Microbe-Clean

I found a product called Microbe-Clean in my local Whole Foods several years ago.  It is a multi-purpose cleaner and odor eliminator that uses the power of non-pathogenic microbes to clean and remove odors.

Microbe-Clean is capable of cleaning and eliminating odors from food waste, animal waste and human waste.  It’s also fragrance-free.  The smell is hard to describe, but it is not strong or offensive whatsoever.  Here is the description from the website:

MICROBE-CLEAN is environmentally safe and based on nature’s own cleaning invention—microbes. Common stains and odors result from organic residue (food, beverages, urine, etc.). MICROBE-CLEAN puts billions of naturally occurring, non-pathogenic microbes to work, cleaning and removing odors in the same way microbes do in nature, leaving the environment clean and fresh smelling.

MICROBE-CLEAN is more effective than enzyme or surfactant products because microbes biodegrade the residue, removing it (which the others cannot do). This is especially important in porous materials like carpet, wood, or hard-to-get-to areas where residue is not accessible with normal cleaning techniques. MICROBE-CLEAN can be used full strength or diluted and can also be used in a carpet cleaning machine to resolve all sorts of problem issues.

I use Microbe-Clean primarily to clean up after I sauna.  I spray my sauna mat with it and I have never had any issues with odor from sweat on my mat.  I also will throw a cup in the washer if I have some laundry that is less than fresh.  You can also use this to clean your carpets and I will be doing so as my dog has taken to peeing on my area rug.

My local Whole Foods doesn’t sell this anymore so I order it directly from the website.
Microbe-Clean

Nature’s Gate Natural Toothpaste

I try to avoid toxins wherever I can, which is why I upgraded my toothpaste. I’m currently using Nature’s Gate Natural Toothpaste. I like the Crème de Mint and Crème de Anise flavors. The main reason I use this toothpaste is because it’s fluoride free. There are several natural toothpaste brands that still contain fluoride and I wanted to avoid that. For more information on the dangers of fluoride, click here.

Not only is Nature’s Gate toothpaste fluoride free, it is also paraben free, sulfate free, contains no sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate, no artificial colors, not artificial flavors or sweeteners and no animal by-products or animal testing.

Nature’s Gate

I Can Breathe Mask

Image from National Allergy

This is the mask I own and carry with me wherever I go. I ordered it from National Allergy and it has helped me in many a perfumed circumstance. Most of the time I use it when I’m in a public restroom that has air “fresheners.”

The mask comes with an activated charcoal filter that is secured inside the mask with Velcro. The filters are replaceable and it is time for me to order a new filter because I’ve noticed that my mask has been less effect lately.

I Can Breathe Mask

Ask For What You Need

I was having a serious fragrance issue at my therapist’s office. My therapist shares an office suite with several other counselors. There is a common waiting room and one bathroom. Every time I came in for my appointment, the bathroom reeked of a Glade fragrance spray, to the point where it was wafting out into the waiting room. Several times I had to wait outside because of it. My therapist is very understanding of my MCS. We schedule my appointments after her afternoon break so as to avoid any potential lingering fragrance from a client before. So far I haven’t had any issues in her office. She doesn’t wear perfume and sitting only a couple feet away from her, I really can’t detect any scent coming from her at all. When I spoke up about the fragrance issue in the bathroom, it was resolved before my next appointment. She spoke with the other counselors in the office and the spray was removed, and replaced with a mixture of pure essential oils and water in a spray bottle.

I wanted to share this story because we all have so many stories of people constantly rejecting us based on our chemical sensitivity. Many people either just don’t get it or they don’t care, to the point where they make the problem worse by using even more toxic fragrance. But not this time. Speak up, and ask for what you need, no matter how afraid you are of a potentially negative reaction. Sometimes people will surprise you and do the right thing.

Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder

I found Charlie’s Soap laundry powder at Whole Foods and I really like it.  Most of the time I use Ecos Free & Clear laundry liquid but someone had recommended Charlie’s Soap to me so I wanted to give it a try.

Charlie’s Soap laundry powder is non-toxic, biodegradable, and truly scent-free.  You do not need fabric softeners with it.  In fact, they are not recommended.  It is HE machine safe, and one scoop per load means you get 80 loads out of a small 2.64 lb container.  Charlie’s soap also makes a liquid laundry detergent, as well as an array of other laundry and cleaning products.

Charlie’s Soap

Is Trader Joe’s Lavender Laundry Detergent Really All Natural?

About two years ago my husband and I went back to an eco-friendly bed and breakfast that we had visited about six months before. The bed and breakfast advertised itself as a fragrance-free establishment and I had a lovely, unscented time there during our stay. The proprietor used Seventh Generation Free and Clear detergent, so I had no problem using their linens. Whenever I travel, even though I specifically seek out fragrance-free places, I still bring my own linens just in case. This time I left my backup linens at home, thinking I would not need them. When we got to the bed and breakfast, I found the entire room was saturated with fragrance. I came to find out the owner had switched the detergent from Free and Clear to Trader Joe’s Lavender scented Laundry detergent. I couldn’t understand why the scent of this supposedly naturally fragranced detergent was giving me headaches and making my throat hurt. I got through two nights of our stay but had to leave before our scheduled third night because I was just so uncomfortable. The owners of the B & B graciously did not charge us for the third night.

I was so perplexed as to why I was so overwhelmed by this product so I contacted Trader Joe’s with this email:

Hello,
I have a question about the lavender oil that is used to scent the
liquid laundry detergent. Could you tell me if the lavender oil is 100%
natural or is it mixed with synthetic fragrance of any kind? Also, is
the oil extracted by natural means (like steam distillation) or is it
chemically extracted?
Thank you.

This was their response:

Thank you for your inquiry. Our detergent is naturally fragranced with
essential lavender oil. This ingredient does not contain any artificial
additives and we do not allow the use of artificial fragrance in our
products. It is naturally produced through alcohol extraction, there
are no chemicals used.

Sincerely,
XXXX
Trader Joe’s
Customer Relations

Something about this explanation didn’t sound right to me. I know that when searching for essential oils, it is important to choose ones that are naturally extracted. Two such methods are steam distillation and cold pressing. Certain brands of essential oils are extracted through chemical means like hexane, which therefore contaminates the essential oil. According to Anne Steineman, PhD, professor of civil and environmental engineering, professor of public affairs, University of Washington, chemically extracted essential oils are just as toxic as petroleum based synthetic fragrance.

I corresponded with a woman who is an expert in natural essential oils and aromatherapy. I forwarded her my email from Trader Joe’s and she said her suspicion was Trader Joe’s was using the solvent extraction method, because it mixes with water better than essential oils and does not evaporate as quickly. She says that people do not understand that what they are using is not an essential oil and is far from a natural extraction.

Here is an explanation of solvent extraction from plantresins.com:

“Solvent Extraction:

A hydrocarbon solvent is added to the plant material to help dissolve the essential oil. When the solution is filtered and concentrated by distillation, a substance containing resin (resinoid), or a combination of wax and essential oil (known as concrete) remains. 

From the concentrate, pure alcohol is used to extract the oils or fats. When the alcohol evaporates, the oil is left behind. 

This is not considered the best method for extraction of essential oils, as the solvents can leave a heavy residue behind, but it’s great for making resins for this very reason.”

According to Wikipedia:
“Most flowers contain too little volatile oil to undergo expression and their chemical components are too delicate and easily denatured by the high heat used in steam distillation. Instead, a solvent such as hexane or supercritical carbon dioxide is used to extract the oils. Extracts from hexane and other hydrophobic solvent are called concretes, which are a mixture of essential oil, waxes, resins, and other lipophilic (oil soluble) plant material.
Although highly fragrant, concretes contain large quantities of nonfragrant waxes and resins. Often, another solvent, such as ethyl alcohol, which is more polar in nature, is used to extract the fragrant oil from the concrete. The alcohol is removed by evaporation, leaving behind the absolute.”

From the information I have researched thus far, I feel the lavender oil used in this detergent is less than ideal and this product should be avoided by those who are sensitive to essential oils that are extracted through any other means than steam distillation or cold pressing.

After I informed the bed and breakfast about my problem with the detergent, the owner switched back to Seventh Generation’s Free and Clear. Our third trip to the bed and breakfast was once again scent free and very enjoyable.