Green-Clean Your Fruits and Veggies!

Are you like me, someone who feels the need to get your fruits and veggies clean, clean, clean? I mean, why wouldn't you be? Even if you buy organic, there's probably something in the dirt you just really don't want to ingest. Washing with water, however, has shown not to greatly reduce the amount of yuck on the outside of your food. You could buy the produce spray in the produce section of your grocery store, but why would you do that when I can show you an easier, much less expensive way? I've actually been using this trick for a few years now. I learned it when I first read Green Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck in 2007 (on vacation! I've got to get a life).




First, you need plain old, white vinegar and a spray bottle. This is just a ginormous jug of Great Value brand that I bought at Bi-lo.

Next, a big bottle of hydrogen peroxide. I just screwed the nozzle from a garden sprayer directly into the bottle. Hydrogen peroxide needs to be kept in a dark bottle or it loses its disinfectant properties.

Test subject: grapes. Ignore the white "bloom" on them. They're not moldy! I put them in the bowl of my salad spinner.

Spray generously with vinegar. I give them a few good shakes/tosses as I am spraying.

Now, spray generously with hydrogen peroxide. Again, a few good shakes/tosses will ensure that your produce gets the "full treatment."

Now, I rinse. This step is actually not necessary. The peroxide rinses off the stinkiness of the vinegar and both vinegar and peroxide are completely non-toxic. However, I just have a weird "thing" about peroxide being on my food when I eat it.

Now, I give it a good spin....

If you don't have a salad spinner, you should get one! This one is from Pampered Chef, and it's great!

Now, do whatever you're going to do with your produce. These grapes are for snacks/lunches. I got eight bowls from that bunch, in case anyone cares.

By the way, I use the vinegar/peroxide solution to clean my sinks and countertops as well. I hate using chemicals to clean. I just spray everything down with vinegar, then peroxide, then let it sit for five minutes or so. I wipe it with a clean cloth and I'm good to go. It will even take care of the bacteria from meat juice drips!

Nail Polish-A BIG Step!

I love my nail polish. My toes are always some fun color and I hang out at the entrance to Trade Secret waiting for my favorite brand to go on sale. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration….but I do check out the racks often for sales.

(this is my nail polish drawer.... )

So, currently I am reading the book Green Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck. Much to my horror, the book informed me that research has shown that women of childbearing age have very high concentrations of phthalates in their urine. And that’s not good. While there is still more research to be done in the effects on humans, adverse effects have been found in lab animals, including birth defects. And while we are not currently trying to have a baby, it could happen…and even if it doesn’t, do I really want something that could cause birth defects in my body at all? Unfortunately for me, phthalates are found in high concentrations in nail polish….along with toluene and formaldehyde. GREAT.

(but there is good news...)

So, part of my “green transformation” is to begin to switch to an earth- and human-friendly nail polish. I found Peacekeeper at Greenlife, my local natural/organic food store. It actually costs the same as my favorite brand, $7.99 a bottle. So, I started my collection with a bottle of Paint Me Grateful, a bottle of Paint Me Eternal (top/base coat) and a bottle of Honeybee Gardens odorless (really!) nail polish remover. I plan to buy a bottle of polish every month till I build up a “satisfactory” collection.

The verdict?

Not bad (please ignore the fact that my feet look very chubby here.....they're not). That's not the important part anyway. I feel good about my nail polish choice...both for myself and the environment. AND I did this two weeks ago and my toenails are barely worn at the tips.

So maybe I'm turning into a complete hugger. I think I'm okay with that.