small things

Sometime a few months ago I was taking a shower, soaping down, and it occurred to me that I was probably polluting the ground water (let alone my body) with chemicals. Some communities recycle “gray water” – what comes from household and commercial drains. I wish we did.

I decided then and there to at least use body wash and laundry soap without chemicals. It may seem like a small thing for one house, but I think with each small step, expectations get lifted for the whole community and society. If I demand small measures of myself, I’ll start demanding bigger measures of my culture.

So here’s some free advertising.

Tom's of Maine Moisturizing Body Wash is available at our local drug stores and big grocery chain. The bottle says:

"Products & ingredients tested without the use of animals. No artificial fragrances, colors or preservatives. No synthetic detergents. Biodegradable. No animal fats."

What I love is that it smells like lavender – heavenly!

Ecos laundry detergent, which we buy more cheaply at Whole Foods (half the price, believe it or not!) than Meijer. The label reads:

"Plant-based surfactants, soap bark, chamomile, horsetail plant, lavender, rosemary, based softener (soy), essential oil of lemon grass, purified water, no SLS."

What else I love about it is a) it cleans very well, and b) you don’t have to use fabric softener.