Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living
by Annie Berthold-Bond
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Book Summary Information
Author: Annie Berthold-BondEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1999-06-01
ISBN: 0609803255
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780609803257
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
- Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices
Book Reviews of Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living
Book Review: My housekeeping bible
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had this book since it was first published and find myself referring to it for one thing or another at least once a week. I use both the housekeeping and personal care recipes. I keep about 10 or 12 staple ingredients on hand, including white vinegar, castile soap, glycerin, and essential oils, and mix things up as needed. I've stopped buying and started making furniture polish, dish washing liquid, bathroom and kitchen cleaners, shampoo, body wash, creams, lotions and potions for the face and body, lip balm, etc.; pretty much anything we need can be whipped up in a flash.
My husband and I both suffer from allergies and asthma and both of our kids have asthma; using natural housekeeping products makes a world of difference for our health and our house is always fresh and clean. Using these homemade products actually makes housework much more enjoyable since I'm not breathing the toxic fumes while I clean. Aside from the health benefits and the joy of living in a clean house, the recipes are very inexpensive and mostly very simple to make. It's very practical to be able to mix up, say, more dish washing liquid when you need it, rather than adding it to a list of things to buy at the store. The author often recommends keeping things in glass jars and bottles, but I do just fine keeping the products I mix up in a reusable plastic squirt or spray bottle. This book seems to contain everything I need for natural home and personal care; I've been happily and faithfully using it for over 10 years now.
Summary of Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living
These days, more and more people are saying no to "better living through chemistry" and yes to a lifestyle that is less toxic and more environmentally friendly. This trend toward a more natural lifestyle has become something of a crusade for Annie Berthold-Bond, author of Better Basics for the Home. After developing hypersensitivity to even very low concentrations of chemicals, Berthold-Bond was forced to rid her life of as many toxins as possible. "It wasn't until I had to be away from chemicals that I began to realize how many we lived with. The extent of the contamination is startling--from hair spray and floor wax to dandelion killers and plastic shower curtains and other products that line our hardware stores and supermarket shelves."This book represents the culmination of her search for a more sustainable lifestyle. Taking her cue from an earlier time, Berthold-Bond, former editor in chief of Green Alternatives for Health and Environment, offers more than 800 simple and practical alternatives to common household toxins, covering everything from skin care to gardening. And the good news is that adopting her suggestions and formulas isn't hard at all. "Mixing up face creams or wood stain isn't much different than cleaning the windows with vinegar, soap, and water instead of using Brand Name X, or making a cake with flour, eggs and milk instead of buying a mix," see asserts. "With a few simple staples we can clean our houses, wash our hair, rid the dog's bed of fleas, and do many other things as well." If you have your doubts, here is her formula for metal polish:
3 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon flour, and enough white distilled vinegar to make a paste. Scoop the paste onto a clean sponge, and polish the metal clean. Rinse with hot water and buff dry.
Sure, these days it's literally impossible to lead a life that is completely toxin-free. But you can significantly reduce your exposure, and picking up a copy Better Basics for the Home is a great way to get started.
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