Top things for a mindful home

[Munki'sMom]

I'm new and trying to make my house healthy. Where do I begin? Can you please tell me the top things I can do now without spending lots of money.

I open our windows often (we live in country) and have lots of live plants. Thank you

[dillonandmarasmom]

Not sure if you've thought about this, but I move furniture away from walls about once a month to make sure no dust or mold is hiding out.
Do you keep your kitchen table open (no clutter)? I find this very calming.

[EnviroBecca]

As you use up each type of cleaning product, replace it with a healthier one: either a simple cleaner like vinegar or baking soda, or a plant-based cleaner like Seventh Generation or Ecos brand.

As you run low on a disposable product, consider replacing it with something reusable. If you can't do that, look for a healthier version, for example paper products made of recycled paper and not bleached with chlorine.

As you make your shopping list, think about the foods that have a lot of packaging. (These usually are expensive and not so healthy, as well as wasteful.) Instead of those, could you buy ingredients for something you can make yourself? Maybe you could make a big batch and store some for later, to make it just as convenient as the ready-made stuff.

[mosesface]

you will probably find that as you incorporate one new thing or habit, another one will present itself.

for example, if you do as the pp suggested and begin replacing your cleaning products with healthy alternatives (personally, i don't have anything in my house i can't clean with vinegar and baking soda), you'll get the hang of it and maybe decide to change or make your own laundry detergent.

and as you're doing laundry you may find some old shirts that need to be recycled and decide to make napkins and cleaning rags (my dh's tattered long sleeve shirts make 4 perfectly matched napkins or two lovely dish towels and his old t-shirts make countless rags).

and as you make the rags and napkins you may decide you'd like to have a clothes line instead of using the dryer.

for me, opportunities to make my home a lovlier, healthier, more nurturing place present themselves all the time. it's difficult to do a COMPLETE overhaul of your home management, but it's not too hard to do one thing at a time and stay open to where that one step might lead.

[jlpumkin]

I started doing as pps have mentioned about a year ago, and still keep finding new easy things to add or change. It feels like we're taking it pretty slow, but if we look back at things before we really have come a long way!

I'm now totally stealing the idea of recycling dhs old shirts. He likes to pack them away, can't part with a thing... but if they are still around we might be in business!

[Sustainer]

Originally Posted by EnviroBecca

As you use up each type of cleaning product, replace it with a healthier one: either a simple cleaner like vinegar or baking soda, or a plant-based cleaner like Seventh Generation or Ecos brand.

:

[Leylla]

1st, I love 7th Generation. I actually use their apple dishsoap as a shampoo since it'd strip anything, but it's still very gentle on hands! (I have super greasy hair)

We have 3 bins. 1) To be used as rags, 2) Goodwill, and 3) Project material. This might be quilt squares, spare fabric for baby clothes, making curtains for a doll house, etc. Anything too nice to be rags. (minus t-shirts. those are automaticall rags)

I also try to buy used. From clothes, appliances, furniture, etc. I am the WORST about picking up furniture off the side of the road and trying to fix it. Somethings cannot be bought used, (food for one) and then I try to balance cost w/ eco-friendliness w/ nutrition. For instance, it's worth me buying the Annie's mac-n-Cheese b/c they don't have PHOs. It's worth me spending $0.20 cents more for eggs in a cardboard crate than in styrofoam. You just kind of have to have your own balance.

Steph

[MommyErin]

Originally Posted by mosesface

for me, opportunities to make my home a lovlier, healthier, more nurturing place present themselves all the time. it's difficult to do a COMPLETE overhaul of your home management, but it's not too hard to do one thing at a time and stay open to where that one step might lead.

This is excellent advice. One thing does lead to another.

I started with my cleaning supplies, moved on to making my own laundry detergent, replacing body care products, and decluttering. We use cloth napkins but still use TP and paper towels, so I started buying these at Trader Joe's since theirs are 100% recycled and chlorine free.

I think making the commitment is the first step. Then as you need to replace disposable things in your home, do it with better stuff.

Good luck. It gets easier every day. And more fun too!

[maybemom05]

There are some great suggestions on this thread!!

I'm relatively new at this too, but the one thing that started me rolling on a mindfull home kick was making a commitment to reduce/eliminate my use of plastic shopping bags. I keep a few canvas tote bags on hand for trips to the store - some in the house, and some in the car for when I forget

It's cut way down on bag clutter and my local grocery store gives a small credit if you use your own bag. Bags can be purchased cheaply online or can be found at a local thrift shop.

[AngelBee]

:

[cilantromapuche]

for me it has been about getting organized. I too started with replacing plastic bags and cleaners. then i focused on getting rid of things and replacing plastics in the household.Now I am working on eating locally.

[cupofjojo]

I love some of these ideas. I'm fairly new to this as well.

I too have replaced all my toxic cleaning supplies with biodegradeable, non toxic, or vinegar & baking soda as well. I did get a steam cleaner and this works wonders on my floors and windows and I don't need anything but water to clean with it.

I love the idea of watching how items are packed. I started buying things in a bulk section of a store and purchased glass 2 quart mason jars that I can keep flour, sugar, etc. The glass looks really nice, and never gets a plastic smell.

I've noticed that making the home more healthy has also made our eating choices more healthy.

We make all of our own juice. We know what is and what isn't in it. I know for sure there is no sugar or added color. We've made more and more steps to better our eating choices; especially adding more fruits and veggies and lowering sugar and salt intake. Our change in eating has been a step by step process as well. 9 years ago we used to not pay attention to labels at all, now we are much more label aware and have moved into about a 50 / 50 organics household.

[Gumby]

Not sure if you can do this, but compost? It frees up a lot of room (and smell) in the garbage, thus you use less plastic, take up less landfill space, etc.

Even if it means just throwing old bread to the birds or an apple core in the back of the yard. Again, not sure if you live in a place where you can do this.

Another thing: combine errands. Set aside some car-free days if possible. This doesn't affect your home necessarily...your wallet maybe.

And as pp said, buying local, eating local is very helpful to the environment as well. As is buying used.

Of the three R's I am constantly reminding myself that Reducing is the most important step. If you reduce, then you don't even have to worry as much about the other two. I recently (and finally) bought some handkerchiefs and cut up some old shirts for cloth tp. Turns out, it's more pleasant on my skin. I buy mason jars at thrift stores and use them when I to the store for buying bulk items: rice, pasta, quinoa, nuts, beans, etc. Less plastic! And easy storage in the pantry as well. I've even been known to take my own tupperware to restaurants when I know I'll be bringing food home.

I agree, I think mosesface makes a very good point about being open.

Good for you!!

[cupofjojo]

Originally Posted by BrittanySmiles

Another thing: combine errands. Set aside some car-free days if possible. This doesn't affect your home necessarily...your wallet maybe.

It is amazing how much this saves me! I started combining errands. I buy a big grocery order every other week, and do produce/dairy every week. In good weather on my produce/dairy run I can ride my bike - putting DS in the trailer along with my totes of goods. If I need anything else from the grocery store, I have my DH pick it up on his way home from work.

Our stores are about 15 miles away so when I go its about 2 gallons of gas. Since limiting my shopping to minimal trips I have started saving $15-25 a week. With an extra $60-100 a week I can do more organics.

I use freecycle a lot to reduce and give things away, and to request things before I need to go out and buy them.

[kytheria]

The easiest thing I did was removing electronics from my bedroom and replacing my clock with a wind-up model. I have read several articles about "electromagnetic stress" from anything that conducts energy. I don't know for certain how dangerous, if at all, it is, but I do know I sleep much better with no electronics nearby. My bedroom is a restful place now.

I switched to simple cleaners like vinegar and baking soda as I used up my old products. I actually find cleaning more fun now.

I ditched the stinky plastic shower curtain and got a cotton one like this: http://store.greenfeet.com/itemMatri...ode=2002-01630 I should have realized sooner how toxic the plastic ones are just by the smell that comes off a new one. :

I bought a lambswool duster from Target. It was about $7 and it picks up dust when you think there's none. It's that good. When it gets filthy it's easy to wash with just a bit of soapy water and it dries quickly. It's far superior to any feather duster I've ever used. My daughter calls our duster Fuzzy.

I second the suggestions for using cloth bags and buying used. Learning to reuse what you already have can be intimidating at first, but after a while it becomes fun. You're constantly wanting to top your last big idea.

We recently ditched the nasty Teflon cookware and bought enamel clad cast iron. It's similar to Le Creuset but the brand I bought (on ebay) was only $74 for the full set. With care it will last a lifetime. (I bought new after scouring thrifts and sales for over a year trying for used. Ah well.)

Buying locally is a big deal for us. We're on a very tight budget so eating organic foods from the store isn't always possible for us. Lots of local farmers use organic growing methods but aren't certified, so the produce isn't marked up. We're able to get fresh locally grown organic fruits and veggies, a double whammy , for an excellent price.

Toy swaps, book swaps, libraries... all are great resources. Use them if you have them.

Cloth menstrual pads or cups are a healthy, frugal alternative to disposable products.

If there are any Quaker groups near you, ask them for suggestions. They can point you to local resources, ad they have excellent mindful living tips. I've learned a lot from them.

And I agree with the pp's who said take it a step at a time. What seems radical now (cloth tp anyone?) may not seem so strange once you've taken the first steps into mindfulness.

[p.s]

be grateful and think positively

[Munki'sMom]

Thank you thank you! I'm energized to get this ball rolling!

[mossimo12]

:

Great ideas. I just started with cloth TP (my husband was so excited about this, he has been wantin to do this for over a year!) and now I'm waiting for my husband to go through his t-shirts so I can make more rags to use in lieu of paper towels.

Sarah

[Marvelleaux]

I'm totally on the "get rid of cleaning products" bandwagon.

Last year we bought a house with wood floors and I went online to find out what the best cleaning product to use on them was. I found a website dedicated to cleaning (and it wasn't even a natural living website!) and the advice given was to not use cleaning products at all--they just crap everything up, leaving a residue that makes it necessary to clean more often in addition to destroying the finish on most floor types and furniture. So I stopped using cleaning products and I swear, my house has never looked/smelled better and boy is it cheaper!