Still working on catching up on all the questions and comments posted on my Green Living Q&A blog. Got a lot done this week...

To celebrate Easter coming up this Sunday, I've also included a links to my article on coloring eggs with natural dyes, and a sugar-free natural chocolate.

Lots more coming next week...

Debra :-)

HEALTH, HOME & HABITAT #78 ~ 3 April 2007

* NATURAL EASTER
* GREEN LIVING Q&A BLOG: new Q&As / new comments on previous Q&As
* CLASSIFIED ADS

If the links don't work on this newsletter, you can view it online at http://www.dld123.com/newsletter/newsletterupdateback.html

Health, Home & Habitat Back Issue (tables of contents)
Search the Back Issues
Other newsletters by Debra

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

NATURAL EASTER

Easter is time for Easter baskets filled with treats and colored eggs. Here are some tips for making your own naturally.

For Easter baskets, choose a basket made from a natural material without glossy paint or finish, and filling made from paper. If you have a paper shredder for your home office that makes long shreads, you can recycle your paper shreds for basket filling. Or simple cut thin strips of paper with scissors, rather than using plastic shreads.

Choose treats for your baskets from the natural food store rather than the supermarket easter candy section. Or make your own Easter treats. Make chocolate Easter eggs using my recipe for Magic Disappearing Chocolate Fudge.

I love to color eggs with natural food dyes because the colors are so beautiful (and grape juice even sparkles!). Read my instructions at Coloring Springtime Eggs With Natural Dyes.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

GREEN LIVING Q&A BLOG

Here are the questions and new comments posted through this morning. Remember, you are welcome to share your own comments and experience in response to any of these questions, and post questions of your own.

To read and comment on more questions posted previously go to Green Living Q&A blog.

I also am available Monday through Friday, from 10 am to 4 pm eastern time to answer your questions immediately and personally with a paid telephone consultation.

NEW COMMENTS ON PAST QUESTIONS:

* copper & soapstone cookware has response about cracks in soapstone cookware from greenfeet.com

* How to minimize risk from swimming in chlorinated pool. has a source for unscented magnesium lotion

* How To Repel Ants So They Don't Come Back
* Using a Clothes Line
* Non-Toxic Mascara Recommendation?
* Tooth Soap
* Offgassing From Silicone Bakeware
* Dairy Replacements
* leather couch offgassing
* Good alternatives for freezer bags?
* Faux Wood Paneling
* Plastic Baby Bottles
* Insecticides in Delivery Trucks?
* mold in bathrooms
* water filter confusion- help!
* MAAS metal polish

Looking for help with a few recipes for natural products you make at home

I wonder if anyone could tell me where I can buy pure Castile soap powder? I'm trying to make laundry soap to give as gifts to friends but I can only find liquid and my recipe calls for powder.

Also, I'm looking for a recipe for dishwasher powder, deodorant and toothpaste I can make. I have a recipe but am looking for others that may be better. I've been trying to stop using chemicals in my home for a few years now and I'm doing well.

The dishwasher powder recipe I have left the glasses with white on them, so I've had to use 7 generation. I did hear that if you get white on your glasses you need to increase the water temperature in the dishwasher. I'm not able to do that with young children still at home.

The toothpaste recipe I have is OK but not good enough yet to switch the children to it. Any ideas?

As for the deodorant, my recipe is a citrus spray and I would like to experiment with another recipe.

Read the answer...

Safe self tanners?

I recently read an article in Alive magazine (a Canadian publication that promotes healthy living) that states that using a self-tanning lotion is preferable to baking in the sun. I can see why baking in the sun might not be a good idea, but is there such a thing as a safe self-tanning lotion?

Read the answer...

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

What is in these sponges that make them absolutely wonderful to clean dirty sinks, refrigerator door handles and places you can't get clean with normal cleansers. It is almost scary to use them--especially since they deteriorate the longer you use them. Just wanted to know--don't want to poison my household.

Read the answer...

Is it really organic?

What is the difference between a fabric product (cotton, linen, wool, etc.) that states it is 100% organic and 100% certified organic. Is there any difference between these labels and if so what is the difference. I keep seeing things that claim to be 100% organic and others that claim to be 100% certified organic and I'm not sure if one is better than the other. Any help on clarifying these terms is very much appreciated. Thank you.

P.S. I just love your website. It's so informative and helpful. Keep up the great work!

DM
PENNSYLVANIA, USA

Read the answer...

MCS Support Group

Hi Debra,

I want to start a support group for chemical sensitive, and people with food allergies, in the Chicago area. Do I need to have a license of any sort? I just want to inform people about chemicals, and convince them , that medicating is not the way to go. Any information would be helpful.
Thanks,
Denise

PS. We would be interested in paying your way, so that you can come speak at some point!

Read the answer... NEEDS READER COMMENTS

Pain Free

Dear Debra,

About 5 years ago I my feet were in such pain, I could hardly walk. One day I was to go shopping in the mall with my daughters, and I had to tell them to go ahead and I would sit in the book store and look at books. I love looking at the natural health books.

Well, that day I found the Pain Free book you mentioned in your March 20 news letter, and saw that it actually talked about sore feet. I started the exercises that day, and it has literally changed my life.

I did the foot exercises first, and noticed that many of my other pains were going away. I come from a family with a lot of arthritis, and I was taking glucosamine , but have quit taking it, and I have never felt better.

I am 57 years old, and I walk better than I did when I was 30, and I do not take anything for pain any more. If I get a new pain I just do the exercise for that particular pain.

I recommend the book to everyone I know that is in pain. I also have read all the books that Pete Egoscue has written. I especially like Pain Free for Women. Now I usually do the maintenance exercises which only take about 20 minutes a day.

Read the answer...

Has Bon Ami Changed?

I wanted to ask you a question about Bon Ami.

I have multiple chemistry sensitivity since a solvent exposure at work about 9 years ago. About 6 years ago I discovered Bon Ami and have used it to clean everything--dishes, bathroom, sinks, etc., and just loved it. It cleaned well and everything looked nice and I NEVER had a reaction to it. It was nice and benign.

About 1 year ago or so, the product seemed to change. I contacted the Bon Ami ombudsman, and I have her emails, assuring me that the can changed, to state ""easier rinsing"" and calling itself a slightly different name, cleanser or something, but it was still the same product, unchanged from before.

I have tried unsuccessfully to use Bon Ami for many months since then. It seems to have some other chemical in it (the ""easier rinsing"" part?) and a slight smell. If I use it, it actually looks different, does not clean as well, and I am very ill the next day (""sick,"" like when I am around chemicals--headache, etc.).

I was wondering if you have found this excellent cleaner to have changed?

Thank you for taking the time.

I would really like to use the OLD Bon Ami again, I just loved it! Hopefully IF they have added or changed something, they can be persuaded to take it out again and make their excellent product the same as it was. I loved it and was well on my way to buying over 300 cans a year, but now can hardly use it.

Thank you so much in advance for any info you may have.

Read the answer...

Healthy Breathing Success

I was so happy to hear you talk about Dr. Buteyko in your March 20 newsletter.

I wanted to let you know that my son used this technique for his asthma and was cured. He's a teenager and like all teenagers he's inconsistent, therefore, his asthma returned since he never worked this technique to the level where he would just practice it monthly for maintenance.

Nevertheless, he now has at his disposal an enormously useful technique, with absolutely no side effects, that he can use if he wants to cure his asthma again. The choice is his.

Thank you again Debra for posting this technique.

Read the answer...

Water Based Cleaning Using Fiber Gloves

I've been cleaning using Enjo cleaning gloves for over 3 years now. Generally, you need just the cleaning glove plus water to get things amazingly clean. They are fantastic cleaning products, and easy to use, so I wanted to let you know about them.

I used to sell them, so I know a bit more about them:

1) Per a university study done in Australia, they remove 100% of bacteria from a surface, which is more than any other cleaning method tested, even anti-bacterial wipes, and they do so without the use of chemicals.

2) How they work: they consist of microscopically thin fibers - each is 1/100th the size of a strand of hair - and these fibers are lined with barbs; the fibers + barbs lift and hold the dirt, reaching into micrscopoically small crevices found on all surfaces, and therefore picking up dirt that typical household sponges, cloths, cleaners, etc. can't reach.

Their website (not all that informative, really) is www.enjo.net.. Here, you can order gloves in the U.S. through the Canadian distributor. And since they no longer have a U.S. presence, you won't be asked if you want to host a demo.

I hope this is helpful information. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

Read the answer...

How do I remove smoke odor from fabric?

My wife is an hygienist and she sometimes has patients that smoke which is transferred to her clothing and than to our home. Is there any product that you know of that can alleviate the smoke smell?

FRANK
NEW JERSEY, USA

Read the answer...

Dangers of Burning Wood in Fireplace

Thank you for your website. I have learned so much from your web pages, including how to make the best Magic Disappearing Chocolate Fudge!

Eighteen years ago my next door neighbor burned his shake roof in his fireplace. It's wood, so that's perfectly legal in California. He made so many people very sick and permanently damaged the lungs of a small grandchild that was living with us. I found it so annoying but had no idea of how much long term damage this can cause children. It's pretty hard to stuff a small baby with greens.

Now I have a neighbor a half block away that burns wood even when it is 80 degrees out. I thought you might be interested in this letter from Jenny Bard, director of Clean Air Programs for the American Lung Association of California in Santa Rosa. She has given her permission to reproduce it. In addition you might try to google [wood smoke brain]. I think you will be very interested. She is working for a state law against wood burning, and I think a federal law might be even better.

N a n c y

THANK YOU FOR NOT BURNING WOOD IN YOUR FIREPLACE

By Jenny Bard

Is there any sight more comforting on a cold winter evening than a roaring fireplace?

Read the article and my response...

looking for plastic-free coffee maker and rice cooker

Hi--

I'd like to find something more convenient than a French press but I have had no success with finding a coffee maker that does NOT use a plastic basket. I don't mean the gold mesh filter basket but the basket that the filter actually sits in.

I have also looked in vain for a rice cooker that uses a stainless steel, rather than aluminum or non-stick, insert.

Thanks for any suggestions you can offer (and thanks for writing your books; I've referred to them for years)!

Read the answer...

Mayonnaise recipe

Hello Debra,

Looking for a very simple but tasty 'Mayonnaise' recipe can you help??

Thank you,

Read the answer...

Chemicals from Car Wash

I have serious MCS and much trouble finding a safe car. After finding a 1998 Toyota 4 Runner with leather seats, I waited a year for the fragrance from the interior "detailing" to subside. I have used it joyfully for 2 years.

I needed a simple oil change and took it to a Toyota dealership. (My regular mechanic has an old, oil-burning stove in his service bay in the winter, which is problematic for me. )

The night I picked up the car I immediately experienced ENT problems, and after several short outings, I was extremely ill with chemically-induced porphyria. I don't smell any odors or see any evidence of a spill.

A possible culprit: they gave the car a courtesy car wash (exterior only). When questioned, the service manager said to flush out the fresh air intake grill below the windshield with lots of water, as soap residue can remain there and infiltrate the car's interior.

I have been so ill and am devastated at the loss of my vehicle. I know the automated machines can use pre-soaking, washing, and rinsing agents with loads of chemicals. I would not have consented to it had I been there but am also astonished at how invasive and long-lasting the result has been.

Have others had this negative experience with a commercial car wash and how did they neutralize the interior of the car? I have washed everything, and am now proceeding with steam cleaning the air vents and placing activated charcoal containers in the front seats. Please help with any shared experiences and/or ideas.

Read the answer... NEEDS READER COMMENTS

Amylia's soapworks

I have used this soap for laundry and liked it alot. I can't find it on line at soapworks.com. Has she sold out and is it in any stores?

Thank you.

Read the answer...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

CLASSIFIED ADS

PREMIUM EASTER FLOWERS & GIFTS. Send Easter flowers online from Organic Bouquet! Choose from a rich assortment of fresh, organically-grown Easter lilies, daisies, roses, Dutch tulips, and more...plus handmade organic gourmet chocolates. www.organicbouquet.com

LOTSA BAMBOO. Entire line of Bambu organically grown bamboo products--cutting boards, dinnerware, bowls, utensils, baskets, knives, trays, and more. www.greenfeet.com

GIVE YOUR BODY THE NATURAL SALT IT NEEDS. Revive your energy with natural living salt. Contains 84 minerals essential to human life. Hand-mined to retain original primordial vibration pattern. Delicious taste makes food "come alive". A life-giving, natural, whole food. Email info@himalayanlivingsalt.com for free sample. www.himalayanlivingsalt.com

SUSTAINABILY-HARVESTED WILD SALMON and other wild fish from the pristine waters of Alaska. Flash frozen, smoked, sausage and burgers, cans and pouches, salmon caviar. www.vitalchoice.com

CALL FOR A HEALTHY BED CONSULTATION. 100% wool-filled and wool-encased mattress of heirloom quality, placed on a slatted wood frame for optimal airflow. Our wool fill comes from the EcoDomestic Wool Project and Woolgatherer Carding Mill in Montague, California, home of our production company. Available in U.S. and Canada. www.shepherdsdream.com

SOLUTIONS FOR FLUORIDE HAZARD! Custom made water filters. Removes fluoride, arsenic, chlorine and chloramines without taking out the good minerals that make water wholesome. Whole house systems, under the counter systems, and 100% chlorine-free pool and spa system. Medical grade alkaline water unit. Natural Plus Plus LLC 727-447-2344 www.gobeyondorganic.com

DEBRA'S GUIDE TO CHOOSING NATURAL SUN PROTECTION. Instant download e-book by Debra Lynn Dadd tells how you can enjoy the health benefits of sunshine in balance with natural methods of protection when necessary. Order now.

DEBRA'S GUIDE TO CHOOSING A NATURAL BED. Instant download e-book by Debra Lynn Dadd covers the types of natural mattresses that are available, all about the materials, natural bedding, the history of natural beds. Order now.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Home Safe Home tells what toxic chemicals are generally found in specific household products of all types, and safe solutions you can buy or make at home. It's different from other books on toxic chemicals because the focus really is what you can do to protect yourself and your family and create a healthy home. I bring over twenty years of research and personal real-life experience to this book.

* More information

* 10 Simple, Inexpensive Things You Can Do To Reduce Household Toxics

* How Toxic is Your Home? Quiz (excerpt from the book)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Debra's List ~ 100s of links to 1000s of nontoxic, natural & earthwise products
Free Newsletters ~ website update, natural sweetener recipes, words of wisdom
Debra's Bookstore ~ recommended reading on health and the environment
MCS Recovery ~ resources for recovery from multiple chemical sensitivities
Sweet Savvy ~ how to choose and use natural sweetners (lots of recipes)
Talk With Debra ~ call for a personal consultation

Map of Debra's Websites