“Who are you and what have you done with my sister?” That was my sister Laurie’s response when I told her I had been cleaning all the surfaces in my house. I’m not a fan of cleaning. In fact, I have a fabulous company that comes to my house regularly and cleans with environmentally friendly products. However, at the Healthy Living Expo last month I purchased some eco-friendly, high quality microfiber cleaning cloths that work brilliantly with just water and leave nothing behind. It started with an innocent swipe on my refrigerator shelf and that was so easy I cleaned the whole refrigerator. I was so stunned at how quickly they worked that I kept cleaning things just to test the cloths. Mirrors, stainless steel, windows, counters – rinse, wipe, done. It was like a magic trick.

“Even small changes can measurably reduce your family’s daily exposure to health- damaging chemicals,” says Rick Smith, Ph. D., Canadian environmentalist, in our Spring Greening article [page 28]. Green TV host and Fresh Living author Sara Snow advises “formulating products at home using staple pantry ingredients, including distilled white vinegar for disinfecting, baking soda for scouring, liquid castile soap for sudsing, lemon juice for degreasing and olive oil for polishing.” I now have a spray bottle with water and some lemon essential oil for when I want that fresh clean scent while using my cloths.

Smith also recommends avoiding antibacterial products containing triclosan, which proliferates antibiotic-resistant bacteria that prolong and exacerbate illnesses. Triclosan is also found in many personal products such as deodorant and is a known thyroid inhibitor. In my experience, natural deodorants can be hit or miss, but fortunately I also found a fantastic natural deodorant at the expo that keeps me smelling lemongrass fresh all day.

To celebrate Earth Day this issue features Nature’s Wisdom: Its Lessons Inspire, Heal and Sustain Us. Find easy ways to detox a house in our healing ways column. Home-Grown Organic Made Easy shares 10 time-saving tips for a healthy garden. Explore what trees teach us about life. This Earth Day, consider what small changes you might make in your home that can green your home and enhance your health.

Happy Earth Day!

Kris Urquhart, Publisher