Text4Baby: Maternal Health Messages Via SMS
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Set against the backdrop of the new “culture” of organizing bandhs (general strikes) in post-conflict Nepal, HIGHWAY explores five different relationship stories that become connected during an ill-fated bus journey from eastern Nepal to the capital, Kathmandu. When the passengers discover that sometimes wedding parties are permitted through the massive traffic jams caused by bandhs, they devise a plan to stage a fake wedding.
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According to the Allergy and Environmental Health Association, both liquid and dryer sheet fabric softeners are “the most toxic product produced for daily household use.” Most of the popular brands of fabric softeners contain many neurotoxins (substances that are toxic to the brain and nervous system) and other types of toxins. Read my article 8 Toxins Lurking in Your Fabric Softener to learn more.
So, you’re ready to forego commercial fabric softeners but you still want soft clothes. What are your options? Well, here are my 6 suggestions to detox your laundry:
1. Add a 1/2 cup of baking soda to the water in your washing machine and let it dissolve prior to adding your clothes. This is my preferred method since the baking soda acts as a water softener and helps makes clothes super soft.
2. Some people toss tennis balls or other rubber balls into the dryer with clothes. I’m not a huge fan of this method since the heat of the dryer can cause the rubber to off-gas onto your clothing. If you have an allergy to latex, this is definitely not the method for you. Plus, I wouldn’t choose this method if you’re drying delicate clothing items.
3. Adding a cup of vinegar to the wash water can also soften clothes but I don’t find this method as effective as the baking soda technique.
4. To help with static, there’s the aluminum foil ball technique. Tightly scrunch a piece of foil to form a ball. Throw it in with clothes in the dryer. There is some possible concern with increasing your exposure to aluminum (which has been linked to some brain disorders). It can also snag delicate clothes.
5. Try to keep synthetic fabrics out of the dryer since they are the culprits when it comes to static. Natural fibers like cotton, bamboo, hemp, and linen are best dried on their own.
6. And, of course there are natural fabric softeners available in most health food stores.
Bamboo is a member of the grass family and is so extensively used across the world that future historians might just designate this era as the Bamboo Age. It is used for beds, mats, flooring, fences, fishing traps, baskets, eating utensils, food containers and food itself (shoots are eaten fresh, dried, pickled and fermented). Bamboo is used for musical instruments, papermaking, furniture making, and as a construction material. What a grass!
Because of bamboo’s incredible, stronger-than-steel tensile strength, it is even used to make simple pontoon bridges and higher tech suspension bridges—bamboo is the material of choice for scaffolding construction throughout Asia, even for scaffolding employed in the construction of skyscrapers in Hong Kong and Tokyo.
A Really Green Grass
Bamboo is a high-yield renewable natural resource. It is the fastest growing woody plant on the planet—some species grow as much as one meter per day. They say you can watch it grow (if one were so inclined). Cutting bamboo does not result in the death of the plant; its extensive root system remains intact, simply sending up new shoots to replace the old ones. And consider this, a 60-foot timber tree takes 60 years to replenish, a 60-foot bamboo takes only 60 days.
However…
Since bamboo doesn’t fall under the guidelines of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), there is no guarantee that planting or working conditions are adequate nor is there any regulation of biocide use. The good news is that there is growing interest in providing certification, and until then there are numerous vendors who make a concerted effort to source bamboo from plantations that practice healthy planting and harvest procedures—it is important to check with the supplier to see if their bamboo comes from well-managed plantations.
Bamboo Towels
Bamboo towels are nothing short of a miracle against the skin—they are like thick, slinky velvet and a delight to wrap yourself in post-bath…or anytime, really. And (although we could have told you this) according to Consumer Reports tests, cotton-bamboo blend towels are about 25 percent softer after laundering, on average, than their all-cotton counterparts. Cellulose from bamboo is converted into rayon fibers, and it’s that resulting fiber that makes for these sexy towels. Shopping tips: Bamboo towels are more expensive than their cotton cousins; thicker bamboo towels are generally more absorbent than the thinner ones.
Bamboo Sheets
Read about bamboo sheets including links to where to buy them.
Bamboo Bowls
Wound bamboo is a very old craft in which thin, compressed bamboo strips are soaked in water and then coiled outward from the center to create a spiral resulting in a plate or bowl.
Lovely lacquerware bowls are hand-coiled, shaped and finished with 18 layers of natural lacquer: Durable and waterproof, food-safe finish. Suitable for both hot and cold foods.
You can’t do better than this set of four jungle green bamboo bowls from The Rain Forest Site store, which will preserve 2290 square feet of land for each set of four Jungle Bamboo Bowls purchased.
Bamboo Bicycles
Wow. This company is trading in the high-tech carbon for bamboo with the frames of these award-winning bamboo bikes. The price tag makes them out of reach for the casual biker, but they are so greatly green and worth a little look-see!
1. Clean carpets: Clean up musty, dirty carpets by sprinkling dry, used green tea leaves on the carpet. Let them work their magic for about 10 minutes, then vacuum them up.
2. Clean antique rugs: Delicate Persian and Oriental rugs can also benefit from a sprinkling of tea leaves. In this case, sprinkle nearly dry, used whole tea leaves on the rugs, and gently sweep them away.
3. Shine wood floors: The tannins in black tea can help shine and color hardwood flooring. Follow your regular floor cleaning routine by carefully rubbing some brewed tea into the floor (don’t use too much water on hardwood flooring) and letting it air dry.
4. Polish furniture: Brewed tea also can help clean and shine wood furniture. Dip a soft cloth in a small amount of tea, and use it to wipe down the tables, chairs and more.
5. Clean mirrors and windows: Tea can remove stubborn, greasy fingerprints from glass, and make it sparkle. Simply rub a damp teabag on the glass or fill a spray bottle with brewed tea.
6. Clean toilet stains: Rumor has it that used tea bags can magically remove stubborn stains in the bottom of the toilet bowl. Just leave them in the toilet for several hours, then flush the toilet and brush the bowl.
7. Get rid of fishy smells: Rinse your hands with tea after eating or preparing fish (or other stinky foods) to eliminate odors.
8. De-stink fridges: Instead of baking soda (or maybe in addition), try used tea bags in the fridge to absorb odors.
9. De-stink cat litter: Likewise, used tea leaves can help deodorize litter boxes when mixed into the litter. Dry, green tea leaves are recommended.
10. Prevent fleas: Tea is also rumored to help prevent fleas, so sprinkle some dry used tea leaves around pet bedding.
11. Kill dust mites: Carefully spray diluted black tea on the carpet to kill dust mites. Color-test the tea first in an inconspicuous spot. We’re a little skeptical of this one because dust mites like moisture, and we’re not sure that introducing more moisture to a carpet would kill them, but people say it works.
12. Clean the fireplace: Sprinkling wet tea leaves on fireplace ashes while scooping them out may help reduce blowing dust.
13. Make potpourri: The herbs and flowers in herbal tea bags may have run out of flavor, but they often still have a good scent. Dry out herbal tea bags and add to potpourri or scented sachets.
14. Make a car air freshener: Likewise, you can freshen up the car without a chemical-laden commercial air freshener. Put lavender tea or other soothing herbal tea in a bag under the seat to fight odors.
Personal:
15. Soothe a sunburn: Wet tea bags can soothe sunburns and other minor burns. For a full-body sunburn, soak in a tea bath.
16. Soothe tired eyes: Warm, wet tea bags can reduce puffiness and soothe pain around tired eyes — and tea bags on your eyes look a little less ridiculous than cucumber slices.
17. Soothe pinkeye: You can also use warm, wet tea bags as a compress to soothe the pain of pinkeye.
18. Soothe razor burn: A wet tea bag can also reduce and soothe razor burn.
19. Drain boils: Cover a boil with a wet tea bag overnight, and it should drain painlessly.
20. Soothe blisters: Hot tea bags are also rumored to draw out infections when left on fever blisters and canker sores.
21. Dry poison ivy rash: Dry a weepy poison ivy rash with strongly brewed tea. Simply dip a cotton ball into the tea, dab it on the affected area, and let it air-dry. Repeat as needed.
22. Save a broken fingernail: To salvage a partially broken fingernail, use a piece of mesh tea bag to create a splint of sorts between the nail and the broken piece. Coat in nail polish.
23. Make soap: Tea is a useful addition when making glycerin soap. The texture and scent can help make the soap smell and cleanse better.
24. Help recover from injections: A wet teabag on an injection site can be soothing, for babies or adults.
25. Soothe bleeding gums: For an older child who loses a tooth, try putting a cold, wet tea bag in the mouth where the tooth was lost. It can reduce bleeding and soothe pain.
26. Make mouthwash: Similarly, toothaches and other mouth pain can be soothed with a rinse of antiseptic peppermint tea mixed with a little salt.
27. Shine dry hair: Brewed tea makes a good conditioner for dry hair. Rinse with (unsweetened) tea and leave to dry for a while, then rinse again with water.
28. Dye hair: Brewed tea also is a good natural hair dye. Mix rosemary and sage into dark black tea and let the mixture stand overnight. Strain the mix and thoroughly work it into your hair. Repeat as needed for the desired color.
29. Improve skin: To protect and beautify skin, try bathing in green tea. Another widely recommended skin booster is chamomile tea in a facial steamer.
MINOR WOUND
REMEDY: HONEY
Honey deprives bacteria of the water it needs to multiply. Thwart infection with a swipe of the sweet stuff, and cover the cut with a bandage.
SUNBURN, RAZOR BURN
REMEDY: MILK
Dip a clean washcloth into a bowl of cool milk and dab it on the burned areas. (The coolness can help reduce swelling, and milk’s lactic acid has anti-inflammatory properties.) Then rinse it off. Or try: Olive oil, which has natural compounds that protect against inflammation. That being said, a sunburn could be dangerous.
FLAKY HAND SKIN
REMEDY: SUGAR
Coat your wet hands with sugar—the coarser the better. The rough grains scrub away flakes and dead skin cells. If possible, use demerara, a dark sugar with large granules; it’s sold in specialty-food stores.
DRY SKIN AND LIPS
REMEDY: OLIVE OIL
Olive oil closely resembles your own natural oils, which can be stripped away by harsh soaps and dry heat. Smooth a few drops onto your palm and rub it into your skin to soften rough spots and form a protective moisture barrier.
INSECT BITES
REMEDY: APPLE-CIDER VINEGAR
Dab the vinegar onto each bite with a paper towel. The acidity can help reduce swelling and curb your urge to scratch.
ATHLETE’S FOOT
REMEDY: APPLE-CIDER VINEGAR
A mixture of one part vinegar and three parts water can kill the fungi that cause foot infections. For athlete’s foot relief, just soak your feet in it for a while. Of course, knowing what causes it in the fist place can also help prevent a reoccurrence. Start by reading “Athlete’s Foot Treatment and Prevention”.
STINKY SNEAKERS
REMEDY: BAKING SODA
A sprinkle between wearings can help neutralize funky odors. Just don’t forget to dump out the excess before you slide your shoes back on. Or try: Orange peels. Leave peels in your shoes overnight to replace bacterial odors with a fresh scent.
REEKING ARMPITS
REMEDY: APPLE-CIDER VINEGAR
It’s not sweat that makes your pits reek—it’s the bacteria that break down your sweat. (Gross, right?) So dip a cotton ball or a washcloth into cider vinegar and rub it under your arms. Vinegar’s astringent properties won’t allow microbes to thrive. And don’t worry about the sharp smell—it dissipates quickly. Or try: Baking soda, which absorbs stench.
