Keeping a natural house

Our lives have changed immeasurably during the past century and life has become so much easier, richer, and more comfortable for those if us lucky enough to be born in the affluent, developed parts of the world.

With the availability of the thousands of toxin laden cleaning products our homes can be sparkling clean, but sadly, not our environment or our health.

The most wholesome path to take is to stop accepting the unacceptable. It is within the scope of every one of us to vote with our wallet and to protect ourselves and our families by making sure we know what we are introducing into our home.

Consumers are demanding good, honest, natural products from ecologically sensitive and sound, sustainable sources. In 2003 Greenpeace initiated a "chemical home" database. Its aim was to demonstrate that is was possible to substitute safer alternatives for the hazardous chemicals in cleaning materials. By 2006, many manufacturers had found effective and safer alternatives, but there is still a long way to go.

In this month-long series you will find effective and affordable alternatives to the thousands of 'off the shelf' chemical laden cleaning products and learn other ways to implement healthy change in your home.

Before going any further - here is a list of housekeeping and cleaning products I recommend you keep stocked in your cleaning cupboard (I never need anything more than this).

- Beeswax polish

- Baking Soda - buy in industrial size packaging

- Borax

- Chamois Cloth

- Distilled White Vinegar - buy in large quantities

- Enamel Buckets - buy old/vintage - no need for new

- Long-handled Feather or lambswool Duster

- Jam Jars with Screw Lids

- Lemons - lot and lots of lemons

- Old Toothbrushes

- Olive Oil

- Rags - you can easily make rags from worn-out cotton dresses and T-shirts, towels, dish towels, and bed linens that are beyond mending. Cut cloths into squares. Wash or boil used rags regularly

- Refillable Spray Bottles

- Washing Line and Wooden Clothespins

- Wooden-handled Bristle Scrubbing Brush

- Wooden-handled Bristle Brush Brooms - hard-bristle is best for outdoors and soft-bristle brush for indoor sweeping

- Wooden-handled, Small Bristle Brush with Tin Dustpan

We will pick up next week once you've sourced all your supplies!

Until then,

la chasse au bonheur