| Practical Sustainability in the Home
Hi There! I'm running a couple of events related to 'Practical Sustainability in the Home' encouraging people to use alternatives to consumer products. Venues are the Adelaide City Library and Mt Pleasant (Sth Aust). You'll find more details about these events later in this email. Please come along and find out more! But first some information about the importance of 'Practical Sustainability' and the use of alternatives in the home........
Pam - The Self-Sufficiency Shoppe www.theshoppe.com.au |
| | Why Use Alternatives?
If every human on earth lived the same privileged lifestyle as the developed nations what a mess our planet would be! The reality is that we (in the modern society) live far, far beyond our means and, more importantly, beyond the planet's means. The earth just cannot sustain this so-called 'wealthy' lifestyle. Planetary resources are limited. Consumer products abound like there is no tomorrow. Thousands of new products are created and manufactured every day - much of it ends up as land fill because it either did not meet consumer need or due to over production - all discarded as if we do not have a worry in the world. This era of consumerism must change - it is outdated, irrational and a dangerous way to live. It may have seemed practical and advantageous in past times but now is well and truly obsolete. |
| | What are 'Practical Alternatives'?
Basic household items that have numerous uses in the home and acts as replacements for consumer products. Here's a list of most useful and practical alternatives to use in the home.......
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| Vinegar:
Basic uses - Cheap generic vinegar: cleaning, disinfecting, deodorising, anti-bacterial agent, insect repellent
Better quality cider or white vinegar: hair conditioner, culinary, skin astringent, personal deodorant, therapeutic uses, preservative (food)
Useful Tip - Use plain vinegar in place of commercial preparations as a disinfectant or make something similar by half filling a recycled plastic bottle (an old vinegar bottle is ideal) with cheap (white) vinegar. Fill the remainder of the bottle with water. Add a few drops eucalyptus oil and 2 drops green food colouring. Apply lid and shake. (For Lavender disinfectant use lavender oil and pink/purple colouring). Looks and works just like commercial disinfectant!
More information e-Book No. 33 Versatile Vinegar - download information here
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| | Bicarb Soda:
Basic Uses - abrasive Cleaner, deodoriser, whitener, stain removal
Useful Tip - Make a quick Carpet and Room Deodoriser by three-quarter filling a clean medium-sized jar with bicarbonate soda. Add 6 drops eucalyptus or lavender oil. Apply lid. Shake well to blend. Leave 24 hours for the perfume to permeate the bicarbonate soda. Punch holes into the lid of the jar to form a sprinkle-top container. To Use: Sprinkle onto the carpet area, focusing specifically on areas that require extra deodorising. Leave 30 minutes - then vacuum or brush off. Deodorises the room as well as the carpet.
More Information e-Book No. 9 Amazing Bicarb! - download information here
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| | Soap:
Basic uses - Household cleaning, personal cleaning, garden spray (insect repellent), deodorising, general household use
Useful Tip - Turn a bar of soap into 20 litres of Economical Soap Jelly to replace all your commercial detergents by grating one bar of soap. Put one half in one 9 litre bucket. Put the other half of grated soap in another bucket. Add ½ cup washing soda and 2 litres of boiling water to each bucket. Stir both buckets until mixture has dissolved. Top each bucket up to full with water. Leave to cool. Use approx. 1 cup of mix to full wash tub (for clothes) OR use to wash dishes OR as a liquid hand wash or hair shampoo.
More Information e-Book No. 50 Recycling Soap - download information here
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| | Oatmeal:
Basic uses - mild abrasive cleaner, skin care & cleanser, water softener, culinary, hair-care, chemical free soap alternative
Useful Tip - Make a deep skin cleanse Oatmeal-Honey Facial Scrub by blending together: 4 teaspoons oatmeal, 1 tablespoon clear honey and juice of one lemon or water (for sensitive skin). Apply to the face. Massage in gentle circular motions for approximately 3- 5 minutes. Rinse off. (Apply once weekly)
More information e-Book No. 30 Natural Skin Care - down-load information here
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| | Herbs:
examples: rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, lavender
Basic Uses - skin care, hair care, personal deodorant, general deodorising, oral care, cleaning, mild disinfectant, insect repellent
Useful Tip - Make a simple Herbal Infusion by placing 3 teaspoons fresh rosemary, lavender and thyme leaves in an earthenware or glass container. Gently crush the herbs with the back of a spoon (to aid release of essential oils). Add 250ml boiling water. Leave to infuse for about 5 minutes or for a stronger infusion leave longer. Strain and use as a hair rinse, skin (facial) astringent or pour into spray bottle and use as a mild deodorant or body spray. Add to homemade skin creams and other products.
More information e-Book No. 61 - Harnessing Herbs - download information here
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| | Eucalyptus Oil:
Basic Uses - stain removal, deodorising, disinfecting, cleaning, therapeutic, insect repellent
Useful Tip - Make a very versatile and useful All-purpose Grime/Stain Remover and Surface Spray by mixing together 1/3 cup each of water, cloudy ammonia* and liquid soap-jelly**. Add 8-10 drops eucalyptus oil. Mix and pour into a recycled spray container. Cleans everything: Stains on clothing (apply before washing) or spray onto surfaces to rermove grime, grease and dirt from walls, vinyl, stove top, tiles, around light switches, etc.
* cloudy ammonia has a strong odour - replace with vinegar if preferred
** see recipe above or use bio-degradable dish-washing detergent if soap jelly is not available.
More information e-Book No. 23 - Green Cleaning - down-load information here
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| | Rice-flour:
Basic Uses:personal care products, talc alternative
Useful Tip - Make a simple Foot Deodorising and Healing Powder by mixing equal parts rice flour, bicarb soda and dried or fresh sage & rosemary. Pour into food processor and blend to fine powder. Store in a clean jar with metal lid. Pierce holes in lid with nail and hammer to allow for easy sprinkling. How to use: Sprinkle onto dry feet after bathing or showering
More information e-Book No. 27 Fantastic Feet - download information here
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| | Lemons:
Basic Uses: mild bleach, cleaning, deodorising, skin care, hair care, disinfectant, culinary, insect repellent, therapeutic
Useful Tip: After squeezing juice from a lemon (for salad dressing or other culinary uses) save the half lemon skin for cleaning. Simply dip in bicarb soda or salt and use to clean sink surface or wall tiles. Alternatively place lemon halves into a bucket or bowl of water in a room overnight - it will absorb strong odours such as smoke, cigarette odour and fresh paint/chemical smell.
For more informtion: e-book No. 10 - The Humble Lemon. Download information here
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| | For more information:
Environmentally-friendly Basics e-Book Set download
Six e-books covering with the most common household alternatives – Bicarb Soda, Vinegar, Lemon, Eucalyptus Oil, Soap, Oatmeal - that have a multitude of safe, environmentally friendly uses around the home. Very cost effective!
Contains: No. 9 - Uses for Bi-carb Soda, No. 10 - Humble Lemon, No. 33 - Versatile Vinegar, No. 51 - Uses for Eucalyptus Oil, No. 50 – Recycling Soap, No. 58 - Old-time Oatmeal. (Also available for purchase individually).
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| | Here's the details of the upcoming events.....
Practical Sustainability in the Home – Thursday August 20 – 6.30-8.30 pm
(Mt Pleasant) – Making a range of natural & environmentally safe
household products using ingredients/items from house, garden. Simple
air-freshener techniques (alternatives to aerosol sprays). Safe and
organic sprays & repellents. Simple substitutes – natural
alternatives to soap, personal care, skin care, etc. Chemical-free
cleaning. Cost per workshop: $10. Venue: Mt Pleasant Natural Resource Centre, 132 Melrose St, Mt Pleasant. Bookings: 8568 1907 email: mpnrc@bigpond.com Please bring 3 small jars for you take home products.
Go the Green City Eco-Living Session – Practical Sustainability in the Home. Friday 21 August – 5.30pm
(Adelaide City Library). Learn about household alternatives to consumer
products such as green cleaning and sustainable skin care. Discover
chemical free living and more to benefit both you and the planet. Join
us for more information, demonstrations, samples and give-aways. Free! Venue: Adelaide City Library – Studio One. For more information and bookings: www.adelaidecitycouncil.com (under library programs and events) or phone 8203 7863 |
| | © 2015 Pam Marshall - The Self-Sufficiency Shoppe
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