Green Cleaning!

In an effort to use safer cleaning products around the house, I have been making my own versions as I run out of the store bought/conventional products I have on hand. The homemade versions are generally much safer AND they clean & disinfect just as well, if not better than their chemical laden counterparts!

I have been tweaking my go-to recipe for an all purpose cleaner over the past couple of months and have come up with a mixture that I love using for all of my cleaning needs.. really!

Drumroll please.......

The recipe:
3  cups of hot water
2 Tbsp Borax* (disinfectant and bug repellant that is safe for pipes and septic systems)
4 Tbsp vinegar (the acidity in vinegar helps kill germs and reduce microbial growth, a safe cleaning product!)
10-15 drops of lemon or Tea Tree  essential oil (I used lemon for the fresh scent and it's antibacterial and anti fungal properties. Tea Tree, or Melaleuca, is a powerful antibacterial and anti fungal, making it a great addition to your cleaning supplies as well)

Mix all of the ingredients together in a spray bottle and store out of direct sunlight.
*Important* make sure you label your containers/spray bottles!!!

Give the bottle a little shake before each use and you have an environmentally friendly, inexpensive, and safer cleaning solution that's works!

*Although Borax is an all natural product(sodium tetraborate, a naturally occurring mineral), use caution when handling. It is an eye irritant and can be harmful if ingested.

Eco Friendly Laundry

I haven't written a real post in a while. It isn't because I have forgotten about the blog and you, my fabulous readers, but because I haven't been home long enough to get my thoughts together. In the past few weeks I have continued trading out our go-to conventional products for natural ones. Tim and I are embracing the lifestyle changes and now he is even coming up with ideas for us to try!!!

There is a great resource for those of you looking to see how environmentally friendly your cleaning, cosmetic, and other common household products are at www.ewg.org.

 Excerpt from their website (About us): "The Environmental Working Group is the nation’s leading environmental health research and advocacy organization.  Our mission is to serve as a watchdog to see that Americans get straight facts, unfiltered and unspun, so they can make healthier choices and enjoy a cleaner environment. We use the power of information to create cutting-edge research and advocacy that transform government policies and the marketplace in order to conserve land and water, produce and use energy responsibly and ensure that food and consumer products are free of harmful chemicals. We investigate government subsidies that encourage wasteful practices, and we support policies that promote thoughtful stewardship of our land and natural resources. With your help -- and with the help of hundreds of organizations with whom we partner -- we are creating a healthier and cleaner environment for the next generation and beyond."

I was curious about our regular laundry detergent, Gain Ultra HE Liquid Laundry Detergent, Original Fresh,  so I looked it up. Wow, I was completely shocked at the results! Based on their data, our detergent scored a F, really a F!! The ingredient with the highest health concern was Sodium Borate which can have negative endocrine, reproductive, and developmental effects. A complete breakdown of our detergent can be found here.

The information I just discovered sent up huge red flags for me because Tim and I are trying to have children. That being said,  I set out on a mission to find a better alternative detergent for washing clothes. It didn't take long before I came across soap nuts (or soap berries) as an eco friendly-hypoallergenic- organic- natural-all around awesome-soaping fruit! (See my previous post explains what soap nuts are by clicking here.)

I ordered our soap nuts from Eco Nuts (around $40 for 360 loads!) and started using them immediately after the arrived. I LOVE THEM! They are easy to use and effective at cleaning. All you have to do is put 5-7 soap nuts in the provided cotton pouch and toss them in the washer. After 4-5 washes, replace the soap nuts and you're good to go for the next several washes. (you will know to replace when they become white and very soft, see picture below)

I feel relieved that I will never have to buy commercial laundry detergent again!

Soap nuts on the left are used and need to be replaced, 

while the ones clustered on the right are fresh and ready to use