EcoSmart Garden Insect Killer

A few months ago at our monthly Bennetts Brook Green Group meeting a few members were discussing the need to rid their yards of grubs that were wreaking havoc on their gardens. We all went on the hunt for an environmentally friendly alternative that would not simply flood our lawns with heavy doses of chemicals. So when EcoSmart contacted me to review their Garden Insect Killer I was definitely excited to report back to all of you as well as the BBGG.

The product comes in either a 32 ounce bottle with a nozzle for a hose attachment or a 24 ounce spray bottle (the one I was sent) and individual bottles retail for $8.00 - 15 in the EcoSmart online shop. The price is right as I did a little research in my local garden center and chemical based insect killers average at a similar cost.

And that is the best part. The ingredients in this product include a whole bunch of natural oils such as: rosemary, peppermint, thyme and clove. Additional ingredients are listed as water, mineral oil, octadecenoic acid potassium salt, and lecithin. Naturally I had never heard of octadecenoic acid potassium salt and was curious as to what it was.

Turns out this is a fatty acid salt. So what does that mean? It is classified as a soap and adjuvant (an agent that is inert alone but modifies the effects of other agents). So since this is an agricultural adjuvant I consulted Wikipedia to read:

“The adjuvant acts here by reducing the surface tension of the water on the surface of the spray drop and by reducing the interfacial tension between the spray drop and surface of the leaf. This requires an adjuvant that will preferentially aggregate at these surfaces. This may not be done effectively by the surfactants that form and stabilize the oil/water emulsion from the concentrate formulation”

Basically what I have deduced is that this acts as an extender to help spread the oils out all over the surface since the main ingredient is water and we all know that water and oil don’t mix. Fair enough but what exactly is octadecenoic acid? When I plugged this into wiki it suggested a new spelling (octadecanoic) and led me to the page for stearic acid. A fatty acid, it is developed from animal fats. As is lecithin.

So the good news is that EcoSmart’s claim for an all natural bug killer is in fact all natural, the bad news is it is clearly not a Vegan alternative. The other good news is that it is listed to rid the yard of aphids, mites, thirps, whiteflies, beetles and caterpillars. Grubs become beetles and therefore would be removed naturally. Again, the bad news is that by then it is potentially too late as new eggs may have already been laid causing more grubs.

I will be giving this bottle to my sister in law, you all know her as the fearless writer and reviewer Melissa around these parts, so she can give it a go and hopefully rid her yard of these pesky critters once and for all, in the most environmentally friendly way possible. Until her practical review comes out however I am granting a Three and a Half Leaf Rating to the Garden Insect Killer!

EcoSmart you have shown that with an eye to the planet as well as the health of humans and our pets we are able to have natural alternatives to keeping our gardens pest free. ♥love♥

How Much Do YOU Spend on Each Load of Laundry?

Perhaps this is a strange seeming question; most people would not track their budget down to this level, but with the current market conditions and a renewed desire to provide in a meaningful way for our families, laundry detergent is one place where uber savings can easily be achieved. We just have to be willing to get our hands a little dirty for cleanliness.

The last few bottles of detergent I have purchased have been to test drive some of the more popular shelf brands which claim to be Green. In essence they have worked well -- my clothing is clean, smells nice and the impact I am washing down the drain has been lowered -- but the cost has definitely hit a little too tight on the old wallet.

A couple of nights ago while at our monthly Bennetts Brook Green Group meeting, one of the meeting organizers, Julie, shared her discovery of a recipe to create homemade laundry detergent from four simple ingredients. When she shared the cost to create it I vowed to pick up some rubber gloves and become a chemist as soon as this bottle of detergent runs out!

Straight from Julie:

“We've been using this detergent for about a week and I'm really happy with it. The laundry seems to be getting clean and the cloth diapers don't have any stink issues. For less than $10 we now have two gallon jugs of detergent plus enough ingredients to make at least 9 more batches. That's 20-30 gallons, or 640 to 960 loads of laundry, which works out to about 1 to 2 cents a load. It did take a bit of time to make and it was a little scary heating the baking soda and handling the Borax (use gloves!), but well worth it.”

The main reason she started doing research was because her family uses cloth diapers and she was beginning to find that there was build up from other detergents that began causing absorption issues. After looking into this and doing a ton of research Julie discovered the following recipe for homemade detergent.

Laundry Detergent

1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

1/2 cup Washing Soda

1 bar Ivory soap
Water (as indicated)

(up powdered ingredients to 2/3 cup if you have hard water)

- Shave the soap into a medium sauce pan with 6 cups water. Heat until soap is melted.

- Add powder ingredients, stir.

- Have a large container with a lid (or plastic wrap) waiting with 4 cups cool water. Add soap mixture, stir.

- Add 1 gallon + 6 cups cool water to bucket, stir.

- Cover and let sit for 1-2 days.

- Mixture will have gelled. I use my hands to "squish" the gel into tiny pieces and stir.
- Pour into milk jugs or something similar.- Makes about 2 1/2 gallons. Use 1/2 cup per load.

Cool!

Bear in mind that borax is the naturally occurring sodium borate which is a mineral (typically mined after seasonal lakes evaporate) so just like any other compound one should take caution when using it.

Additionally, Washing Soda (Sodium Carbonate) is added primarily as a water softener but is a mineral as well. The good news here is that the mineral is naturally occurring and 100% regenerative so it can never be mined out.

Not sure where to find Washing Soda? The product is sometimes referred to as Soda Ash and the top producer of it is Arm & Hammer. Most supermarkets will carry it in their cleaning supply aisle near the laundry detergents (I have been told Stop & Shop carries a generic version but have not yet confirmed this). In addition, because it is sometimes used to regulate pH levels many pool supply companies will carry it as well.

Additionally, it can be created by placing Baking Soda in a 500 degree oven for 30-60 minutes but again, exercise caution while doing this! (As a side note, this is how Julie created her Washing Soda and it does appear to be working for her which is fantastic!)

When our current bottle of eco-detergent runs out this is a science experiment I am ready to tackle. I may even add a few drops of an essential oil like lavender or eucalyptus to give my clothes a nice scent.

Have you made your own detergent? What was your recipe and how did it work for you?

Photo courtesy MarketingShop

Beauty through the Rain, Mother Nature Shares the Sweetest Gifts

A few weeks ago on the way to our Bennetts Brook Green Group meeting the sun was just setting but the sky was also doing the spring rain in New England quick burst downpour. As soon as we got off the highway my eyes opened wide and my jaw even more so when we rounded a corner to see this sky. It was so beautiful we pulled into a parking lot simply to snap a few photos.

Just three weeks later it was yet again pouring, providing sustenance to all the thriving greenery and incredibly tall lawns. As I sat in my office typing up a post with the slider door open, listening to the shower, it suddenly occurred to me that the sun was streaming in through the window. With fingers crossed I grabbed the camera and stepped out on the balcony to see this beautiful gem emblazoned across the sky.

Whenever I am sad about something such as the extreme impact we are imparting on our planet with all of our many luxuries, this is just the thing to remind me that sometimes all it takes is an outlook in an upward direction to change my attitude. Beauty-full!

Green Group Gets Better Every Month!

Last Thursday was our forth official Bennetts Brook Green Group meeting, a group which has formed due to all of our overwhelming desires to better our lives through sharing of environmentally responsible ideas among each other. It started as a neighborhood idea for my sister in law (frequent GLR contributor Melissa) and her neighbor Julie and the primary members are in fact in their community but as each month goes on, Matt and I (as well as my Mom most months) are finding the short drive out there well worth our time and small emission contribution.

This month we had a guest speaker Laurie Sabol who is the Clerk for the group MassRecycle and wow was she ever fantastic! Not only did she give us all little gifties of pencils created from recycled US currency but all of us left with a wider view of so many interesting topics.

Much of what we discussed was locally related information to Ayer, MA but all can be applied to our planet. For example Laurie discussed how she has toured the facilities of some local recycling plants to get a feel for the entire process. I thought that sounded like a pretty cool idea for a field trip and just about every state has one! Also she shared with us information on the initiative Massachusetts is undertaking to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags everywhere. This too is something worth looking into nation wide.

With MassRecycle Laurie jokes that she is ‘just a Secretary’ but she was so knowledgeable when it came to topics such as the Waste Ban (a statewide ban that legally prohibits throwing in the trash such items as glass, monitors, yard waste and a myriad of other items) and what the state has done to catch and prosecute (mostly companies) those who are non-compliant, that I knew she was far more than just a Secretary, Laurie is certainly an advocate for the planet.

She additionally shared with us some websites, one of which is informative on a national scale:
masstoss.com
cleanup.org which will lead you right over to earth911.com.
(You may have read about Earth911 on GLR back in December last year)

All in all the group was extremely chatty and full of so many great tips that it would take a novel just to talk about all of them so I will leave this post with Laurie’s amazing contribution of time and dedication to her cause.

Have you considered hosting a green group in your local community? It is fun and a great way to meet new people with a common interest!

AngelFood Ministries is Helping Neighbors

Last night was the second Bennetts Brook Green Group meeting and although there were fewer members present this month there was still fantastic conversation going around with relation to many different environmentally related topics. We started the night discussing the progress of our entertainment center and some of the snags Matt has encountered with using the pallet wood (update soon; the snags are not what one might think). Melissa talked about her recently renovated basement and the benefits of researching prior to purchasing potentially unneeded materials. We discussed my Mom’s amazing efforts to reduce her electric bill through unplugging and other simple methods and then discussed benefits and drawbacks of certain types of de-icing materials. Sue provided some wonderful information with regard to the drawbacks of sugar and then she shared details of a program a friend, who was interested in saving some money, had passed on to her called AngelFood Ministries.

The mission of AngelFood is to provide brand name, wholesome foods to all people at a reduced cost. The ministry operates out of Grace Church in Hudson, Massachusetts and food orders can be placed either in person or online. The most exciting part of the program is that, according to their website, it is open to anyone not just church congregants. For thirty dollars a box of food can be ordered and it is enough to feed a single person for up to a month or a family of four for about a week. There is no application process and no income verification but orders must be picked up in person at the church.

The food provided is not day old or dented cans but restaurant grade meats and fresh produce. Also, there is no limit to the number of units or special orders that can be purchased however an initial purchase is required prior to ability to purchase special orders containing meats such as steak, chicken and pork products. When picking up the food the purchaser must bring their own bag or box.

In tough economic times it is a wonderful affirmation to see caring and compassion stretching to such a humanitarian cause as ensuring people are fed for a little bit less financial outgo.

For those in Massachusetts who are interested in checking out the program I encourage reading through the website, visiting Grace Church at 353 River Road in Hudson or calling the AngelFood information line at (978) 562-8550 x109 (answering machine).

No Special Uniform Is Required To Play On This Team

But if there was it would be handmade from upcycled organic cotton and shipped out to me in an ecovelope made out of recycled magazine pages that are sealed with petroleum free tape.

What team would promote such an environmentally responsible agenda?

I am talking about Eco Etsy of course!

Lately it has been a goal of mine to join up with a few different groups or teams that very closely represent how I see myself as a contributing member of environmental protections including Bennetts Brook Green Group and Sustainable Arlington. As an artist who creates handmade bags from upcycled material, and an Etsy shop owner, I began searching for a team that comprised the values my company holds to promote an eco lifestyle. When I read about the policies and practices that Eco Etsy stood for I knew it was the right team for me!

Members of this team are amazingly talented, knowledgeable and creative. They reuse, upcycle, recycle and reduce consumption of new materials to fashion some really beautiful items such as clothing, jewelry, handbags, journals and many more. Here is just a small sampling of these artists, click the picture to be taken directly to Etsy and in the search box enter the word ecoetsy to see all items available from these and other talented artists.

The Eco Etsy Street Team is comprised of over 200 members who actively promote environmental lifestyles and working habits. As the holidays approach and gift giving ensues, I strongly recommend checking out some of the shops these members run as a fantastic alternative to big box store or mall shopping. Handmade and eco-friendly is a fantastic way to show someone, and the planet, how much we all care!

Wine Is Just Recycled Grapes

Last night it was my pleasure to be invited to the first meeting of the newly formed Bennetts Brook Green Group. Melissa has decided to get off her duff and get mucho involved in spreading the word about all things environment so with the help of her neighbor Julie, some suggestions from the cool gals at EnviroMom and a passionate desire to buck the perception that suburban moms do not care about the planet, the group met at her place last night.

There were twelve of us in total and a mix of not only gender but age as well! Her neighbor directly across the street is definitely over fifty and proudly admitted to having been doing this type of stuff for years (most notably saving all his coffee grounds to utilize for his acid loving garden plants). If possible the three guys who showed up were possibly even more vocal than us gals. Yippie!

The forum was open, more a share and chat style, but still maintained a loose organization of topics, themes and issues that Melissa and Julie shared responsibility in putting out there. If I did not know better there is no way I would have known this was their first meeting. It all flowed seamlessly.

Most of the food and drink were organic options (from the beer to the wine to the coffee to the crackers) and since she was not sure how many people would show up Melissa also purchased plastic cups, which she made a point to mention would all be washed and reused or recycled. After some quick introductions and a little snack it was time to get down to business.

The night began with an introduction to how and why the group formed, an impromptu discussion of local organizations and potentially forming a neighborhood share style program where sharing of tools or even grocery shopping will become forefront instead of everyone driving all over to do these things individually or purchase items used only once when a neighbor might have it to lend.

Later in the evening we shared our confessions of what we all do that we wish we did not (I of course admitted to smoking and was surprised that some attendees would not have thought of this as environmentally harmful). Everything was shared from driving large gas gulping SUVs (due to the size of her family of six and not finding an alternate reliable option as of yet), to tossing paper to (shock!) not recycling at all. The good news is that clearly we all want to change those ways or we would not have been in attendance.

The confession portion of the evening was the perfect segue into what each of us are currently doing to, as Melissa put it, “get off the fence” and get involved by doing. Melissa has signed up with 41pounds.org and will let us know how it works as soon as her kit arrives. Other attendees have begun sending credit card offers back in the enclosed prepaid envelope (I also know someone who does this and it greatly reduced the number of offers he received), using Mrs. Meyers cleaning products and composting.

When I first asked Melissa to allow me to interview her for Green Leaf Reviewer she was nervous that as a “suburban mom” she would be flamed for trying to say she was environmental. Well to be perfectly honest, if anything, it made me more excited to interview her and last night was the culmination of proving that no matter where a person chooses to live they can still be interested in helping the planet; no matter what a person drives they might just be doing 1000 things to offset that impact. The first step, just like Julie and Melissa showed us last night, is to stop talking about it and simply make the change in our own lives because how does that saying go again? Oh yeah…

Even the longest journey begins with the first step.