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 Stories About: advice AND Ask Umbra AND green cleaning AND green living AND toxics
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Author |
Published |
Section |
As I Lay Me Down to ... Eek!
On bedbugs |
Umbra Fisk |
08 Sep 2008 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I desperately need your help. My house has become infested with bedbugs! I'm trying to find an environmentally friendly way to get rid of them. I've tried a thorough cleaning and tried using diatomaceous earth (fossil shell flour) to no avail. The local exterminator is looking more and more appealing. Please stop me before I do something rash like resorting to him and the nasty chemicals he'll be using. Ofer Pasadena, ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green cleaning, green living, health, toxics (all these topics) |
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Cleaning House
On disposing of toxic chemicals |
Umbra Fisk |
05 Mar 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Now that I've caught the environmental bug, I don't know what to do with the toxic cleaning products (e.g., Ajax) that I have on hand. As a bulk buyer, I've got 5 to 6 bottles in my garage. Is it better to use them up, throw them away, or just have them stay put in my garage? Jill Miller Pleasanton, Calif. Dearest Jill, Do not leave them in your garage! Home storage of unused toxics inevitably leads to irksome ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green cleaning, green living, toxics (all these topics) |
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The Drain Brain
On unclogging without chemicals |
Umbra Fisk |
25 May 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, How does one unclog a clogged bathtub drain without pouring toxic chemicals directly into the waste stream? Allie Cat Boiling Springs, Penn. Dearest Allie Cat, I don't believe that's your real name. But yours is a noble question. Let's get motivated by reviewing a Drano material safety data sheet [PDF], where we find that the product has a hazard rating of "high," that "mixing with other cleanin ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green cleaning, green living, toxics (all these topics) |
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Mold School
On bathroom mold |
Umbra Fisk |
28 Feb 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Do you have any tips on dealing with the nasty black mold that appears in bathrooms without dousing it in highly toxic chemicals? Kirsten Dearest Kirsten, I read that hydrogen peroxide would work, so I tried it for you in the Grist Test Bathroom. The recommendation was to dilute the solution in a spray bottle, spritz the mold, then return a few hours later to wipe it away. It didn't work. But my control mold is deeply embedded wi ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green cleaning, green living, toxics (all these topics) |
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