Please welcome today’s guest poster, Stefanie, who blogs at Stefanie Says.

Science has never been my strong suit (I was an English major; words have always been more my thing), so I remember how confused I was the day in college when my Chemistry professor’s TA called to ask me if I’d be interested in tutoring the class. “Me? You must have the wrong number,” I wanted to say. It’s sort of how I felt when Allie and Courtney asked me to guest post about eco-friendly cleaning products. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t quite live in filth and squalor, and I do care a great deal about the planet and my impact on it. But if I were making a list of my areas of expertise, eco-friendly cleaning products wouldn’t be at the top of it. Need someone for your Gilmore Girls trivia team? I’m your woman. Eco-friendly cleaning products? Well, we shall see.

That disclaimer out of the way, I do think there’s a benefit to my amateur greenist status. As Allie says, going green is a learning process, and I’m looking forward to learning along with (and from) the rest of you. Like many of us, I’m trying to make more responsible choices whenever I can, but I generally don’t think about those choices until I’m faced with them. For example, when I’m staring at a shelf full of drain openers at the store a few hours after taking a shower in three inches of standing water.

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Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is often touted as a miracle substance that can be used for everything from warts to preventing intestinal stones in horses.  So when I read that adding some ACV to my daily diet could help me shed that annoying extra five pounds, I decided to give it a try. Read more…

Mickey here, filling in for our intrepid, vacationing proponent of everything green, Allie. Now that it’s getting on towards the end of summer, I’ve been thinking more and more about our air conditioner and how it’s been doing out there on the other side of our bedroom wall. I know it’s not getting lonely because it’s got our neighbors’ ACs lined up right next to it, grinding and wheezing away day and night. No, the reason I’m concerned is that it may be feeling a little bored and under appreciated. I’m sure it would like nothing more than to fire up and spin the cobwebs out a bit, but that’s not happening. I’m done with it. Read more…

A few weeks ago we talked about deodorant. Lots of people feel let down by natural deodorants, but the health risks associated with antiperspirants make it hard to feel okay about using them. Since our discussion, I’ve been trying something new, and it’s been working wonderfully.  Gray Matters just blogged about natural deodorants not working well enough, and it reminded me to write a post about it.

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A few weeks ago, while I was researching using lemon as an astringent, I came across a comment about another common kitchen staple that works well to keep skin clear. Read more…

I have a deviated septum and have not been able to breathe out of my left nostril since spring. It happens every year from the first hint of spring until the first hard frost. I get sinus headaches and my ears clog up. It’s so bad that I’ve been toying with the idea of having it fixed in what I hear is something of an icky procedure.

A few months ago, I saw Dr. Oz on Oprah talking about using a neti pot to flush the nasal passages with salt water. Of course, thanks to the Oprah effect, my local natural foods store was back ordered on neti pots for months. I finally got one a few weeks ago, and got to give it a try. Read more…

About a month ago, I attempted to give up shampoo in favor of baking soda and apple cider vinegar, but I wasn’t impressed with the results.  A few weeks ago I read about going “no poo” by using conditioner only, so I tested it out.  Read more…

I’m all for using vinegar to unclog a drain, or make salad dressing. The Vinegar Institute (seriously, there’s a Vinegar Institute) says that Martha Stewart lists white vinegar as one of her top five cleaning products. Well, if it’s good enough for Martha, it’s good enough for me. I decided to fill an old spray bottle with some diluted vinegar and give it a try. Read more…

After reading several articles about the “No Poo” movement (insert juvenile joke here), I decided to give it a try. Going No Poo means giving up shampoo in favor of natural choices like baking soda, honey, and apple cider vinegar.

The reasoning is that shampoos can contain harsh and possibly harmful chemicals. As the chemicals strip the natural oils from your scalp, your body catches up by increasing oil production. Stop shampooing and your scalp will return to its natural balance.

I gave it a try. I mixed some baking soda and water and massaged it into my scalp. I loved the exfoliating action of the baking soda, but after a lot of rinsing, I still felt like I had some gritty residue left behind.

Instead of conditioner, I rinsed with apple cider vinegar and cold water. I thought I’d never be able to get a brush through my hair without a good gob of traditional conditioner, but I had no problem with it.

I let my hair air dry. It was soft and clean, but the ends were stiff. The apple cider vinegar made my hair shine, but later, when I went for a bike ride with my husband, the smell of vinegar wafted out from under my helmet.

I would definitely consider doing this again as a clarifying treatment, but I can’t see myself doing it every day. Right now, I’m growing my hair to donate, so it’s super long. I’ll give No Poo another try once I chop it all off. Less hair may make it easier to rinse out all of that baking soda grit, and there will be less of it to hold the vinegar smell.

Have you tried No Poo? Is there a technique or ingredient that made it work better for you?

Click here for more information on No Poo.

Have you come across a natural remedy, treatment, or cleaning technique you’re unsure about trying? E-mail me at alliesanswers at gmail dot com and I’ll give it a try it for you!