Confessions of a Sustainability Snob: Sometimes I Use Chemicals, Too

In an ideal world, we would be able to use all-sustainable products all of the time, and still smell good, look nice, and have extra time on our hands. But the truth is, some products on the shelves of our natural food stores will leave us stinky, nappy, and pressed for time.

Life occasionally requires compromise, and a sustainably-lived one is no exception. If I lived and died on sticking to every single ideal I had in every single decision I ever made, I’d go absolutely crazy. So I’ve decided to fill you in on the few products I have in my house that contain — gasp! — unsavory ingredients. I’m willing to bet that all of us have things in our house that we shamefully put on the back of the shelf so no one knows we use them.

Remember that one Friends episode when Chandler discovers “the closet” that Monica keeps locked, and spends the whole episode trying to unlock it, and he finally busts it open to find a disgusting mess packed in there from floor to ceiling? That was the moment when he realized that his wife, who kept the rest of her house clean with obsessive fervor, had her very own Closet of Shame.

But I don’t want to live like that. And if I don’t tell you about the day-to-day compromises I make, then we all live in shame. So, here goes: I sometimes use chlorine bleach. There, I said it! I like my whites WHITE, dammit!

Of course, there are other products I use that I will share with you in a just-added section called Conventional Confessions. Every time I go to The Dark Side, there is a reason for it, so I’ll explain why I’ve chosen to use that particular product. Ideally, this section will help you learn to weigh your values against your available resources. I hope you enjoy it.

And, don’t judge me.