DIY Foaming Body Wash

After pulling out a new bottle of body wash, inspiration hit, & I decided to have a go at making foaming body wash.  Much like foaming hand soap or dish soap, this helps your soap last longer & save some cash. 

Simply take your chosen your body wash & an empty foaming soap bottle, 

Pour between 1/4 and 1/3 full of body wash, fill the remainder with water.
 

Combine, & voila, you have foaming body wash, which works just as well as the regular stuff.  This is quite possibly one of the easiest ways to go green & save some green, I highly recommend it.

Make Your Own Foaming Dish Soap

After seeing the exorbitant price of foaming dish soap in the store, I figured I could make the same thing for much cheaper.  I use dish soap samples, which makes the soap completely free, & a few pumps work just as well as a squirt of regular dish soap. Yeah!  Here's how to make it:  

Simply take an empty foaming soap dispenser & your dish soap. (The same method can be used to make hand soap, just replace the dish soap with hand soap.)

Fill 1/4 of the pump with soap & fill the remainder with water.  Gently mix together.

Voila, you have foaming dish soap! Just add a few pumps to a sink of dishes & you're good to go.  Look forward to long lasting bottles of dish soap & fewer trips to the store!

Stain Removal for Lazy People

I'd like to say that Emerson is the largest contributor to the stains we have on our clothing, unfortunately that is not the case.  I will forever be the girl who can't wear white without spilling on it.

Case in point:  This lovely little red stain caused by Crystal Light.   Fortunately there's a simple solution. 

Simply remove the garment as quickly as possible.  Rinse in very cold tap water, squirt with a little dish soap, & briefly rub the soap into the stain.  In this case I had some regular Palmolive, but in my experience most dish soaps work.

Then soak the garment in very cold, soapy dish water.  Get on with your day...

Come back in a few hours & like magic, the stain is gone.  I have no idea how it works, but I swear this is the cheapest & easiest way I've found to remove a whole host of stains.  Easy, peasy. 

DIY Fabric Softener

I haven't bought fabric softener in months.  We've run out of the Downy I bought several years ago for $0.99 a bottle & have just been making do without softener or  a splash of vinegar as necessary.  While I haven't have any trouble with static I must admit I do miss the smell of softener on our towels & sheets, but I figured I wouldn't buy any unless I could get it for under $1 after sales & coupons.

Then I read the following DIY Fabric Softener on HillBillyHousewife.com & figured I'd try it out:

3 c vinegar
2 c hair conditioner
6 c water

While this recipe looked great, it was a little large for me, so I used this recipe conversion calculator to reduce the amount down.  

I used hotel samples of conditioner that smelled like heaven, but were rather thin & after draining them in a funnel overnight ended up with 1/2 cup of conditioner.  

 While measuring the  1 1/2 cups of water, I funneled a little into each bottle so I could shake the remaining conditioner loose & not have any go to waste.

I then added 3/4 c of vinegar & poured all of it into a mason jar.  Shake the mixture until it is evenly incorporated & voila, you have homemade fabric softener!  I found an old measuring cup from coffee & intend to use that small amount (approx 1 T) per load as we have a HE washer. 

I'm not certain that this is the most economical recipe, but if you happened to have free conditioner on hand then this is a great solution. Add this to some homemade laundry detergent & you've got a frugal laundry habit! 

Happy washing!

45 Uses for Vinegar + 31 Uses for Baking Soda

Vinegar & baking soda are some of my absolute favorite products to use around the house.  I use vinegar as a fabric softener as well as a cleaner.  I use baking soda in place of  to scrub our pots, sinks,  &  our tub, & I always sprinkle a little in our diaper pails.  Both products are cheap, environmentally friendly, & easy to come by. 

tajagroproducts.com

 

 

 So I was pleased to find that both were capable of much more than I had ever dreamed.  Check out 45 uses for vinegar (I can't wait to try 22, 24, & 25)

And 31 uses for baking soda--I'm going to have to remember number 17!

I'll never look at vinegar & baking soda the same!

Greening My Cleaning: Easy Microwave Cleaning

I grew up working in a small midwest town that had an old school pharmacy with a soda fountain.  One of the many tricks I learning while working in the soda fountain was a simple way to clean a disgusting microwave. 

I recently needed to utilize this little trick when I accidentally over microwaved some baked beans.  Pretty huh?

Simply take a damp soapy wash cloth & place it in the microwave.  Set the microwave for 2 minutes.  Once the nasty particles are loosened from the steam, simply wipe down the walls.  In my experience no extra effort is needed beyond wiping, but if you happen to have something really difficult to remove, re-wet the wash cloth, repeat the 2 minutes, & try again.  

In just a few minutes I had a beautifully clean microwave, all without any chemicals!  Piece of cake, & nary a baked bean to be found. 

7th Generation Cardboard Bottle

If I didn't make my own laundry detergent, this would be my detergent of choice...

7th Generation has unveiled a brilliant change to consumer laundry detergent--a bottle made out of molded cardboard.  The bottle is recyclable, compostable & made from 100% post consumer recycled fiber. An interior plastic pouch holds the detergent, & according to their website, "the entire packaging system (fiber bottle, pouch, spout, cap) system uses 66% less plastic than a typical 100 oz 2X laundry bottle - while delivering the same number of loads!"  I love this & truly hope it revolutionizes the packaging industry.

For more info, check out 7th Generation's website. 

Everything You Wanted to Know About Homemade Laundry Detergent

I love making homemade laundry soap.   It is extremely simple & only requires a handful of rather cheap ingredients. 

 I first started making the liquid recipe a little over a year ago & have never looked back.  It's a huge money saver & is very environmentally friendly.  I've since moved on to using the powdered kind & I find making & storing the powder to be even easier. 

If you've ever been interested in making your own laundry detergent, but had reservations, I've come across a great resource for you.  Tipnut has compiled an extremely extensive list of commonly asked homemade laundry soap questions & their answers.  If you're on the fence I hope this helps you & convinces you to try it yourself.  You won't be sorry!

Eco-Friendly Ways to Unclog Your Pipes

I'm prone to having slow running pipes every 6 months or so.  I think most women tend to have this problem.  I have tried many, many things in the effort of keeping my pipes clear, but unfortunately in the past, my go to solution often required dumping incredibly harmful chemicals down the drain.  Never one to back down from experimentation, here are a few natural & homemade methods I've used the with great success:

Stop Before It Starts--Most of my drainage issues have to do with my ever shedding hair getting caught in the pipes.  Aside from installing a cheapo hair catcher in my drain, the most effective thing I've done is to brush my hair BEFORE I take a shower.  This catches all sorts of loose hair & prevents it from going down the drain.  This is also the only time I really can brush my hair, because brushing curly hair is an all expense paid trip to Frizzville.

Heat it Up--Pour boiling water down your pipes.  I have to say I'm not entirely certain that this would help clogs, rather I've found it helps in prevention.  Instead of boiling water for the sole purpose of dumping it out, I save the water after hard boiling eggs & pour that down the drain.  I wouldn't save pasta water though because food particles could grow some funky stuff.  Best to stick to clear boiling water.

Chemical Reaction--Use a combination of baking soda, vinegar, & salt to clean out your clog.  The baking soda & vinegar will react with one another & foam, while the salt will scrape down the sides of the pipe.  I've never precisely measured, I usually just pour equal amounts of soda & vinegar & finish with some salt.  Allow that to sit for several hours, rinse with hot water & repeat if necessary.  If you need measurements or more recipes look here. 


Mario & Lugi's Best Friend--When nothing is seeming to work & you're about to run out & buy some NASTY chemicals, try a plunger first.  I have no idea if a plumber would actually recommend this for sinks, but I am telling you, it has worked for me 9 times out of 10.  You might need to be persistant, espeically with the bath tub, but it will work eventually.  I had to plunge mine for about 5 minutes today, but now the pipes are running free & clear.

I realize that in extreme circumstances you might not be able to clear your pipes with these methods, but they are certainly a good starting point & could save you money & save our water ways. 

The Complete Life Cycle of a T-Shirt

Remember back in the day, when you were in school, & you'd study the many uses the Native Americans had for buffalo?  Nothing went to waste.  Every single bit of the buffalo was put to use.  I always found that to be the logical use of such an animal; yet, today, things get thrown away well before they have been used in entirety.  It's cheaper to buy the next model than have your current model fixed.  Lets face it, we are a throw away society.

While I wouldn't have the first clue as to how to render the most use out of a buffalo, or how to repair a broken appliance, I have figured out how to make the most use out of one thing--the t-shirt.  Imagine with me if you will...

I am so wishing this were my shirt right now...

Stage 1
You purchase your shirt.  It's beautiful, unblemished, everything you would hope a t-shirt could be. Until you drip marinara all across your stomach or rip a hole in the bottom while trying to tuck it in. In disappointment you throw it out or you could...

Stage 2
Begin wearing said shirt under sweaters or as a night shirt.  While it can't be displayed in public, it is still good for warmth or use in the privacy of your own home.   Until...

Stage 3
Said shirt is now so utterly stained, holey, shrunken, etc. that it is no longer justifiable to wear.  What to do?  Cut it into rags.  Don't forget to save the seams for tying up tomato vines and the like.  And then?

Stage 4
Your tshirt rags are now so thin/disgusting/stained that they cannot be used.  Simply throw them in the compost pile.  They'll decompose in due time & nothing is wasted.  

Feel free to skip step two if you'd like.  Either way, t-shirts really lend themselves to a long life span & I know that for most of my life I wasn't using them to their full potential. 

Not exactly the same as the buffalo...but close.

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Product Review: Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner

I was recently given the opportunity by Healthy Child, Healthy World to review Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner.  We have hardwood floors in every room of our home, so this was the trial for me.

Little E & her beloved milk cup

In addition to hardwood we also have a very sweet, very rambunctious toddler who loves her milk cup, even though it tends to drip.  She also likes to try & help Mama by smearing the milk drips all over the floor & to "clean up".  These often go unnoticed until they are dried disgusting milk spots.  Not so fun for Mama.

BEFORE:  E's lovely milk splatters

Mopping the whole house has become rather impossible to do with little feet continually pitter-pattering, so spot cleaning is uber important.  I'm also always looking for environmentally friendly products, so Boma's spray bottle hardwood cleaner seemed like a great fit.  Their floor cleaner comes in a No. 2, easily recyclable spray bottle (Yay!!), & is hypoallergenic, free of scents, non-toxic & biodegradable. 

I admit when I read that it was scent free I sort of took it with proverbial eco-friendly product grain of salt.  Many, many natural products claim to be scent free & end up choking your lungs & burning your retinas until you want to scream,'Uncle!'
Truth be told I believed this wouldn't be any different. 

AFTER:  Milk free & filled with E's helpful toys

Chock full of skepticism I sprayed E's milk spots & waited for the hideous 'natural' scent.  I waited...and waited.  NOTHING.  It was unbelievable.  I literally smashed my face to the ground & couldn't smell anything.  a-MAY-zing!  BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE...it cleans!!!  One swipe of my rag over the milk spots & bam! clean floors!!  I quickly went around searching out any hidden milk spots or other schmootz & it worked.  Every time!  I didn't need to use a lot of product or elbow grease; just the ticket for a lazy house keeper like myself.

I was so in love that I used it on a  milk ring that E left on our book shelf.  I know that it's a hardwood floor cleaner, but I figured why not give it a thorough try?

Sure enough, the dried milk came clean.  I couldn't have been more pleased. 


After trying Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner I am thoroughly convinced this is the cleaner for me.  Here's my expereince in a nutshell:

•  It doesn't smell. 
• It actually CLEANS wood floors
• It's fast & easy to use
• I don't have to worry when using it around my family
• The bottle can easily be recycled.

 It was a totally positive cleaning experience, which is a hard thing to get this lazy homemaker to say.  Seriously.   If you're in the market for an excellent hardwood floor cleaner give Bona a try. 


**On a side note, I just wanted to highlight Healthy Child, Healthy World.  They're a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about removing chemicals from the home.  I really appreciate all of their hard work & have certainly benefited for their highly informative website.

While you're there consider hosting a Healthy Home Party.  I did last year & really enjoyed it.  Simply sign up, pay $20 (tax-deductible), & receive a box FILLED with all sorts of organic & environmentally friendly samples & coupons for you & your friends to try.  It's a win for the environment & a win for your social life.  What's not to like?