds.
You can almost see the weeds dying as you spray.
Great to use if there are young children or pets around.
Digging out Bindiis by hand also is the only effective and safe way to do this. Just an old kitchen knife slipped under each weed does the trick and I find doing it at the beginning of the bindii season keeps them away all year.

susie2702

Karlenesoh I use many natural products but have not come up with anything successful for weedkiller, do you by any chance have a solutuion to this?

Bazza

Karlenesoh I use many natural products but have not come up with anything successful for weedkiller, do you by any chance have a solutuion to this?

salt mixed with lime usually does the trick

terribrown

Karlenesoh I use many natural products but have not come up with anything successful for weedkiller, do you by any chance have a solutuion to this?

terribrown says: I try to have a few chemicals as possible around the house. i recently came across a great natural weed killer for paths etc.
Disolve 1 cup of salt into 1 litre of vinegar. (the cheapest salt and vinegar will do)
Allow to cool and add a dash of dishwashing liquid.
Into a spray bottle and spray on weeds.
You can almost see the weeds dying as you spray.
Great to use if there are young children or pets around.
Digging out Bindiis by hand also is the only effective and safe way to do this. Just an old kitchen knife slipped under each weed does the trick and I find doing it at the beginning of the bindii season keeps them away all year

Mrs Goddard

Karlenesoh I use many natural products but have not come up with anything successful for weedkiller, do you by any chance have a solutuion to this?

The best that I can suggest is boiling water/steam. I had a hand-held steam unit (it came free with my steam mop) that could be used to shoot steam at weeds - it worked a treat (until I broke the unit! LOL).

My father-in-law pours boiling water on weeds, although this probably won't work so well if you're trying to kill a few weeds in amongst a garden bed full of desirable plants (but that's where the hoe or weeding fork come in to play).

turkeyknees

i only use natural products myself as its a small way that i can do my bit.

sylvester

I only use natural products. You can notice in gardens where people use strong weedkillers/insecticides etc and those that don't. The natural gardeners maintain a balance and bees, birds and butterflies abound, frogs too. I read an article that said the number of bees has dropped dramatically and if all the bees died off there'd be worldwide famine within 4 years.

Lynsha

I try to use as many natural products as I can, having had an asthmatic in our family I look to what our grandparents were using to see if that would be beneficial and in many instances it was. I also try to companion plant in the garden to eleminate chemicals again. Have recently had tomato's grown the old fashioned way "no chemicals" and the taste was just superb - it seems to me that all the onus for not using earth destroying is on the householder and not on big business - to me they are the one who use more chemicals than the ordinary person. Goverment make a big deal about this, yet do nothing to stop the corporate giants

Barb

I try to use as many natural products as I can, having had an asthmatic in our family I look to what our grandparents were using to see if that would be beneficial and in many instances it was. I...

That is fantastic that you have really put some thought into what is beneficial for the environment. I grew up on a farm whereby everything we ate was freshly picked from the garden, eggs were from our own chickens, my dad even milked his own goats and sold the milk. Nowadays we have a small garden with my kids out the back. We are growing beans, lettuce, eggplants and tomatoes and pumpkins. The kids are loving the process.
If you are looking for using natural products, our family uses Amway cleaning products...You can go online and check it out. The other dish washing liquid which is also quite good is all the Earth products...Not only do they smell great but they are made from natural ingredients and are not harsh on our animals.
Enyo ( Hope I spelled it right) but they are expensive!

Hope I've been helpful.
Barbxxx

Bazza

I try to use as many natural products as I can, having had an asthmatic in our family I look to what our grandparents were using to see if that would be beneficial and in many instances it was. I...

if you plant marigolds in amongst your veges that usually keeps pests at bay

karlenesoh

Thank you Karlenesoh, I would appreciate checking out the websites, apart from learning new ideas, maybe I can also save some 'hard earned' dollars at the same time. Have a Happy & Safe Easter.

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Lynsha

You are so right if the government does something about the corporate giant and made them become natural and earth friendly it would cut back on the chemicals destroying the earth, I am trying to...

Thank you Karlenesoh, I would appreciate checking out the websites, apart from learning new ideas, maybe I can also save some 'hard earned' dollars at the same time. Have a Happy & Safe Easter.

karlenesoh

I try to use as many natural products as I can, having had an asthmatic in our family I look to what our grandparents were using to see if that would be beneficial and in many instances it was. I...

You are so right if the government does something about the corporate giant and made them become natural and earth friendly it would cut back on the chemicals destroying the earth, I am trying to do my part with my business selling only earth friendly why can't more businesses follow along and do whats right. Then we get on the subject of the home grown food well the taste is absolutely unbelievable who would have guessed that using chemicals would destroy the beautiful taste that comes with fruit and vegetables, I will never use chemicals again there are so many ways to go about not using chemicals and I have a few websites up my sleeve that I use to make stuff that doesn't hurt the earth, Feel free to ask me if you want a couple of links to get more earth friendly ideas.