Glad you are making the move away from a chemically addicted lawn :-) Lawns tend to the biggest culprits when it comes to the misuse or overuse of chemicals and even contribute more to environmental pollution than most farms do. It is very possible to have a chemical-free lawn but may take some work initially to get there. Growing a good, healthy lawn requires good, healthy soil, as with any other type of plant. Clay soils tend provide some of the worst conditions for lawn growth (compaction, poor drainage, etc.), so improving soil conditions are paramount. Contrary to common belief, gypsum is pretty much useless in lightening heavy soils unless they are sodic (high salt content) in nature. Applying a layer of screened compost after aerating will help, but you will get faster results by simply starting over and preparing the soil bed correctly. A big step I know, but one worth seriously considering. This will also serve to remove a lot of your existing weed problems or allow you to more easily address it. Once you have a good soil bed prepared, you can seed, sod or plug. It is often recommended to use a blend of different turf grass seeds rather than a single species, as blends tend to offer different characteristics for different situations and you run less of a risk with problems that beset a monoculture. When the lawn is established, your best weed control is to keep the lawn healthy. Fertilize sparingly with an organic fertilizer, or better yet, invest in a mulching mower to recycle the clippings as an organic mulch, reducing or even eliminating the need to fertilize. Water infrequently but deeply, so that the grass roots will penetrate the soil deeply and increase drought and heat tolerance. Mow often but high - keeping lawns at at least a 3" height will shade out many annual weed seeds and prevent their establishment. And finally, develop a tolerance for a few weeds. It is virtually impossible to keep a lawn weed-free, but a healthy lawn will out-compete many weeds and others, like clovers, can provide a pleasant appearance as well as provide nitrogen to the soil. Here is a link that might be useful: handy guide to organic lawn care

Um, no. I have never seen fuzz on sheets. It had never even occurred to me that the towels could "fuzz up" the sheet before you said it. But... these towels have been washed many times; they no longer give off lint. During the colder months (which are many in Germany), I just throw the large body towels over the radiators and they dry in 20 minutes. The hand towels gets hung over the radiator several times a day. Only during exeptionally hot and humid periods in the summer, will the hand towel sometimes get a slight musty smell here in A/C-free Germany. It then gets changed immediately and placed outside in the direct sun to "fry and dry". The dog towel... well... it's just mud from Bella's little feet. So, whatever. I have never, ever gotten sick from my clothes or dishes dried with my towels - so why fix what ain't broke (for me). The only time is regularly get sick is when everyone around me is sneezing or coughing, but no amount of hand sanitizer that I carry around can help me with that. I wish we were a little more like in Japan, where people wear face masks when they're sick. But do that here and people will look at you as if you had some sort of contagious zombie disease. °o°

I HATE this product. It causes too much aggravation. I just "chatted" with a Lysol agent and it went no where fast and then dropped the chat. From their own web site...these directions don't make any sense. "For Laundry Sanitizer Directions: For High Efficiency / Front Load Machines: Add 2 CAPFULS each filled to line 2 of the dosing cup to the fabric softener compartment or directly to your rinse cycle wash. For Standard Machines: Add 2 CAPFULS each filled to line 1 of the dosing cup to the fabric softener compartment or directly to your rinse cycle wash. To Sanitize: Add to rinse cycle and leave product in rinse cycle for 16 minutes. Not intended to be mixed with laundry detergents in the main wash compartment. Use this product in the rinse cycle exclusively. Can be used on most washable fabrics. Not intended for use on silk or wool. Do not use on materials that cannot be washed in washing machines. ††Pre-Soak Disinfection Directions: Pour two capfuls each filled to line 1 into 1 gallon of cold water. Submerge completely and soak items for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with clean water or machine wash as directed. Not intended to be mixed with laundry detergents in the main wash compartment. Use this product in the rinse cycle exclusively. Can be used on most washable fabrics. Not intended for use on silk or wool. Do not use on materials that cannot be washed in washing machines." Two CAPFULS each filled to either line 1 or 2 WHAT??? Is it 2 Capfulls or 2 doses filled to line 1 or 2. This makes no sense. It CAN NOT be mixed with DETERGENT "Not intended to be mixed with laundry detergents in the main wash compartment." " Use this product in the rinse cycle exclusively." Yet you have to use it in the final rinse and it has to remain in the clothes for 16 minutes. Meaning you would have to pause the washer because there is no machine in the world that does a final rinse for 16 minutes (mine is 3 or 4 minutes max). This product is a waist of time, money, effort. The instructions make no sense. Please people, don't waste your time or money on this pointless product.

Like Rob, I tend to not be as excited about sell by dates, especially when dealing with canned goods. I know that it's not, by and large, a safety issue, it's a quality issue, with quality declining after a period of time. I know that mustard won't be dangerous if it's a month outdated and I recently opened a can of evaporated milk with a "best by" date of July, 2018, and used it in a batch of fudge. Smelled fine, tasted fine, worked fine. Fudge was promptly consumed by the grandkids, LOL. Dairy products like milk and sour cream I'm more careful with, because I don't use them quickly and so I want them to last as long as possible. Other things, like that flavored coffee creamer my Mother loves? I think it lasts nearly forever, as it's nothing but chemicals. My local stores are good about pulling old products, and when they are nearing expiration you'll find them in the "clearance" section, so you can buy them or not, your choice. That's what those labels and dates are for, so you can determine whether you wish to buy them. I certainly do not expect any large corporations to be acting with my best interests in mind, and it's not the responsibility of small local businesses either. I am a label reader, as I'm watching for gluten-containing ingredients, chemical additives, GMO products, even country of origin. The lowest price isn't always the choice I go with, although it's where I start. I do have the privilege of producing my own beef, chickens, eggs, many fruits and vegetables. I make many of my own condiments, from pickles to plum sauce. I buy organic, non-GMO wheat and grind flour, I make my own yogurt from milk sourced from a local organic dairy. Those things do take more time and effort than just picking up a container of yogurt or a loaf of Wonder bread, but it's something that matters to me. I've done it since my girls were small, when I was working full time, when I was a single mother, so it's second nature. I try to be realistic. I know the government isn't going to protect me, that big corporations are primarily worried about their financial bottom line, and that agribusiness doesn't care how much something must be sprayed or poisoned as long as they produce a profitable crop. As a result, I read the labels. Annie