Living Clean: The Journey Continues

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Today, we have a chance to feel clean by living clean. For us addicts, living clean starts with not using - after all, that's our primary use for the word "clean" in Narcotics Anonymous. But as we stay "clean" and work the Twelve Steps, we discover another kind of clean. It's the clean that comes from admitting the truth about our addiction rather than hiding or denying our disease. It's the freshness that comes from owning up to our wrongs and making amends for them. It's the vitality that comes from the new set of values we develop as we seek a Higher Power's will for us. When we practice the principles of our program in all our affairs, we have no reason to feel dirty about our lives or our lifestyles - we're living clean, and grateful to be doing so at last. Similarly, while we are on the topic of controlling what’s in your food – eat out less. The more you eat out, the less control you have of what’s in your food, what your food is cooked on, or how your food is prepared. Commit to eating one less meal out per month. That’s a totally doable change – if you’re eating out once per week, start by cutting out one of those per month. Then continue to cut out as possible. I’ll tell you, once you start cooking more from scratch, you won’t even want to eat out because your food will taste so much better at home! Related: These Winter coffee recipes also use natural sweeteners Clean living lifestyle change 10 Stretch and foam roll There is a middle ground where ‘eco-cleaning’ solutions that claim to be kinder to the environment and our wellbeing sit, however. And these products are fulfilling a public demand that is gaining popularity. Simply take a look in your local supermarket - or perhaps you have a local refillable shop just launched nearby - and you’ll notice a number of ‘eco cleaning’ solutions lining the shelves including multi-purpose sprays, bath cleaners, washing up liquids, biodegradable surface wipes and more. These products are taking on the mainstream cleaning brands that we’ve been using for years. Clothes swaps – known as swishing – are one of the greenest ways to refresh your wardrobe. They offer credits based on the value of the items you bring, which can be swapped for items brought by others. Avoid trends and hunt for quality pieces you’ll wear for years. Find one near you at swishing.com.

Bio D sells a range of cleaning solutions with ethically sourced ingredients. The company has been creating natural household products for over 25 years and values itself on vegan, cruelty free solutions, that are great value and include naturally derived products. While the bottles are made from plastic, they are 100 per cent recycled and you can also bulk buy to refill the smaller bottles. The company’s Bio-D Lavender fabric conditioner, for example, comes in a 20L easy pour container. As well as covering laundry products, you can find solutions for the bathroom, kitchen, dishwashing and handcare.Clean living lifestyle change: Chose an activity that you love and commit to doing it at least one more time per week and gradually increase until you reach at least 3 times per week. Clean living lifestyle change 12 Swap to non-toxic products Reusing furniture is the best thing to do, and so much more fun than buying new,” says Nicola Harding, founder of interior design studio Harding and Read. “Secondhand items come with interesting stories and force you to think creatively, and give you have something far more unique.” To keep mileage down, start at your local auction houses and charity shops (the British Heart Foundation has dedicated home stores and a free collection service), followed by a targeted trawl through Freecycle and Facebook Marketplace.

The Restart Project is a social enterprise that aims to fix our relationship with electricals and electronics. Cofounder Janet Gunter says the first step in keeping household appliances for longer is regular cleaning. “By simply cleaning and maintaining your white goods, laptop or mobile, you will prolong its life.” Restart runs a nationwide network of skill-sharing workshops as well as promoting a directory of commercial repair options in London. (See also repaircafe.org for events in your area.) “If we don’t have access to spare parts,” says Gunter, “these appliances will be thrown away, which has a huge carbon impact.”Read this post on how to start a sourdough starter from scratch watch how to cook from scratch while working from home Clean living lifestyle change 5 Cook more meals at home WIRED tested: The Eco-friendly Complete Cleaning Kit, which was filled with essential cleaners for each part of your home. Inside the cardboard caddy, you’ll find a brush, three microfibre cloths, a dry carpet cleaner and a selection of all-purpose cleaners including a very effective glass cleaner and limescale remover and bathroom cleaner in one. The solutions have a mild inoffensive scent, but the ingredients listening was a little vague on exactly what makes the ‘fragrance’.