Homemade Cleansers

When I first became interested in green living and homemade cleansing products, I searched the web for ideas that would help my family on our journey. I ran across several blogs that encouraged a green lifestyle but it seemed so many ideas cost more money than most families have to spare. Although in the long run the benefit outweighs the cost, most American families cannot wait that long to see the benefit.

Below are things you can do now that will show a small decrease in the amount of money you shell out every month. Most take under thirty minutes, some drastically less.

Homemade Laundry Soap:
1/2c. washing soda (I use Arm&Hammer)
1/2c. borax
1/2 bar grated Fels Naptha - you can buy it online but I found it at our big grocery store chain

Melt grated soap in 6 cups water. Add washing soda and borax. Pour 4 cups hot water into a large bucket (I use ten gallon and it fills it a little over halfway). Add soap mixture. Add one gallon plus 6 cups water and stir. Let sit 24 hours and it will start to gel.

I generally stir the soap several times over the twenty four hours when I think about it. It sets better that way and doesn't separate later. The first time I made it, I didn't stir throughout the twenty four hours. It separated in my jugs and had to be shaken before each use. When I began stirring throughout, that problem ceased.

It looks similar to eggdrop soup when finished. You'll have swirls of gel in a thin liquid. I only use a half cup at a time. I also stopped using the borax and use one cup of washing soda instead. If you can't find the Fels Naptha, you can also use Dove bar soap. I only need to use 1/2 cup of soap per large load unless I'm washing my husband's work clothes. Then I use 1 cup of soap.

As for drying clothes. I generally hang, but if I do dry in the dryer, I dry natural fabrics separate from synthetics that way I don't get static cling and have to use a fabric softener.


No More Shampoo:

Last June, the people in my family who have hair (poor hubby excluded) stopped using shampoo and conditioner. My mother-in-law wasn't too thrilled when I told her I would be sniffing my children's heads for fruit salad scent after they spent the night, but she has finally gotten used to the idea of gathering products from the kitchen to clean the babies' heads.

1 Tablespoon baking soda in three cups of water
1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar in three cups of water

I scrub our scalps and about the first two to three inches of hair with the baking soda mix. I let it sit a couple of minutes while we wash off. After rinsing with water, I pour the ACV mix on our scalps and throughout our hair.

The baking soda works as an exfoliator and the vinegar cleanses the scalp and conditions the hair. I also use tea tree oil on the ends of mine and the baby's hair because we tend to knot up the most. You can also include the TTO in the baking soda or vinegar mix. Use sparingly. Too much and you'll be shaping pompadours with those natural locks.

Some people have no trouble adjusting to this change. I went through about a week where my hair felt like waxy cat hair when wet, but was fine after it dried. My hair and scalp have never felt better. The nap in my hair, especially around the nape of my neck, has diminished. My bank account is fuller. I'm not dumping chemicals on our heads or down the drain. My children are learning to watch what they put on their bodies and into the earth.


Household Cleaners:

How stuffed is your cabinet of household cleaning items? I first became interested in gentle cleaners after my oldest son was born. I remembered an after school special where a boy accidentally splashed a cleanser in his eye and his illiterate friend was unable to read the label to know how to help the boy. I guess more stuck with me from those specials than I ever imagined.

Washing Soda
Baking soda
vinegar

Those are the only cleaners I use in my house. If you don't like the scent of vinegar, you can add a couple of drops of any essential oil but honestly, the scent of vinegar dissipates quickly and the idea is for your house to smell clean...like nothing...not fragrances that can pollute your nose!

I am a firm believer that we create more problems on our bodies by constantly applying one product to reverse the damage done by another. If we take some time to stop and think, follow the chain, we will see that by using higher quality, natural products, we will need to consume much less. Not only our bodies but bank accounts will thank us.

If you have a recipe for homemade eco-friendly dish soap, please let me know and I'll post it. I've been searching for months and still haven't found anything that works besides baking soda on a rag.

Happy scrubbing! Crys