TRIED&TRUE

G G

U.S. poison control centers received 214,091 reports of exposures to cleaning products in 2006. More than half involved children under five.

Eco-Me
Home

Giving up packaged
cleaning products for
equally effective—not to
mention cheaper and
safer—homemade cleaners
is a little easier with kits
like the Eco-Me Home. It
comes equipped with all
the tools necessary to kick
the store-bought-cleaner
habit, including a jar and a
stir stick for mixing, spray
bottles, a scrub brush, an
essential oil blend, and
instructions on how to put
it all together.
$26; eco-me.com,
626-798-8300

Tropical Salvage

In addition to gathering unwanted wood from demolition sites, Tropical Salvage resurrects “entombed” trees, buried by centuries of volcanic eruptions, from under Indonesian rice farms where they interfere with agriculture. Local artisans then turn the wood into beautiful furniture. The bench shown here, along with seven other Tropical Salvage pieces, recently became part of a new office set at the United Nations Development Programme in New York. $150 and up; bazaardelapaz.com, 212-662-6601

G G Of the 37 endangered tree species that are traded on the international market, at least 13 are commonly used to make furniture.

FAST FACT