Today is my "make the cleaning products day." I have been purchasing cleaning products and laundry detergent that is more "eco-friendly" for a long time, but I must say the result is not always great and they can be expensive. This past summer I started experimenting with making some of my own cleaners and the results, for the most part, have been great!
I first turned to natural/green products years ago due to chemical sensitivities that my husband and I have. I noticed some products, even "greener" non-toxic ones still made me cough or sneeze when I used them. It was even hard to catch my breath when I used them. Now, I like a clean house as much as anyone else, but the act of cleaning is really something I need to be in the mood for. I sure have to take advantage of that mood when it arises, because it's probably not as often as it should be. When the products you choose make you miserable while you are using them and for as long as the smells and possible chemicals linger, it makes it much worse. This all seemed ridiculous and unsafe to me, so I started searching for alternatives at my local health food stores. I did find a few products that I liked, most made for easier breathing, but they were mostly terribly expensive. It's more difficult to find coupons for the natural brands, but not impossible, so you have to grab them when you see them.
The first big change I noticed was when we stopped using those air fresheners that plug into your outlets. Have you ever read the labels on those? Wow. They are filled with chemicals and artificial everything. Within a week of tossing those things in the garbage, we both noticed an improvement in our air quality and breathing.
Next, we changed our laundry detergent from a traditional, big name brand to a greener brand. We noticed improvements in our skin, which is very sensitive. Especially now with our son, who is also very sensitive and has eczema, the fewer ingredients we have, the better. We still play around with detergents to find the perfect fit, which seems to change with where we live and the water type, so the perfect choice has yet to be determined. I did start making my own detergents recently, so more on that later.
The first product I actually made at home on my own was all-purpose cleaning spray. There are probably a thousand recipes online for different cleaners, but the first one I made was a bleand of the following:
Dr. Bronner's All Purpose Liquid Castile Soap
Hot Water
White Distilled Vinegar
A few drops of essential oils (I chose Tea tree and lavender)
I also included borax, following someone else's recipe
I don't tend to measure my products exactly, other that using a simple plastic spray bottle I purchased at the hardware store and it is 32 oz.
After using this recipe, I noticed the castile soap and the vinegar don't "play nicely together" and they curdle in the bottle. This makes it difficult to spray and you start to wonder if you are just cleaning with water. I also added borax to our laundry, as a booster. Shortly after, I noticed a rash developing on my back and my husband and I both noticed our fingertips cracking and peeling. I did some research on borax and found that it can cause many skin sensitivities, including cracking and peeling. I've since cut it out of my cleaners, except the new laundry detergent recipe I am working on, but I always use and extra rinse in the wash to try to get the borax out.
ALL PURPOSE SPRAY CLEANER
32 oz bottle
Hot water about 3/4 of the way to the top of the bottle
2 good squirts of Dr Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap (I like unscented or lavender)
40 or so drops of essential oil.
I like a blend of tea tree for anti-fungal and antibacterial purpose, lavender, and eucalyptus
Add the soap last and shake vigorously, top off bottle with water and shake before each use.
An alternative to using castile soap, is a vinegar base recipe like this one:
VINEGAR ALL PURPOSE SPRAY CLEANER
32 oz bottle
fill halfway with white distilled vinegar
fill almost to top with hot water
a small squirt of 2 of dish soap
30-40 drops of essential oil (optional)
If you prefer not to make your own, there are some brands that I like
The Honest Company (you can use my referral link here)
Ecover
Seventh Generation
BioKleen
I will update to include my new laundry powder recipe that I playing with now.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Friday, October 4, 2013
Healing salve
I've been searching for a healing salve to use on my son and I for such a long time that I think what I want may not exist. It's frustrating to think that something so simple should feel impossible to find. My son suffers from itchy skin and eczema. He also has an allergy to peanuts and tree nuts. I suffer from Dermatitis Herpetiformis, a skin reaction that often goes hand in hand with Celiac Disease. See my other blog about that here. So, I've been looking for a salve that soothes and helps our itchy skin and is gluten free and nut free and doesn't contain any crazy ingredients that I cannot pronounce or that may be of concern. This task has been so difficult and I thought to myself: "Self, you've made a salve before and it was pretty simple. The toughest part is collecting the necessary ingredients and containers." So, my mission began there.
First, I collected some herbs that are healing for the skin: calendula, chickweed, and plantain. I read about making an herbal oil and chose a nut free oil that was nourishing for the skin, very gentle, and met my nut free criteria: apricot oil. The dry herbs went into the oil and steeped for 8 weeks in a dark cabinet, getting stirred as often as I remembered to do it.
Next, I collected a few containers and other ingredients: Cocoa butter since it is moisturizing, nourishing, and is not Shea butter, which is from Shea nuts. (according to most sources, is mostly considered unsafe for those with nut allergies)
Coconut oil: many uses, including moisturizing, anti fungal , promotes healing of wounds, reduces symptoms of eczema and psoriasis
Beeswax: helps the salve solidify and gives good consistency, softens and moisturizes skin.
Honey: a humectant, which means that it attracts and maintains moisture, said to be antibacterial and antimicrobial, so it could help prevent growth of some bacteria and promote healing.
Vitamin E oil: acts as a preservative in homemade products, moisturizing, helps heal psoriasis
Herbs I chose are chickweed, plantain, & calendula.
Chickweed: soothing for minor skin irritations, itchiness, and rashes
Plantain: promotes healing for skin irritations, cuts, and wounds
Calendula:many healing virtues including soothing for skin irritations, dry and irritated skin, reduces inflammation
Finally, I prepared the salve by melting coconut oil, cocoa butter, beeswax, and the strained herbal apricot oil together on the stove over low heat. When everything was melted, I removed it from the heat and stirred in honey and vitamin E oil. I poured it into clean containers and let it harden in the refrigerator.
I made the salve this morning and it has a light herbal/cocoa fragrance, and is very gentle. It sinks in quickly and my son says it feels good on his itchy skin. He sighed and said oh that will make it all better Mommy. I hope he's right! So far so good!
It's a good feeling to use something that I made myself, I know what's in it, and I'm pulling from the files in my brain and on my bookshelf from the days of school, learning about herbs and skin care. It was lots of fun!
If you've never made your own salve, you should try! It's really easy and lots of fun!
First, I collected some herbs that are healing for the skin: calendula, chickweed, and plantain. I read about making an herbal oil and chose a nut free oil that was nourishing for the skin, very gentle, and met my nut free criteria: apricot oil. The dry herbs went into the oil and steeped for 8 weeks in a dark cabinet, getting stirred as often as I remembered to do it.
Next, I collected a few containers and other ingredients: Cocoa butter since it is moisturizing, nourishing, and is not Shea butter, which is from Shea nuts. (according to most sources, is mostly considered unsafe for those with nut allergies)
Coconut oil: many uses, including moisturizing, anti fungal , promotes healing of wounds, reduces symptoms of eczema and psoriasis
Beeswax: helps the salve solidify and gives good consistency, softens and moisturizes skin.
Honey: a humectant, which means that it attracts and maintains moisture, said to be antibacterial and antimicrobial, so it could help prevent growth of some bacteria and promote healing.
Vitamin E oil: acts as a preservative in homemade products, moisturizing, helps heal psoriasis
Herbs I chose are chickweed, plantain, & calendula.
Chickweed: soothing for minor skin irritations, itchiness, and rashes
Plantain: promotes healing for skin irritations, cuts, and wounds
Calendula:many healing virtues including soothing for skin irritations, dry and irritated skin, reduces inflammation
Finally, I prepared the salve by melting coconut oil, cocoa butter, beeswax, and the strained herbal apricot oil together on the stove over low heat. When everything was melted, I removed it from the heat and stirred in honey and vitamin E oil. I poured it into clean containers and let it harden in the refrigerator.
I made the salve this morning and it has a light herbal/cocoa fragrance, and is very gentle. It sinks in quickly and my son says it feels good on his itchy skin. He sighed and said oh that will make it all better Mommy. I hope he's right! So far so good!
It's a good feeling to use something that I made myself, I know what's in it, and I'm pulling from the files in my brain and on my bookshelf from the days of school, learning about herbs and skin care. It was lots of fun!
If you've never made your own salve, you should try! It's really easy and lots of fun!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Easy Ways To Go Green
I know that "going green" is a way of life for many people, but for others it is a huge task that seems impossible. There are lots of ways to begin your green journey or just small things you can do to save money and use less. I've been reading a lot of other blogs lately about zero or low waste, recycling, downsizing, etc. It has been an inspiration to give you a small list of where to start. Maybe you can adopt some of these ideas into your life and your family.
1. Use REUSABLE CLOTH BAGS at the grocery store. This is an easy step, it just takes a few times to remember to bring those bags into the store with you. I used to forget mine all the time. I would remember around the time I got in line at the register and think, "oh crap, I left my bags in the trunk again!" I started carrying a small bag inside my purse or diaper bag and as I got used to having less plastic bags around, and less garbage, I loved it. I soon noticed many stores posting signs on their doors to remind you to bring your bags inside. Now, I always grab my bags before going into the stores. I even keep a small one rolled up in my purse still so I have one at a mall or other store. It's very handy! Plus, many stores will offer a minimal discount for each bag you bring with you. It's usually only about $0.05, but it's something that could add up.
2. SHOP BULK BINS. You can save a lot of packaging and a lot of money by shopping in the bulk section at your local store. I love saving money, who doesn't? I even bought glass jars to put my bulk oatmeal, raisins, cereal, etc in. I've also found a few lightweight cotton bags to use for the bulk bins to avoid their paper and plastic bags. I still use a twist tie to mark what is in each bag, but I'm looking into washable markers to write the bulk bin code on the side of my bag. More trash avoided!
3. Use a REUSABLE COFFEE CUPS AND WATER BOTTLES. I to admit something. I have a slight addiction to water bottles- reusable ones that is! I have a little collection of them. I always look for new ones. Is it green to keep buying more when I really only need 1 or 2? Well, no. But that pink one is really cool! I know it's ridiculous, but I use them all, really I do. It saves money and waste by having your own water bottle. We refill ours from a filtered pitcher that I'm currently looking into better, greener options to replace once it meets it end. I don't want the next one to be plastic. We used to buy flats of bottled water every week. We recycled those bottles, but it was an awful lot of plastic! It was around the time everyone started worrying about BPA and how bottles that were near heat were worse. At the time, we lived in hot Florida. I'm sure those bottles sat in trucks and warehouses with temperature fluctuations constantly. We made the switch ASAP and never looked back. Now I find I drink more water if I have it with me and it's in a cute bottle. Coffee cups are harder. I love the ritual of getting a hot cup of coffee at the coffee shop and feeling the heat through the cup. So, I almost never take my reusable metal coffee cup to a coffee shop, but I often make coffee or tea to go and use the reusable cups. If I get an iced tea or iced coffee, I always use that disposable cup several times before I recycle it. I have invested in a reusable plastic cup for iced drinks and I'm contemplating trying the reusable ceramic travel coffee cups I see on occasion, maybe I will like them better than the metal ones.
4. CLOTH TOWELS AND RAGS. I stopped using paper towel almost completely and haven't purchased any in a year. (!) I use reusable cloths and washcloths for cleaning.
5. HANDKERCHIEFS. I started using hankies instead of tissues and I prefer them, so now I'm on a quest to find some more that I really like so I have a whole stack.
6. CLOTH NAPKINS. Again, we used to use disposable napkins or paper towel, but washing your napkins and rags together is easy and it majorly reduces your waste! Plus, I LOVE cotton cloth napkins! They are so beautiful and you can have all different colors and patterns, even different ones for each holiday. Might be another thing I am addicted to slightly.
Want to do more? There are a ton of options for things you can do to reduce your waste and go a little "greener" but here are just a few more ideas:
> Homemade Cleaning Products. If you currently use conventional cleaning products, you can try some more eco-friendly options from your local store or you can make some of your own! It's very easy and pretty inexpensive. A future post will include the recipes I use.
> Cloth Diapers and Wipes. This was a change we made kind of late in the game, but I absolutely LOVED using cloth diapers. Now that my son is potty trained, I look forward to using cloth from birth on the next child.
> Clothes Line. In the summer, it's easy to put the laundry out on the clothesline and let it dry in the sun. It freshens your clothes and they smell great, it saves money by not using the dryer, it is a natural way to bleach stains out of clothes and diapers, and it's easy and inexpensive. The winter here means using the hanging bar in the laundry room or using the dryer, but summertime makes me look forward to the clothesline.
> Homemade Kitchen. This is a very broad term I'm using to cover making more stuff at home! I've always loved cooking and baking, but more recently I've been making many items from scratch and I love them. I've made ketchup, mustard, ranch dressing, pickles, dilly "pickled" carrots, chocolate sauce, jams, granola, the list goes on. Next up is to try homemade fruit roll ups. It's important for us to know where our food comes from and I have liked the homemade versions of these items far better than the store bought versions! Again, I will work on future posts with recipes or links to recipes.
1. Use REUSABLE CLOTH BAGS at the grocery store. This is an easy step, it just takes a few times to remember to bring those bags into the store with you. I used to forget mine all the time. I would remember around the time I got in line at the register and think, "oh crap, I left my bags in the trunk again!" I started carrying a small bag inside my purse or diaper bag and as I got used to having less plastic bags around, and less garbage, I loved it. I soon noticed many stores posting signs on their doors to remind you to bring your bags inside. Now, I always grab my bags before going into the stores. I even keep a small one rolled up in my purse still so I have one at a mall or other store. It's very handy! Plus, many stores will offer a minimal discount for each bag you bring with you. It's usually only about $0.05, but it's something that could add up.
2. SHOP BULK BINS. You can save a lot of packaging and a lot of money by shopping in the bulk section at your local store. I love saving money, who doesn't? I even bought glass jars to put my bulk oatmeal, raisins, cereal, etc in. I've also found a few lightweight cotton bags to use for the bulk bins to avoid their paper and plastic bags. I still use a twist tie to mark what is in each bag, but I'm looking into washable markers to write the bulk bin code on the side of my bag. More trash avoided!
3. Use a REUSABLE COFFEE CUPS AND WATER BOTTLES. I to admit something. I have a slight addiction to water bottles- reusable ones that is! I have a little collection of them. I always look for new ones. Is it green to keep buying more when I really only need 1 or 2? Well, no. But that pink one is really cool! I know it's ridiculous, but I use them all, really I do. It saves money and waste by having your own water bottle. We refill ours from a filtered pitcher that I'm currently looking into better, greener options to replace once it meets it end. I don't want the next one to be plastic. We used to buy flats of bottled water every week. We recycled those bottles, but it was an awful lot of plastic! It was around the time everyone started worrying about BPA and how bottles that were near heat were worse. At the time, we lived in hot Florida. I'm sure those bottles sat in trucks and warehouses with temperature fluctuations constantly. We made the switch ASAP and never looked back. Now I find I drink more water if I have it with me and it's in a cute bottle. Coffee cups are harder. I love the ritual of getting a hot cup of coffee at the coffee shop and feeling the heat through the cup. So, I almost never take my reusable metal coffee cup to a coffee shop, but I often make coffee or tea to go and use the reusable cups. If I get an iced tea or iced coffee, I always use that disposable cup several times before I recycle it. I have invested in a reusable plastic cup for iced drinks and I'm contemplating trying the reusable ceramic travel coffee cups I see on occasion, maybe I will like them better than the metal ones.
4. CLOTH TOWELS AND RAGS. I stopped using paper towel almost completely and haven't purchased any in a year. (!) I use reusable cloths and washcloths for cleaning.
5. HANDKERCHIEFS. I started using hankies instead of tissues and I prefer them, so now I'm on a quest to find some more that I really like so I have a whole stack.
6. CLOTH NAPKINS. Again, we used to use disposable napkins or paper towel, but washing your napkins and rags together is easy and it majorly reduces your waste! Plus, I LOVE cotton cloth napkins! They are so beautiful and you can have all different colors and patterns, even different ones for each holiday. Might be another thing I am addicted to slightly.
Want to do more? There are a ton of options for things you can do to reduce your waste and go a little "greener" but here are just a few more ideas:
> Homemade Cleaning Products. If you currently use conventional cleaning products, you can try some more eco-friendly options from your local store or you can make some of your own! It's very easy and pretty inexpensive. A future post will include the recipes I use.
> Cloth Diapers and Wipes. This was a change we made kind of late in the game, but I absolutely LOVED using cloth diapers. Now that my son is potty trained, I look forward to using cloth from birth on the next child.
> Clothes Line. In the summer, it's easy to put the laundry out on the clothesline and let it dry in the sun. It freshens your clothes and they smell great, it saves money by not using the dryer, it is a natural way to bleach stains out of clothes and diapers, and it's easy and inexpensive. The winter here means using the hanging bar in the laundry room or using the dryer, but summertime makes me look forward to the clothesline.
> Homemade Kitchen. This is a very broad term I'm using to cover making more stuff at home! I've always loved cooking and baking, but more recently I've been making many items from scratch and I love them. I've made ketchup, mustard, ranch dressing, pickles, dilly "pickled" carrots, chocolate sauce, jams, granola, the list goes on. Next up is to try homemade fruit roll ups. It's important for us to know where our food comes from and I have liked the homemade versions of these items far better than the store bought versions! Again, I will work on future posts with recipes or links to recipes.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Homemade Chocolate Syrup
My son loves to have chocolate milk as a special treat. I used to buy the big brand name ones at the grocery store and I realized that the ingredient list is fairly long and I'm not 100% sure about the allergy info. With a child who has severe allergies to peanuts and tree nuts, one can never be too careful.
I decided to try making my own chocolate syrup. It's amazingly easy! I looked at a few recipes online and came up with an option that can be used in hot or cold milk or poured over ice cream.
I happened to have all of the ingredients already in my pantry as well.
1 C. Unsweetened Organic Cocoa Powder
1 C. granulated sugar
1 C. cold water
1/2 teasp. Kosher salt
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
Whisk cocoa and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add water and half the salt. Whisk over med heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Thickens in about 3 min. Taste and rest of salt, if desired, remove from heat, add vanilla and let cool. Will keep for about a month in an airtight container in the fridge.
Here is an older choice and the new jar of homemade chocolate.
I decided to try making my own chocolate syrup. It's amazingly easy! I looked at a few recipes online and came up with an option that can be used in hot or cold milk or poured over ice cream.
I happened to have all of the ingredients already in my pantry as well.
1 C. Unsweetened Organic Cocoa Powder
1 C. granulated sugar
1 C. cold water
1/2 teasp. Kosher salt
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
Whisk cocoa and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add water and half the salt. Whisk over med heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Thickens in about 3 min. Taste and rest of salt, if desired, remove from heat, add vanilla and let cool. Will keep for about a month in an airtight container in the fridge.
Here is an older choice and the new jar of homemade chocolate.
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