Organic Needle

I Take Back Anything Nice I Have Ever Said About 7th Generation Cleaning Products

Which hasn’t been a whole lot to begin with. A few weeks back I reviewed their dishwasher detergent and gave them a generous…doesn’t completely suck. Ahhhh…what a naive fool I was. It, in fact, does completely suck. I may be saving the world from phosphates but I am certainly not saving any energy or water. I often have to run the machine 2x…or simply hand wash everything because the detergent doesn’t dissolve…meaning many dishes are coming out dirtier than going in. I have used the vinegar rinse…no difference. I have tried not over crowding…no difference. Not for nothing…but when I was using the old toxic brand Electrasol I could put things in there with entire meals caked on and they would come out spotless…no pre-rinse, no rinse agent, no after washing. Now I don’t plan on going back to a phosphate brand but this is ridiculous. I am using at least 2x the water and energy if not more. There must be a better alternative!

While I am sharing my warm fuzzies about 7th Generation, let me share with you a little discovery…Planet. I was using 7th’s liquid soap for hand washing dishes but this stuff is soooooo much better. It actually cuts grease. Who would’ve thunk a green cleaner could do it? (Planet’s auto dish detergent doesn’t get such rave reviews.)

Don’t even get me started on 7th generation laundry products. Trust me, you don’t have that kind of time. Nor have I mastered enough profane vocabulary to express my feelings fully. (I really do need to go back to teaching middle school so I can bank up on the bad words for just such a review.) Planet does make a well reviewed powder detergent that I will be investigating soon. I’ll keep you posted.

So… yes…while I will still allow 7th to produce wipe for my who-diddly-whos…that is about all they will be doing in this house. But that in and of itself is quite an honor, no?

Sewing the Eco-Lunch: Taming the Sewing Jabba II

Oh…the lunch box. A few years ago I did my research and found that Thermos brand was supposed to be one of the less chemically brands of soft lunch boxes. Now they are not so sure. The new word on the street is they are made with PVC and perhaps, just maybe, a tad bit of lead. So…back to the research lab for a PVC, phthalate, and lead free cold food transporter. This is what I found. (Crocodile Creek has a ton of really cute designs and can be found on Amazon for about $15 and free shipping.)
Yes…yes…there is a sewing project in here somewhere. Now that I have managed to find a perfectly normal looking lunch box that won’t actually poison my child, how can I manage to further ecogeek up his day? By rummaging my fabric pile and creating reusable everything. The Green Peace bag I didn’t make, but did add little handles out of leftover elastic banding to make it easier for my son to carry. Once my lunch bag - now his snack bag. The Buzz Lightyear pretzel/cracker pouch, a basic drawstring bag, was the pant leg of a pair of unsaveable PJs. The Spider Man cookie pouch was from torn swimming shorts. (I use the ready made pocket for Mama Notes. Yes…I am totally one of those moms.) No I won’t be selling any of these on Etsy because of copyrite laws, blah blah blah. The blue and orange sandwich bags are just basic hemmed scrap squares sewn together. I did not even line these with any sort of plastic or vinyl because I made enough to be able to machine wash them after each use. So far they have done their job as sandwich wranglers quite well. I will also be making some cloth napkins out of a few old plaid dress shirts. You could use the same basic square napkins to wrap up sandwiches and double as placemats.

Again…as with the Back Up Band…these are all really easy, beginner level sewing projects that anyone can do and everyone has the materials cluttering up the house. If you, or your kids, take your lunch, take a moment and see what disposables you could replace with cotton reusables. Even if you are all thumbs when it comes to sewing you may just impress yourself & your offspring with what you create. Just try not to sew yourself to the actual lunch box. That might not be quite as impressive.

Detox for the Dishwasher: Seventh Generation Free & Clear Automatic Dishwashing Detergent

It has taken me awhile to get around to this one because I was given a ton of dishwashing tablets when I first got my machine. I liked them…Electrasol. Then about a year ago BJs had a sale and I bought a years worth…without really taking note of the phosphate level…which is apparently reeeeeeeeeeaaaallly high. It is seriously higher than even our government allows…not sure how they managed that one. Now that I’ve run out of the stuff I decided to give a more earth friendly brand a try.

Price…5.49 for 45 ozs. Which is 2x the price of Electrasol powder. I was using the tabs, which are about 2x the 7th generation price. So…for a powder it is expensive…but I’m still saving money.

Packaging…Made from 100% recycled paper and is completely recyclable. Since it is a powder there are no little plastic wrappers like the Electrasol tabs.

Performance…Mixed reviews. It definately leaves some residue, especially in the sippy cups…which means extra water to rinse those clean. It was better when I switched my machine from light cycle to regular cycle…but again that is more water and more energy. But…no chlorine and no phosphates. I think the detox method even with its increased demand for water, electricity and effort wins. I am going to stick with it. Now that I know about the evil in my ol’ Electrasol I can’t go back…even though it made my dishes really sparkely. Doesn’t knowledge suck sometimes.

Organicizing My Makeup: Physicians Formula Organic Wear Concealers

Even the Needle needs a wee bit of help looking breathtaking each day. So why not try to add a little organicizing to the ol’ makeup bag? So…I picked up Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Concealers in Fair & Green. (No I am not the swamp thing. Green covers red which I tend to get around my nose during the colder weather…when I hear Santa needs help with his sleigh.)

Packaging…Let’s start with the positive. The outer packaging is just paper. With the rather clever construction they completely eliminated the need for the clam shell type covering most makeup uses. Sweet. Hopefully that alone will inspire redesigns for all makeup…organic or not. The inner packaging is better…but the makeup is still essentially in a plastic tube with paper covering. I guess they could use glass…but maybe that would be a safety issue since you are cramming it onto your face.

Price…6.95 each. That seems to be on par with other concealers.

Now for the not so nicey nice.

Smell…yes it is important since I wear the green on my snout. Rancid olive oil. I now know why they add so much fragrance to makeup. Holy skunk butt. If this were the only issue I would just plug my nose and soldier on…but…keep reading.

Ingredients…better…but wait. Sounds really good at first: organic olive oil, organic soybean oil, beeswax, avocado oil….and then a big list of flowers. I’m feeling girly just looking at the list. But right at the end they slip in some other familiar names that don’t sound so tasty: talc, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, which is rust, no? Do these qualify as natural? I guess they do occur naturally. So does snail slime…doesn’t mean I want some on my face.

Performance…Now for the big So What…does it work? Depends what you mean by work. First the makeup was so thick and sticky you couldn’t apply it like a stick…which is kind of the point of a concealer STICK. Both of them broke when I tried. I was able to use a lipstick brush to apply it and it managed to conceal. Amazing!

So…although I give Physicians Formula big props for reinventing the makeup packaging…they have a lot of work to do in the actual makeup department. Bottom line: Swampy no recommend.

Organicizing My Tea III: Darjeeling 2nd Flush Makaibari

How does one describe a good Darjeeling in general? Pure joy? Light, floral…clean…with a really long tangyness that just makes your mouth feel like it has been scrubbed by happy little dental gnomes. This particular organic Darjeeling was typical with a touch more plantiness than usual, but still very clean and refreshing.

For those of you who think you aren’t into tea, I encourage you to check out Tealuxe or your local tea house and order a dozen samples or so. You would be really surprised at the wide variety of tastes. An Assame is about as similar to Darjeeling as coke is to sprite, or scotch is to a Sancerre. I encourage you to think outside the Lipton’s box and try real tea. (Lipton’s is the Boone’s of tea, just to round out the spectrum.)

(Next week I will delve into the exciting world of fruit/tea infusions. And maybe a little green tea action too if you all behave. The tea world is a wild ride, people. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.)

Organicizing My Tea II: Assam Organic

Yes…hold on to your tea cups…it is another Organic Needle organic tea review. (Don’t think I don’t realize there are probably a grand total of 3 people in the entire universe who give two squirts about a tea review…but for you, my fellow really geeky tea drinkers, I will give it my all.) Now Assam, which is an Indian tea, is a new one for me. I tend to be a big leafer, a Darjeelinger if you will, but I must say I was impressed. The Tealuxe description said malty and, by gum, malty is just what it is. Very smooth, but strong…kinda like a good scotch, but yet socially acceptable to drink at the playground. (You politely offer a stranger tips to correct her baby’s unibrow and suddenly everyone gets to question your Sigg bottle contents. Like it was news. Geesh.) The tea, however, was quite enjoyable.













The only down side is that tiny leaves pass through the strainer. Now…time to tooooooot my own horn. Less, yes I said less, leaves passed through good ol’ Organic Needle Reusable Organic Cotton Tea Bag than did the strainer. You didn’t think I was possibly NOT going to plug my own stuff did ya? I may be classy enough to drink tea, but not THAT classy.

Organicizing my Tea : Organic Oolong

Since “giving up” the evil juice I have been drinking more tea than ever. (Now…I haven’t totally kicked the monkey off yet…but I did stop buying it and having it in the house which has cut consumption by about 95%. Not shabby.) Enough about my inability to do anything whole hog, on to the tea. Now that my tea consumption is insane and the boys want in on some herbal action, I decided to explore the pesticide free zone. First up. Oolong…China Organic Oolong Restaurant Style Tea. If you aren’t familiar with oolong, it is a very deep woodsy earthy tea…not anything like English style teas. I find it very palette cleansing, but depending on the brew strength it can be a bit barky. Well…this organic version tasted exactly like any other oolong I’ve ever had. The name says it all…Chinese Restaurant Tea…which I like …so…I like the tea. Just a warning…it is really easy to overbrew this one and have it go from refreshing to forest floor in about a nanosecond. I really like it as iced tea too.

*All teas were ordered from Tealuxe. I have been using them for about half a decade now and have received nothing but great products and customer service. (No…they do not send me free tea to say so…although they certainly could if they wanted to…hint hint…Tealuxe.) Orders often show up within 2 days. Free shipping with $50 purchase. Plus they offer samples of most teas for $1-2. So it is perfect for the newbie trying to figure out what he/she likes and your average tea freak. Most teas come in little brown bags or tin containers for larger amounts. The bags are lined with either wax or plastic so not sure about their recyclability. (They are really cute so I end up reusing them as snack bags.) Tealuxe has stores too, if you want to avoid the bags and bring your own containers. They get no points for selling a local product…but ..hey…it’s tea people. Relax, will ya, and have a cup of tea.

Single Tea Bag Reviews: My Test Piggies Have Spoken

My Single Tea Bag with Tagua Nut Tag inspectors have spoken. Great feedback guys. Now I was hoping all of you would write me telling me how your lives have been forever changed; you are making more money, your teeth and eyes are shinier, your neighbors no longer scurry away when they see you coming etc. etc. But I guess I will settle for…they brew tea without exploding. There is definitely some tweaking that needs to take place.

Allie’s Review:

I’ve been using the tea bag you sent and LOVING it!

I thought it might leave a lingering taste in the tea, but it didn’t seem to at all. I think my metal grabby tea spoon thingy actually alters the taste of the tea more. It’s easy to clean out — actually easier than the metal steeper, because the tea doesn’t get stuck in the holes at all. I just rinse it and hang it out. It gets doused with boiling water every time it’s used, so I figure that keeps it clean and sanitary. Some tea got caught in the corners, but it wasn’t hard to get it loose.

The weight works nicely and is so attractive.

The first time I used it, there were a few threads that found their way into my tea (from the fabric, not sewing thread), but hey, extra fiber! And it didn’t happen with following uses.

I drink tea that has fairly large leaves. I’m not sure if a finer tea would fall through, but if it would, it would on my metal steeper as well. I’m guessing if you drink fine tea you’re used to a little silt at the bottom of the cup.

1) The mesh fabric can fray along the seam. I have ways of dealing with such disobedient threads…don’t you worry.

2) Excellent point about gunpowder teas seeping through. (For you non tea drinkers…gun powder is not actually made from ammunition.) As a big leaf gal myself, I forgot about that. I will definitely put a note explaining that in the description on Etsy. But like you mentioned…the holes are finer than a tea ball…so….

Joilie’s Review:

I like it a lot. The only possible room for improvement I can see is that it sometimes comes open when I don’t want it to. Maybe I’m not cinching or tying the top tight enough? I love the shell/bead thingy!

Excellent observation. I originally intended for it to be tied by looping the nut through the string but thought that might be a pain to do and undo. However, that would totally prevent the escaping of the tea. I could either go with the original tying idea and include a handy-dandy diagram…or maybe a bead. If I put a bead on the 2 strings together it could be slid up and act like cinch. I will have to think about this one. It would have to be a natural material and not take away from the simplicity of the design and not actually poison my customers. I find 9 out of 10 tea drinkers DON’T enjoy being poisoned. I do my research.

Arduous Review:

Why Yes…I am Peppermint Scented from Head to Toe: Burt’s Peppermint Shower Soap Review

But….why are you sniffing my toes Strange Man on subway? A few months back we discovered the very cool Burt’s Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar . Well…it has completely replaced the big ol’ plastic shampoo bottle in our house with surprisingly no complaints from the family, unlike my recent dental care swaps. (Yes, my husband actually took the time to go out and buy his own tube of Colgate. Some husbands cheat, gamble, dress up like Cher. Mine squirrels away conventional toiletries. Such a bad ass, no?) Yes, yes, there is an actual review coming. Loooove it. I smell minty. And it has little gritty bits to buff… everything. At $4.89 a bar it is not the cheapest…but not insane. Packaging couldn’t be better: paper box with NO plastic wrapper inside or out. The only real problem is that it is exactly the same color as my shampoo bar. After a few washes the carved letters indicating which is which go bye bye. I’m sure I will be able to think of some complicated system for keeping them straight- like two separate soap dishes. Certainly don’t want to be washing my head with my hiney soap. Although…now they are equally as minty.

Product Review: Tom’s Whole Care Peppermint Toothpaste

It actually doesn’t taste like potpourri or camel butt. Imagine that. My husband still isn’t convinced it will work as well as the Colgate Total, our usual brand. Both claim to whiten, reduce tarter, & prevent cavities. Tom’s makes no gingivitis claims, as does Colgate, but I like to live dangerously. (FYI…if he ends up having a case of gingivitis at his next cleaning appointment I may need a place to crash for a few days.)Price wise it is about the same…around $4.50 a tube. I switched the kids over to the Tom’s Mango awhile back and they seem content and still seem to have the power to bite one another at the speed of light. Packaging is a mixed thing. Tom’s comes in a paper box, as does Colgate. Tom’s tube, however, can be recycled with metals and Colgate cannot. But…the metal tubes seem to split…and have sharp edges when they do. Anyone else have this problem…or is it just me that lacks the skills and coordination to load a child’s toothbrush properly without severing a finger?