It is amazing to me the progress we make in society. Consider this… a few centuries ago the
phrase “Do It Yourself” would not have been a topic of interest. Why?
It was commonplace for people to “do it yourself.” If not you, then who?
Only those in the highest echelons would have been able to
pay for services, i.e. dressmaking, tailors, cooks, etc.
According to Wikipedia, it was in the 1950’s that the phrase
“do it yourself” came into common usage.
Through the next two decades the practice of “do it yourself” grew in
popularity as recent college graduates chose to purchase affordable, rundown
older homes to renovate.
As our technology increased, so did the means to get the
message out on how YOU can do things for yourself! Cable networks had popular shows such as
“This Old House” starring Bob Villa. In
1994 HGTV came on the scene followed shortly by the DIY Network.
These hit channels have only fueled the desire to “Do It
Yourself.” And why not? There is a sense of pride and accomplishment
when you create/repair something on your own.
Personally speaking, I had much pride in a pallet patio I
made in our backyard (with much help from my husband). I saw a design on Pinterest and thought, that
looks awesome, I think we can do that!
Two months later, nearing the end of summer, we had the
pallet patio finished. It looked amazing
and was such a wonderful place to retreat!
However… little did I know that even though I used a special stain
that was water resistant, that was not enough to seal the patio from our harsh
Michigan winters.
 |
| Demolition of pallet patio |
Fast forward three years and our pallet patio is on the
verge of a do-over. More accurately, a
pull-it-out and put down a flagstone patio, professionally, looks to be on our
horizon.
“Do it Yourself” has its limitations!
Sometimes, you need to call in the professionals!
Has that steered me away from my love of pallets? No. I
just know better how to use them! Lesson
learned—don’t use them as flooring for an outdoor seating area!
What are other projects we like to tackle in the DIY arena?
Making your own household cleaners is a big one! Thankfully, the public is coming around on
the dangers of chemicals in household cleaners!
For too long we have been duped into thinking that there are no real
dangers in household cleaning products.
If that were the case, why do most of the bottles have Warning
Labels!
I get the desire to make your own cleaning products...
You want to be in control of what is used in your home.
You want to know exactly what the ingredients are.
You want to have a product that is inexpensive and readily
available.
You want to use natural ingredients.
I get it.
Here’s the catch though.
Like my pallet patio, not all products/materials are suitable for all
surfaces.
Take for example vinegar and baking soda.
Is vinegar a natural product? Yes, a natural by-product of alcohol.
Is baking soda a natural product? Yes, (though not sustainable as it is mined
from the ground).
These two substances are toted as being great natural
household cleaners, but there is a HUGE CATCH!
Vinegar is highly acidic. It is actually harmful on stone/tile and wood
surfaces.
Baking soda is abrasive and could also damage natural
surfaces.
There are benefits to using vinegar and baking soda such as
unclogging a slow drain. Vinegar is
often used to clean coffee pots. I have even used vinegar on sunburns. That may sound crazy, but the vinegar draws
out the heat. Do a web search on that. Baking
soda and water have been used on bee stings to reduce pain and
inflammation.
So, yes, there are uses for vinegar and baking soda besides
cooking. I would just not use them for
cleaning the surfaces of my home. Before
I was introduced to Brightly Green, I used baking soda on my kitchen
countertops. That was a mistake as the
soda dulled the finish!
You want 100% all-natural cleaning products.
Done.
HG Labs family of household cleaners (Brightly Green,
Harmony Aromatherapy, Baby Harmony are completely natural. Even the fragrance is 100% natural—from
essential oils)
You want truth in
labeling.
Done.
Read our product information page. Plus, each bottle has
ingredients labeled.
You want inexpensive, natural household cleaners & readily available.
Done.
Brightly Green Concentrates are the best bang for your
buck.
OUR PROFESSIONAL TEAM
HAS TAKEN THE GUESS WORK OUT OF FORMULATING ALL-NATURAL CLEANING PRODUCTS. We have tried and tested each of our
products, working to achieve optimum effectiveness while remaining true to
using 100% all-natural products.
There is a lot of “greenwashing” out there. Products that claim to be natural, however,
if you read the ingredients, you would discover there are petroleum byproducts
on the list. The only thing that may be
“natural” is the last ingredient which might be an essential oil for fragrance.
HG Labs family of cleaning products are TRUE GREEN! Each product is plant-based, no synthetic
ingredients or petroleum byproducts are used; making our products sustainable
and biodegradable.
HG Labs family of cleaners gives you a 100% money-back guarantee,
should you not be satisfied for whatever reason.
Leave the cleaning to the professionals and concentrate on other DIY
projects that will enhance your home and living experience!
You’ll be glad you did!
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