Time to Change Habits?

Actually, that's not a question, that's a no-brainer.

But let's talk about WHY.

Inspired by this article on the Mother Nature Network, a site I've been crawling over the past few weeks - great articles... http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/9-habits-that-may-do-more-harm-than-good ... I don't actually have a problem with any of these things, myself, personally. Not one of these things is a habit of mine. (Hmmmm.... )  But I sure as hell know a lot of people that do have them. Let's do them one at a time, shall we? My take on them is just a little different... check out what they say, come on back.

1. Compulsively using hand sanitizer.
Seems to me I have spoken on that one already. Oh yeah - triclosan is bad. People who do this make me despondent. You've got the whole germ thing on top of the stupid plastic thing. Double whammy. Don't go away mad. Just go away. I don't do this and I am rarely ever sick. But, thanks to you and your ways, we ALL have to face bigger badder worser deadlier bacteria in the future. MRSA? Thanks for that.

2. Experimenting with skincare products.
I shudder to think of the people (women) who buy something and then don't like it and then just throw it away and try something else. Or just have a cupboard/cabinet full of plastic bottles. And chemicals. Just... don't. Find something good and natural and use it. 

3. Wearing flip-flops.
The only problem I have with this one is people buying cheap flip-flops that break after a month and then get tossed and a new cheap pair comes along. Buy a fricking good pair that costs a little more and has support, for crying out loud. My pair has lasted for I think 7 years now. Flip-flops don't have to be at the height of style. You don't need a new gaddam pair every season. Quit treating them like they are disposable. Treat them like a real pair of shoes. 

4. Brushing your teeth after every meal.

I know, you'd think I'd be all about this one with my teeth. Nope - I'm a twice-a-dayer. I'm gonna go out on a limb to say I bet these compulsive brushers are the kind that replace their plastic toothbrush ever month or so. Look, if you feel the need to change out your brush more frequently than really needed, please at least get a good eco-friendly brand? Please?

5. Doing only cardio when you work out.

First World Problem. I got nuthin'.

6. Skipping meals to "save up" for later.

People are dumb. I got nuthin'.

7. Drinking only bottled water.

Do I even need to go there. No, that wasn't a question. Of course, their reason kind of boggles my mind. Flouride? For real? That's what you got? How about the CRAP that's in bottled water, how about the PLASTIC... oh never mind. Ad nauseum. That this is even still an issue - and it is, huge one - blows too many circuits in my brain. 

8. Cleaning with disinfecting products.

Another ad nauseum. I saw a commercial for Dow Scrubbing Bubbles by SC Johnson, A Family Company, with the commercial protagonist gleefully coating all surfaces with that shit. I have no chemical cleaners in our home. My home doesn't stink and we are not constantly sick. It's a little dustier (and cat-hairier right before the vacuum) than some homes, but we are not germier. Oh - dish detergent. I have that. For now. Can't lie. 

9. Loading up on nutritional supplements.

Eat better. Period. You're just peeing this stuff out. Along with your Prozac and your Lexapro and your other medications that wouldn't be half as necessary if you just ate right. And let's not forget to mention the bajillions of plastic bottles, once again, you are putting out there with your habit. Because that's actually a big thing to consider. That shit ain't gettin' recycled, much as you want to tell yourself it is.

Habits. Break them. Don't look at me, I don't have kids. I actually should be gleefully trashing the planet without a care. Whoa, but look, I'M NOT.

They Still Make Them

Because we still buy them.

"Scrubbing Bubbles® Fresh Brush® Starter Kit & Caddy makes toilet cleaning easy. Simply use the disposable Fresh Brush® Heavy Duty pads for thorough weekly cleanings and Fresh Brush® Flushables pads for daily use. The Fresh Brush® Heavy Duty toilet cleaner pads clean tough stains like hard water stains, toilet rings, lime scale, rust and more. Our Fresh Brush® Flushables feature active cleaners that work for days to loosen and clear away daily soils and stains. With both types of pad, there's no germy brush to store."

Our good friends at SC Johnson strike again, because, you know, they CARE about your time and your toilet. Here's what you get (need): 

Fresh Brush® Heavy Duty: Great for tough stains. Thousands of scrubby fibers. Just toss in trash.

Fresh Brush® Flushables: Active cleaners that work for days. Great for everyday cleaning. Eliminates odors as it cleans. Fresh Citrus Action™ scent. Flush the germy mess away™

"Just toss in trash"? I know, it's so convenient. I'm guessing it's made of various and sundry plastic stuff. The Flushables? Say what you want about their whatever-biodegradability, there's a lot of packaging involved and resources involved. 

Oh, and what's priceless is that on the TV commercial for these, they suggest using the gel thing on top of all this. Scrubbing constantly still requires use of other chemicals. Funny about that. It's never enough, is it? Just buy more more more. You are not keeping it clean enough. You suck. And your toilet is disgusting. And it will always be disgusting no matter how many times you clean it. Buy more.

Feeding into the fears and phobias to sell products. I wish we'd stop falling for it.

Come on.

Nature's Source. That's a new offering by our family company, S.C. Johnson. Yes, they are at it again. Oh, no, not being green, GETTING the green... from you. Now, I know, I know, they really are a conscientious company. They do a lot of good. They really do. I don't mean to bag on them as much as I do... oh, snort, of course I do.

It's really not so much the product line this time, as the idea of this product line. Here we have wonderful natural earth-friendly cleaners for everything in SC Johnson's line. Shout for laundry stains, Windex for glass, Scrubbing Bubbles for the bathroom and toilet bowl and all-purpose (you know, because you NEED 3 different cleaners for all those areas. Ka-CHING!). All re-formulated and re-packaged as Nature's Source. So, you have your familiar names, but now you can feel good about them! They're all good now!

Well, as usual, I have a few concerns. One: are they still making all the old formulas? You know, those ones with all the non-natural stuff and toxins? And if so, how can the company be true to the "green" commitment? Sure, THESE products may be fine, but are you going to stop polluting the planet with the old stuff? No? I didn't think so. Anti-green point #1.

Two: this is where the "come on" comes in... It isn't easy to research the "real" price this line from here on my couch, because stores cannot sell it online because they can't ship it to you. Because it's still considered some un-shippable hazardous product. (Anti-green point #2?) The prices I did manage to find were all right around $5 per bottle. FIVE BUCKS?? For window cleaner? What does it do, bring its own maid??? OK, seriously, the reason I mock is because for under a dollar, we can purchase a bottle of white vinegar and add a little bit to it to plain old water and use that as perfectly wonderful and effective glass cleaner. That one bottle will last a while. You can even buy it in a glass bottle and reuse the spray bottle you already have.Now THAT'S green. Some people kvetch about the smell of the vinegar and that's why they won't use it. I guess these are the same people that love the smell of bleach and use disposable diapers on their babies. Look: the smell of the vinegar dissipates in moments. I should know; I use apple cider vinegar as a rinse for my hair. Amazingly enough, I do NOT smell like a salad all day. I'm not here for those people; they'll never ever listen to me. All we can hope to do is eventually out-number them, or shame them into submission. :)

All that's happening here is that a company is jumping on the green bandwagon and greenwashing their way to profit. Sure, they might even be great products. But with other companies out there who are green all the way through, like Method and Better Life (http://www.cleanhappens.com/), or the stuff we already have around the house (white vinegar, lemons, Borax, baking soda), we do not need to fork out $5 and more for their super-special crap which really isn't that super-special. Just expensive. Don't fall for it. The planet ain't gettin' better with these products, but S.C. Johnson A Family Company IS gettin' richer.

When did we become too dainty to clean our toilets?

Some of these plastic products make me extra crazy when they are just completely unnecessary to our daily lives. This next one falls into that category. There's NO reason for this product to even exist. For it to be so horrifically disposable just makes it even worse.

Those little Scrubbing Bubble guys are just so cute! I've always thought so. But they've been pedalling some Earth-dangerous stuff lately. They seem to be more about plastic than cleaning these days. Here's the stuff straight from the Bubble's mouth, as it were:

" Scrubbing Bubbles® Toilet Cleaning Gel makes it easy to keep your toilet bowl clean and fresh. Simply use the Toilet Cleaning Gel dispenser to stamp a gel disc onto the inside of your toilet bowl. The discreet gel disc sits just under the rim. There's no need to touch the disc or the bowl with your hand, making Toilet Cleaning Gel more hygienic than traditional clip-on bowl cleaners.


The gel disc gradually dissolves with each flush, allowing a controlled release of clean and fresh fragrance. Each disc lasts up to one week and leaves no residue behind. Your toilet bowl will remain clean and fresh — with practically zero effort.

- One disposable, easy-to-use dispenser
- One gel holder (gel holder contains six gel discs)
- Continuously cleans and freshens with every flush
- Each disc lasts up to one week
- Leaves no residue behind
- More hygienic than traditional clip-on bowl cleaners
- Safe for septic systems "

Wow. Where to start? "Discreet". Really? It's a toilet. Why are we attempting discretion in a toilet bowl? "No need to touch" ANYTHING!! Don't touch your toilet!!! You might DIE!!! Or at least be really icky! After all, your BUTT was just on that thing. Ewwwwwww. Please tell me why we should be afraid to have to TOUCH our toilet? "More hygienic than traditional clip-on bowl cleaners": Ah. Now I get it. They are trying to replace that plastic thing you put in there with a different plastic thing that you don't have to touch. Because you know the men in your family always aimed for that clip-on. Don't touch it. It's icky. "Zero effort"... really? Is an occasional scrub of the toilet really such hard work? No wonder we have an obesity problem in this country... we can't even expend the effort to brush out a toilet.

Let's break down the physicalities of this product: each gel gob (also a lovely aiming point for men!) lasts ONE week. Maybe less, if you are a frequent-flusher (truly beyond my help and probably not reading this anyway!). 6 applications in each plastic dispenser. These dispensers are NOT refillable. You must purchase a new one every time. So... buy a new one every 6 weeks, 52 weeks in a year... so the average household with one bathroom will need to buy 8-9 of these a year. Now think about how many households might have more than one bathroom. Make that closer to 20/year or more. For one family. Multiply that by how many households Dow WISHES were using these things... mind-blowing, is it not?

All this, because we cannnot dare touch our toilets. You know, I'm pretty OK with my toilet. I'm not grossed out by it, or afraid of it. I don't DRINK out of it... but do you really want to know someone who does? I don't love cleaning behind it, but you know... We gotta do stuff we don't love to do. I still have a toilet brush. Archaic, I know. But it works. A little baking soda can do wonders for cleaning the bowl, while keeping the brush clean. Pour some white vinegar in before you go to bed. That'll disinfect it nicely. In between brushings, a tablet of fizzy denture cleaner will freshen it right up. After all, dentures have to be almost as germy as a toilet, right? If those tablets can deal with a mouth, they can handle your toilet. 

So... this product is not only wasteful, it is completely unnecessary. We do not need it. Reject it. Feel free to glare at people purchasing it, or who have it in their homes. You have the Good Green Witch's permission.