Lovin' your oven

It's Thanksgiving crunch time. Who's with me? Come on, don't deny that you're running by a schedule of what needs to happen when, days and hours leading up to the big meal. If you're hosting, at some point or another your oven is going to need cleaning. Maybe you do it before the holiday so that each basting of the bird doesn't come with a fresh dose of embarrassment. Maybe you do it after the holiday to clean away the memory of that exploded pie or the awful glue that we once called green bean casserole.

Whenever you clean your oven, here's a great, chemical-free way to do it. Sure, a lot of ovens have that self-clean feature that basically chars all that sh*t away, but if you're not into babysitting a 700-degree range for 6 hours, this is for you.

It comes from Cha Ching Queen. GREAT name. I don't know where she got the idea, but it's killer. Very Hints from Heloise. My mother had a copy of that book and it was like a Bible for housework. Basically it goes like this:

-- Mix some vinegar and water in a spray bottle.
-- Spray down your funky oven
-- Throw in some baking soda. Toss to coat, as they say.
-- Spray down the whole thing again
-- Listen for the hiss, close the oven door, and gorge on BuzzFeed lists of cute animals while the acid-base reaction of the vinegar and baking soda do all the work.

Are you trying this? You totally should. But even if you don't, take a minute to think about how you do clean your oven. Maybe stop using those cans of toxic, corrosive cleaner, yah?  Do it for Heloise.

Best,
Jazzy

SMACK! Reviews: Better Life What-EVER! Natural All-Purpose Cleaner

Sorry for the way too wordy post title. That's how we title product reviews here, and, well, the product name is just. so. long.

One thing I've learned about myself as I enter middle age is that I really like my spray cleaners. Like, to me, the kitchen's not clean unless I've sprayed everything down and cleaned it with hot water (with those great Trader Joe's Super Amazing Kitchen Cloths. Save the trees!).

I used to be a big fan of Method, but I wasn't happy with the ratings that some of the products get from EWG and GoodGuide. Also, the more I learn about fragrance, the more I realize that good-smelling cleaning products aren't always all that healthy for you and your home. So I took a break from Method and have been trying out different spray cleaners. You all haven't heard much about this because frankly, I haven't found one that's worth writing home about, if you know what I mean.

But here's one I like. Better Life's What-EVER! Natural All-Purpose Cleaner comes in a 32 oz spray bottle. The cute pictures on the front label show me I can use it in the bathroom, in my car and even when I'm skiing. The fine print on the back label tells me that it's a plant-based, biodegradable formula that's gluten-free and made in the USA. I bought the Clary Sage Citrus scent and went to town spraying all different surfaces in my house.

The scent is really nice. Definitely more fruity than floral, but not that fake cloying orange scent that makes me think of the roses in Hunger Games. Very light. Great for this time of year, when I want to things to be fresh and clean smelling. It's too soon for the heady, drunken flowery scents of high summer. If you prefer, there's an unscented version.

The spray bottle works perfectly. Believe it or not, this is still an issue for some companies. And I find it never more annoying than when the one thing you're selling doesn't work. I don't care how great your cleaner is, if it's in a crap spray bottle that doesn't dispense, the whole thing's a giant fail.

The cleaner itself works great. I use it in the kitchen, in the bathroom, on wood. Seems gentle but effective. Even a little soapy. Plenty of water on your washrag takes care of that. No greasy or filmy weirdness, just clean surfaces. Perfect.

The price leaves a bit to be desired. I paid $4.49 for this bottle at my local Whole Foods. Amazon sells it for more than $6 each, and list price on the Better Life website is a whopping $7.99!! Seriously? I raise this issue because all too often the healthier products are also the more expensive ones, which shuts out folks who really can't spend $5-10 on a natural kitchen cleaner when the 300-oz jug of PineSol is $1.99 at WalMart. It's not right.

So I really like this spray cleaner, and want to recommend it. But I'm determined to find something that's green AND affordable. I don't think that in this day and age, that's be too much to ask.

Yours,
Jazzy

The catalogs are WRONG

A couple weeks ago I got a bunch of catalogs claiming "Signs of Spring" or some other nonsense. Really? In January? I don't know about you, but where I live winter is still going strong. Real strong. And then the groundhog came out and yelled at everyone about global warming and harsher weather. Why do they bother that poor little guy anyway?

Today we're continuing with the theme of giving clothes a second life and opting out of the vicious cycle of retail fashion. See, it totally frosts me that I can't but myself a winter coat right now. The ones I like are all sold out. Since December. The stores are already full of bikinis and shorts, which is kinda bullcrap. 

So for sh*ts and giggles, I thought I'd hit eBay just to see how good the getting is on second-hand winterish clothes.

Right now -- TODAY -- there are:

• 5,024 women's cashmere sweaters
• 2,726 men's cashmere sweaters
• 886 pairs of women's waterproof boots
• 5,661 listings for women's UGGs (585 listings for men's)
• 895 pairs of women's skinny cords

You get the idea. These numbers are only listings for pre-owned items. As such, we expect that they won't all be in great shape. But we can still find some good pieces at good prices.  So what's the problem? 

Well, there's a little bit of a stigma attached buying things that aren't new, that aren't the latest. But why is that? Who exactly is judging us for what we wear? I don't see Anna Wintour -- or anyone else -- walking down the streets of my town striking us down for tying our scarves the wrong way, or for wearing boots when the occasion clearly calls for a wedge. WHATEVER. 

Sure, I'm out in the sticks of suburbia and I can't possibly understand why fashion is important because it's been 10 years since I've lived in a real city so what do I know? Look, I'm not trying to be any type of expert here. But I am trying to challenge the well-established notion that only the newest, only the latest will do. Maybe it's my middle age showing. Maybe it's my real, growing need to protect my body showing. Maybe I just like playing devil's advocate and messing with convention.

Yours,
Jazzy

The case for consignment

Quickie post that I've had in the queue and want to finish up.

It started out as a random idea I had while cleaning out a couple overstuffed closets in my house. And while pondering my down coat which has lost the will to zip. And also while harboring a silly but real yearning for a pair of penny loafers (welcome to my shoe problem).

Buying new things. The retail industry is built on consumers' needs to keep buying new items. Some things must be replaced without question; toothbrushes and dull razors come to mind. Other things we replace because they wear out or we outgrow them.

What of the second life of clothing and shoes? I am a big fan of donating the older, out-of-style pieces of my wardrobe, because they are still in good condition. So many great organizations use donations of nicer, career clothing to help less fortunate men and women get back on their feet.

But the benefits of second-hand items aren't just for folks with smaller bank accounts. Remember, clothing manufacturers finish textiles with a horrifying amount of harsh chemicals. So we wash before wearing. But if we do that anyway, aren't we better off with garments that have more washes under their belts?

Uh, Jazzy, that's not always a great idea. Because underwear. Totally. Some things aren't negotiable. But other things are. Now, I'm not suggesting we all start wearing used everything, but I would like you to consider your shopping habits to see if second-hand items have a place in your life. Does a new sweater have to be brand new? Or could you find a nice, gently-worn one on eBay?

It's easy from where I sit, because my washer and dryer have steam settings to sanitize nearly anything. But moreover I want us to consider WHY we need to buy brand new things, and how that need developed. 

Food for thought the next time you're in the market for a new pair of jeans, or something to freshen your Spring wardrobe.

Yours,
Jazzy

Super Amazing Reusable Kitchen Cloths: Part 3

A couple weeks ago I wrote this post and this post about Trader Joe's Super Amazing Reusable Kitchen Cloths. I've been using them and wanted to let you know my thoughts.

In short, I like them. So I bought another package of them. Really, they're just rags, but they are super absorbent and seem to handle tough scrubbing. The reusable part is what did it for me; it helps reconcile too many years of using too many rolls of paper towels. Now, as we learned, viscose is made from wood pulp, so we are still killing some trees. But I tell myself that it's got to be fewer trees than what paper towels do.

Word to the wise: don't put these things in the dryer. They are hearty as the day is long, but really not made for heated drying. 

Went through the dryer, and now looks like Yoda it does...

Oops.

(Note to self: never, ever put rayon clothing in the dryer)

That doesn't seem to be a permanent condition, though. One good soak and then laying the rag flat to air dry seems to give it back something resembling its original shape. If I remember correctly, this technique is calling 'blocking' and is used for all kinds of knits. I believe something like this appeared in my mother's "Hints from Heloise" booklet. Yes, I'm that old.

I imagine most of you don't hem and haw over what you use to wipe up your counters, but I'll still recommend the product just the same. Even if the chemical load of these rags is the same as paper towels, less waste is never a bad thing.

Yours, in elbow-length kitchen gloves,
Jazzy

What's for dinner?

Back during the holidays (I know, that was like, a lifetime ago), this awesome spoof on the Williams-Sonoma holiday catalog made its rounds on the interwebs. Check it out, especially if you need a good laugh to break up your Thursday. It's still really, really entertaining. Go ahead, I'll wait for you.

Hilarious, no?

Puts my need for a new griddle pan in perspective. Yup, I just said 'my need for a new griddle pan'. So now in addition to sounding super middle-aged, I sound super pretentious. Hey! It's not like I said 'a need for a new designer handbag' or 'a need to attend a Botox party'...

My griddle pan harkens back from the early 2000's. It's from Calphalon, non-stick, and I have made many, many batches of pancakes and quesadillas on it. Lately, though, it's losing some of its non-stick, signaling what I think is the retirement of this pan.

Now that I put a little more thought into what touches my body -- including what touches the food that goes into my body -- I want to do some research about cookware to see if there's a safe(r) version of non-stick anything.

The best-known version of non-stick -- DuPont's Teflon -- both revolutionized the category and then gave it something of a bad rep, what with more than a few pretty sketchy toxic chemicals found in the cookware coating. The main culprit is perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which the EPA describes as: 

"Companies use PFOA to make fluoropolymers, substances with special properties that have thousands of important manufacturing and industrial applications. PFOA can also be produced by the breakdown of some fluorinated telomers, substances that are used in surface treatment products to impart soil, stain, grease, and water resistance. PFOA is very persistent in the environment and has been found at very low levels both in the environment and in the blood of the general U.S. population. Studies indicate that PFOA can cause developmental and other adverse effects in laboratory animals."

I added the bold for emphasis, to point out that PFOA isn't just found in cookware, but in a huge variety of stain- and water-resistant products. That's greeaaaaaat. So I'm opening another Pandora's box here. The more I know, the less I want to. If you want to know more, check out this great Mother Jones piece back in 2007.

That new griddle pan won't be happening anytime soon. At least not until I have a better idea of which cookware companies use which chemicals. Is there even such a thing as a non non-stick griddle? I have a feeling this is going to take a higher-than-usual dose of skepticism. Stay tuned. 

Yours,
Jazzy

Fabrics 101

Or, Part Deux of "The Dog Ate My Post"...

Got something of an education today about fabrics and textiles, specifically viscose, the fiber from which Trader Joe's Super Amazing Reusable Kitchen Cloths are made. Here's a quick rundown of what I learned from the website of a Swiss company, SwicoFil AG:

• Viscose is another name for Rayon. Sometimes the names are used together, other times not. Seems like the use of the fiber determines what it's called on the label.
• Viscose rayon is a man-made fiber, but NOT a synthetic fiber. It is made from wood pulp and therefore behaves more like its natural cousins cotton and linen than its synthetic cousins polyester and nylon (the official industry terms are cellulosic and thermoplastic, respectively).
• Viscose rayon is used in apparel, household textiles, and even in industrial applications as reinforcement to such things are tires, hoses and belts.

Ok, Jazzy, we're asleep now. Can you just get to part where you tell us whether or not viscose makes a good cleaning cloth?

I think so? That's not very helpful, is it. Here's what I'm thinking. Viscose is made from a natural resource, but so is polyester (since oil is, technically, a natural resource). Without more insight into the processes by which viscose is made, or how it interacts with the environment, there's not a whole lotta judgment I can apply here. The same goes for nearly any fabric, since how much do any of use really know about how the fabrics of our homes and wardrobes are made?

Seems to me like we're about to go down a rabbit hole here to learn about textiles and their different environmental footprints. Right now it looks like a foggy, confusing landscape, and I'm sure as we learn more there will be surprises and disappointments just as we find in cosmetics and other personal products. But we can't unlearn anything, can we? 

Happy weekend,
Jazzy

The dog ate my post

No, seriously. Things like that really do happen. My dogs, who, throughout their 6-year lifespan, have eaten items too numerous and varied to believe, ate the topic of yesterday's post. This is why dogshaming.com is one of my favorite websites.

My dogs think viscose is yummy

So, literally, they ate yesterday's post. (It is not lost on me that in the UK this statement would read to mean the dogs ate my mail. I think that's the one thing they haven't ever done. Yet.) I had bought a package of Trader Joe's "Super Amazing Reusable Kitchen Cloths" and made the mistake of leaving them on the kitchen table. My plan had been to take some cute photos for the blog, but before I could do that, the dogs absconded with them to tear and chew up in the living room.  #!*%!#*!!!

Thankfully, most of the mess was the shredded packaging. The cloths themselves were still nearly whole and still very useable. Ok. Now that my frustration with them has subsided (it took a full 36 hours, and many, many Vanilla Bean Joe-Joes cookies), we can try to cobble together what's left of a post about this product.

I first have to cop to using paper towels. A lot of paper towels. But they have their limits when it comes to cleaning. And they can get kind of expensive, even if you belong to the warehouse club and use your coupons and all that. And that whole tree-killing thing that causes an uptick in my stomach acid. So this product meets a lot of needs. Or least uses all the right buzz words. 

TJ's calls the cloths 'super amazing' because they are absorbent but also release water quickly and easily. Not unlike those little towels that Olympic divers use. And that is a function of the fabric content -- in this case, viscose.

I don't know anything about viscose. Do you? Some reconnaissance is needed here, and I'm thinking that will take the form of a 'Part Deux' to this post. Double post day, aren't you lucky! I'll do some research and let you know what I find. In the meantime, it's Friday!

Later,
Jazzy

From the tap

Both Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert had a field day last night with the drinking water contamination in West Virginia. If you missed their opening bits, enjoy them here:






Huh. We're not doing any gloating here, though, not with 300,000 people in and around Charleston going without clean drinking water. Because Freedom Industries built their chemical storage tanks upstream from a major water treatment plant. And then decided that regular inspections weren't really worthwhile. What were you doing in 1991? That's the last time these tanks were inspected. TWENTY THREE years ago. Jesus I'm old.

CNN has a pretty decent piece about the whole fiasco here. My favorite parts? This line: "Two U.S. congressmen say the spill exposes regulatory gaps in the country's chemical control laws." Ya think? But thank you, Representatives Henry Waxman (D-Calif) and Paul Tonko (D-NY) for pointing it out anyway. Because sometimes, recognizing what's terribly obvious can be the hardest thing of all.

And the bit where the head of WV Department of Environmental Protection (hahahahahaha) Randy Huffman says, "The materials they were storing there is not a hazardous material." Pathetic grammatical errors aside, I think the residents of the Charleston area who are puking and sh*tting their guts out would disagree.

I'm going to watch the fallout of this disaster. We'll see what change comes of it, since there are chemical AND energy companies with interests here. If nothing else, John Grisham's next novel just wrote itself.

Yours,
Jazzy

Red Tuesday

Late posting today. I swear, I think my creative writing skills are frozen, it's so effing cold out!

Yesterday was 'Blue Monday' -- what is supposedly the most depressing day of the year, because it's not just any Monday (those are bad enough all on their own). It's the first Monday after the Bacchanalia of the holidays, that first day when you reflect on not only how much you overindulged but also how much winter is left (thank you, polar vortex, for that subtle, sub-arctic reminder). Yup, life is the sh*ts.

The new Crate & Barrel catalog doesn't help matters. About half the catalog is spent pushing all manner of cleaning things. Brooms, dusters, fancy buckets, blah blah blah. Even cleaning supplies -- like, actual sprays and scrubs and what-have-you -- from the 'Better Life' brand that Crate started selling last year.

You ate too much! Spring is a lifetime away! Your house is filthy! Happy Blue Monday!

That's not the only rub: do any of these products actually improve your life? That imported hardwood scrub brush doesn't change the fact that someone still has to do the scrubbing. The $20 wash tub (with built-in drain!) doesn't mean I don't have to wash dishes. All it means is that I STILL have to wash dishes, but with my wallet $20 lighter -- money that I could have used to save up for a cleaning service.

And you know what else? Those expensive Better Life products that Crate is schilling aren't all that better. EWG wasn't impressed. Sure, like every other brand, Better Life has a few products that rate well, a few that rate horribly, and the rest that flounder somewhere in the middle (or closer to the bottom).

Maybe I was a little touched by Blue Monday yesterday. I flipped through the catalog and wasn't inspired; I was annoyed. I saved myself a lot of money by tossing that catalog right into the recycle bin. Then I fell asleep on the couch watching TV.

Happy hibernating,
Jazzy

Dirty laundry

My washing machine went on permanent strike last week. It didn't come as a surprise, since I don't remember the last time a load spun properly. But of course I had just changed all the beds in the house to get ready for Christmas so the mountain of laundry was immediately taller than I am (and growing exponentially every day since). All kinds of awesome.

Buying a new washer has been something of an education. Not only about how the new fancy machines work, but also about detergent. I don't mind, what with all this free time I have not doing laundry, and it's a natural topic for SMACK! Let's dive in.

GoodGuide rates laundry soap here. Method takes home top scores in the health category for all their laundry detergents as does Ecos Free & Clear Laundry Detergent and a few sets from Caldrea and Ecover Laundry Powder. ALL scrapes the bottom of the barrel with a health score of '0' on 15 of the 22 worst-rated products. Ouch.

EWG uses letter grades instead of numerical rankings for household cleaners. Their list of laundry products is here, with only 70 products out of 678 -- barely 10% -- receiving an 'A' or 'B' grade. EWG awards top marks to Ecover, Seventh Generation and Dr. Bronner's. Products from Green Shield, Nature Clean and Whole Foods round out the head of the class, all with 'A' grades.

A surprising entry to EWG's worst rated products was Green Works, which is made by the Clorox Company. It's a great example of 'greenwashing' -- that thing where marketing and labeling take advantage of terms like 'naturally derived' to convince consumers of a product's safety. Most of the popular store brands (Tide, ALL, Wisk, Arm & Hammer) have products with failing grades. It's a grim outlook on the market.

The higher-end front loading washing machines feature the very trendy steam cleaning and sanitizing. You're kind of boiling your clothes. Electrolux claims that its steam sanitizing cycle kills 99.9% of bacteria. If that's true, it means a very safe alternative to using bleach. Love it.

How does your detergent clean up? Me, I'll be looking for a new HE product to go with the new space age washer/dryer set we're buying. OF COURSE I'll share an in-depth review, because I love to try new things!

Yours in week-old sweats,
-- Jazzy

Smell ya lata, Triclosan

Big news this week...that sleeping giant the FDA is finally lumbering closer to a decision that would reduce the use of triclosan -- which most commonly appears in hand soap and some toothpaste but also in many products carrying the Microban label. 

Tons of coverage from all the major news outlets, because there's just so much great drama to be had here. Chemical danger lurking in your bathroom! Industry shakeups! The FDA's official announcement is here; NBCnews.com's story here, the New York Times' coverage is here, and even Forbes weighed in here.

Echoing the growing sentiment among scientists, physicians and environmentalists that triclosan does more harm than good, the FDA on Monday proposed a new rule that gives manufacturers the burden of proof to show that triclosan and its antibacterial cousins are safe and effective.

It's an interesting plan. Instead of saying one way or another whether or not antibacterial chemicals should be appearing in the vast majority of everyday household products, the government is instead taking the stance of being a big pain in the a$$ to manufacturers. If the rule passes -- some time in 2016 -- the FDA still will not actually be regulating the chemical. Companies which cannot over the course of the next year provide data proving safety and effectiveness of antibacterials will have to stop using the chemicals in their products.

Nothing comes off store shelves. No bans. Just a bunch of big, big corporations with their feathers ruffled because somebody's asked them to make safer products. By comparison, Canada has declared triclosan outright toxic. 'Nuff said.

The link for submitting public comments on the proposed rule is here. Note how difficult and convoluted they make for consumers to get involved. It may very well take all 180 days for me to figure out how to submit an actual comment.

I urge you to look through the news coverage, read up on the issue, and raise your voice. It's taken the FDA too many decades to act, but consumers can do what they do best -- make some noise -- every day.

Yours in cleaner living,
Jazzy

Happy Friday!

It's Friday! Holiday crunch time. I'm working on a couple product reviews, but they're taking a while because I want proper before/after photos and I'm a loser who can't manage to carve out the time I need to do it right.

In the meantime, I leave you with this look at the toxics lurking in your holiday decorations. Read it first, THEN decide how much you hate me. And for the record, it's not easy, being this much of a Scrooge. But I do it with love.

Happy weekend,
Jazzy

Pass the popcorn

It's Thanksgiving week! Also Hanukkah. At the same time! I've read that the two holidays won't fall together again for something like another 70,000 years. I won't lie, I am a super dork who thinks that that's really cool, for many reasons that have nothing to do with today's post.

I had big plans for this week's posts. Light, entertaining, easy breezy to go with your turkey and all the fixins. And I'm trying, really, to keep the sanctimonious lecturing at a minimum. I'm trying, I swear.

But I just...can't...help...it...

Last week the HBO documentary "Toxic Hot Seat" premiered at DOC NYC 2013, following a group of Chicago Tribune reporters as they try to uncover the truth behind the questionable safety of fire retardants that are used in furniture and clothing. Nicholas Kristof at the New York Times wrote this excellent op-ed piece in support of the movie, which makes its broadcast premiere tonight on HBO (9:00 EST).

Here's the trailer:

Now I know some of you have HBO, because if we're honest about anything it's that all we're really doing here is biding time until Game of Thrones Season 4. How stinking easy is it to program your DVR or add the movie to your playlist on HBO Go, huh? 

We ALL need to see this film. Not just parents, or hippies, or liberals. Everyone. Because EVERYONE -- regardless of religion, race, political affiliation, socio-economic whatever -- sits on the same furniture that is treated with useless, toxic chemicals.

I know it doesn't seem like the kind of subject matter that jives with the 'warm fuzzies' of the holiday season, but maybe that's the point. To make us a little uncomfortable. To make us wonder. To make us realize that our complacency comes at a price.

Surely you'll need a break from Uncle Joe's bad jokes or Aunt Glinda's relationship advice at some point during Thanksgiving weekend. Watch "Toxic Hot Seat." I know I am.

-- Jazzy  

SMACK! Reviews: PaperStone & Epicurean cutting boards

I'm trying to reduce the amount of plastic in my life. Some of it's non-negotiable, like my appliances and my vehicle, and some of it I can't control, like nearly all the packaging of everything, but some of it I can kick to the curb.

The kitchen's a great place to start. About a month ago I wrote this post about my cutlery and the Boos Block maple cutting board that I decided was a good investment. Since then I've been on the prowl for new cutting boards, checking out what looks good to replace my cheap plastic ones.

This is by no means a new pursuit; Beth Terry over at My Plastic Free Life wrote about this very thing back in 2007. And you know what? Not a whole lot has changed in 6 years. 

My local HomeGoods had a decent selection of boards from Epicurean and PaperStone boards. I hadn't yet read Beth's post, so I bought into the idea of a dishwasher-safe product that was made from recycled paper and decided to give each one a try. 

(Remember that we don't grade things anymore here at SMACK! but I will stay true to my opinionated, judgmental roots to give you the dish. Here we go.)

Epicurean has been around for about 10 years, making cutting boards and other food prep tools for residential and commercial kitchens. They market their home kitchen items as sustainably sourced, made in the USA. Here's some other language from the website:

"Our signature materials is made with multiple layers of Forest stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood fibers, compressed with a food-safe resign. We also have introduced a line of Eco Plastic products that utilize 100% post-consumer recycled milk jugs. All of our products are made in the USA."

I like that the company has found a use for old milk jugs, but the fact that they've added plastic cutting boards to their product lineup feels like selling out to me. I thought the whole point was to make professional-grade tools for the home cook using natural materials?

Anyway, I picked up a non-slip board in natural with removable silicone corners. I'm thinking it's an older version, since I didn't see the exact one on the website, but no matter. The size and heft of the board are nice; easy to lift and move around the kitchen, whether for food transfer or during cleanup. The board is smooth and does seemingly well under a sharp knife. The board will take scratches (my knives are freshly sharpened) but they aren't super noticeable, perhaps because it's a solid material (as opposed to veneers). 

The same more or less goes for the PaperStone Yellowstone Gripper board that I picked out, this one a smaller size (like a cheese board) in a darker "Pine Cone" brown. Instead of silicone corners, PaperStone uses rubberized feet. The board would be reversible, for use on both sides, if not for the really annoying sticker that won't come off! 

Seriously, it's going to take a lot of elbow grease to get this thing off. Again, I'm thinking it's because the board has probably been sitting in a warehouse somewhere for years upon years, giving the adhesive time to really set. I can't believe PaperStone would purposefully label a product that renders half of it useless. (Perhaps not. Apparently there are a slew of complaints on Amazon about the sticker.)

PaperStone markets its boards similarly to Epicurean: recycled materials, FSC certified, petroleum-free. I thought the petro-free was a good choice, until I read some of the more informative comments in Beth Terry's post. In super fine print, PaperStone divulges that the boards are made with engineered phenolic resins. A quick Google or Wikipedia search will point you to the fact that phenolic resins are actually formaldehyde-based. Yuk.

All in all, I like my wood-fiber cutting boards. I like the idea of them, I like how they work, I like the low maintenance. But the presence of formaldehyde is disconcerting. My search for chemical-free prep surface clearly isn't over.

Back to the drawing board,
Jazzy

Dirty Dozen

Yesterday EWG released a list of 'Dirty Dozen' chemicals -- twelve endocrine disrupters that appear in nearly all aspects of our everyday lives. Mother Jones covered the list in their own piece here and it was there, in the comments section, that I realized this needed to be its own post.

See, some of the trolls out there are mistaking EWG's list -- and MoJo's coverage -- for fear mongering. There were so many gems, laughable to the point of tears, and this one just about sums up the need for a good face-palm: 

"I just do not live in f***ed up Dem fantasy land. It is also fact that thanks to Dems are kids have no street smarts, no drive to succeed, and expect everything handed to them, yes this is caused by Dems. You made useless tools of kids."

Sadly, it was a pretty short trip from hazardous chemicals in household items to an illiterate diatribe about politics and the future of our children. "...are kids..." Yes, Mother Jones is a liberal publication. But this isn't a political issue! And sure, it's a fine line between revelatory information and alarmism, but I think the bigger problem is that some folks don't like to hear that our world is toxic and unhealthy, at our own doing. 

It makes them uncomfortable to have the mistakes of generations past and present staring them in the face. It makes them more uncomfortable to face the notion of being an active participant in this capitalist, democratic world, where consumers and voters have the burden -- yes, burden -- of using money and votes in a way that dictates the focus and direction of the market. 'We the People' have that obligation, and squander it at our own detriment.

Happy Tuesday,
Jazzy

Against the grain

Eliminating some plastic from your life is an easy, quick way to reduce your 'chemical load' (that's a catch phrase from the film The Human Experiment...catchy, isn't it?) Plastic has its merits, for sure -- the collision that totaled my car last year comes to mind -- but I just don't need that much of it, day in and day out.

One of my errands last week was to bring our more frequently-used knives to be sharpened. I've never sharpened them myself, for fear of ruining them, so I let the professionals do it. There's a great, locally-owned cutlery shop in my town, and I feel great about supporting a small business.

My small talk with the owner went something like this: my knives need sharpening because I'm too chicken sh*t to try it myself at home; what else should I be doing to take care of them; whadaya mean, plastic cutting boards are bad for cutlery?

Did you know that? I didn't. Maybe I'm a sucker, and he saw a chance to sell some swampland in Florida. Maybe he caught me during one of those moments (and I have a lot of them) when I still don't yet feel like a real grownup but I play one on TV so I'll just go with whatever seems like the grownup thing to do.

Or maybe I saw an opportunity to do something that was good for my home and me. Replacing plastic cutting boards with wooden ones will keep those knives from dulling and keep a little bit of plastic out of my life (and my dinner).

The debate between plastic and wooden boards often comes down to food-borne bacteria. Those plastic boards may dull your knives, but they'll never make you sick. Or will they? If I'm not supposed to do anything to heat a plastic water bottle (because hot water would make chemicals leach out of the plastic), then shouldn't the same logic apply to carving an oven-fresh (and blazing hot) piece of meat on a plastic board?

I picked up a cute 10x10 Boos Block, figuring it was a good gateway piece to some bigger, higher-quality butcher block-style cutting boards. Getting into the habit of using it will be a good step towards replacing all the plastic boards with a nice collection of wooden ones.

And I'm going to use some good old fashioned common sense. I'll continue to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before prepping. I'll never use the wooden board near raw meat or eggs. I'll protect the wood with mineral oil, to build up a moisture barrier that will keep out funky things that would eventually damage the board. And I will continue to find ways to get some plastic out of my life.

Yours in the kitchen,

Jazzy

Starting them young

I've been seeing these commercials, both on TV and the Internet, for a few weeks now.

I'm all for good hygiene, especially for kids who don't know about things like communicable disease. But I'm going to be honest; the commercial makes me kind of ragey, for a bunch of different reasons.

First, let's break down the voiceover: 

"You're always looking out for your kids but you can't be there 24/7. That's why Lysol has partnered with over 2 million teachers, to educate kids with healthy habits programs all across America, to give them a fun place to learn about things like how to fight germs and the importance of hand washing. So you can relax; Lysol will take the school shift. That's Healthy Habits Week with Lysol."

Do you see what they did there? With a wave of the pen, Lysol has created a perceived need: that the hours of the school day can't possibly be as disinfected as the time your child spends in your presence. So Lysol, with their brightly painted-over school bus, swoops in and saves the day from inadequate school staff and slobbery, runny-nosed classmates.

Second, let's explore the very targeted correlation between germ-free and self-worth. When did this happen? I'm a good parent because I bleach the sh*t out of my house every day. Or, the opposite: Mary's son washed his hands, but she doesn't carry hand sanitizer and 4 kinds of disinfecting wipes on her at all times, tsk tsk.

To be fair, some folks NEED this level of disinfection in their lives. There are a number of medical conditions that cause or necessitate immuno-surpression (chemo, I'm looking at you) and disinfecting products offer safety and peace of mind for those individuals. But the rest of us? It's a bit much.

Lastly, I am super annoyed at the blatant marketing to kids here. Companies have NO BUSINESS going into schools and waving their heavily branded everything in front of children. There are strict guidelines about marketing during kids' TV programs, but nothing about the marketing that happens during a school day. Kids don't understand that the harsh chemicals in these products can do terrible things to their bodies, or the environment. They only understand that they trust their teachers and are learning to do what they are told.

What sucks most is that so many schools can't say no to programs like these, because there otherwise are no resources to provide things like cleaning supplies for teachers or whatever. Stuck between a rock and hard place, having to sell out because the need for free supplies outweighs the need to shelter our kids from undue influence.

That's my rant on Lysol's Healthy Habits. I promise, next week will a lot less rant-y. Thanks for listening, and have a great weekend!

-- Jazzy

Cleaner clean

A few weeks ago I hit up Method for not making products that live up to their non-toxic claims (original post here). In most of the Method products that get sucky grades from EWG (their Healthy Cleaning Guide of about 2,000 products is totally searchable! Check. It. Out.), too much fragrance is the main problem.

So when I ran out of my previously favorite purple Method all-purpose spray cleaner, I wanted to choose something that really was non-toxic. The kitchen is the heart of a home, as they say, where the members of a household converge -- that's my nice way of saying everyone brings all their junk into the kitchen always while I'm trying to cook -- so there's no place for harsh chemical cleaners.

Murphy's Law -- my phone died while I was running errands and I had to wing it to choose a new all-purpose cleaner. I had planned to pull up EWG's Healthy Cleaning Guide right there in the store aisle. Nope. 

Speaking of searching EWG's ratings, isn't their mobile app supposed to launch like any day now? The website still says it's "Coming this September" but there are only a few business days left to the month. I signed up for email notification and haven't heard anything, other than a few letters requesting donations...ahhh, empty promises...

Back to cleaners. I really was blind, trying to decipher the different label claims and analyze ingredient lists. I decided on a spray cleaner from Seventh Generation (the Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner, Lemongrass & Thyme scent), for really no  strong reason. I may as well have closed my eyes and chosen whichever product my hand touched first.

Back at the ranch I looked up my purchase to see how it ranked. Nope.  'D'. Definitely no better than the grades for the Method product (ranges from 'C' to 'F' depending on how old the formulation is). Frustrating, for trying to be an educated consumer (without access to the right information) isn't working.

I need that app!

What do you use for kitchen cleaners? Anyone do the whole vinegar and hot water thing? Let me know!

-- Jazzy

Fizzy Friday

Y'all have a SodaStream out there? I got one as a birthday gift a few years back, and I pretty well love the thing. I started drinking seltzer as an adult, only flavored, but now freshly carbonated plain seltzer from my SodaStream is easily one of my favorite refreshing drinks.

We still use the original bottles that came with the carbonator, each of which carry this warning: "UNSAFE IF CLEANED IN DISHWASHER." And "Not Dishwasher Safe! Do Not Use After 9/2013."

Why is that? The cynic/skeptic that I am these days needed to find out.

Here's what the SodaStream website says about the bottles:

"SodaStream produces and markets specially designed, high pressure-resistant bottles for use with our drink makers. Our long-life reusable bottles have a lifespan of 3 years. The bottle’s hermetically sealed cap keeps carbonated soft drinks fresh and fizzy longer than store-bought carbonated beverages. Our latest SodaStream bottle developments include the dishwasher-proof PEN bottles and an attractive glass carafe.SodaStream bottles are BPA-free and do not use any polycarbonate materials or materials that produce phthalates or PCBs, ensuring an eco friendly drinks maker."

Sooooo, by 'specially designed' you mean a gimic, right? Maybe not, since the bottles withstand repeated pressure from the carbonator. BUT! What is it that makes the bottles unsuitable for dishwasher cleaning?

Alicia over at TheSoftLanding looked into the very same issue, and it turns out that the bottles are made from PET. Yup, the same plastic as single-use water and soda bottles. And Lipton's stupid pyramid tea bags. Huh?

Pretty ironic for a company that does a lot of plastic bashing. Right at the top of the SodaStream website is this wonky ticker thing that counts off how many bottles from which the company is saving the world. As of this writing it was claiming to have saved the equivalent of more than 3 billion plastic bottles. Where do they come up with this stuff?

SodaStream's anti-plastic bottle message isn't well-received everywhere. Earlier this year, the company caught some heat from none other than PlasticsNews.com, which was all too happy to throw SodaStream under the bus for knocking its plastic bros. Drama!

SodaStream now offers dishwasher-safe plastic bottles and glass carafes. I'll check them out next week, since my bottles will turn into pumpkins at 11:59 on Sept 30.

Have a GREAT weekend!!

-- Jazzy