Clean Green!
5 Eco-Friendly tips for Cleaning...
Clean GREEN!
We all know it’s easy to pick up a super-cleaner and tackle household grime. But there are some age-old tricks that are a lot healthier and just as effective! We at Salts would like to encourage you to clean Green. We found a great article by Lisa Boushy at W Network with some tips to get the job done the eco-friendly way:
1. A simple and safe mixture of vinegar and water (half and half) poured into a refillable spray bottle will do wonders on anything from windows and glass to ceramic floors and counter-tops. Try adding a half-cup each of baking soda and borax to your mixture to tackle tougher spots.
2. Many liquid laundry can cause skin irritations and allergies. A better alternative is to use either bar soaps or eco-laundry disks. Disks soften the water, are hypoallergenic, reusable and economical in the long run (most last for hundreds of loads).
3. Hanging clothes outside whenever possible will save on energy costs. But if you really must use the dryer, try to skip the fabric softeners that are loaded with chemicals. Instead, throw in a ball of aluminum foil, which will help reduce static cling.
4. Forgo the latest trend in disposable cleaning wipes - they contribute to clogged landfills. Try organic cotton, hemp or lint-free micro-fiber cloths, which will help prevent those stubborn streaks. Micro-fibre cloths are especially good for the removal of grime on stoves, tubs and sinks - they won't scratch the surfaces.
5. Hemp-seed oil and beeswax are great non-toxic, pure and safe finishing oils that provide clear coatings as well as protect wood grains and painted surfaces. Both can be used for walls, decks, furniture, antiques and floors. They’re even safe for cutting boards and children’s wooden toys. Here’s a great homemade recipe you can use to polish your wooden floors:
- 1/8 cup hemp oil (olive or vegetable oil works too)
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vodka. Try grading some beeswax into the mix and voila — sparkling floors!
Read the full article by Lisa Boushy
Much Love,
Salts
Denim Skirt
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Men's Bamboo Trumpet T-shirt
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Whats so Great about Bamboo Fabric? Heres 7 Brilliant Reasons!
Did you know that bamboo fabric is not only pretty and Eco-friendly but it also has some amazing traits? Bamboo is made from 4-5 year old bamboo plants. A bamboo forest typically takes 4-5 years to grow. The plants are heated at 800 degrees Celsius to turn them to charcoal and then more processing turns them into nano particles. These particles are then mixed with organic cotton (for Salts Fabrics we use organic, other bamboo fabrics may use regular cotton). The fiber is then spun into yarn, just like normal cotton. It is also mixed with caustic soda to make a viscose type fabric. With the yarn you can make a variety of fabrics which have some great traits. 1. Bamboo is anti-bacterial! The fabric keeps the natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties of natural growing bamboo. It also stops bacterial metabolism, which means that it doesn't cause allergic skin reactions.
2. Bamboo is sustainable! Bamboo grows quickly and needs no pesticides or herbicides. Cotton uses large amounts of water and chemicals to grow. When compared to conventionally grown cotton, bamboo takes up more greenhouse gasses, produces more oxygen, doesn't need to be replanted or fertilized and its roots are very good at stabilizing erosion prone soil.
3. Bamboo is Deodorising! Bamboos antibacterial properties keep it from absorbing and retaining body and environmental odours. The bamboo charcoal used in making the fabric is similar to the charcoal found in gas filters, this means that bamboo fabric absorbs and decomposes many harmful chemicals found in our everyday environment. This includes nasty odours.
4. Bamboo fabric is breathable and keeps you dry. Another amazing property of bamboo when made into fabric is that keeps you dry and doesn't stick to you on hot summer days. It has this ability because the yarn has a cross section filled with many micro gaps and micro-holes allowing air to flow freely, wicking away moisture from the skin. Bamboo is 60% more hygroscopic (absorbing water) than cotton, this means that bamboo is that much more comfortable to wear.
5. Bamboo Fabric keeps you at an even temperature. The micro-holes explained above also give bamboo a porous nature which insulated for temperature regulation. Cool in the summer, warm in the winter.
6. Bamboo is Healthy to Wear! The charcoal particles can absorb far infrared energy from the environment and then take that energy and help aide cell activation. This trait promotes circulation and keeps you healthy.
7. No static electricity buildup for Bamboo. Bamboo has 12 times the anti-static effect of cotton.
Thats why we love Bamboo.
Try some Bamboo now, Shop online at Salts.
Whats all this about Soybean Fabric? 4 Interesting Facts on Soy!
Cotton is the worlds most used fiber, though commonly touted as all natural it is the most sprayed crop on Earth! In the US alone 80 million pounds of chemicals are used each year on conventional crops. One pound of cotton fiber has been sprayed with 1 1/4 pounds of chemicals by the time it is done and 7 of the top 15 pesticides used have been labeled a probable carcinogens to humans by the EPA.
Whats the solution? Alternative fibers are sustainable and don't need the chemicals to grow effectively. Soy Protein Fiber also has a number of great additional properties of for the wearer and the environment. Soy is a renewable resource and the Soy Protein Fiber (SPF) is made using the by product of the soybean industry.
1. Soy Protein Fiber has antibacterial and UV radiation prevention properties.
2. SPF has great moisture absorption so you always feel dry and fresh.
3. Soy Fiber promotes the micro circulation of the blood capillaries and also contains many amino acids necessary to the human body. By touching the skin the fabric activates the collagen in the skin.
4. Soy Protein Fiber has a beautiful silky look and a nice cashmere feel. Nothing feels better than that!
Sincerely,
Salts Organic Clothing
Why Wear Organic Cotton?
Salts Organic Clothing uses on certified organic cotton. We also use sustainable fabrics like bamboo, soy and hemp. As Shelter Apparel we used regular cotton, it was hard to find organic cotton in the beautiful fabrics that we can find it in now. We have changed the name and began to use all organic and sustain ables because it is way easier on the environment of course. We also use it because the fabric feels amazing and has many great properties.
Each T-shirt made with 100% organic cotton saves 1/3 a pound of synthetic fertilizers and farm chemicals from entering the ecosystems. By ecosystems I mean the water you drink, the surf you surf and all the life you see outside your window. Cotton is also used as a food for cattle (the seed and fiber) and cottonseed oil is an ingredient in many processed foods. But because it attracts weeds and pests and is not considered a food in regular terms farmers load it up with toxic chemicals. Cotton is one of the most grown crops in the world so the effects from this are significant.
Conventionally grown cotton accounts for 2% of the farmland world wide. It is responsible for 10% of the worlds pesticide use and 25% of the worlds insecticide use. The crops are sprayed from above affecting near by streams, farm houses and people. In contrast organic cotton uses beneficial bugs and manure in place of the chemicals. Organic Cotton also uses crop rotation methods, hand-weeding and cover crops as methods to ensure good crops. To use a field as organic the field must be free of chemical for 3 years. The cotton is processed according to acceptable standards.
These are some of the reasons that Salts has chosen to go Organic!
Sincerely,
Salts Organic Clothing
How to Care for Sustainable Fabrics! Caring for Organic Cotton, Bamboo, Soy and Hemp.
Don't be afraid of sustainable fabrics! They feel great, silky and are terrific to wear but they also wash like a dream. Here are some tips on caring for Salts Organic's Sustainable styles!
Bamboo: Bamboo is a really hearty fabric, it has a silky feel but you can wash and dry it like cotton. It even lasts better than cotton. We recommend on our Bamboo garments that you cold wash on regular or delicate and hang dry (uses less power). If you are in a time crunch you can always throw it in the dryer though with no worries! At Salts we mix the bamboo with organic cotton so you have the properties of cotton and bamboo. This makes for a great easy care item. Enjoy.
Soy: Soy is a bit more delicate than bamboo. It is also mixed with organic cotton at Salts. We recommend a cold water wash and tumble dry (again hang dry to save power and $). Spot treat any stains as needed, but make sure you test your stain treatment on an area that won't show if the color gets bleached. Bamboo, Organic Cotton and Soy all can be ironed freely. Our Soy Bella Wrap Hoodie is shown above in Natural color.
Organic Cotton: Organic Cotton, is....well...Cotton. You can wash, dry and iron like you would with normal cotton. Cotton always shows wear and tear if you apply a lot of heat to it, so go easy on hot dryers.
Hemp: Hemp is the heartiest fabric of them all. Hemp actually looks and feels better the more you wash and dry it! It softens up over time like your favorite jeans. So do what ever you want to it. Wash, Dry, hang dry and press, whatever suits your fancy.
Dress Pure. Salts.
What Makes Organic Clothing Organic? Information on Organic Cotton Certification.
The CUWG or SKAL can certify the fiber or the yarn. All organic land used to grow organic cotton must be treated organically for 3 years in order to be certified. To be treated organically the field must not be sprayed with any pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers. Crop rotation, manure fertilizer and other earth friendly farming techniques are used instead. Organic Cotton for organic clothing is now grown in 18 countries but still only fills .01% of the total cotton market in the world. According to 2001 statistics the largest producers of organic cotton was the United States, India, Turkey and Peru.
Simply put, organic clothing is made from fabrics that were made from yarns that were made from Fibers that were grown on certified organic fields. These fields are gentle on the environment which has advantages to humans and nature alike. Many small farming villages have faced health struggles due to chemical use on cotton fields. Nature can only dilute and disperse so much chemical until it will begin to affect us all. We will all begin to notice these chemicals it in our food and water supplies eventually. Buying Organic Clothing is one way that you can be gentle on the earth.
Sincerely,
Salts Organic Clothing
What does Sustainable mean anyways? Sustainable Clothing Production Information.
The dictionary defines Sustainability as "the attempt to provide the best outcomes for both human and natural environments both now and in the indefinite future." The Brundtland Commission defines sustainable development as development that, "meets the needs of the present with out compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
In basic terms, what does this mean when used in Sustainable Clothing Production? It means that ever effort is made from the fiber to finished product to ensure the least harmful and most natural materials are used. Also using the least energy possible to produce and distribute the clothing. Starting at the fiber, using natural, easily renewable fibers like bamboo help lessen the amount of land and energy used. Using organic cotton instead of regular cotton prevents chemicals from getting into the surrounding natural and human environments. Using fibers found closest to the end retail location also cuts down on energy consumption.
The milling process of turning the organic fiber into a sustainable clothing item is also important. What chemicals are used to process the fiber? Some bamboo fabrics are processed heavily with chemical before they are finished. Natural color organic cotton and hemp is best because little processing is needed to make the finished fabric. What are the dyes used? Are they the least harmful kind or even natural dyes? Again mills located close to the where the clothing will end up are best for less energy use.
The next level of production is the cutting and sewing of the sustainable clothing. Local is best, when items are made locally it is using less energy in transport. It is also great to shop local for from a community sustainability perspective. Shopping from a local reputable source also insures that fair labour practices are being used. Shipping is the final rung on the sustainable clothing ladder. Shipping less equals less energy and less environment damage.
All of these things add up to what it takes to make organic, sustainable clothing. When a company pays attention to what it takes out of the world to make its product it makes all of our futures brighter and more secure.
Love,
Salts Organic Clothing
