What is Residue Free????

Just what is residue free??? Residue free is simply leaving no residue behind. Residue being defined as something unhealthy and usually unintentionally left behind.

Here are the usual suspects: cleaners, disinfectants, deoderizers & plug ins, solvents, sealers, protectants, bleach, hair sprays, spray tans, perfumes, flea bombs, pesticides, craft paints, glues, carbon monoxide, lead, mercury, dust and dust mites, tobacco smoke, cooking fumes, household paints, fireplace smoke, shredding particles, coatings and finishes, dryer sheet fumes and not last or least new car smell spray! This is a partial list of chemicals being left behind in our homes at scary volume and high frequency rate.

This residue left behind adds to the attraction of soil in a home. Surfaces with cleaner left behind usually re-soil faster- making us want to use more cleaners. Fragrances and disinfectants sprayed into the air get into our lungs and bodies. The fragrances may contain solvents and phlalates. The disinfectants we use to kill living organisms, in case you didn't notice, we are also a living organism. Chemicals left behind mix with other chemicals forming new toxins. Aerosols and fine mist sprays get into the air and can float around for long periods of time- becoming the air you breathe and a potential allergen or asthma trigger. Particles come from the outdoors and indoors, over time they get smaller and smaller until they stay airborn and become your air.

Residue free is learning how to create a home with health being the focus. When you are done cleaning there should be nothing left on the surface besides the surface, no cleaner or water! Residue free is becoming mindful of how toxins enter our systems: by breathing, ingesting and touching. Being residue free is minimizing the contaminates we bring into our homes, it also minimizes the contaminates we touch, eat or breath. It is not only beneficial to your own family and your budget but also our environment. Residue free is about less being more.

Being residue free isn't hard and once you have gone residue free it is compelling to stay there. Your body, your family, your pets and your home will all be healthier and give you a big thank you!!!!!

There are essentials to a healthy home and there are essentials to a residue free home. Together this combo makes for a truely healthy home!

As always, wishing you a healthy and happy home.
Denise Frakes
Certified Healthy Home Specialist and Residue Free Expert

A wild rant

Do you mind if I rant for a second? If you do please scroll to another blog but if you don't mind, I seriously need a moment of your time.

OK, here goes my rant...

We do not need 50 different cleaning products in our homes. And the products we do have don't need to be the strongest and fastest most aggressive cleaners on the market. The reason we clean is not for our neighbors and appearance but for the health of our home and family. Taking our cleaning advice from the companies trying to sell us products is not always a smart choice. And for heaven sake, stop spraying chemicals-disinfectants-deodorizers and cleaners into the air!!!!!!!!! Our homes are cesspools of chemicals. And because we are becoming more aware of our environment and energy use, we close up our homes and those chemicals are trapped inside. It is crazy. You wonder why cancer, asthma, and auto immune diseases are up? Take a hard look at the volume of chemicals our bodies have to process.

It's not just our cleaners, it's also our pesticides, our crafts, our deodorizers, our food, our make up and personal care products. It's our paints, finishes, coatings and strippers. It's even our over abundance of electronics. This excess of chemicals is too much for a home and family. Think: LESS IS MORE!!!!!

OK, I feel a little better. The best advice I can give today is to start being curious. Look at everything. Look under your sinks, in your laundry room and garage. See just how many chemical products you have. Check out how many different products have a fragrance: candles, deodorizers, personal care products, cleaners... How many products do you spray air? Look at your window cleaners, furniture cleaners, general-all purpose cleaners, bleaches, disinfectants, deodorizers, paints, odor neutralizers and fragrances. Are you seeing what I see yet?

Start with wonder. What is in your home to begin with?

Whew! Thank you, my rant is almost over and I can start breathing again. I hate hearing about a child with asthma or a friend with cancer while knowing our homes are full of abundant, unnecessary and excessively over used chemicals. I don't rant that often, so use my wild rant as a starting point to look at your home in a new light.

Residue free homes are a good thing!
Denise Frakes
Certified Healthy Home Specialist
Co-Owner of Blue Sky Services

Fresh out of the garden

Is there any better way to start the day than breakfast straight out of the garden? Last night I noticed my Korean cucumbers are ready to eat!! My blueberries are ripening and my fresh herbs and flowers are growing into bushes on the front deck.

For breakfast I made a delicious, nutritious and yummy treat

Violet and cucumber yogurt

1/2 cup plain goat yogurt
1 fresh cucumber- skin on
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 T chopped stevia leaves
1 T chopped peppermint leaves
3 viola flowers

On the side, I'm having a nice hot cup of Green tea. Even though it is technically summer, the mornings still need something hot to warm me up!

Talk about a residue free start to the day. Most my breakfast only traveled 50 feet!!! The goat yogurt came from CA, but next time I go to Marlene's market I'll make sure I get WA goat yogurt:)

Wishing you abundance and sunshine on this summer day,
denise