Monster Steam Mop

With my oldest daughter having contact allergies and my youngest still in the crawling stage, I decided that I wanted to reduce or eliminate the cleaners I used while mopping my floors. I just didn’t like the idea of my youngest crawling around on a floor mopped with cleaner and then sitting up and eating some crackers with cleaner still on her hands. So for Christmas last year I asked for a steam mop (and then thought only a mom would ask for this as a gift!). I did research on all the steam mops out there, with getting the best quality for the best price being my main goal. I settled on the Monster Floor EZ1 Steam Mop because: 1) it created the hottest steam of all mops out there (which is important for killing bacteria and makes getting dirt up off of the floor easier); 2) it came with 3 reusable/washable mop pads so I wouldn’t have any added expense; 3) it could be used on tile and hardwood floors, as well as carpet; and 4) it was easy to use.

I did get the Monster steam mop as a gift from my parents and have really enjoyed using it. For assembly from the box all I had to do was clip on the handle. I use distilled water in order to keep impurities from clogging the mop which will hopefully prolong it’s life. The directions recommend washing the mop pads by hand, but I throw them in the washer and let them air dry and they have continued to work fine. The steam mop has so far easily picked up juice, ink from markers, and dirt on my tile. I have also spot cleaned carpet (rather than dragging out my big carpet cleaner!) and it got dirt and juice out. The most noticeable thing was that after using the steam mop for the first time, our tile felt clean on my feet. The best way I can describe it is that the residue cleaners leave on tile makes it a bit slippery, but the slippery feel was noticeably absent after using the steam mop. I vacuum my tile first as the mop is not made for picking up large pieces of pet hair, food, and other debris but that is what I always had to do before mopping with any other mop. The electrical cord on the mop is not as long as my vacuum, so I do have to unplug it and move it once in order to mop all of my tile (so if that is something that will bother you plan on getting an extension cord). Lastly, there is a warm up period in order for the mop to heat the water into steam (about 5 minutes- so I plug it in while I finish the last bit of vacuuming) and if you need to refill the mop you will have to wait a few minutes for it to cool off before you are able to take the top off and add more water (watch out for the steam- it’s hot!). With all that said, I am extremely pleased with my Monster and highly recommend it!

Going (A Bit More) Green: My Journey

When my first baby was born, it changed my life in so many ways right from the start.  I vividly remember my daughter getting her first shot in the hospital and being upset not only because she was crying, but because I felt that my perfect little newborn was being contaminated.  I thought about the food I was putting in my daughter’s mouth and began buying more organic foods.  I also made a new rule that no shoes were allowed in our house beyond the door, because I thought about her crawling around on dirt, pesticides, oil, and other nasty stuff on the bottom of our shoes.  Basically I was questioning everything about how I had lived my life to this point!

Then, at 18 months old, I discovered my daughter had contact and food allergies.  She has contact allergies to St. Augustine grass (of course what’s in our backyard!) and dog dander, and a food allergy to milk (with a couple other mild food allergies mixed in).  So we went out and bought a better vacuum cleaner, better filter for our A/C vent, and started vacuuming every other day. No, our beloved dog Goldie was not going to get the boot since she was our first “daughter” from our college days.  (She didn’t seem to mind the more frequent brushing though!)  And of course we cut out all dairy products.

I was born a seeker, and only until I do research and feel informed do I then know where I stand and what I believe.  And so with this news I began questioning… Why does she have allergies to begin with?  Why are so many other children born with allergies too?  And is this somehow related to the rise in learning disorders and autism?  Are childhood vaccinations involved? Is it genetic or environmental?  Maybe a combination of both triggers it?  Or maybe the steady increase in use of pesticides and in our food and chemicals in our environment over the past 80 years started affecting us genetically, but we are only now seeing the side effects a couple generations later?

I feel I’ve been on the path to going green for a couple years now, but my purchasing behaviors have changed quite drastically since January of this year.  I came across HealthyToys.org and Skin Deep sites, which lead me on a quest to find safer cleaning and body care products for my family.  I now use the “Monster” steam clean mop to clean my tile floors (it can be used for hardwood floors too).  The steam lifts dirt and kills bacteria, so no need to use any cleaning products at all on my floors.  I also make my own cleaners and buy body care products without all of the toxins in them.

I feel much better knowing that my children are growing up in a healthier and safer environment, and that piece of mind is something I cannot put a price on.

Two good resource books I bought on living the “green” life are:

This book provides information on beauty and bath products and recipes for making your own healthy versions at home. In the index is a list of the top 100 most harmful ingredients which I found extremely helpful for deciphering product labels (initially it can be very confusing!)

This book is an excellent resource guide for making greener choices in your life including your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, health care, and cleaning supplies. There are some good recipes for homemade kitchen and bath cleaners or greener product choices to purchase.

Happy researching!!

**Disclaimer: Going “Green” means something different to every person.  For example, many politicians believe it means flying a bit less in their private jets.  For me, it means doing what I think is healthiest for my family.  I by no means claim to be 100% green, but am definitely a bit more aware than I was before.  There are some things that aren’t feasible to change right now, like our vehicle.  I would love to have a nice hybrid to drive around, but until I somehow have enough extra cash burning in my pocket, it will have to wait.

Skin Deep - Healthy Body Products

After doing a little research into the chemicals found in children’s toys on HealthyToys.org, I continued my research into personal care products on a site called Skin Deep.  This site is similar to HealthyToys.org in that they have rated more than 42,000 products based on toxic substances they contain.  You are able to search by type of product and get a rating score from 0-10, with a 10 being of highest concern.

To be clear, some companies with natural products believe that Skin Deep does not distinguish between similar products that are produced differently.  For example, a botanical extract can be processed in a clean way and another extract with the same name can be highly processed with chemicals.  For a more detailed explanation, read this blog post.  I can definitely see how this may be possible.

More than anything, I want for you to consider this site as a springboard into further research for you and your family.  I want you to start thinking about the products you use to clean your house and use on your body.  I believe it is important to seek knowledge so you can be an informed consumer (and I realize that every person’s decision will be different!)

I look forward to your questions and comments!

Healthy Toys

I came across the link to HealthyToys.org in one of my speech-language pathology magazines since we use toys for therapy all the time.  I was immediately impressed by this site and their mission to inform consumers about the chemical toxins in toys and children’s products.  By toxins I’m not only talking about lead, but other chemicals such as chlorine, arsenic, mercury, bromine, and cadmium.  We are all aware of the numerous recalls due to lead in children’s toys, but who knew about all of these other chemicals in the plastic products we purchase?

HealthyToys.org has tested more than 1,500 products and you can search toys by brand and by type.  You will get an overall rating on a toy of low, medium, or high to help you rate the level of chemicals in a particular toy.

I also read the information provided on “Chemicals of Concern”, more specifically about chlorine (PVC) and phthalates.  I was surprised to find that this chemical is not only in our children’s toys, but in numerous other products like personal care items (soap, shampoo, hair spray, deodorants, nail polish, and fragrances).  You may have actually heard about this in the news recently because in February 2009,  Congress put a ban on childcare products and children’s toys that contain six phthalates in amounts greater than 0.1%.

Fortunately all the toys we’ve purchased, except for about two, are fine.  I especially believe that wooden toys such as blocks and puzzles (like those made by Melissa & Doug) are about the best toys out there, not only developmentally but for your children’s health too.

This information led me to do further research on personal care products.