Some of the best eco cleaning products have been around for centuries (vinegar, lemon juice and sour milk, to name a few).

But, if our home is to smell like a pantry, let it be fresh, sweet scents that we love. Sapadilla’s collection of dish soap, all purpose cleaner, and counter spray ($8–$14) smells divine, works like a gem and contains none of that icky toxic stuff.

We’ll pick sweet citrus over sour lemons any day.

Available at Good Egg, 267 Augusta Ave., Toronto, 416-593-4663, www.goodegg.ca

Sure you were blue boxing before it was hip to be green, but there's always room for eco-innovation.

Enter SHFT, a media platform (co-founded by Entourage star Adrian Grenier) that has plenty of funky and thought-provoking environmental and cultural crossovers, like an interesting shop with non-toxic dog bowls, chairs made from an upcycled chain link fence, and this ultra sleek cardboard desk, along with blogs featuring super cool finds from the international art world and provocative videos.

But if we stare at hottie Adrian Grenier too long, we might unwittingly contribute to global warming.

Read our interview with co-found Lauren Gropper, a sustainability and design expert, today on our Editors' Diary.

We’ve all made sacrifices for the environment (like chipping our nails bringing out the recycling). Have a laid-back Earth Day with our editors' tips.  

Simple Shoes (you probably wore a pair in the early ’90s) are still kicking, but now the brand makes footwear that’s eco-friendly to the nth degree. This season they introduced their BIO-D collection, which will actually biodegrade after they hit the landfill. www.simpleshoes.com
Joy Pecknold, Vancouver editor

Make your own dryer sheets by adding a few drops of essential oil to a damp cloth. Toss in the dryer, and voila! You’ve beaten global warming and static cling in one fell swoop.
Marianne Wisenthal, Montreal editor

Now that carrying a plastic bag is an even bigger faux pas than toting a fake Louis, notable totables are a must. Pack your veggies in this set of three organic cotton drawstring produce bags ($23). www.lavishandlime.com
Maria Tallarico, Managing editor

Kim Mitchell’s “Patio Lanterns” may be a radio station deal breaker for some, but Ikea’s new outdoor Solig solar-powered lighting collection (from $9.99) has us wanting to spruce up the garden, make lemonade, and cue the 1986 hit.
Malwina Gudowska, Calgary editor

Why not opt for natural cleaning products straight from the pantry? Lemon juice makes a great copper polish and a decent bleach alternative, too. Vinegar removes mildew, cuts grease and removes coffee stains and wax build-up. Cornstarch is super on windows, carpets and rugs. A shot of vodka cures all ills, and it even cleans chrome and porcelain.
Athena Tsavliris, Toronto editor
 

Eve may have pulled off au naturel, but we gals rely on the powers of product to keep us pretty.

At Green Lavender we were thrilled to stumble upon an eden of fabulous face and body care items low on harsh chemicals and high on all natural ingredients. This adorable eco store (and yoga studio) carries bath and body products, natural cleaning supplies and enough soaps, salves and skin-saving items to satisfy any beauty junkie.

We love the aromatic bath salts ($7.99) and handmade soaps ($4.99) from eco-brand KIBO (based in Aurora) and the Face Cakes ($4.99) make a soothing alternative to commercial facial cleansers and use no packaging.

If given a choice, most girls would pick product over apples.

Green Lavender, 2842 Dundas St. W, Toronto, 416 792 2447, www.greenlavender.ca

So you gave up on the cloth diapers, forgot to ditch the PBA bottles and  didn’t splurge for the bamboo crib set.
 
Wait! There’s still a chance to reverse your eco-kid karma.
 
These cheerful Velcro-closure organic cotton snack sacks from Graze Organic are illustrated with water-based dyes and are machine washable, so they can be used again and again.
 
Now just make sure those veggies are local and the bread’s got ancient grains.

US$35 for set of 5. www.grazeorganic.com 

Eco-friendly designers are proving it's more hip than hippie to go green.

Take Urban Tree Salvage, a company that turns every scrap of water-recovered and recycled wood  (sourced within 300 kilometres of their shop in Dwight, Ont.) into something beautiful, lasting and unique.

Like modern day Gepettos, the team at Urban Tree Salvage creates one-of-a-kind beds, tables, consoles, cutting boards and wine racks.

Just think, your dining room table might once have held a woodpecker’s perch.

Urban Tree Salvage, 19a Malley Rd., Scarborough, 647-438-7516, www.urbantreesalvage.com

In this post-plastic era, we seem to have amassed enough eco totes to open up a small shop. And now we’ve got our sights on yet another.

It’s hard to resist a Fluf tote. Hand-cut and sewn right here in Toronto, this gorgeous line of bags is made from the same sustainable, printed fabrics as the company’s chic and comfy cushions.

Our favourite is the Misha ($118) in smoky grey—versatile, stylish and perfect for packing those mini-pumpkins in.

At Heel Boy, 682 Queen St. W., Toronto, 416-362-4335, www.heelboy.com

When seasons come and go changes in temperature, humidity and sun exposure play havoc on our skin. As we prep for fall, we asked Donna Bishop, Toronto-based editor of online eco-store Green Beauty, for some transitional tips and products:

• Days may be shorter and cooler but sunscreen is still a must, especially for your face. UV Naturals Baby is a gentle formula that provides SPF 30 protection and nourishment for your skin
• Removing dead skin cells not only keeps skin looking vibrant and feeling soft, it allows your moisturizer to really penetrate and give you maximum benefits. Tashodi Body Polishes and Scrubs give you a spa treatment in the shower, leaving skin feeling silky. Tea and Lemon and Pure Lavender are my favourites.
• As days get cooler our skin needs some additional help staying moisturized. Oliv' Antioxidant Care and Oliv' Face Cream work brilliantly together to keep your beautiful face looking and feeling its best.
• The dog days of summer are hard on nails. Give cuticles some extra moisture by massaging them with your favoutite lip balm—I love the UV Natural Lip Screen. Give feet some intense moisture care with Oliv' Foot Cream. Apply at night and slip on a pair of cotton socks to wake up with feet that look and feel super soft.
• Take a cue from Mad Men and create the perfect pout with Red Zin or Ruby from Hemp Organics.

www.greenbeauty.ca

If a poor sense of direction is one of your quirks may we suggest a vintage-style carry-all ($38) with a silk-screened map of the T-dot on it?

Just one of the many cities featured in this line of eco-friendly totes, the Toronto map features neighbourhoods, city icons and landmarks.

Toronto is one of the latest designs from Brooklyn-based Maptote, joining Montreal, Manhattan and London.

A sure way to stay stylish, green and on track.

At Anthropologie, 80 Yorkville Ave., Toronto, 416-964-9700, www.anthropologie.com and www.maptote.com

Toronto has officially blacklisted plastic bags, but some reusable options are even bigger than Birkins.

Consider the Canadian-made Classic String Market Shopper ($12). Simple, stylish and 100 per cent organic cotton, this mesh bag can easily handle 20 lbs of your shopping. Better still, when empty it’s light as a feather and shrinks to practically nothing. Take it to the market, the library and the beach for the perfect Natalie Portman-esque accessory. 

That is, provided you have nothing to hide.

At Grassroots, 372 Danforth Ave., Toronto, 416-466-2841, www.credobags.com/classicstring.php