Everyone is thinking about the planet these days, but when it comes to this flamboyantly red and pink holiday, green gets pushed aside. Not anymore! Julia Black, assistant designer on Pure Design, offers some personal and romantic gift ideas that deliver loving greetings while still being kind to our environment.

Valentines
Leave no paper trail behind with an e card, or go for a biodegradable or recycled paper card. Give your Valentine the personal touch and make one from left over wrapping paper, wallpaper or textiles. Download our vintage-inspired printable Valentines (see the related links above) and all you have to do is include a message. If you have children, making Valentines can be a terrific craft to share, plus you can use up all the scraps lurking around from the holidays.

Flowers
If you’re one to give or receive flowers, try switching it up with tree seedlings like Flowering Dogwood, Red Maple or White Oak. Plant your tree together and watch it grow throughout the years. Not only is your tree a long-lasting romantic reminder, it’s great for the environment and future generations!

Jewellery
Think vintage. You’ll be more likely to find unique, heirloom and classic pieces. Vintage makes an eco-statement because not only are you reusing an old item, you’re investing in smaller retailers rather than the mass-produced manufacturing companies. A tremendous amount of oil is used to manufacture, deliver and distribute big-box items, so when and if you can, buy from a local store or flea market.

Chocolate
Chocolate lovers, think organic and local. Cocoa beans cultivated through friendly farming practices make a real difference. You can often find organic chocolate bars at the local grocery store. Break up the bar and make homemade bark: Simply add some dried cranberries (for a hint of the festive colour), or some hearty organic nuts.

Dinner by Candlelight
If you’re wining and dining, try doing it at home this year. Creating a romantic evening in can be more thoughtful and satisfying than going out, especially on Valentines Day.  Support our farmers by making a meal at home. Consider buying locally grown produce, organically farmed foods or a bottle of red or white from a local winery.

Regular chlorine bleach is a staple in cleaning supplies for many people.  Once I realized the toxic fumes that emit from chlorine bleach usage, I decided to ditch it from my house.  It’s banned and no longer allowed to come in my house.  Have you ever cleaned a small bathroom with bleach? It has the power to knock you out.  I was tired of feeling light headed after scrubbing my bathroom.

However, there are situations that do call for a substance like bleach, so I did have to come up with some alternatives that would work just as well but not cause my family to breathe in more toxins.  What works just as well as bleach but is more friendly to your wallet and to the environment?

Let’s find out.

• Vinegar.  Vinegar is amazing for so many things, and I use it in place of bleach for many things.  Cleaning, laundry, disinfecting, and even as an odor neutralizer.  I use white vinegar for cleaning, and buy the big jugs of vinegar at Costco.
• Hydrogen peroxide.  Believe it or not, most of the eco-friendly bleaches on the market contain mainly hydrogen peroxide.  It helps bleach whites naturally without all the nasty chemicals making their way into your clothes and our water system.  Don’t spend the extra money on the commercial eco-friendly bleaches, use hydrogen peroxide!
• Borax.  Borax is a naturally occurring mineral but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t handle it with care.  When I clean with borax, I use rubber gloves because I don’t want it absorbing directly through my skin.  You can use borax for laundry and also for cleaning.
• Baking soda.  The baking soda uses are endless.  When I wash whites, I dump a 1/2 cup of baking soda into the wash. It really helps whiten clothes!

By Allison Dick

A lot of over-the-counter cleaning products are harsh, abrasive and even potentially dangerous to your home and family. If you are concerned about risks to your health or the environment, you may want to consider using homemade, all-natural cleaning products instead. Read on for some easy-to-make and effective homemade cleaning products.

White Vinegar (Don’t use Malt!)

The queen of getting it clean, white vinegar, is mildly acidic and disinfecting. It’s great for removing calcium deposits, such as those in your humidifier. It’s also a potent grease and stain remover. You can use it to clean hard surfaces such as countertops and glass.

White Vinegar Recipes:

Dusting Spray: Combine 1 tsp olive oil and 1/2 cup of vinegar. Store in a squirt bottle or keep in a jar. Apply small amount of mixture to a soft cloth for use on your wooden furniture.

Glass/Hard Surface Cleaner: Combine 1/2 cup white vinegar with a gallon of water. Soak cloth, ring it out slightly and use on your surface. Keep a clean chore towel handy for drying.

Fabric Softener: Add 1/4 cup white vinegar to your washer’s final rinse cycle.

Pure Soap

Pure soaps, such as Castile, don’t contain any synthetic colours, scents or additives and are usually available in health and natural product stores. Pure soap is great for basic light cleaning and can be combined with a few drops of an essential oil for an added air-freshener effect.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is a great grease-cutter. When washing your dishes, add it to your water along with a pure soap. Lemon juice is also great for cutting through grease on porcelain and aluminum.

Lemon Juice Recipe:

All-Purpose Cleanser: Combine 1/2 cup of pure soap, such as Castile, with one gallon of hot water and 1/4 cup of lemon juice.

Salt

Salt is a great basic scrub that will give you extra cleaning power. Great for smaller jobs like removing tea stains from the inside of cups or cleaning out the coffee pot. Just fill pot with ice-cubes, pour in some salt and swirl.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is another effective scrub and a gentler alternative to salt. You can also place an open box in your fridge and freezer to help eliminate odors.

Recipes for Baking Soda:

Bathroom Tub and Tile Cleaner: Soak a firm bristle brush in a good all-purpose cleaner. Then add baking soda for extra cleaning power. You can also clean grout by combining one part water and three parts baking soda to make a scrub.

Sink Scrub: Combine equal amounts of salt and baking soda to make a scrub for your kitchen sink.

Rich City has started this blog to spread information on office cleaning and supplies that can bring awareness to new cleaning techniques, new benefits of innovative products and also emphasize green initiatives. I hope you read my blogs and provide feedback and suggestions to keep my blog relevant and fresh. I would like to thank you for visiting my site and I hope I can be of service to your firm one day.

Thanks,

Nirmal