shak-shuka

Dr Bronner's to the Rescue

It is with great excitement that I get to share with you the news that we now carry the Dr. Bronner brand at Shak-Shuka! Having been a long-time fan of the famous Magic Castille Soap and its many many uses, we thought it would be a perfect addition for the eco-friendly family. Dr. Bronner has really stepped up their eco credentials with now being fair trade, organic, biodegradable, and now carries a children's line fthat's equally great for sensitive folks as it is fragrance-free.

So if you haven't ever tried Dr. Bronner's products, the Magic Castille Soap is one of the first products you HAVE to try. Why? Because it can be used in a million ways, but according to the packaging, there are actually 18 uses that Dr. Bronner thought the soap was a suitable substitute for. Here is just a shortlist of the many ways that the almond/peppermint/lavender/baby liquid soap can be used:

facial cleanser
liquid hand soap
bodywash
bubble bath
shampoo
shaving cream
toothpaste
mouthwash
denture cleaner
mint deodorant
massage oil
baby oil
sun tan oil
toilet cleaner
car cleaner
laundry soap
dishwashing liquid
pet cleaning

I'm not quite sure about how it holds up as a deodorant or a massage oil, but I can personally vouch for it's effectiveness in the household, for the pets, as a shampoo/body wash, and I have even used the peppermint as a toothpaste one time (it was a camping trip - please don't ask). If 18+ ways of using a soap isn't your type of thing, there is a luxurious Body Balm, Lip Balm or Bar Soap that'll get you addicted to Dr. Bronner's in less than, say....18 seconds?!

(Eco)washa-washa-wash

I am a self-confessed laundry addict. I just love doing laundry. Now that I've had a child, my laundry load has increased by about 4x, so that makes me one happy, but WAY behind, camper. There is something oddly rewarding about the "before" and "after" of it all, and I think I'm still in awe of putting wet clothes on a clothesline that somehow end up drying in about 24 hours despite the fact that it rains all the time where we live. (I was originally brought up as a "everything in the clothes dryer" baby, so clothing racks are still a new phenomenon)

A product that continues to present it self to me is a laundry product that I have an unusual curiousity about. EcoBalls are a set of 3 laundry cleaning balls that you put in your laundry machine (with the clothing) and use instead of laundry detergent. The EcoBalls claim that they are just as effective, and more gentle to your clothes than regular detergent (and they last up to 1000 washes which I doubt my bottle of detergent can do). Add in the fact that they are 100% natural, don't require any plastic bottles, and they are refillable - making them one of the most eco ways to go in the laundry department. Only catch for me has been that I just adore the smell of my detergent. I think I'll give these EcoBalls to myself as a holiday present and report back later on the efficiency....for now I'll just keep dreaming of more laundry!!

The Wonders of Tea Tree Oil

It seems like everywhere we look people are obsessing about hygiene, germs and disinfecting. Growing up as a child I used to eat mud pies (made from literal mud, not the fancy ice cream dessert), so I'm not the best reference for hyper-cleanliness. Although now that I have a child, I am definitely more "on alert" and aware of passing on germs and preventing illness whenever possible. In light of all this seriousness, I try to take it all into account and not go overboard, as it's been clearly stated that some amount of dirt and germs are good for a growing child's immune system (plus this was another justification to have a huge dog - it's boot camp for her immune system, right?!). 

One of my favorite lines of defense in keeping our house and selves clean and pristine is tea tree oil. It's safe, been used for hundreds of years (first by Australian Aboriginals), and 100% natural. I personally love the idea that one tiny bottle of oil can be so powerful that you only need a few drops to have a supreme effect. I've collected from some books and online sources (I cannot remember all the references as I've had a list so long with no links) my favorite ways to use this fantastic and versatile oil. If you've never used tea tree oil, now is the time to try as we give you plenty of ways to use it! And oh yes, we just happen to sell Organic Tea Tree Oil at Shak-Shuka just in case you need any (where we also have more tips for using this amazing oil!)!!

• Use "neat" on the skin to treat acne
• Disinfectant - when traveling or at home, use it directly on skin when there is a cut or bite, as it helps to disinfect the affected area
• An anti-fungal for treating Athlete’s Foot, eczema, various yeast infections, etc. Apply a drop or two into a olive or sesame oil and apply to infection (external) skin. 
• An anti-viral: it may lessen the symptoms of colds and flu. Try using a few drops in the bath.
• Add to a vaporizer to loosen chest congestion.
• Add a few drops to shampoo to help kill head lice
• To keep germs at bay, create your own spray by adding a few drops to a spray bottle filled with hot water, a bit of white vinegar. Use it on high chairs, car seats, and other high traffic spots.
• 15 drops in a quart of water can be an effective insect repellent.

Marsiglia/Marseille Wonder

The other day a dear friend of mine emailed me about how she could ecologically remove stains from her children's clothing. She seemed to have tried everything in the natural pantry, but was left empty handed, and desperately reaching for a bottle of the harsh stuff to try and get the job done. I totally hear her! I've been there before, but luckily for me through my travels, motherhood and more, I've learned a few tricks along the way to keeping things clean(er) using the simplest and most natural products possible.

This questions had me reminiscing about one of my favorite products that I discovered while living in Italy - marsiglia. One whiff of this scent really takes me back to doing handwash laundry in my itzy-bitzy apartment overlooking a huge piazza in Florence. Marsiglia is not only the scent of laundry detergents, but also floor cleaners, drawer sachets, oven cleaner - the whole lot. For the longest time I thought that the scent of marsiglia was an Italian creation, but then I found out that it's actually the word for the French city Marseille!

One of the oldest "Savon de Marseille" companies (16th century) in Marseille makes these beautiful and chunky blocks from olive or palm oil (remember what I said about palm oil in my old post?!). I love the one made from olive oil, it has a very mild scent, and when you rub it on stained clothing, combined with a nail brush, it can get out pretty much any stain I've encountered. You can use the Marseille soap for everything from your laundry, body, and baby, and it's so mild you can really use it abundantly without the risk of it being too harsh.

It's so great to know that there's a natural product out there that is safe to use, biodegradable, contains no excess packaging, and is truly economical! The fact that it can be used for everything from top to bottom on yourself and in your home is even better. A truly great product from ancient times, made perfectly to suit the modern needs of today - and naturally.

You Spin Me Eco Round-Round

Welcome back! It's been a long time since my last post, but rest assured I am now well rested and ready to give you everything with all the delicious eco-scoops (oh that sounds weird and inappropriate when I write it but it sounds good in my head) that I've been storing up over this past month. So without further ado, here I go sharing my new obsession with you all...

I had the pleasure of staying in Italy at the villa of some fabulous friends, and they had space and amenities that we could only dream of here in our tiny urban apartment. Yes, there was the pool, the olive grove, the village overlooking the valley below, but what really got me going was the washing/drying machines. Energy-efficient, fabulous to look at - they had me green with envy and a bit sick thinking of my old clunker of a washing machine at home. I have a feeling if there was a energy-deficiency grade low enough for our washer at home, it would be an A+!

Since coming home, I have been obsessing over what is the most efficient and eco-friendly option when purchasing a new washing machine. A few things that I know to look out for when buying a "green" washer is that it's front loading (much to the dismay of my old school mother who loves her top loader), and that it has at least a "B class" Energy Efficiency rating. With that info in hand, I met a washer that exceeded my expectations: the Beko washing machine. Not only is a front-loader, have an energy class of it's own (A++! if only I would have brought home grades like that in school!), it also washes a load in 14 minutes! That's not even enough time to get the next load sorted and ready! This eco-cleaning-beauty has a unique electronic water control system which calculates the exact amount of water needed according to the type and quantity of laundry. Ingenious! I deem this a must-have of any season, meaning that it outlives the styles and trends most of the clothes that it's washing in those 14 minutes! 

www.beko.co.uk

Ms. Biodegradable Clean

This scenario keeps happening to me, and I think I'm probably not alone: kitchen is clean, it's dinnertime, chaos occurs and POOF! like magic the kitchen is a disaster again. It even happened last night when I was too tired after walking all day and we ordered in. What the?! How is it possible that ordering in food can create such a disaster on the kitchen counters? These questions are better left unanswered, or until I get lucky and my Fairy Cleaning Godmother comes along....

Since I've been cleaning the kitchen A LOT lately, my sponges have really been taking a beating. The other day I threw one of them away and had a lightbulb moment: "wait a minute....this sponge gives me another chance to replace an everyday household item with a "greener" option, because over a lifetime these sponges really pile up!" Faster than you can turn the faucet on, I rediscovered the biodegradable sponges that I picked up at the health food store a while back, and couldn't have been happier. Rather than being made with synthetics, plastics and who-knows-what that takes who-knows-how-long to decompose (or not), these sponges are made from cellulose, a cotton/wool fiber mixed with some sodium sulphate. Not bad, not bad at all! These sponges match, and even maybe exceed the ability of my old 'traditional' sponges, plus I get the added satisfaction of leaving the environment (kitchen and the world) that much cleaner!

*Available from the European brand Memo which can be found in most EU health food shops

*Discover a whole biodegradable cleaning line from the new and uber-stylish US brand: Twist

I'm already coveting all of their products and planning a major purchase!

Mean, Green, Cleaning Machine

Even though I am not always the tidiest of persons, I was surprised when a friend of mine contacted me for cleaning advice. Green, cleaning advise that is. She had just moved into a new house that had fleas in the carpets and she wanted me to give her natural options as opposed to "bombing" her entire house. I didn't know if I should be flattered that she thought of me as being so knowledgeable and green, or hide myself with shame as only I could understand how to control fleas (seeing as we have a 150 lb St Bernard). I gave her all the tips that I had, and she emerged (or so she told me) flea-free. 

I am always on the look out for cleaner, greener products. One of my favorite good ol' standbys that does almost EVERYTHING is baking soda. You can use it as an abrasive cleaner, sprinkle it on the carpet/rugs before you vacuum, and my favorite: pour half a box of baking soda in a clogged drain, then follow with plain white vinegar: it will gurgle, so close it off with something like a plunger, and once it no longer makes a bubbling noise, uncover it and pour SCOLDING hot water down. It keeps my scary looking drains super clean!

My other favorite is white vinegar. Buy the cheapest you can find, and use it in the method above, to polish windows, or my favorite is to use it as a fabric softener. I got really tired of how much film regular fabric softener left on my clothes, so I now put in about a 1/4 cup of white vinegar with a few drops of essential oil (I usually choose lavender or chamomile). It works like a charm, and no, nothing comes out smelling like pickles.

Recently I discovered a new brand of eco-cleaning products that they sell here in the Netherlands that is from New Zealand: B.E.E. The packaging is very sleek and minimal, which actually had me thinking it was a "traditional" cleaning product for the elite. Instead it was made with biodegradable ingredients and essential oils! For now I'm working on the "Trust Me with your Delicates" detergent, but I will be slowly chipping away at their entire product line. The delicates laundry detergent already has me eagerly washing the mountain of delicates I've been neglecting for ages. Good excuse to get some cleaning done!

http://www.bee.net.nz/products.html