Cloudy with a chance of meatballs?

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs?  Or is it snowballs?  But I digress on the recent weather around here...

In today's dinner-cast, I don't expect that we'll have any problems with meatballs, they'll be yummy, and then the plates will go in the dishwasher.  However, we should expect to see clouds...cloudy glassware, silverware, and plastics, that is.

In 16 states, including MA.......the new "greener" non-phosphate dishwasher detergents have resulted in cloudy, milky looking glassware.  Why is this happening you might wonder?  In the states adopting The Household Detergent and Nutrient Runoff Law, July 2010, the law stipulates restrictions on the amount of phosphates allowed in dish detergents, as well lawn fertilizers.  As a result, dish detergent manufactures have reworked their formulas to drastically reduce phosphates added to make your glasses and dishes sparkly.  

But, how does phosphate impact habitats in lakes, rivers, and other freshwater systems?  Phosphates cause the over-growth of algae, and this leads to oxygen-starved areas, and without oxygen in the water, fish, frogs, and other aquatic animals can not survive.

Why do the glasses and other things coming out of a clean dishwasher look cloudy or milky anyway?   The problem begins if you have "hard" water, which is caused by  high levels of minerals dissolved in your water, specifically calcium and magnesium. According to Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., "Soap is less effective in hard water because its reacts to form the calcium or magnesium salt of the organic acid of the soap. These salts are insoluble and form grayish soap scum, but no cleansing lather." In other words, unattractive, cloudy, milky glassware.
 
So how can you tell if hard water is the issue, or if your glassware is suffering from etching, which is varying degrees of scratching or pitting of the glass surface?  Try soaking a cloudy glass in vinegar for 5 minutes, and if the milky deposits diminish, then hard water is your problem.  I just did this experiment, and sure enough, the glass is clearer in just 5 minutes (don't worry I'll reuse the vinegar to clean something else, I mean the glass wasn't "dirty", it just had some hard water buildup on it) http://alacartegreen.blogspot.com/2010/10/n-is-for-non-toxic.html

The dilemma...
Is the aquatic habitat of frogs and fish more important than sparkly dishes?  Or do sparkly dishes trump wildlife?  Can we be environmentally friendly and have sparkly dishes?

Since I'm elbow deep in soap suds washing these cloudy, milky glasses, I figured it's time to get the dish on sparkly solutions, because I definitely prefer letting the dishwasher do the dirty work.

I learned about a product called Lemi Shine, by Envirocon Technologies, Inc.  It's an additive for dishwashers touted to bring back the shine and sparkle to your dishes and glassware.  I checked out many reviews of their product as well as their website, which states that Lemi Shine is "Made with real fruit acids, natural citrus oils, and fragrance. Phosphate free."  Hmm, seems like this is one possible solution to the cloudy glassware...

So I wondered how Lemi Shine works?  Does it add back in some other nasty chemical?  I decided to get a little wetter, I mean better information on the "fruit acids" ingredient.  Ah ha!  A timely show on cable about staging your home for sales gave me a clue to work with!  They used a packet of lemonade mix to clean the dishwasher, because a sparkly dishwasher makes buyers smile.   And then a lightbulb went off (don't worry not a CFL, just brain energy was expended)!  In the past, I'd cleaned the inside of my dishwasher with Tang when it got a yucky film on the tub.

I checked the labels of these two, and the common ingredient?  Citric acid!   Although Lemi Shine doesn't list citric acid specifically, I'd be willing to bet that the secret ingredient, aka "fruit acid" is in fact citric acid.    Delving deeper into the kitchen, I learned that citric acid was originally extracted from lemons, limes, grapefruits...CITRUS fruits (citric...citrus).  Now citric acid is produced commercially by a fermentation process; the mold Aspergillus niger ferments a carbohydrate to make citric acid.  Get out your magnifying glass, put on your lab coat, or your apron and check the labels on your foods.  You'll be surprised when you read the fine print and see how citric acid is a common additive to prevent foods from browning, add tang to drinks and sweets, to preserve, and stabilize foods. 

Who knew how handy chemistry would be?  I mean I like sparkly things just as much as the next girl...(diamonds are a girl's best friend...but again I digress).  Seriously,  I do like my glassware to be sparkly clean, but not at the expense of the aquatic critters.  Now, thanks to science, and chemistry, I think I've found a compromise!  Add some citric acid in the form of lemonade mix, Tang, or Lemi Shine, to the main wash section, and your regular dishwasher detergent to the pre-wash, and smile with me when your glassware is shiny once again :)

Sources: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/06/16-states-ban-phosphate-laden-dishwasher-soap/1
http://www.appliance.net/2010/states-ban-phosphate-laden-dishwasher-soap-1988
http://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/blogs/when-green-isnt-good-enough-the-phosphate-issue
http://www.helium.com/items/2046686-dishes-are-not-clean-how-to-make-your-dishwasher-work-phosphate-free-dishwashing-detergent 
http://www.envirocontech.com/products/Learn-More-about-Lemi-Shine.html
http://chemistry.about.com/cs/howthingswork/a/aa082403a.htm
http://www.understandingfoodadditives.org/pages/Ch2p9-1.htm

N is for non-toxic

Today, there are so many non-toxic choices for cleaning supplies, that it just makes sense to switch to products that are safer, non-toxic, and therefore healthier for humans, pets, and the environment. 

Because we do so much laundry, I began looking for a cost-effective yet eco-friendly alternative for laundry detergent.  One of the first things I tried was, soapnuts from LaundryTree http://www.laundrytree.com/.  The outer shell of the soap"nuts", which are actually the fruit of the Sapindus Mukorossi tree, contains saponin.  Saponins are a natural substance known for its ability to cleanse.  According to LaundryTree the soapnuts are also antiimicrobial and biodegradable.  I was able to use the soapnuts by placing several in a cotton drawstring bag, or by making a liquid laundry detergent from them.  The spent "nuts" were added to our compost and the packaging was much more eco-friendly than commerically available detergent which comes in plastic containers.  I used essential oils to add a pleasant scent the laundry, and as far as I could tell, the laundry was as clean as usual, but I still met with quite a bit of resistance from my family.

LaundryTree's website also suggests soapnuts for non-toxic window cleaner, liquid hand soap, floor cleaner, kitchen and bathroom cleaner, and even as a shampoo!  Although I admit I didn't try the soapnut soak for these other applications, I still may.  It was worth a try as our laundry detergent, however, to keep the peace, I switched to a eco-friendlier laundry detergent than I had been using.  Although I don't think it can be classified as non-toxic, it's still better than what I was using, and sometimes you have to make trade-offs to achieve harmony.   

Now we're using, Natural Elements Ultra Purex linens and lilies laundry detergent as a compromise.  The packaging indicates that the detergent is a naturally sourced cleaning power, made from plant-based surfactants and natural fragrance extracts, that it is a biodegradable formula with no phosphates, safe for the septic, and it's affordable considering all the laundry we do.  The plastic bottle is recyclable, and there is also an EPA stamp, "designed for the environment" www.epa.gov/dfe 

I am working on slowly switching to other non-toxic versions of cleaners such as Green Works Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner, and "natural biodegradable" cleaning wipes with coconut-based cleaners and essential oils (and even though they are disposable I ease my conscience with the fact that they are compostable!).

Recently, after refilling my dishwashing pump with the last of the usual dishwashing liquid, I added it to my grocery list, and made a conscious decision to look for a non-toxic version to try.  I took the opportunity to buy ECOVER's ecological dishwashing liquid with lemon and aloe vera.  I'm very excited to try ECOVER's formula.  There are several reasons I decided to try ECOVER's dishwashing liquid: it's made with plant and mineral ingredients, is biodegradable, safe for septic systems, and made at their eco-friendly factory. http://www.ecover.com/us/en/About/  I'll be sure to let you know about the product once we use up the current dishwashing liquid :)

Besides non-toxic cleaning products available at the store from companies such as Ecover, Greenworks, Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyers, and J.R. Watkins, other options include natural cleaners that can be made with ingredients probably found in your fridge or cabinets: such as apple cider vinegar, white vinegar (a weak form of acetic acid), baking soda (sodium bicarbonate or NaHCO3), and lemons.

There are many recipes to make simple general purpose cleaners:
Mix 2 tbs baking soda + 16oz water in a spray bottle, or 
mix a solution of 1 part water to 1 part vinegar, or
mix ½ c apple cider vinegar with 1c water (clean tiles, disinfecting, windows, microwave, glass, mirrors)

Other cleaners that can be made easily:

Window cleaner:  Mix 1 tsp distilled white vinegar + 16oz

Disinfecting cleaner: Mix 10-20 drops tea tree oil  + 16oz water

Floor cleaner: Mix 16 oz water + ½ tsp liq soap, ½ tsp borax, , splash vinegar or lemon (spray floor, mop)

Furniture polish:  Mix 1 cup olive oil with ½ cup lemon juice

Fabric softener: Add ½ cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle in place of store bought fabric softener.

Deodorizer:  baking soda is a natural deodorizer for closets, refrigerator, lockers, shoes, carpet, etc.

Mold and Mildew:  White vinegar or lemon juice full strength, apply with sponge and scrub.

Microwave Cleaner: Mix 2 Tbsp baking soda or lemon juice with 1c water in a microwave-safe bowl until boil.  Wipe down condensation and insides of microwave.  

Bathroom:   Use pure vinegar in the toilet bowl to get rid of rings and eat away soap scum and hard water stains, or use lemon juice to dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits (mix with vinegar or baking soda to make a paste).

Whichever non-toxic product or recipe you choose, you'll feel great knowing you are using products that are healthier for you, your family, and the environment.  Happy Cleaning!

sources:

http://www.armandhammer.com/solutions.aspx

http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/vinegar

http://www.heinzvinegar.com/tips/kitchen-tips

Green This! by Deirdre Imus