Using Herbs For:	Natural Green Home	Herbal Remedies
: Home Cleaners : : Insect Repellent : : Pet care :

Natural Green Home

Natural living with aromatherapy oils and green products: Today people are increasing aware of the effects of our modern, disposable lifestyle on our personal health, and the toxic effects on the our personal environment, and the planet. Herbs and other natural substances can replace the chemicals we use to clean our homes, control pests, and care for our pets. Consider the effect that simple, small changes can make. You can replace the over-priced toxic cleaning chemicals with white vinegar. This small step will keep the pollution of thousands of plastic bottles from ever being made, then tossed into landfills. Vinegar is naturally anti-fungal and leaves the bathroom, windows, and glass ware clean and shiny, and saves money at the same time!

Lemon is a very effective oil for disinfecting room air using a diffuser, and leaves a fresh clean scent. A few drops of the lemon essential oil is useful as a water purifier, as is a slice of lemon.

Using Herbs for a Natural Green Home

Using Herbs for :Vinegar for household cleaning Apple cider vinegar You don't need to buy expensive, toxic chemicals to clean your home. You can use vinegar for most everday cleaning tasks. It is naturally anti-fungal and leaves the bathroom, windows, and glass ware clean and shiny. The best way to clean fresh produce is a solution of one part vinegar to three parts cold water, which removes 98 percent of the bacteria. Combine vinegar with baking soda, add a few drops of antibacterial essential oils and you can clean just about anything.

Using Herbs for :Animal Care, Sedative, Insects Catnip herb Catnip herb is an essential component of a green home for cats and their humans. Catnip has far more uses than just a harmless high for cats. The essential oil in catnip that gives the plant its characteristic odor, is ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET. Use catnip oil very sparingly, it is highly concentrated. Catnip is easy to grow, and in fact will invade the vegetable garden if not kept in check.

Using Herbs for :Grapefruit extract household uses Grapefruit oil Grapefruit extract is user-friendly, versatile,easy to use, and environmentally safe. Add a few drops of grapefruit extract to purify drinking water,make a homemade vegetable wash, clean your toothbrush, and more. Grapefruit essential oil is also used in household cleaning formulas, and diffusing the citrus aroma makes any room in the house smell fresh and clean.

Using Herbs for :Garden insecticide, pest control Neem oil Neem is a native of India and has been use in Ayurvedic medicine since ancient times. Neem oil is exceptionally rich and contains a heavy, slightly unpleasant odor, but this can be masked by mixing it with better smelling oils. Adding neem to body sprays and oils will naturally repel insects, and nurture and heal skin at the same time. Neem is also excellent as a non-toxic garden pest insecticide. Use pure neem oil as an ingredient in your green home pest control sprays,or purchase natural home care products containing neem.

Using Herbs for :Antibacterial oils Oregano oil Pure organic essential oils are powerful and safe antibacterials to use to clean bathroom and kitchen surfaces, and purify the air in your home. Oregano tops the list of the most effective oils in killing germs and bacteria, followed by ( in descending degrees of effectiveness) by thyme, cinnamon, clove, cajeput, rosemary, pine, fennel, lavender, and myrtle. 12

Natural Home: Health Information

• Home Cleaners : By combining the antibacterial power of herbs and essential oils, you can clean and freshen your home without all the toxic crap that lines the store shelves.
• Insect Repellent : choose your insect repellent carefully. While it is important to minimize the risk of being bitten, many commercial products contain dangerous and toxic chemicals such as DEET.
• Pet care :

  Non toxic, effective ways to treat pet problems such as fleas, coat and skin health, and calming obsessive behaviors in dogs, cats and other domestic animals

Natural Green Home Remedies: References

1. Duke, James The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook .(December 15, 2000)
2. Linda B. White, M.D., Steven Foster. Herbal Drugstore (2003)
3. Robert B Tisserand, The Art of Aromatherapy (1977)
4. Richard Mabey, The New Age Herbalist (1988)
5. Steven Foster and Yue chongxi, Herbal Emissaries (1992)
6. Maud Grieve, Modern Herbal Vols 1, II (1931)
7. Richo Cech, Making Plant Medicine (2000)
8. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
9. Phyllis A. Balch, Prescription for Herbal Healing (2002)
10. Adele Dawson, Herbs: Partners in Life (2000)
11. Penelope Ody, Home Herbal (1995)

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** Information on the traditional uses and properties of herbs are provided on this site is for educational use only, and is not intended as medical advice. Every attempt has been made for accuracy, but none is guaranteed. Many traditional uses and properties of herbs have not been validated by the FDA. If you have any serious health concerns, you should always check with your health care practitioner before self-administering herbs. **

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