Where Energy Flows

I usually try to be as green as possible. I recycle, re-use, reduce, compost, and buy chemical free and organic products as much as I can.

There are quite a few parts of my life when I am not as green as I could be though. For instance:
• I use Charmin toilet paper. It is not recycled, it is chemically treated, it is not good for the environment in any way…but it’s good for me. The recycled toilet paper, that I have come across, is very scratchy.
• I shop at Old Navy and Target. I know these clothes are not made from organic cotton, and synthetic dyes are probably used too. But, the clothes are adorable and affordable.
• I drive, and kind of like, my car. Now, I did buy carbon credits for the use of my car for one year, and I think it was less than $60, but I know I should walk and bike more.
• I use chemical laden spider killer sometimes. I am getting better at letting the little spiders live and hang out it corners, but once they get big and scary – they die if I see them in the house.
• I’m a sucker for a nice Porterhouse steak – medium – with mashed potatoes and Caesar salad - mmm. I should be vegetarian or vegan, or at least buy grass fed beef. But, I can’t find it anywhere – and those mail order places are too expensive.
• I use bleach on occasion to clean my sink. It is the only thing I can find that really gets rid of the coffee and tea stains on the stainless sink.
• I still get paper magazines. I know that it would be greener of me to read everything online, saving trees. Yet, there is something so nice about being outside, or away from the computer screen for a while, and leisurely reading a nice magazine.
• I am unwilling to invest $35,000 in a solar roof to save $25 a month on electricity.

So, what does this say about me? It means I’m not getting as many green leaves on Facebook as I might want, and I know I should be better in certain areas. Or maybe it means, I do what I can. Maybe it means, who I am is enough.

This is a tricky subject, because I don’t want to encourage you to throw everything away and not worry about the environment. I want you to do what you can – to try – but to be comfortable with the changes and find your own balance.

I have some slight obsessive tendencies in my personality – and so do all the other women in my family. When I first discovered Feng Shui, I took my book and made all the suggestions it said in every part of my house, and then waited for things to change. When I first discovered Green Cleaning, I was a regular mad scientist with my funnels and mixers and vinegars. This is who I am – I really get into things. Can you relate?

I am really okay with some of my non-green ways…even though I truly believe in living as lightly and sustainable as possible. This time, I am working on being less obsessive and more me. And, I’m starting to kind of like this me - the recycling, green cleaning, composting, spider killing, porterhouse eating, soft toilet paper loving Feng Shui lady!

What are your green habits and secret non-green indulgences? Let’s share!

You never know when there is a new brand of soft, recycled toilet paper that isn’t toooo expensive.

© Elise Rebmann, 2008. All rights reserved.

I have two tall beeswax candles in my bedroom which is also in the Health area of my home. They are a lovely golden color, they give off positive ions, and they smell ever so slightly sweet.

They are really bugging me and I need to take them down.

But I haven’t.

You see, I am leaving them there because they:
1. fill up an empty wall well
2. are the perfect Health enhancer (Earth color and Fire that supports Earth Energy)
3. were really expensive
4. give off positive ions

They are bugging me because I convinced myself I needed them, and that once I had them I would feel good. So these poor, innocent candles now represent stuff that I think I need in order to make myself feel better. Stuff isn’t the answer of course. The answer is learning how to feel better without buying anything. This isn’t all that easily done – it takes lots of practice, time, patience, and love.

I am worth it though gosh darn-it!

The candles stay for now. I do like the way they smell. I also like how you have to work at shaping beeswax candles as they burn. You have to keep pushing down the wax, yet without causing an overflow.

I find this extremely symbolic of inner strength and health. You have to keep at it, pay attention and stay in the flow. Just remember not to push too hard and too fast because you might cause an overflow.

© Copyright Elise Rebmann, 2008. All rights reserved.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to stand in your own personal power.  We, as a society, are concerned about appearing conceited and/or selfish.  We hesitate to step on toes and worry about hurting other’s feelings.  Yet, sometimes we must stand up and be strong for the universe to help.

Case in point – I have had a long, painful, mysterious illness this year.  For the first 3 months, I was dealing with an over-worked primary care physician and an extremely difficult specialist.  The specialist made me feel like I was really bothering him when I was explaining my symptoms.  He interrupted me, he stopped me from speaking, he was a general pain in the behind to deal with.  Of course, he had no idea what was wrong and sent me away several times with a “let’s see if it gets better on its own” diagnosis.  When I called and told him my symptoms had returned, he said my blood work was back to normal so I shouldn’t be ill.  At first, I was looking at this as an opportunity to stand up to him – and tell him how he was making me feel.  I asked around and generally heard that he is an excellent doctor with a poor bedside manner.  So, I thought, I can handle him – I do need a good doctor.  The last straw involved me being very sick again and him chastising me for missing an appointment when I had asked his staff to re-schedule me if I needed to be seen again.   It was extremely frustrating and I had enough.

It was as if God were holding my hand.

I found myself sitting in my primary care doctor’s office telling the nurse I refused to go back to him and I needed a different referral to a different doctor.  They were hesitant, but obliged.  I made an appointment – I was seen – I had more tests – and finally…a correct diagnosis.  I was sent to a more specialized specialist…probably the best in the country for the procedure I needed….and within 2 weeks I was recovering from the first of 3 surgeries.  I had my final follow-up visit yesterday where I was given a 99.9% chance of never having any trouble like this again.  I feel great – I am healed!

I had to stand up and say no.  I had to be worth it…and once I told the universe I was worth it…..I was put on the perfect path.

On the Bagua, Inner Knowing and Health are close together….like they are holding hands.  It is so important for us to know ourselves, trust our guts, and stand in our power.  While it isn’t always easy to balance our fears and our strengths, my experience has been that guidance is there when you reach for it.  Yet you must raise your hand up, if you want God to hold it.

© Elise Rebman, 2008. All rights reserved.

Dr. StrangeRebmann, or how I learned to stop worrying and love cleaning my chemical free home - Part 3
Read part One,  part Two & Part Three

Part 4 –

The Rest of the House  & Laundry

I spend most of my cleaning energy on the bathrooms and kitchen.  Sometimes, I feel the rest of the house must feel neglected – like the proverbial middle child.  So, I have recently been expressing my gratitude to my living room and bedrooms for not needing so much attention.  Luckily, this lack of dirt lends itself well to chemical-free cleaning. Basic vacuuming is a must – but contains no chemicals that I know of.  Hooray!  I do have a few tips for healthier cleaning and hope you find them helpful.

1. Use a microfiber cloth or glove to dust the furniture, window sills, ceiling fan blades, etc. My addiction to dusting spray was easily overcome by these clothes – they work great.
2. Use homemade all-purpose bathroom cleaner (See Part 2) to clean windows.
3. For spots on carpet and furniture  – try a damp cloth first.  I know this seems strange, but I have a really old dog and a really crazy two-year-old, and I have not had a stain on a carpet or furniture that a damp cloth has not taken care of.  Sometimes I have to address it two or three times – but I have to say – it has always come out.  I just pretend that I have carpet cleaner on my rag – even though it is water – and work in circles.  Let dry and repeat.  I have heard, that for very tricky stains, baking soda and a spray of vinegar will work well, but I am sticking with water for now. (Note – of course this will not work for Sharpie marks and such – but I doubt many harsh chemical cleaners would take that out either.
4. Switch to rags and cloth napkins.  I have not bought any paper towels or paper napkins in two years – and it’s really no big deal.  It was an easy switch, and now every single time we sit down for dinner or breakfast – the cloth napkins make it a little bit fancy.  I throw the dirty napkins in with my jeans and launder once a week.
5. Throw all your air fresheners away!  This is easy and important – they are a big source of chemicals in the home.  Use essential oils for fragrance instead.  If you, like me, do not have a lot of the essential oil supplies or time to dedicate to this study, just find some of the pre-mixed sprays that you like.  I have several from my local aroma therapist that are lovely.  These are usually a little more expensive than a Glade Plug-In, but last at least five times as long.
6. Think about alternatives for pest control.   We, like most folks, have spiders in our basement.  I know that spiders are an integral part of the web of life and all – but I really want them to live outside.  So, I was thinking creatively and did some research via google and found that osage oranges (which just happen to grow locally around the corner) work wonders for getting rid of spiders.  I have also read things about citrus oil and walnut branches working well too.

Laundry

1. Switch to chemical free laundry products.  I have used Method, Ecover and Mrs. Meyers products and have still had lovely, fresh smelling clean clothes.
2. If cost is an issue, supplement laundry with Borax.  I add ½ cup of borax (for a large load) to the washer as it is filling, and then add ½ as much laundry detergent as the instructions direct.  This works great and saves $$ - and the clothes seems extra bright and fresh to me.  For small loads – proportion down.
3. To kill mold on the shower curtain – add ½ cup of Borax to the washer on the soak setting.  Let the shower curtain soak for 30 minute to an hour.  Switch to the regular was cycle, add Borax and detergent combo and let it go.   This has worked for me much better than regular bleach used to.
4. Limit the use of the dryer when possible. Did you know that Energy Star does not give ratings for dryers because they are so inefficient?  I have not made the leap to a laundry line yet – but I plan to soon, and encourage you to do so if you can.  If not, go ahead and think creatively about when to use the dryer.  You can combine small loads, and dry things like rags on a drying rack.  Give yourself a pat on the back, or a fair-trade latte, when you are able to reduce your dryer’s usage.

In conclusion, it is best to simply think before reaching for household chemicals.  Do some research and try some different things.  You can make a huge difference in your household air quality by being creative and choosing to be chemical-free.

© Copyright Elise Rebmann, 2008. All rights reserved.

Dr. StrangeRebmann, or how I learned to stop worrying and love cleaning my chemical free home - Part 3
Read part One & part Two

My family and I sure spend a lot of time in our kitchen. I feel lucky to have my own kitchen sitting in the Family & Foundation and Abundance areas of the home. I love to prepare and share good food with my family.

I suggest trying to keep this area free from Clutter when possible, especially because of how much time we spend in the kitchen, and how great it feels when it is clear and clean. As we know, it is a powerful metaphor to have your space clean and clutter free.

I have to be honest and tell you this room is where I use the most commercial products. While I would like to use all homemade cleaners, I have run into difficulty finding ones that work well here. Yet, I do have some good tips.

1. Surface Cleaner – Mrs. Meyers All Purpose Concentrated Cleaner. I bought one of these sometime last year, and I haven’t even gone through a fifth of it. I take one capful of cleaner to 16 oz of water – and I am set for several weeks of cleaning up counters, tables and highchairs.

2. Dishwasher – Ecover Dishwasing Detergent. It works well with my pots and pans cycle. I have to use a little more water, but I think the reduced phosphates is worth it. Also – substitute white vinegar in your rinse aid compartment – works great – no chemicals.

3. Liquid Dish Soap – Mrs. Meyers again. It just works so well and I can clean an entire sink full of dishes with one squirt. I have also had good luck with Seventh Generation Dish Soap – it requires more - but is a bit cheaper.

4. Stainless Steel Appliances – Mrs. Meyers Stainless Steel Cleaner. This is more like a polish, but it works very well. I only have to use it once a month or so – and my stainless steel appliances and compost bucket look great!

5. Floor Cleaner – I use water. Unless it is raw chicken on the floor where I would feel the need to use some disinfectant, I use a damp microfiber mop. It works great!

6. Other cool tricks – Salt and Lemon Juice Paste for rust stains. Combine into pastes – leave on rust overnight – wipe off in morning. No need for CLR at all.

Next week – the rest of the house and laundry!

Dr. StrangeRebmann, or how I learned to stop worrying and love cleaning my chemical free home - Part 2

I used to hate cleaning the bathrooms, but now I think of this as giving myself a present.  Cleaning my bathrooms with my personal, homemade products gives me a great feeling of helping my home’s air quality, my family’s health, and the environment.  Plus, doing it to a hot, Latin rhythm is fun!

There are a ton of resources out there regarding making your own cleaning products.  I have simply decided to share what works for me.  I encourage you to research and come up with even better solutions.  Please share them with me too – I love to hear about cool things like this.

Make your own all-purpose, biodegradable, environmentally and budget friendly bathroom cleaner.

1. Procure one clean, empty spray bottle – best to spend $0.80 and get a new one.
2. Fill half full with vinegar.
3. Fill almost to top with water.
4. Optional – Add 20-30 drops of your favorite essential oil.  I like to rotate with Lemon and Peppermint – but it’s a personal preference here.
5. Shake Well

Here is my typical bathroom cleaning routine.  It takes about eight minutes.

1. Play Latin Dance Music…very important.
2. Spray vinegar mixture all over tub/shower.
3. Spray outside and inside of toilet.
4. Spray mirror, sink and countertop.
5. Wipe mirror with soft cotton rag. (If you have used any glass cleaner on your mirror before…it will get streaky when you wipe with the vinegar mix.  Just continue spraying and wiping several times and that will go away and you will have sparkly, clean mirrors.  You will not need to do this again as long as you stay away from commercial glass cleaners.)
6. Scrub sink with nylon scrubber…rinse.
7. Wipe counter with same soft cotton rag.  I like to use old cloth diapers.
8. Scrub tub/shower with nylon scrubber. Rinse.  Wipe edges with same cloth.
9. Wipe outside of toilet, under the lid, top of the seat, and under the seat..in that order.  Throw rag into laundry…it is done.
10.  Scrub inside of toilet with toilet brush.  Flush.
11. You are probably done now.  Dance.  Sometimes the throne needs a little more…shall we say…love.  In that case, I reach for my Ecover toilet bowl cleaner.  It is a little more expensive than Lysol or Clorox- but not too much.  I pay $4.70 for 25 ounces at my health food store.  Since I do not use it very much and it is so much better for the environment, this product fits well into my chemical free, budget minded home.  (I do not receive anything from Ecover for promoting them – and I encourage experimentation freely.  I use it because I like how it works.)

A footnote about vinegar: I was really excited the first time I used vinegar to clean my whole bathroom.  I could not believe how well it worked and how cheap it was at my local grocery store.  Unfortunately, I found out that the big jugs of vinegar for $1.47 or so may be made out of petroleum.  Can you believe that?  Apparently, you can make anything out of oil.  So, being of sound, healthy home, and renewable resources mind…I switched to Heinz.  It is about $1.47 for about half as much, but is derived from corn.  Plus, even half as much usually lasts me about six weeks or so.  So $1.47 isn’t so bad for that much cleaning.  There is a $7 bottle of vinegar at my health food store that is probably much better – but mom’s on a budget for now.

Next Week – The Kitchen

© Elise Rebmann, 2008. All rights reserved.

Subtitle: Dr. StrangeRebmann, or how I learned to stop worrying and love cleaning my chemical free home - Part 1.

This is the first in a series of four articles on Healthy Home Cleaning.  In this first installment, I will talk about my thoughts on cleaning and using intention.  Part 2 will focus on the bathroom and contain step-by-step instructions.  Part 3 will be on the kitchen, and Part 4 will be on the rest of the house as well as laundry.  I ask for indulgence, with a title this funny – I have to use it more than once.

Part 1 – Thoughts on Cleaning

When my son was an infant, I had a cleaning lady.  It was wonderful!  The feeling the house had after she left was unmistakably sparkly and fresh.  It was one of the best post-baby treats I can imagine and highly encourage everyone to spend money on cleaning services for baby shower gifts.  Yet, as sometimes happens, budgets change.  When the baby was about one, we started cleaning our house by ourselves again.

Luckily, I had recently gone through Denise Linn’s 28 day Soul Coaching program with the book and her guided meditations available free on her website.  While many things changed in my life during this process, I also started to think about cleaning in a new way. 

Prior to this, I could vacuum, dust, and straighten all day, but I just hated cleaning my bathrooms.  Throughout our ten years of marriage, my husband had been our designated bathroom cleaner because I hated it that much.  Yet, after my enlightenment, so to speak, I started thinking about a clean bathroom as a present to myself.  I remembered how great it felt to be home after our cleaning person left, and decided I wanted to feel that way again.  I also started researching making my own environmentally friendly cleaning products, so it became a bit of a challenge and science experiment at the same time.  Pretty much, I just decided to own it.  Having a clean house was going to be my gift to myself. 

Now, I really like it.  I play music.  I dance.  I improve my family’s health.  I help the environment.  The bathroom doesn’t bother me at all anymore.  Go figure.

AND… there’s more!  Cleaning has the power to activate intention.  If your are feeling tired and grouchy…come up with an intention like “I want to be vibrant and full of life.”  Then, clean your widows, and say, “ I clean these windows to let vibrant energy into my home and fill me with life.”  Every time you see those clean windows, you will remember your intention and it will re-enforce your desired change.  Easy!  Recruit these chores to serve your highest good – I say!

Do I have you convinced?  Want to learn more?  Stay tuned – more coming.  However, if in the mean time you want to start leaning more, good places to start are:

1. Denise Linn’s “Soul Coaching”
2. Karen Logan’s “Clean House, Clean Planet”
3. Google phrases like “Natural Bathroom Cleaner” or “Make my own tub scrub.”

Happy Cleaning! 

© Elise Rebmann, 2008. All rights reserved.