Giveaway — The Non-Toxic Avenger: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You

by Katy on July 23, 2012 · 126 comments

Update: This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to Ruby May who will be receiving a copy of this book!

Today I hosting a giveaway of The Non-Toxic Avenger: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You. 

This book, written by Seattle native Deanna Duke (A.K.A. The Crunchy Chicken) chronicles her quest to eliminate toxic elements in her life. With an autistic son and a husband with cancer, Duke’s journey is far from impersonal. It’s a great read.

I read this book in December, and it’s very much stuck in my mind and I’ve made a few changes in my life as a result. (For example, I no longer paint my toenails.)

To enter to win this book write one small environmental change you’ve made in your life. I will randomly choose a winner on Wednesday, July 25 at 9 P.M. Pacific Standard Time. U.S. residents only, please enter one time only.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

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{ 126 comments… read them below or add one }

Melissa July 23, 2012 at 11:09 am

Our family has all but eliminated the use of paper towels. My husband and I purchased a stack of microfiber clothes for cleaning windows and mirrors. For everything else we use worn out T-shirts, cut up into rags. Works great, and one less thing to purchase and toss.

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Donna Besst July 23, 2012 at 11:12 am

I’ve been really bothered by packaged stuff for a while, so this summer I have been teaching myself to can. I decided to plant a garden after reading a “canning book” last year. In the spring, I planted all the ingredients for the recipes that I wanted to can this summer. As of last week, I had made 6 different items for my family, all with fresh, organic ingredients from my garden. Next year, I will not have to buy spaghetti or pizza sauce…yay us! A little knowledge and I have become a canning fool 😉

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Jo@simplybeingmum July 23, 2012 at 11:13 am

Hope this doesn’t cause any problems me commenting as I can’t enter – I’m in the UK. If it does delete me!
However I wanted to share something that has made 3 to 4 products with chemicals redundant in my house.
Olive oil – the stuff is amazing for polishing wood. Seriously. Use sparingly but weeks after the sills and tables etc look as though they were polished just yesterday. Secondly after years of trying to tame my hair (dry, coarse, thick but not attractively curly or anything similar) I have started applying a small amount of oil to wet hair and running my fingers through. I’ve tried all sorts in the past…and this is working so well. It has also eliminated the need to blow-dry, saving electricity! Yay! I also use as a facial wash/moisturiser – again sparingly.
I love the stuff!

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Julie July 23, 2012 at 11:17 am

I have replaced all my cleaning supplies with homemade, non-toxic versions. Same with cosmetics- I tossed all my overpriced, toxic makeup, shampoos, soaps, etc., and use the cleanest ones I can find, or I just make them myself (deodorant, toothpaste, soap, shampoo.)

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Amy July 23, 2012 at 11:18 am

This year I made the switch to the Clorox brand of green cleaning agents for the bathroom. DD is a teen and gets grossed out by reusing cloth rags and balked when I took away the bathroom cleaner in a can, so I compromised and let her have the wipes. Also, we use the green bowl cleaner.

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April July 23, 2012 at 11:19 am

Using baking soda to clean the bathroom toilets instead of commercial cleaners.

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Linda in Indiana July 23, 2012 at 11:19 am

I am now cleaning with mostly vinegar, baking soda and sometimes add a little Dawn Dish Soap. Much more natural and sure more budget friendly. Also using cloth napkins….not all that paper napkin waste to landfill and cloth is so much more pleasing to use.

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Charla July 23, 2012 at 11:33 am

I have started collecting rainwater to water my flowers.

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Denise July 23, 2012 at 11:35 am

Over the years I’ve gradually added to my natural tendency to avoid using items that don’t make sense. For example, even as a child I didn’t care for nail polish or other “girlie” things that ended up in the garbage such as plastic earrings, etc.
Now as an adult, I find I can still be feminine without overkill. I’ve also added vinegar, borax, washing soda and baking soda to my household cleaning arsenal.

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Anne July 23, 2012 at 11:43 am

We have slowly been switching over from plastic leftover containers to glass to reduce toxins. It’s been slow going though, since we are replacing them as they wear out. It’s hard to find alternatives to plastic!!

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Cheryl July 23, 2012 at 12:05 pm

I began making my own bathroom cleaner a few months ago with 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water and a few squirts of castille soap. This kills mold as well as the bleach solutions, the smell dissipates quickly and it sure is cheap!

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Kris Kyle July 23, 2012 at 12:16 pm

As I started eliminating plastic containers / packaging from our home, I began making homemade yogurt. Bonus? My homemade tastes superior to the high dollar greek I was buying and costs out as much cheaper.

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Pollyanna July 23, 2012 at 12:41 pm

We have switched to cloth napkins, white vinegar is my new best friend – it has loads of uses, I make my own laundry soap. When we visit SC in an area that has no mandated recycling, I drag all my recyclables back home with me to recycle in NC. Whenever I am letting water run to get warm (kitchen sink or in the shower), I collect it in a pail or other container and dump it on my plants out front.

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Mamie July 23, 2012 at 12:57 pm

Cloth napkins, composting, hauling ALL our recyclables 15 miles away (NO curbside recycling here), homemade cleaners….

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Olivia July 23, 2012 at 1:01 pm

We installed low water use toilets with the 2 flush options.

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Sheron July 23, 2012 at 1:11 pm

I recycle plastics, paper, and kitchen produce waste, use reusable shopping bags and produce bags, eat organically grown foods, am a strict vegetarian (vegan), stopped buying napkins, chemical cleaners, laundry detergents, and fabric softeners, replaced plastic food storage containers with glass, discontinued buying plastic wrap, and use environmentally friendly personal products and soaps. That’s all I can think of for now.

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Renee CA July 23, 2012 at 1:17 pm

Making small cloths from old dish towels (serge edges) and using instead of paper towels was easier than I thought. Moved the paper to the pantry, now I really have to think about it if I want to use paper.

Also compost with red worms. Needs a little thought, but I use most of my kitchen waste that way.

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fae July 23, 2012 at 1:23 pm

After years of struggling with severe scalp problems, I finally found last winter that going to a shampoo with no synthetic ingredients and none of the most common non-synthetic toxins made things about 85% better. If I hadn’t already gotten rid of almost all synthetic cleansers/personal care products before then because of fragrance allergies, I would have when I figured that out.

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Charla July 23, 2012 at 3:16 pm

I have scalp psoriasis and just wonder what synthetic ingredients and toxins you’re talking about.

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fae July 24, 2012 at 9:59 am

I’d already given up on the lauryl/laureth sulfates because a lot of people reported them as irritants (often plant-derived, but definitely irritants), which helped a little, but not enough. Tried no-poo for a while, which solved some problems but created others. Finally found something to try with no pthalates, no parabens, no ‘fragrance’, and nothing petroleum-derived. Can’t tell you which of those was the biggest problem, but it really improved things. Have since started adding an essential oil with a rep for helping with scalp problems, which has made things amazingly even better, despite the terrible heat this summer. (Cedar, if you’re curious.)

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fiwa July 23, 2012 at 1:29 pm

Sounds like a great book! And written by someone in my hometown, so even better. But rats, I hate to hear that nail polish is bad for you. 🙁

I have been trying to switch from plastic to glass food storage as much as possible, and I never microwave in plastic any more.

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erin July 23, 2012 at 1:42 pm

We now use the brown paper bags from grocery store (when we forget our fabric ones from home) to use as garbage bags for our garbage cans

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heidi July 23, 2012 at 1:49 pm

Cloth diapers…keeping gross trash out of the landfills!

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Kerrie July 23, 2012 at 1:55 pm

We don’t use paper, except toilet paper. We have tissues for when people are sick, but we’ve started using hankerchiefs and haven’t used paper towels in ages. I’ve been surprised what I can make into a cloth for the kitchen, old pajamas are great rags! I feel like we’re doing pretty well with cleaning products, but would like to know more about other changes we can make.
Thanks for the giveaway!

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Christine S July 23, 2012 at 2:00 pm

I’m cloth diapering my second child, and use homemade wipes most of the time.
I stopped using shampoo a few years ago, and my hair is looks awesome! Just about 2 weeks of the nasties and it all works out. I use homemade deodorant, and coconut oil as moisturizer.
Lots of small things really do add up. Sounds like a great and inspiring book!

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Kate July 23, 2012 at 2:03 pm

I’d love to win this book! We’ve made a lot of changes over the years but the one that gets me all excited is finding a cute little reusable (fleece) Swiffer pad on etsy for my swiffer! No more buying packages of disposable chemically swiffer pads!! I just use my handmade pad off etsy with some vinegar water and waa-laa! 🙂

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A. Marie July 23, 2012 at 2:15 pm

Several folks have mentioned replacing paper products with cloth versions. I’m working this summer on doing the same with facial tissue. My mother left me a lifetime supply of handkerchiefs (some of which are really jazzy ones from the 1940s), and I’m actually using them at last. Hankies take up next to no space in the laundry–and I notice that I seem to sneeze less when I use hankies than when I use tissues. What if some of us are actually allergic to the stuff in the tissues??

I also do a lot of the other stuff that other people have mentioned, but I thought I’d mention something that hasn’t been brought up yet.

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Angela July 23, 2012 at 2:40 pm

We garden, compost and recycle. I make my own laundry soap and hand soap and we use lots of vinegar and other natural cleaners. (But I adore pretty painted toes! My grandmother is 86, she has always painted her nails and has had no ill effects from it).

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Linda July 23, 2012 at 2:42 pm

I do a lot of cleaning with vinegar and use very few papertowels – using old rags instead.

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Jennifer July 23, 2012 at 2:46 pm

I am making more effort to purchase organic food. We are on an extremely tight budget, so it isn’t very feasible most weeks, but when something we like goes on sale, I try to stock up. I feel good knowing I am feeding organic to my family, and also because I am “voting” with my purchase.

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shari July 23, 2012 at 2:51 pm

I decided not to get a driver’s license when we moved from Alaska to southern Oregon in 2004 and again when we moved to Maine in 2010. I walk everywhere, carry groceries home in my backpack, shop at thrift stores when I shop at all, use my library A LOT, use almost exclusively orphan yarn for my yarn projects, turn that yarn into hats, bookmarks, etc that I give away/leave in public places for people to take, decided not to own a TV, live in a small apartment (3 adults), cook using real food, avoid waste of food and other resources…I could ramble on for a while, but I will stop here. Basically, I try to live a life that is creative and that does not involve mindless and excessive consumption.

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Kathy M July 23, 2012 at 2:52 pm

We use cloth napkins, old T-shirts for rag and are slowly switching to glass containers from plastic. As always, thanks for the give-a-way.

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Juli July 23, 2012 at 3:12 pm

We have a ways to go to improve our enviro friendliness but we do use homemade cleaners for most things or use less of the more toxic ones like dishwasher detergent. We’ve replaced paper towels, kleenex and napkins with cloth. Baby uses cloth diapers and I use cloth pads. I love Deanna’s website and have been meaning to read her book.

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Vicki F July 23, 2012 at 3:20 pm

I now use a combo of vinegar and blue Dawn to clean my bathroom, a big change from chemical cleaners and it does a better job too!

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Claudia July 23, 2012 at 3:29 pm

I started carrying a refillable travel mug with me on mornings when I’m heading out and know I’ll want coffee. I’ve also been bringing plastic bags to the grocery store for recycling–not grocery bags, as I use a reusable tote, but bread bags and other plastic bags in which foods are sold.

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Valynne July 23, 2012 at 3:32 pm

When Paul and I first met, we had three vehicles between us (we are down to one now). I moved into his 4,000sf house and felt really uncomfortable about it, coming from a 500sf apartment. In 2009, we sold the house and almost all of our belongings. We lived in other people’s homes (as long-term house and pet sitters) up until recently, when we fell in love with Portland and decided to rent a small bungalow month to month, walking distance to just about everything we could want or need. I read each of these comments and am inspired. We now do a lot of the same things as your other readers, but still have a long way to go. I would love to read this book and will pick up a copy if I don’t win it : )

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Annie B July 23, 2012 at 3:44 pm

I no longer use fabric softener or dryer sheets and instead I put vinegar in the rinse water and use dryer balls. I line dry as much as possible and wash everything in cold water. As a matter of fact, vinegar is probably my go-to product for lots of things. I buy gallon bottles at Costco and when the vinegar is finished I fill the bottles with water to store for emergencies.

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Miss Jessie July 23, 2012 at 3:55 pm

I have stopped getting plastic bags at stores. I have a collection of reusable shopping bags that I take with me to all of the stores and use.

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Debbie S. July 23, 2012 at 4:03 pm

Thanks for this! I’ve been wanting to read this book for awhile.
This year has been about water. When i shower i put a bucket under the spigot to catch the extra and that goes in the water barrel outside. (It REALLY adds up!) I’ve switched to all cold when i do the laundry; i might have been the last person to jump on that wagon! And, i’ve finally gone with washing the dishes in a tub, one for wash, one for rinse, rather than wasting water rinsing every. single. item. We already do the ‘if it’s yellow let it mellow’ thing, and i’m sure there are a few other things my tired brain can’t think of.

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Jens July 23, 2012 at 4:05 pm

We have really cut back on chemical products for cleaning. I use a lot of baking soda and vinegar for cleaning. Also, we take our own bags to the grocery store, use old rags instead of paper towels as much as possible. Lots more, but you said one small thing!

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Christine July 23, 2012 at 4:31 pm

We use only organic materials in our yard and our vegetable garden.
Composting is easy, and it’s great for your garden!

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M July 23, 2012 at 4:57 pm

To reduce our use of paper products, I’ve made some old flannel shirts into handkerchiefs. They’re softer than tissues and don’t take up much space in the wash.

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Janet July 23, 2012 at 5:05 pm

We no longer use paper products of any type in our kitchen or for other cleaning chores.

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namastemama July 23, 2012 at 5:09 pm

Grow and EAT our food. Not all of it. but I’m looking into actually using and saving all the herbs I grow. Getting beyond pesto. Making due with what we have instead of taking the car to the store for a few items.

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Dawn July 23, 2012 at 5:31 pm

This year, I’ve started making my own yogurt. I hated having all those plastic cups to recycle and the taste is far superior and so much healthier for my family. I also stopped reheating food in plastic containers and, in fact, eliminated the vast majority of my plastic use altogether. Thanks for the giveaway!

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Rachel July 23, 2012 at 5:33 pm

I’ve been saving the rinsewater from handwashing dishes to water the outdoor gardens.

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Karen July 23, 2012 at 5:43 pm

So many good hints here. We now use all cloth napkins and hankies. Do keep a box of tissues for guests, but one box has lasted well over a year. Would never go back, they are so much better. Also we compost and recycle. Both endevors has really reduced the amount of garbage that we have. We also garden and grow many of our own veggies. I freeze green beans, peas, corn and tomatoes. It tastes so much better than anything we can buy.
I would love to win the book. Sounds like a great one.

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Alison July 23, 2012 at 6:15 pm

Our family started composting this year! Not a huge impact on the landfills, but it helps our wallets in the springtime when planting our garden.

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Barbara Jerineck July 23, 2012 at 6:19 pm

I keep a jug by the sink. When there is any drinking water left over after lunch/dinner, it gets emptied in the jug. In the evening I water the plants with it. I use this jug also to capture the water as it warms up for the washing up, rather than let it run down the drain. I use the water from the pasta or from the steamer (once cooled down) to water the plants too.

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Kat July 23, 2012 at 6:31 pm

Since we are outside all the time anyway, we have cut down on air conditioning and started line drying the majority of clothes/bedding/diapers outside. Saves money and makes finding time to take care of laundry easier since the kids are much happier outside while I take care of chores.

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Geri July 23, 2012 at 6:32 pm

It takes forever for my shower to heat the water because the pipes are under the cement floor. I put a dutch oven pot in the shower when I turn it on and by the time the water starts to get warm, the 8 qt. pot is full. I use the water in my garden and on my flowers. I also recycle, switched from plastic to glass jars I saved from things like pickles, use vinegar to clean (also great for keeping bugs out of drains). I also try to shop for personal products at the health food store, but sometimes they are cost prohibitive (I guess that’s relatively speaking compared to illness).

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Becky July 23, 2012 at 6:55 pm

There are a lot of places where I could make improvements to my environmental impact. However, I HAVE made improvements regarding recycling — I’ve been known to bring recyclables home when we’re out & there are no recycling receptacles provided. Also, I am getting much better at remembering to bring my own bags to stores. I’m a work in progress! 🙂

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Jen July 23, 2012 at 7:10 pm

We’ve begun composting, use homemade cleaners, use rags and reusable cleaning clothes instead of paper, plus I’m working to cook from scratch using “real food” – a lot of which comes from the bulk bins (less packaging!)

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Emily July 23, 2012 at 7:44 pm

I use baking soda and vinegar for a lot of our cleaning. And these two things are the first things we reach for when a drain starts to not drain so well.

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Whitney July 23, 2012 at 7:59 pm

I have recently started trying to detox our household, starting by using only homemade cleaning supplies and making a serious effort to buy only local/organic/free-range etc. food. I have also gone no-poo for myself and my 5-year old daughter, who have both suffered from dry hair which I believe is caused by the chemicals in the shampoo we used to use. Seriously, the last time we went to get a haircut the ladies were like, “you both need to switch your shampoo”. So I thought, well, how about no shampoo at all? I don’t think that’s what they meant though! 🙂 My next goal is to move to homemade laundry and dishwasher detergent, and to get my husband on board.

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Martha July 23, 2012 at 8:52 pm

I have been messing around with Best Buy to fix my computer since the END OF APRIL, trying not to send another (less than 2 years old!) computer to the landfill. (My geek squad coverage runs out in 4 days…)
ride bikes to do errands, grow food and preserve locally farmed foods, have used cloth napkins with clothespin labels since I was a kid, my mom was ahead of her time!

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marie July 23, 2012 at 8:56 pm

As we live in the country, garbage service isn’t often. We’ve cut back to monthly pick-up. We make wonderful compost for our garden. The chickens eat lots of veggie leftovers. If there is any meat scraps they’re frozen until pick-up day. I’m amazed at the small amount of Real garbage. We use reusable grocery bags, buy lots of things in bulk. The garbage can never weighs much, maybe 15 lbs.

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Amy July 23, 2012 at 10:03 pm

We try to use re-usable grocery bags all the time.

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Lauren July 23, 2012 at 10:28 pm

I’m working on getting all the plastic and Teflon out of our kitchen. All of our daily-use stuff is now ceramic, glass, uncoated steel etc. I’ve also been much more careful about only buying all-natural personal-care products. I’m cloth-diapering my baby as well.

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Karen July 23, 2012 at 11:36 pm

We use homemade cleaners.

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Brooke July 24, 2012 at 12:57 am

I re-purpose old clothing into new clothing and rags, bring my own bags when I shop, and turn off the A/C when I’m not home.

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Tracy July 24, 2012 at 2:41 am

We garden and do a lot of preservation of food. We also compost our kitchen waste to have input for the garden and reduce garbage.

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Mary July 24, 2012 at 3:27 am

I use a solution of 50% vinegar/50% water in a spray bottle to kill those pesky little black ants that appear along the kitchen windowsills from time to time. I can’t remember where I read this tip, but believe me, I am so thrilled that it works to kill/deter the ants and that I no longer have to use Raid in the house!

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Dave July 24, 2012 at 3:55 am

We have been using recycled tote bags for grocery shopping instead of receiving the plastic bags from the store.

We also switched to a garbage company that has zero sort waste as it allows us to recycle more items than our municiple garbage collection!! and it is the same price

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Hannah July 24, 2012 at 4:18 am

We quit using traditional cleaners. Baking soda and vinegar do the trick without all the chemicals and they are a LOT less expensive!

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Rebecca July 24, 2012 at 4:33 am

This book has been on my “to read” list for a long time. I’d love to have a copy! Lately I’ve been making a better effort to reduce food waste and waste in general.

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Colleen July 24, 2012 at 4:40 am

I just kind of surprised myself while I was deciding what to write here. I can’t believe how many changes we’ve made over the past few years. One at a time, it’s really amounted to a lot. I hardly use paper towels anymore, make my own cleaning products, compost, dye my hair with henna instead of chemical hair dye, eat mostly organic food,and water my garden with water collected in our rain barrel to name a few things. I didn’t really even realize we had made so many changes! I guess slowly making changes over time really adds up in the end. I’ve been wanting to read this book and my library doesn’t have it. Fingers crossed!!

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Bellen July 24, 2012 at 4:53 am

For the past year I have used a 50-50 ammonia/water mix in a spray bottle for a stain remover on the laundry. It works & is inexpensive.

Over the almost 45 years of our marriage we have eliminated most toxic elements of our life. These are just some of the things we have done: use mainly homemade cleaning agents, recycle, compost, buy used & trash pick, raise vegetables and fruits, use solar for hot water, use waste water, not black, for watering plants, dry laundry on the line or racks, use fans, shades, & drapes for cooling (altho now in FL we do use the AC also), cook outside during the hot summer months, use a solar oven for cooking and drying herbs, repurpose whenever possible, and since moving to FL pick fruit that would otherwise go to waste especially loquats that are used ornamentally at many apartment complexes!

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Allispin July 24, 2012 at 4:57 am

I recently started making my own deodorant! so far, so good….

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KatieB July 24, 2012 at 5:31 am

I use cloth napkins and cloth dishtowels, no paper.

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JD July 24, 2012 at 5:32 am

I’ve made the move to non-toxic cleaners and as much organic food as I can get. I also use non-toxic personal care products and I make my own shampoo. I’ve been making my own laundry detergent for a while, and use vinegar for the softener, as well as in my dishwasher for the rinse aid. After a family member’s excruciating death from cancer, my spouse and I have re-doubled our efforts to remove toxins from our lives.

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Lili@creativesavv July 24, 2012 at 5:40 am

Patched a bunch of stuff in the last month, including sheets, jeans, ballet shoe, and the gasket on the fridge door.

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Robin July 24, 2012 at 5:51 am

I stopped wearing perfume. I used to wear it every day and it made me so happy because it smelt so good. Then I got pregnant and read that it wasn’t recommended — got me thinking. If perfume isn’t good for a fetus it probably isn’t good for me either! I also buy everything I can unscented, including dryer sheets, soap, shampoo, lotion, etc.

Would love to read this book! It is not at my library yet…

Robin
Cary, NC

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Sue July 24, 2012 at 5:56 am

I only use glass food storage containers–I’m not sure what my food can absorb from plastic ones. It’s very scary to think about.

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Jessica July 24, 2012 at 6:11 am

I started using reusable shopping bags instead of plastic.

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Emilee July 24, 2012 at 6:14 am

I recently had a baby and we are cloth diapering. It is super easy!! And the diaper covers are so cute 🙂 We are first time parents and I was determined to use cloth on our little guy for many reasons. First, disposable diapers are VERY toxic. The laundry list of chemicals used for disposable diapers include so many scary things that one would avoid as an adult, so why put them on a helpless infant? I did not want our son to start life surrounded by chemicals. Second, diapers are filling our landfills and I did not want to be part of that. And they are MUCH less expensive in the long run. I have spent a grand total of $45 and have almost all the diapers and supplies that will work until our son potty trains! (they are more expensive than that but most of our diapers have been gifts . Love having environmentally conscious friends and a hippie mom!)

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emmer July 24, 2012 at 6:17 am

wei do most of the things mentioned above.wei also use mass transit for a good portion of my travels. (portland light rail is awesome.) we also “pay rent” to some of the critters whose home spaces were usurped by the townhouse development where we live. we have 4 bird feeders which get customized feed for whatever birds are hanging out. we leave kibble for the fox who lives in a wetlands nearby. we bake goose biscuits for the wild birds where dh goes kayaking on sauvie island.
couple of years ago i was trying to think of what else i might do. i came up with 2 things. i decided to permanently give a reduced price to my customers on mending and repairs as a way to encourage extended use of clothing. my second idea was to improve access to high quality local and organic foods. so i started a bulk buying group that includes having an annual food preservation class put on by the university extension service. we also notify each other if, say, someone has more plums on their backyard tree than they can use and is willing to share, or someone is going blueberry picking and offers to take others along as a carpool.
my newest endeavor is researching the possibility that solar hot water and electricity generation may be cost-effective for a group of the townhouse owners where i live.
i’ve been whining to the library ladies that we need this book, but it hasn’t happened. i’d really like to read it and if i win, i promise to give it to the library when i finish with it. 🙂

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jennifer July 24, 2012 at 6:20 am

We got rid of most of the plastic in our kitchen. We compost like it’s our job! 🙂 The critters in the woods enjoy the compost pile too!

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Cate July 24, 2012 at 6:27 am

We eat a whole food, plants only diet…”livestock are not only harmed by human-caused global-warming greenhouse gas, but also cause about 18 percent of it, according to “Livestock’s Long Shadow,” a 2006 UN Food and Agriculture Organization report by FAO livestock specialists (who normally promote livestock).”

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Susan July 24, 2012 at 6:33 am

I have slowly cleaned out my kitchen of all the plastic. I now a great supply of glass container for leftovers. This also helps save on food waste because I can see what we have left that needs to be used up. I am using up all my household cleaners and then replacing them with non-toxic cleaners that I make.

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Kat July 24, 2012 at 7:48 am

Patched all the punctured tubes for the bikes – ok, the ones with three or fewer holes – instead of buying new ones. I have a nice big stash of spare tubes now but I need more patch supplies.
A friend gave me a kitchen apron she made so the old one I didn’t like became the messy project (see above tube patching) apron.

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Peg July 24, 2012 at 7:51 am

I’ve switched to white vinegar/water for a window cleaner, use white vinegar or boiling water to kill weeks, and am not replacing the small frig-read as ‘no frills!-that was in the house we bought.

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Diane C July 24, 2012 at 8:02 am

Uh-oh. I keep my toes painted all summer long. I guess I really need to read this book…
I make homemade laundry soap (best of all – I had all the ingredients on hand, so it is “free”). I just tried my first batch of liquid hand soap and shared the results with two friends – in recycled glass jars, of course. I also bring home all my soap slivers when I travel and slip them into a mesh bag which I hang in the shower.
I volunteer at my library’s book sales. Last weekend we had our best-ever results. We raised over $3400 in two days, which will go to pay for special programs and materials. Lots of books redistributed and many frugal readers were thrilled to have loads of summer reading for cheap, cheap prices!

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Leslie @ lifeonmelodyhill.wordpress.com July 24, 2012 at 8:06 am

I recently ordered a Kean Kanteen 40 oz container and 4 pint drinking cups. After watching the movie Tapped I cringe if I have to drink bottled water!

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Debbie W. July 24, 2012 at 8:08 am

Our family keeps a basket of used hand towels & washcloths (thrift store purchases, of course) in the kitchen, which we use in place of paper towels, for all kitchen messes & spills. In addition, we keep a basket of used cloth napkins (again, thrift store purchases) in our dining room, and these take the place of paper napkins. We began this “initiative” about a year ago, when paper products became way too expensive. The amount of money we save is rewarding, but so is doing our little part to help the environment! 🙂

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Jenny July 24, 2012 at 8:10 am

Homemade cleaners, no Teflon and re-usabel shopping bags. Now I’m working on getting rid of the plastic storage containers and transitioning to glass.

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Jenny July 24, 2012 at 8:10 am

* re-usable*

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Rebecca B. A. R. July 24, 2012 at 8:59 am

I’ve decided to go to just using vinegar and baking soda for cleaning, after I’ve used up what I have right now. It’ll be healthier and less expensive.

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betsyohs July 24, 2012 at 9:22 am

Lots of awesome tips here! A small thing I did this year was install some drip irrigation hoses (from a yard sale!!) in our garden. They put the water right at the roots of the plants, so I’m watering those beds a lot less than the beds that don’t have them yet and which I have t0 water with a regular sprinkler. Makes me happy while we’re in the middle of this drought – there’s been literally no rain water to save for watering!

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Amy July 24, 2012 at 9:38 am

I make my own laundry detergent!

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Chris B July 24, 2012 at 9:52 am

Lots of changes like a lot of people here, but I think the primary ones are that I switched to glass for all my food storage and I now buy my eggs, meat and dairy at the farmer’s market – pastured/grassfed cows and chickens and raw milk and butter.

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michelle d July 24, 2012 at 10:47 am

I have been much better about fixing rather than replacing things.

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Lisa July 24, 2012 at 11:43 am

I’ve changed most of my personal care items to more organic/non-toxic ones. Still need to use up a few: just can’t seem to throw them out and waste the money! This book looks great…nice giveaway, thank you!

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Laura July 24, 2012 at 11:47 am

I use only baking soda and vinegar to clean. It’s amazing how much better I feel after cleaning vs. how I used to feel using commercial cleansers.

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diane July 24, 2012 at 12:16 pm

With a new baby i need to start working on this. I recycle where i can, i buy mostly at thrift stores….but i need to do a lot more! Would love this book and would pass it on when i was done reading it! I pass along all my magazines and books!

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Sara July 24, 2012 at 12:38 pm

I use wooden clothespins instead of plastic chip clips. They are cheaper, work better, and they are not made of plastic!

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Alice July 24, 2012 at 1:18 pm

I have been taking the bus to work for two years now and we pay for our own recycling of newspapers, milk jugs and cartons, tin cans, cardboard, etc.

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Emily T. July 24, 2012 at 1:19 pm

I discovered that potatoes are so heavily sprayed, potato farmers plant separate plots for their own families that are grown without so many chemicals. I didn’t much care for that idea, so we’ve started buying organic potatoes whenever they’re available.

We’ve also switched to only blue corn chips, as no Bt corn (GMO) is blue.

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Cindy July 24, 2012 at 2:04 pm

I’ve started washing and moisturizing my face with olive oil.

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Erica @ Cult of Kale July 24, 2012 at 2:35 pm

Hmmmm….a small change? I feel like I’ve made so many big changes lately they crowd out the little ones. I guess the one that seemed like a huge no-brainer and wasn’t hard to change was storing our fresh food better so it would last longer in the fridge.

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Alice July 24, 2012 at 2:59 pm

The most recent changes are using vinegar as a detangler instead of conditioner, and not replacing the harsher cleaning products as we use them up (I’m starting to get like the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding with Windex – vinegar is now my default for pretty much anything!).

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Melissa July 24, 2012 at 3:43 pm

I recently started making my own laundry detergent…I now spend my days being amazed at how much $ I used to spend & how much water I was lugging home.

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Karen July 24, 2012 at 4:13 pm

I have made several environmental changes in my life but one small one and my favorite, I think, is making homemade deodorant. I love it and it works better than the store bought deodorant!!

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KatE July 24, 2012 at 5:52 pm

After watching the movie “Bag It,” I’ve stopped using plastic bags and plastic containers.

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Jennifer July 24, 2012 at 6:15 pm

I try to buy mostly organic fruits and veggies for my family of 6. I cook most of my meals and really try to avoid processed foods.

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april July 24, 2012 at 6:56 pm

I’ve stopped using commercial kitchen & bathroom cleaners, and now I use just vinegar and baking soda to clean.

Thanks for the giveaway, Katy!

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Kandace July 24, 2012 at 7:20 pm

When I first became pregnant with my firstborn, we switched to organic (when it matters), mostly chemical-free cleaning products, and reusable bags. Now we’re even making our own detergent and composting. Funny how creating life makes a person think about the world.

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Nancy from Mass July 25, 2012 at 3:53 am

i switched almost completely from paper towels to regular towels or rags…and got my husband and son on board! A roll of paper towels lasts us about 2+ months now.

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Linda from Mass July 25, 2012 at 4:09 am

I use paper towels only for my cat’s messes. I use cloth washcloths and dishcloths for all mopping up. I also make alot of my cleaners. Vinegar does wonders!

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melinda harbaugh July 25, 2012 at 4:23 am

I have been using vinegar and baking soda for LOTS of my cleaning-i haven’t bought commercial cleansers for a long time! It’s not alot, but little by little we try to do more and more!

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Amy S July 25, 2012 at 6:38 am

I gave up my full-of-chemicals Secret anti-persperant for a mineral deodorant alternative. It took a few tries to find one that works, but it was worth it for peace of mind.

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Tricia July 25, 2012 at 8:14 am

My latest change….I make my own deodorant and it works better than anything I have ever bought. My biggest green activity….I cloth diaper and have for 3.5+ years 🙂

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Linda H. July 25, 2012 at 3:49 pm

Would you share your deodorant recipe with us?

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Kate July 25, 2012 at 8:25 am

I bought three mesh bags for a dollar and use them instead of plastic produce bags at the grocery store.

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Melissa July 25, 2012 at 9:53 am

I could list cutting back on the number of showers I take, but that’s mostly from being lazy and wanting more time for coffee. One real change I’ve made is to use a mixture of olive oil and castor oil to clean my face. Works wonders and my skin feels great.

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Erin July 25, 2012 at 10:34 am

I have made several changes over the last few years, but my favorite is my veggie garden! I went from a city girl to a canning girl. Last year my husband and I enjoyed fresh tomatoes from our garden until December 10th. We also froze more and avoided buying a single canned tomato product from the grocery store all year. Last year we recycled a friends windows and made a greenhouse where we can enjoy fresh veggies earlier and later in the season. Our grocery bill is cut in half from May-October and our meals never tasted so good!

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Linda H. July 25, 2012 at 11:21 am

I have started making my own salad dressings. No chemicals or preservatives and they taste so much better!
(By the way, I stopped painting my toenails too. I actually cringe when I see little kids with painted nails because I worry about how toxic it is!)

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Brenda Turner July 25, 2012 at 11:52 am

I stopped using disposable tableware and plastic bolttled water.

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Laura July 25, 2012 at 12:02 pm

I’m buying a lot of my dry goods in bulk in my own bags. I’ve also found this to be cheaper, even when it’s organic, than the conventional packaged goods.

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Mary Kate July 25, 2012 at 1:34 pm

I have eliminated plastic as much as possible – glass sotrage containers, glass drinking glasses, and stainless steel water bottles.

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Jen Z July 25, 2012 at 1:57 pm

My husband and I began gardening…vegetables and fruit bushes. We are also big proponents of recycling everything possible and using cloth shopping bags for groceries.

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Danielle July 25, 2012 at 2:39 pm

Besides growing almost all of our own food, we recently splurged on an organic latex mattress.

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Ashleigh July 25, 2012 at 6:03 pm

I just discovered your website via LHJ today. Love it so far!

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Earen July 25, 2012 at 6:23 pm

I grow what food I can, belong to a local CSA, bring my own grocery bags when I shop, compost. I am trying to wean myself from store-bought house cleaners.

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Linda July 25, 2012 at 7:49 pm

I keep a small bag in my purse to transport my lunch to work, bring paperwork to and from work and generally transport items so I don’t use multiple bags.

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Gerene Townsend July 25, 2012 at 9:01 pm

I know time has expired onthis give away (dang it!) but I only recently ran across you blog as published by the Huffington Post. For that many congratulations. Still, I would like to share my changes to remove toxins from my life. Don’t be alarmed I look and smell wonderful don’t judge.
1. Tampons… No certain facts, but I have a sneaking suspicion inserting bleached and sometimes perfumed cotton into onesself cannot be safe. A natural moist orofice into which a chemically treated, absorbant material is inserted for hours on end for up to a week.
No thank you. With very little effort a year ago i found instructions for homemade menstural pads and I loVE them! Its really not gross, and far less bothersome than a wad of shame in your bathroom bin…. It may be 2012 and some of us may have the best guys on the planet but most would rather know very little of our moom cycle, much less see or even smell the evidence. Instructions on making your own are easy and quite fun. You may also purchase new ones online… If youve not committed to otherwise, or even use some upcycled cotton batting and flannel sheets.
2. Deodorant… This one is new for me we are all familiar with parabens by now, but I heard something fascinating about a high percntage of breast cancer being found in breast tissue near the under arm…
Scary… Most drug and healh scores carry paraben free types ofnwhich I have heard mixed reviews but I can currently researching other more natural efforts. I am not an intense perspirer, so this works for me but perhaps no everyone, but wih a bit of research and persistence I bet everyone can find something safer and better for them.
Thanks for your dedicwtion and posts Katy. Excited to be a new reader. Again, congrats on the Huff Post.
Many Blessings

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