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Baltimore Small Business Examiner
Showing entries for Category: organic
Showing entries for Category: organic
Dry cleaning is a dirty job
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To be honest, I don’t even know what’s involved in the process. To me, dry cleaning has always been one of the great mysteries of life—for all I know, they send your precious articles of clothing off to a colony of elves for stain removal. I never really thought about it… and I suppose that makes me an irresponsible consumer. Turns out, most dry cleaners use a nasty little chemical solvent called perchloroethylene (PERC) for their jobs. And not only is it considered a hazardous substance , but it also can cause serious health problems, especially to those who are exposed to it frequently. So when it comes to organic dry cleaning, I’m enthusiastically hopping on board. Luckily, I’ve received a few tips as to where to find green dry-cleaning establishments in the area—and have stumbled across at least one on my own. Most notable is probably Sparks Cleaners (actually in Sparks, MD) and the newer Sparks II on York Road in the Towson/Rodgers Forge stretch. Here, there’s no perc used, but a safer, silicone-based product instead. As icing on the environmental cake, I heard they’ve also swapped out your typical wire hangers for more earth-friendly ones made of recycled cardboard. (Which of course serves as a double bonus if your name happens to be Christina Crawford.) As to how this perc-free process stands up to its chemical-laden counterpoint, I can’t say… yet. For what it’s worth, I don’t use the dry cleaner all that often. As you know, I work from home, so suffice it to say I don’t run through a collection of power suits on a weekly basis. And at my income bracket, my closets aren’t exactly busting at the seams with designer fashion pieces. (Oh, how I wish…) The most expensive piece of clothing I’ll soon own will be my wedding dress. And I plan on burning that in effigy to my single life. (Just kidding, Mom! Let’s see how it fits first.) But I like to take my winter coats in for cleaning when the seasons change. So I’ll let you know… meantime, if you have any experience you’d like to share, I’m happy to pass along the talking stick. So… greener cleaners: Yea or nay?
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When good hair goes green... er, orange
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This entry has been a long time in the coming, as you’ve no doubt noticed. Jer and I just got back from a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area, with a three-day jaunt in Sonoma County. I can’t say enough how gorgeous it all was… and for as much as I obviously love Baltimore, I can’t imagine why anyone would live anywhere else. (Well, I can… it’s green, and made of paper.) Speaking of green, my recent trip out west got me thinking about eco-conscious businesses. They’re everywhere in Cali… you can’t swing a dead cat without finding something free-range, organic, or sustainable. I dare say we need more of that here. So I’m going to devote my next few entries to organic businesses in the B-More area—few and far between though they may be. I’ll start with a business I visited last year: Sprout. It’s a small, organic salon on The Avenue in Hampden. When my usual hairdresser was on maternity leave, I decided I’d branch out and try something new. Turns out, that was a bad idea… but before you jump to any conclusions, let me start with the good points. It’s chic… this is not a drum-circles-and-incense kind of place. Service was friendly, and I didn’t have to wait when I arrived (a major plus for any busy salon). And finally, I got an amazing haircut there. It really was great… and for as thick and wild as my hair tends to be, I couldn’t have been more pleased. Now, to the bad part: It’s… organic. Now, for any other head of hair, this would be the highlight of the experience. The color doesn’t smell, and it isn’t nearly as toxic as your usual dye and/or bleach. But for my hair… well, it was a deal breaker. I should know by now that if there’s an opportunity for resistance, my hair will take it. And this scenario was no exception. The lifting product they used for my highlights barely budged my color—instead, I ended up looking vaguely like Strawberry Shortcake. Seriously. This was an unexpected turn of events for everyone… and I felt particularly bad for my hairdresser, who was clearly appalled and confused by the results. It was an anomaly that they couldn’t explain. I was asked if I was on birth control or other medications. (Who knew?) To this day, the culprit remains a mystery. So it was on to damage control. A couple of toning treatments (and 6 full hours) later, my hair was of an acceptable shade. Or so I thought, until I saw it in the sunlight the next morning, and started crying. For the money I spent (not cheap at all, mind you) I couldn’t believe how bad it looked. (And yes, I’m sure I was—and still am—exaggerating this. It’s not as if children screamed when I walked down the street. And in some light, the reddish tones actually looked quite nice. It's just not what would have looked best on me.) And yes, I considered going back to have it “fixed”… but the truth is, it wasn’t anything they did wrong, and you can’t get blood out of a rock. Instead, let’s call it a personal life lesson: No. Organic. Color. EVER. So after all of that, it's fair to say that I wouldn’t go back to Sprout. (At least, not for my color… and I’m just far too lazy to go to two separate places for my haircare needs.) Clearly, my hair just doesn’t like organic anything, requiring the heavy hand of chemicals to keep it in line—and with all of the dye jobs I’ve subjected it to in my life, that’s hardly a surprise. Even so, I’d encourage anyone to give Sprout a try. For the less adventurous, however, you might want to stick with a haircut. If my own experience is any indication, I’m pretty sure it’ll be an excellent one.
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Alicia Potee
Alicia Potee has an knack for finding those hidden gems among the rows of businesses along Baltimore's street scene and beyond. She's a modern-day Marco Polo of local businesses, from the latest hotspots to the unique and obscure.
Alicia Potee has an knack for finding those hidden gems among the rows of businesses along Baltimore's street scene and beyond. She's a modern-day Marco Polo of local businesses, from the latest hotspots to the unique and obscure.
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