Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 2, 1992 TAG: 9201310380
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Diane MacEachern
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
WHAT'S GOOD FOR DISHES MIGHT HURT ENVIRONMENT
Q: The dishwashing liquid I buy says it's phosphate-free. Does that mean it's good for the environment?A: Not necessarily. If it's a commonly available brand, it probably still contains the following:
Surfactants: These cleaning agents dissolve greasy dirt. But if released untreated into a lake or river, they can also erode the fatty gill tissue on fish and other invertebrates.
Sodium chloride or potassium chloride: Salts are used to thicken the liquid and could upset the balance of an aquatic system if dumped.
Dyes and fragrances: Many chemicals that were approved in the 1930s and 1940s for use as dyes or fragrances have not been tested for toxicity using today's more stringent standards.
Officials at the Environmental Protection Agency believe that most municipal waste-water treatment facilities are capable of adequately removing these ingredients.
Still, if you're searching for alternatives, there are a growing number of dishwashing detergents that use naturally derived compounds instead of synthetic chemicals. Ingredients to look for are castor oil, coconut, pine needle oils, aloe vera, milk whey, sea salt and lemon oil. Several brands are available, including Allens Naturally, Earth Wise, Ecover Dishwashing Liquid and Keep America Clean Dishwashing Liquid.
You can also try liquid Castile soap, which will clean dishes and cut grease well - although don't expect suds.
As with any cleaning product, buy concentrated formulas that give you the most cleaning power per bottle, and choose the largest container available to reduce packaging waste.
If you want to try making your own, Laurence Tasaday and Katherine Stevenson, authors of "Shopping for a Better Environment" (Meadowbrook Press, $10), recommend trying equal amounts of washing soda and borax, adding a little regular dishwasher detergent if necessary. But handle the borax-soda mixture carefully; it can irritate the skin and eyes.
Q: Can you offer some environmental tips for cleaning clogged sinks and toilets?
A: According to the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Information Bureau, sink stoppages in the kitchen are usually caused by liquid fats that congeal in pipes and accumulate pieces of food.
Rather than pour grease down the drain, pour it into a tin can and throw it out with the garbage. But if you have recurring drain problems, pour a kettle of boiling water down the sink drain once a day.
To clear a clogged drain, remove the perforated drain plate or crumb-strainer in the sink basin; sometimes the stoppage is directly below and can be loosened with a long screw driver, a straightened coat hanger or a piece of wire.
If the drain still seems clogged, pour boiling water mixed with a little household ammonia into the drain to help soften whatever is clogging the pipe. After a few minutes, cup a plunger over the drain and plunge vigorously several times.
Drain piping also can be cleaned by removing the plug at the bottom of the U-trap below the sink. Unscrew the cleanout plug, if there is one, or take off the whole trap. The Plumbing Bureau recommends placing adhesive tape around the packing nut or wrapping the wrench jaws with cloth to prevent scratching the metal surface when taking off the trap. Have some new rubber gaskets ready to slip into the joints.
After placing a bucket directly under the pipe to catch any water, try pulling out the clogging material with a piece of wire.
To clear a clogged toilet, first try plunging, and if that fails, use an auger with an adjustable crank-type handle. Also known as a plumber's "snake," the spring-steel coil can usually be worked past the trap easily and down the pipe. Found in most hardware stores, a 10-foot auger is inexpensive and will quickly drill through most clogs.
Q: Can you recommend any environmentally safe ways to color my hair?
A: Start with henna, the dried, powdered leaves of a small tree native to Southwest Asia and North Africa. Although associated with an orange-red color, many lighter and darker shades are available. Be sure to buy pure henna. Read the ingredients label (even if it says 100 percent "natural") to be sure it doesn't contain metallic bases, "henna enhancers" or chemical dyes.
Henna can be found in most natural food stores, or can be ordered from the Rainbow Research Corp., 170 Wilbur Place, Bohemia, N.Y. 11716; (800) 722-9595.
Debra Lynn Dadd, author of "Nontoxic, Natural & Earthwise" (Jeremy P. Tarcher Inc., $12.95), offers a variety of intriguing, do-it-yourself hair color recipes using herbs, spices and teas. You can also consider Creme Hair Colours by Vita Wave. Its 21 colors are made from herbs, fruits, vegetables, whole-grain oils and minerals. They are available from The Compassionate Consumer, (800) 733-4134. And try Color-Me-Naturally Color Conditioner by Paul Penders, available in health food and natural food stores.
Other biodegradable, vegetable-based hair-care products, such as mousses, hair sprays, shampoos and conditioners are available from commercial outlets like The Body Shop or by mail order from catalogs, including Internatural, P.O. Box 580, Shaker St., South Sutton, N.H. 03273; (800) 643-4221.
For a biodegradable liquid hair permanent that's vegetable-oil based, try The Environmental Store, 6 Provost Square, Suite 602, Caldwell, N.J. 07006.
Washington Post Writers Group
Send questions about the environment to Tips for Planet Earth, in care of the Washington Post Writers Group, 1150 15th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20071-9200. Questions of general interest will be answered in the column; individual answers cannot be provided.
Diane MacEachern is author of "Save Our Planet: 750 Everyday Ways You Can Help Clean Up The Earth."