This resource guide was originally compiled by Dr. Stuart H. Freedenfeld, MD.

Disclaimer: Sacred Healing Arts provides general information of interest on environmentally friendly products from a wide variety of sources and we do not independently verify any of it.  The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of Sacred Healing Arts.

Household and Personal Care Products

Home Building, Testing and Repair

Safe Water for the Home

Outside the Home

Lawn Care Products

Natural Insect Repellent/Pest Control

Special Care of Ourselves

General Suggestions for Minimizing Toxin Exposure

Household and Personal Care Products:

For flame-retardant sleepwear and chemical and synthetic–free sheets & mattresses:

Reusable diapers:

Recipes for making your own cleaning formulations:

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Home Building, Testing and Repair:  

Home building supplies:

Hardwood finishes: 

For non-toxic snap together flooring called Marmoleum

Non-toxic paints:

  • Sherwin Williams Harmony Line

  • Benjamin Moore EcoSpec

  • BioShield’s solvent free clay paints

  • Mystic Paint

For concrete floor paint: AFM Safecoat - This prevents soaking into the concrete so that garage spills can be cleaned up easily.

Lead Check - Home test kits for lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, nickel and chromium

Innovxsys - Hand held device that detects mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium etc, in any household item. This is very expensive but may be useful in certain situations

EWG’s Guide to Light Bulbs

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Safe Water for the Home:

  • Anyone interested in having their water tested can call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) to get a list of what contaminants to look for in your community and a list of qualified labs in their state. You can also call Suburban Water Testing Labs800-433-6595 or National Testing Labs in Cleveland Ohio (800-458-3330)

  • EWG assembled an unprecedented database of 20 million drinking water quality testsperformed by water utilities since 2004. You can search your local water company by zip code and see what was found. Then download “Making Sense of Your Right to Know Report”. This site also has fact sheets on common contaminants.

  • You can request a copy of the pamphlet “Drinking Water and Disease” from Physicians for Social Responsibility at or call 202-898-0150.

  • Water Filters vary significantly in effectiveness for different needs. NSF International offers a certification program for water filtration systems based on standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Up to date information about water filtration systems can be obtained from NSI at 800-673-8010 or www.NSF.org

  • Natural Resources Defense Council Consumer Guide to Water Filters

  • http://www.searchawwarf.org can search for information a many other types of filtration technologies. Report indicated that ozone or a combination of UV light plus peroxide would be very effective in removing almost all types of contaminants.

  • Reverse osmosis water purification is very effective but very inefficient

  • Information about bottled water is available from Natural Resources Defense Council

  • NDRC results of tests of several hundred bottled water brands

  • Rain water. May not always be “safe” but it is environmentally friendly and it can be collected and used for garden watering other outdoor needs.

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Outside the Home:

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Lawn Care Products:

For organic lawn care stuff:

Lawn Care Alternatives:

  • Insect control: Insecticidal soap, diatomaceous earth, and neem products. Insects are vital and killing agents are not selective.

  • Weed control: Corn gluten, hot water and vinegar, pull the weeds, or just leave them be and relax

  • Fungicide alternatives: Sulfur, baking soda, certain copper products and avoid over watering.

  • Help your neighbors keep the neighborhood safe for children, pets and wildlife

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Natural Insect Repellent/Pest Control:

  • Trade products include Ambermin’s Natural Source Bug Repellent, Gone (insect detergent spray), All Terrain Herbal Armor Insect Repellant, Buzz Away, BiteBlock and Outdoor Herbal Spray (The Bug Disenchanter)

  • Neem oil can be taken orally as a mosquito repellant: Ayush Herbs

  • Thiamin 100mg/day may deter mosquitoes.

  • Topicals include: 2% soybean oil, Vick’s Vapo Rub, pure vanilla extract (1:1 with water), cinnamon oil, oil of lemon eucalyptus.

  • Enzyme shampoos to get rid of fleas and lice and spray house with 50/50 vinegar and water

  • www.LiceBgone.com for a safe enzyme product to treat lice, scabies and crabs

  • Cockroaches: spread bay leaves and sprinkle a fine dusting of baking soda and boric acid.

  • Ants: Sprinkle black pepper, chili powder or chalk and brush lavender and olive oil on trails.

  • Cockroach, ant & cane spider spray (Raid replacement): full strength Melaleuca Sol-U-Melor Sol-U-Guard. For large roaches & cane spiders, you have to keep spraying them repeatedly until they are soaked, but it kills them within about 30 seconds

  • Moths: Cedar chips and lavender oil

  • Mice and rats: Lavender oil, cedar oil or camphor will repel them.

  • Termites: Set bait traps filled with cheap pine or wet cardboard and add something to the bait that slowly kills the colony, like a diluted solution of boric acid, an insect growth regulator or a chitin inhibitor (which prevents the young ones from successfully molting into adults). This bait will be taken back to the colony, where it will eventually kill the queen. Note: it is very important to use something very gentle and slow acting to eradicate the colony. If you hit them hard, the workers will die before they can get the poison back to the nest, where you were hoping they would spread it around. The workers may also be repelled by strong stuff and avoid the stations. AND these dilute and/or slow-acting baits are very safe to have around children, pets and the environment. It may take a few months to wipe out the colony, but die they will—without any harm to you and yours.

  • Control fleas and ticks on your pets with Flea ‘N Tick B Gone available online or 100% Natural Flea and Tick Spray available from Quantum Herbal Products and many health food stores

  • Fleas, bed bugs, cockroaches and spiders can be controlled with diatomaceous earth from pool supply or better yet products intended for human use such as MotherEarth D or Earth Works Health

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Special Care of Ourselves:

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General Suggestions for Minimizing Toxin Exposure:

  • Wash retardant-treated items in soap and borax before wearing.

  • Ventilate often by opening the windows especially in the bathroom or use an exhaust fan.

  • Clean or change your A/C and furnace filters.

  • Throw the sheets back on your beds in the morning. Give your sheets and mattress a chance to air out.

  • Turn off lights, etc. when not needed. A by-product of energy production is mercury.

  • Kick off your shoes and leave pollutants at the front door! You track pesticides, chemicals, feces, etc into your home on your shoes. Water Hog doormats are an excellent investment.

  • If installing carpet, ask the company to unroll it in the warehouse and allow it to “off-gas” before putting it into your home.

Avoid PVC containing plastics. The following are ok to use:

  • Use clear wrap not Saran. Glad Cling Wrap is alright.

  • Hefty One-Zip slider bags, Hefty Baggies, Ziplock and Gladlock bags and containers

  • Rubbermaid Chuggable bottles or stainless steel Kleen Kanteens with sippy adapters

  • Eastman Tritan copolyester is a safe alternative to BPA containing plastics. It is currently being used in Camelback brand water bottles and Vitamix products amongst others. Tests have shown no hormone disrupting chemicals