Tag Archives: nu eco

Day Zero Survival Checklist, Naturally…

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Guys. Remember when I wrote this post yeeeeeeeeeeeeears back on using 10L of water a day? And how funny it was because, really, it was so very unrealistic and so not real, and I could laugh about it because I had a gazillion liters of water in my taps and under my house and water was life and, well, I had plenty of it…

Well, how the tables have turned. Cape Town now finds itself in this real-life nightmare. This real-life nightmare which has gone from shock-horror scare tactics, and overracting about how bad it all is, to genuine scare tactics, queueing for water at the shops while trying to wrap our minds about lining up for a daily ration of water. Where? Who knows. How will it work? No one can quite tell us that either. SABC News keeps playing this segment highlighting how some rural communities have lived on a trickle of water for centuries, and while it is eye opening and inspiring, THIS IS CAPE TOWN. Wealthy, on the international stage, leading in arts and culture, Table Mountain, V&A Waterfront, best coffee shops in the world CAPE.TOWN.

So here we are: 

So, here’s my humble 2c on how we can defeat Day Zero. #defeatdayzero.

Firstly, I’ll gently nudge you into OBEYING the freaking rules set out by the City of Cape Town. In point form:

  • Amongst the most obvious…
  • Please don’t shower every day. You really don’t have to. If you smell good all the time we will start to judge you.
  • Collect grey water for EVERYTHING. (Please also store this safely! I have a toddler around the house so we are really careful about where and how water is stored).
  • Flush once a day (with grey water from the dishwasher or washing machine).
  • Wash your clothes and your dishes on ECO cycles. Test them and see which cycles use less water.

Secondly, my ECO-POINTERS:

My personal choices for the checklist below would be Nu-Eco hand sanitizer, Pure Beginnings biodegradable wet wipes (as well as mozzie spray, because those mozzies like water collection spots it seems!) and EcoPack‘s biodegradable bowls and cups for your home.

Also, as Wellness Mama suggests, you can use arrowroot powder as a dry shampoo alternative for bonde hair and Cocoafair cocoa powder for dark hair. I kid you not.

Also, go with a buddy to collect water at the spring, day or night. Consider it bonding time – turning a crisis into a standing coffee date (literally, standing).

Finally, some extra thoughts courtesy of EcoPack:

  1. Make a Stay Soft & water solution to spray clothes and hang up to dry
  2. Clean counters with disposable wipes
  3. Wash yourself with wet wipes
  4. Throw toilet paper used for urinating in a lined bin instead of the toilet – add sawdust or bicarb to control odor
  5. Fill toilet cistern with water instead of straight into the toilet
  6. Use microfiber cloths rather than sponges as they become unsanitary faster
  7. Ladies can extend the life of their underwear by wearing panty liners
  8. Use store bought water for drinking only
  9. Use biodegradable & compostable disposable cups, plates & bowls where possible to save water
  10. If you have to wash dishes, wipe as clean as possible with paper towels first
  11. Buy food that requires no water during preparation
  12. Wear fabrics like cotton that breaths to avoid odors from developing due to sweat & bacteria
  13. Use a bicarb & coconut oil mixture as deodorant as it is more effective than traditional store bought deodorants
  14. Use vinegar in a spray bottle for cleaning surfaces.

We’re in this together Cape Town! We really are. Let’s live like it.

Pic credit: www.ewn.co.za, www.msn.com, www.businesslive.co.za, www.ecopack.co.za, City of Cape Town.

Nu to Green Cleaning – Nu Eco!

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Recently, I got a lovely phone call from a lady called Cara, introducing me to Nu Eco, a new household cleaning brand that has recently hit the market. There seems to be a steady increase in interest around chemical free cleaning and it is quite clearly a growing industry (hoorahhhh!). And for good reason.

Let me not terrify you, but did you know that your home may be the most toxic place you encounter each day? And that, if you think about it, indoor air is often more toxic than outdoor air? … and that the average baby has 200 chemicals in his/her body the day he/she is born. Yeeeowzers. Not cool guys, not cool.

There are a million reasons to start detoxifying your home, and no, I don’t mean you need a fancy pants water/air/ozoning-detoxifying-humidifying-air-filtering thingy-majig for every corner of each room. Don’t be silly. But, there are a few steps that you can take towards making your home (a.k.a sanctuary, safe haven, place you slob around in your jarmies) a safer place for you, your family and your fur-children.

Whether you get down and dirty with the scum around your bath or you have a housekeeper to help, this really is something you should think twice about. How safe are your average household cleaners? Just because we don’t see the dangerous toxins raging our homes, doesn’t mean they’re not there. Eek. Scary thought.

Household cleaners are the #1 source of poisoning in children. Interesting huh? (And FYI, here are the numbers for Poison Control – yes, I’ve used it a couple times…)

Red Cross Children’s Hospital: (021) 689 5227, Vincent Palotti: (021) 931 6129 (CT)

This is what my hero of all things green has to say about it:

‘Many of these chemicals can enter the air of your home, even if they are in tightly sealed containers. On top of that, the Poison Control Center (USA) reported that as much as 85% of warning labels on household products did NOT adequately identify the dangers of the products or list proper first aid instructions.

Some of the most common chemicals like formaldehyde, phenol, benzene, toluene, xylene have been found to cause cancer and are often found in indoor air. Other problems like fibromyalgia, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and hormone imbalance  are also linked to chemical exposure.

Since children consume more water, breathe more air and eat more food proportionate to their body weight than adults, they are MORE at risk from these chemicals.’

But, can we really do away with all these cleaners and replace them with above-par, effective, natural cleaners? Because I need things clean and tidy.

Here’s what I want: (in no particular order)

– to not spend HEAPS of money on cleaning products, (I’m thrifty)
– to make decisions that take the environment into consideration, (I love the earth)
– to use an effective product, (because I need it to work) and,
– to use something that is safe for my family (safety never takes a holiday, friends).

Enter: Nu-Eco.

NuEco Range

Nu Eco was launched by the founders of an eco-tourism business located in an ecologically sensitive environment who wanted to intentionally minimise their footprint.

They found that housekeeping products commonly used in the hospitality industry contained a cocktail of chemicals that are harmful to human health and the environment. These include ammonia, carcinogens, things such as Trisodium nitrilotriacetate (NTA) and a whole whack more abreevs I don’t know and to be perfectly honest, am a tiny bit too terrified to learn any more about.

They also found that not all “green” cleaners on the market were equal. Some cleaned better than others, and there were those that “cheated” their eco-friendly credentials by featuring some natural ingredients, but still contained potentially harmful chemicals as well.

NuEco Range Random

‘Nu Eco was developed with the goal and intention to be the greenest and most natural range of housekeeping products possible. Nu Eco guarantees 100% natural formulations that are fully bio-degradable. Efficacy has however not been sacrificed (good!), for example, the neutral-pH Nu Eco Surface Cleaner, won’t dull or scratch fine surfaces as many conventional cleaners may do over time.

The Nu Eco team researched the cutting edge of natural science and carefully formulated all Nu Eco products to deliver exceptional results while helping care for your family’s health, as well as the long-term health of the world we live in.’

So we put it to the test. Within minutes the Nu Eco citrus hygienic handwash replaced the (blurred out) handwash sitting on my bathroom basin and I haven’t looked back. Hand washing is important, and I shudder to think about what I used to lather my hands with.

Both my mom and hubby have also tried the Nu Eco surface cleaner, and were very happy with the result. (My mom has always been a die-hard Handy Andy supporter, but was well impressed with this cleaner).

I recently purchased the Lavender linen spray to spray my kiddies bedding (sleeeeeeep little children sleeeeep), and love that there really are no-nonsense ingredients in it.

What is preventing you from thinking along new (Nu) lines regarding chemical free cleaners?

Xxx

PS: As they like to say in yoga class, if you’d like to step it up to the advanced level, how about making your own? Lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda are common names thrown around. Have you had much success?

Here are some Natural Cleaning Tips from Wellness Mama to get you going…