Luxurious Spas Just for Your Dog

By Nicole Caldwell for Stacker

Americans are obsessed with dogs. We are more likely than any other people on Earth to have dogs as pets and are lavish participants in a $70 billion pet products industry.

Of the estimated 63.4 million people with dogs in the U.S., the average owner spends a modest $73 a year on groomers and grooming supplies, according to the American Pet Products Association’s 2019–2020 National Pet Owners Survey. The same survey found that $6.31 billion was spent in 2019 alone on services such as grooming, boarding, training, pet sitting, pet exercise, and pet walking. Average spending on dogs is highest among millennials, who drop about $1,285 a year on their fur babies, according to a 2018 study by TD Ameritrade. And in fact, for people younger than 30, lower income levels don’t correlate with a decreased likelihood of purchasing premium dog food.

Of course, averages are just that. To find out what next-level pet care looks like, you have to take a look at the upper echelon. There, you’ll find spikes in high-end dog-care services, from holistic care and dog yoga to $1,800 pet cemetery plots. But excess is perhaps most obvious in how we pamper our pets with spas, toys, and specialty grooming services. While most of us think of groomers as providing basic shampoos, trims, brushing, and nail-clipping, dog spas today offer everything from massages and dye jobs to custom fur styles and blueberry facials.

Stacker checked out some of the most luxurious dog spas in the U.S., of which there are many more than we ever expected. The spas aren’t restricted to coastal city centers, either; they can be found in virtually every state and are as diverse as their clientele.

Read on to discover which spa will pick your dog up in a Bentley and where you can splurge on a “Don Draper” tie for your best friend.

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10 Toxic Cleaning Products and Their Natural Alternatives

By Nicole Caldwell for Stacker

The smells of cleaning products, disinfectants, and laundry soaps for many people are hallmarks of a clean home. While the overpowering smell of furniture polish or laundry soap may evoke certain pleasant associations or childhood memories, those familiar scents are mostly toxic. They are comprised of everything from reproductive disruptors to phthalates and allergens. Air fresheners alone release more than 100 chemicals and create adverse health effects in an estimated one-fifth of the U.S. population. Lysol aerosol sprays send corrosives and respiratory irritants airborne that can cause developmental problems, harm vision, and pollute waterways.

The sodium hydroxide in most commercial drain cleaners eats through the very pipes it’s intended to clear while burning all organic matter along the way. And a 2018 study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found the toxins in household cleaners can lead to childhood obesity. Nevertheless, toxic cleaning chemicals are ubiquitous in supermarket aisles and big box stores—and people keep buying them. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards are known for being lax, and greenwashing or subpar “green” products has left consumers with limited options.

Using ratings from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), scientific studies, and other authoritative sources, Stacker compiled a gallery of 10 toxic cleaning products and their natural alternatives. All the natural items listed are highly accessible and utilize as little waste as possible, keeping in mind that many containers for cleaning products don’t get reused or recycled. Furthermore, plastic waste ending up in landfills does not biodegrade.

Keep reading to learn more about 10 toxic cleaning products, their natural alternatives, and how people can make their own cleaning products that are safe for their home, family, and backyard.

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Best Countries for Children

By Nicole Caldwell for Stacker

Children around the world live vastly different lives, from places where child labor is legal and common (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Myanmar), to countries where education is compulsory and lengthy (Norway, the United Kingdom, and South Korea). Some nations, such as Italy, even require children to attend preschool. On other fronts, marriage and motherhood among teenage girls are still widespread (even in developed countries), and both are often viewed by international organizations and human rights groups as inhibitors to economic and social growth.

To find out which countries in the world are best for children, Stacker looked to a 2018 report from international NGO Save the Children, a group working to promote the welfare and rights of young people everywhere. Save the Children’s report is the result of data the group compiled on the livelihoods of children worldwide from 2012 to 2017. Save the Children created an index score on a scale from 1 to 1,000 that reflects the average level of performance across a set of indicators related to child health, education, labor, marriage, childbirth, and violence. Countries with higher scores are better at protecting and providing for children. Data points specifically look at under-5 mortality rates (deaths per 1,000 live births); percent of primary and secondary school age children not in school; percent of girls aged 15 to 19 currently married or in union; and births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19.

Findings reveal that Niger comes in last internationally for children, with an index score of just 388; while the United States ranks at a middling #36 with a score of 945 in between Russia and Belarus. Singapore and Slovenia are tied for first place with an index score of 987.

Stacker broke this listing out into the top-50 countries for children internationally and included the percent of a country’s population that is 0 to 14 years old for reference, provided by the CIA World Factbook.  

Read on to discover the 50 best countries in the world for children.

Eco-Friendly Replacements for 50 Plastic Items in Your Life

By Nicole Caldwell for Stacker

About 300 million tons of plastic are produced from oil each year. Almost half of that is used for single-use packaging, such as plastic wrap on food, containers for personal care items, bottles for cleaning products, and other everyday purchases—including the plastic bags we carry them home in. Worse, only about 9% of all the plastic ever created has been recycled. And things are getting worse, not better: Almost half of all the plastic ever made has been created since 2000, the production of plastic is way up, and recycling alone can't stop the flow of plastic pollution into the world's oceans.

As more statistics come out about the volume of plastic ocean pollution (18 billion pounds annually from coastal regions alone) and the effect that is having on marine life (267 species worldwide have already been adversely affected), people have begun eschewing plastic products for zero-waste, eco-friendly options. Most global consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products, which has inspired thousands of companies to seek alternatives to plastic items from zero-waste personal care products and kitchen items to office equipment and ethically sourced, sustainable clothing.

Stacker has pored over the research and scoured product reviews and company backgrounds to compile this gallery of 50 easy, eco-friendly replacements for common plastic items in your life. Prices have been provided, and represent the cost for long-term use, except in the case of items that run out, like toothpaste. Those numbers should be compared to an individual's or family's spending on similar, single-use products over time for items such as sandwich bags or disposable razors. Wherever possible, products listed in this gallery represent less expensive options over time to their plastic, disposable counterparts.

In the interest of being most serviceable, Stacker has left two of the most ubiquitous, eco-friendly items—stainless steel drink canteens and reusable shopping bags—off the list in order to make room for items that may be less well-known. Wherever possible, products referenced come in zero-waste, plastic-free packaging, as well.

Continue reading to discover 50 easy alternatives to everyday, plastic items.