Cleaning Products: #1 laundry detergent

I try to use as few chemicals in my home as possible. This includes in my laundry room. I have been using home made laundry detergent for about 8 months now and love it. I also don't use fabric softener, but vinegar instead. I started that when I was cloth diapering Austin, as fabric softeners make it harder for materials to absorb water. This goes for towels too.

The laundry detergent recipe that I've been using is from the Duggar family recipes. It's about the 3rd recipe down. It uses a bar of Fels Naptha soap

1 cup of washing soda (not baking soda)

and 1/2 cup of Borax.

And it makes 10 GALLONS of laundry detergent! Since I have a HE front loading machine, I use about 1/4 cup per load, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. I do about a load of laundry or two a day, and the first batch that my mother-in-law was kind enough to make for me lasted me 6 months. I recently had to make another batch. It was super easy. I used a food processor to grate the soap, and the rest was simple!
Finding the ingredients was a bit of a challenge the first time. I've heard that Wal-mart carries washing soda, but I have yet to be in a store that acutally does. Strangely enough, I found that Ace Hardware actually carries all the ingredients, though the store might have to order it, or you can order it online and have it shipped to the store. That way you don't have to pay shipping and handling. Last time I ordered, I got a whole box of Fels Naptha and a crate of 12 washing sodas. Borax I've never had a hard time finding, so I didn't stock up on that.
I have heard that there are "kits" on ebay that will sell you just the ingredients in the amount that you need to make your own. These kits run about $7.50 and make about 5 gallons. Even if you used on of these kits rather than getting the seperate ingredients yourself, that would be about $1.50 per gallon. How does that compare with what you're buying at the store? When I buy the ingredients seperately, I know it's cheaper than that. One bar of Fels Naptha is about $1.30, a 3 1/2 pound box of washing soda is $3.80 and a box almost 4 pounds of Borax is about $6.00. Again, I only need a cup of washing soda and 1/2 cup of Borax. I'm probably spending less than $2.50 for 10 gallons of detergent, so about $0.25 a gallon.
I also have more control of what I put in the detergent. Let's go over the ingredients.
Borax is a naturally accuring mineral, a salt. There is some need for caution with this in your home. While "It is not accutely toxic...a significant dose of the chemical [can]cause sever symptoms or death."
Washing Soda is a sodium salt and is used regularly as a water softener. It can be extracted from the ashes of many plants. It's actually used in cooking, including the dorm room favorite, Ramen Noodles. It is non-toxic.
Fels Naptha soap, there are some concerns about this soap as it it can cause eye and skin irritation. I looked at the Material Safety Data Sheet, or MSDS, which stated that it did not have a significant environmental effect. It also states that there are no known chronic health effects. But I may start looking for a homemade lye soap to use instead.
If I want a scented detergent, I could add essential oil to the mix. I don't since I'm doing kid and baby laundry. But the ability to control what you put in your detergent is comforting to me.

Tree-Free Home: #3 Wipe Boards and Laminated Pages

I use wipe boards and dry-erase markers a lot around the house rather than pads of paper. I have a wipe board calendar like this one:, and another larger wipe board to keep track of things like meals (though that one gets used by the boys more often as a drawing board). The calendar is great, as I can add the next month as I manage to make it through this month. That way I almost always have 4 weeks ahead of me visible on the board. I have things that happen every week, like gymnastics, in permenent marker. Permenant marker will come off if you color over it with dry-erase markers and then wipe it off.


While I generally don't like to have plastic in the house, I do have a couple exceptions. I have a notebook that I keep household stuff in, like additional calendar pages, grocery lists, budgets and stuff. Most of these pages I have laminated, so I can use dry-erase markers on and they can be used repeatedly.

I found my laminator (this one:) at Wal-mart and got a box of the laminating pouches there as well.

The grocery lists are one of my better ideas. I made a list of the things that we buy on a reasonably regular basis and then I can just mark the things that I need as I run out of them. I have the list organized according to the store that I usually go to, so it's easy as I shop, and I'm not making multiple trips down the same aisle. I also have one for my food storage. It lists the items that I want to have supplies of and how much I want of each item. As I buy them, I mark off how many I have, as I use them, I erase the marks. This tells me I have so many cans of refried beans and need this many more. Then, when it's on sale, I stock up.

I have household chore lists around the house that are laminated so I can keep track of when stuff was done last. Since we have Heather here, there are three of us doing chores. I don't always remember when someone last changed the sheets or cleaned the carpets or washed the windows. I have blank sheets with each person's name at the top of Daddy and Mommy Do lists that can be added to and wiped off when we finished projects (or given up on them). It helps us have a single place to write everything down, rather than having lots of scraps of paper running around the house. Blank laminated sheets are great for scrap paper. I can figure out how many yards of this fabric I need for that project or how much food I need to feed all the people coming to dinner on Friday.

I have also used the laminator to laminate pages for Autie to practice writing his letters and numbers. Again, they're great because they're reusable. I'll be able to use them for both the boys and the girls, rather than having to print of multiple sheets for each child.

The laminator was a good deal for me as it helps me save LOTS of paper.

Disclaimer #2: Ad sense and Amazon ads

So, I've added both Ad-sense ads from Google and will be linking to Amazon ads in some of my posts. I added the Google ads because, while I can't say I'm worried about making money from a blog, I figured, "What could it hurt?" right? Also, when I link to things from Amazon, it's because I am a visual person, I like pictures! I want people to see what I'm talking about, and don't want to "steal" pictures from around the web.

So, hopefully the ads don't detract too much and no one gets offended. If, however, you happen to see something that you like, by all means, click away! Just come back and read some more.

Tree-Free Home: #2 Cloth Napkins

I like to use cloth napkins instead of paper. I like the way they feel so much better, they don't leave a papery mess on little sticky faces and hands, and they're reusable. Besides, they add a nice edge of class to that special mac and cheese you're making for your kids.

Check out these ones at Amazon:
They're even made from recycled cotton.

But heck, at $15 for 4, I bet you could hire someone with a sewing machine to make some for you. Amazon, among other stores, does have cheaper ones. I've even found them at a number of the discount stores for about $1 or $2 per napkin.

I have a number of cloth napkins, but don't seem to use them for fear of staining them. (I know, I know, that's kinda what they're there for!) I want to make some simple ones that I can use with the kids and not worry about spaghetti sauce on them, or whatever the flavor of the day is.

If you're looking at making your own, just about any scraps of cotton or cotton/poly material that you have on hand would probably work, though linen ones are de rigueur. The traditional dinner napkin is 20 inches square, but other regular sizes include 12, 14 and 16 inch squares. For family dinners I'd probably make them even smaller, maybe even as little as 8 to 10 inches square since I'm cleaning small, messy faces. This way it would be less strain on Dear Mother when washing a set each day.

You should be able to make about 12 napkins per yard, more if it's 60 inches wide. And then you can pick and chose colors that match your decor, or hide stains. You know, whichever... :) Here's a website that tells how to make your corners pretty when sewing your napkins.

I might just start out with some flannel material that I already have and just serge the edges and call it good so I can start with something. Pretty much anything you can get your square from, that would other wise go to waste, could be utilized. What about all those old flannel receiving blankets that your kids grew out of in about 2 weeks? Or those old t-shirts would make some soft napkins. I bet cutting some squares from old dress shirts would work well, and you could end up with some interesting, eclectic table settings that way.

The other benefit of cloth napkins is the eventual need I will feel to make a lot of super-cute napkin rings. These will make cute craft projects for the kids or good ways to use some material around the house that was otherwise going to get thrown away.

Still need more benefits? You can teach your children the "correct" way of setting a table. Or, you could teach your kids napkin origami. Who doesn't like to fold stuff up to make swans?

Tree-Free Home: #1 Cloth Diapers

Another idea I came across that I've been trying to do in my home (with better success before the pregnancy) was a "tree-free home".

I used cloth diapers with Autie for about the first 6 months. Then we moved and were sharing a washer, so the practice kind of died. We didn't do so well with Izzy either. My excuse is that we moved 15 times the year he was born. I plan to go back to it for the twins since we are (hopefully) a little more settled and not living with room-mates. (Sorry, Heather doesn't count as a room-mate. As Big D says, "She's your little slave girl." Good thing she has a sense of humor!)

Not only does it greatly reduce the waste from a home, it saves LOTS of money. The average baby uses about 6,000 (!!) diapers in the first two years of their life. At about $0.25 per diaper, that would be $1,500 each year for two babies. And many moms who cloth diaper say that their children potty train sooner. So less time dealing with poop! Who would complain about that?

I personally prefer the prefolds rather than the all-in-ones (AIO) or pocket diapers. Besides the fact that they're cheaper (About $1.00 per prefold vs. about $15.00 each for the either of the other two), they were just easier for me to use. Even Big D could change a cloth diaper in the same time and with the same yuck factor as a disposable one. Besides, the flat diapers come in handy after the baby is older. They can be used for cleaning rags and they last forever. I still remember my mom having and using them when I was a teenager - as cleaning rags, I swear!! All totalled (I bought preemie prefolds, infant and regular sizes) I invested about $200 in prefolds and probably another $50 between snappies (the bestest thing EVER if you use prefolds) and diaper covers.

So, in just a monetary way, I saved about $500 with Austin, and if I consistently use them with the twins, I'll save about $4,500 (if they potty train at about 3 years old). So, $5,000 savings for maybe $250 invested (plus the soap and water for the washing). And I can still sell the used diapers on ebay for at least some of the money that I've paid for them once the girls are done. I'd say it's a big win. Not even mentioning the 20,000 diapers that DON'T end up filling our land fills.

Not only is there the money issue (seriously, do you need a better reason?? If so, just send me the extra money and give it a try anyways!) there is the fact that it's just way better for little butts and the earth.

We'll start with the "Save the Earth" crowd. Disposable diapers are just that, disposable, thrown away, disposed of. Check out the all-mighty Wiki and look at the debate section [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaper ]. It states: "An estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year in the US, resulting in a possible 3.4 million tons of used diapers adding to landfills each year." That's a lotta poop!

Now, honestly, depending on how they are washed and dried, cloth diapers can still cause a strain on Mother Earth. But I have a HE washer, and live in the driest place in the world (maybe not, but it feels like it) so can hang dry the diapers. I use homemade laundry detergent, vinegar as a fabric softener and don't ever bleach my diapers. I'd say I'm being reasonably kind to Mother.

Disposable diapers have all sort of chemicals. Depending on which anti-disposables website you look at, some of the loverly things in diapers will include: polyethylene and polypropylene plastic with bleached paper pulp, AGM (a gelling substance), petrolatum, stearyl alcohol, cellulose tissue, elastic, and perfume.
[ http://www.diaperjungle.com/disposable-diapers-exposed.html ]

These things aren't great for the environment, but they're worse for the delicate skin of our babies tushes. When I was cloth diapering, we almost never had a problem with diaper rash. Yet there are several types of disposable diapers neither of my boys could wear because they would end up with a rash within a couple diaper changes. The best way to cure diaper rash for my kids? Put them in cloth diapers for a couple days. We never had to use the extra diaper creams and butt pastes when we were using cloth. (Again, saving the earth and some $green$)

Besides, there ain't nothing cuter than a baby butt in a cloth diaper!

Even better would be the idea of Elimination Communication. Check out http://www.diaperfreebaby.org/ for more info on that!


Now, before you get the idea that cloth diapering is getting to be pretty common and therefore I'm not too far off main stream, I have to add that I not only use cloth for the kids, but I use it for myself. Instead of the store-bought maxi-pads, I use cloth when I'm menstruating too. Honestly, that hasn't happened too much in the last couple years, but when I'm on the rag, I use rags. Well, not really rags, but mama pads. I've found that they are way more comfortable than the plasticy pads available at the store, I change them about as frequently and some people say they even reduce the cramping and other DMS (during menstrual syndrome) effects that they normally feel using "normal" pads or tampons. I personally can't use tampons, but for those who prefer the not-lining-your-panties type of protection, there are Diva cups
[ www.divacup.com ] Again, better for the earth and better for our bodies.

Simplicty

I was looking up carbon footprints and stuff and came across an idea that I've looked at a lot before (and even blogged about before), but hadn't necessarily connected with the whole "reduce/reuse/recycle" idea. It's voluntary simplicity. There's ton's of sites and information online about it and different versions, but I'll give my take on it.

To me, living simply, in part, means to go back to a simpler time. The grass may always be greener, but I see the "Leave it to Beaver" era/ideal as one I'd like to get a little closer to. Mom stays home with the children and cooks home cooked meals that the whole family sits down to, Dad goes to work, come homes and plays with the kids. The kids can play outside safely and have neighborhood friends. Things are more likely to be made at home than bought in a store (except he crazy stuff that the boys buy mail order, like alligators). Now, living at that time was probably very different than what I envision, but I like my little fantasy.

More so, though, the whole idea is really simple. Live simply. You only bring things into your life that you need and love. You get rid of anything in your life currently that doesn't fit that. I've looked at this as ways of getting rid of clutter and lessening what I buy (though I still have and buy too much). As you clear space in your life you clear space in your mind as well.

There are groups that promise not to buy anything for a month. There is even a yahoo group [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thecompact/ ] about "The Compact" [ http://sfcompact.blogspot.com/ ] where people commit, among other things, not to buy anything for a YEAR! Pretty impressive in a consumerist drive society. I have to say, I don't know that I could do that at this point, but it would be awesome, and is a goal that I would like to work towards. Right after I get that new laptop I've been wanting... oh, wait! Don't forget the new toys for the kids.... and the girls will need some cute clothes, right?

Hmmm... Apparently, I have a ways to go, even in my mind...

In the Kitchen: Part 2

EATING:
This is one area where I'm not as good as I want to be and I REALLY want to change.

There are a LARGE number of theories on the ~right~ way to eat. We personally have tried veganism and vegetarianism. I find both difficult to do as I was raised eating meat and it's hard for me to think of meals that ~don't~ include meats. I don't mind eating it, I just have a hard time planning it. We have, however, greatly reduced the amount of meat that we eat.

I've looked into a number of diets and the ideas that appeal to me most are the ideas of Wesley A Price. Basically he proposes that we eat foods as unprocessed and as close to nature as possible. Animals should be raised as free-range as possible. Grass-fed and with access to roam and lack of hormones and vaccinations. Natural game like bison and deer is better for you than cows. Free-range chickens who haven't been pumped full of antibiotics lay better quality eggs and are better to eat.

I get my eggs from a lady who allows her chickens free range of her organic garden. When I have at get store bought eggs, there is a huge difference in the color and the taste in the eggs. (The farm fresh ones being better, obviously)

Big D doesn't think we should eat dairy, I think we should, so we compromised. I currently get my milk from a cow share program. Basically, we pay an initial fee to buy a "share" of a cow, and then pay weekly for a supply of fresh, raw cows milk. Because it's truly whole milk, I get cream and have made butter and a basic cheese from it with pretty good success. I'm going to be changing soon to get fresh, raw goats milk from the same lady that I get my eggs from. Goat milk is more easily digestible than cows milk and less likely to cause allergies.

Because we eat less meat, we are trying to be able to afford better quality meat. Next year, what I'd like to do is purchase a portion of a grass-fed cow and possibly a pig and chickens. We will need a large freezer to store the meat, but it's the most cost effective way to get high quality meats.

We were part of a CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) program. Each week we received a box of local, organically grown produce. It was a challenge because a lot of the time there was something in there that we'd never had before so we had to figure out how to eat it. But it exposed us to a lot of new stuff. It got us to eat more vegetables and fruits.

I would LOVE to be able to grow more of my own food. Raising anything is a challenge here in the desert. There are a number of ways to do it that I just haven't tried here, including container gardening. Next year, that's one of my biggest goals even if I have to start small. I'd even like to have my own goat and chickens, but my HOA has rules against them. (We won't buy a house in an HOA again!)

The other area that we're working on is eating less processed foods. I buy wheat in the grain form and have a wheat grinder. I make my own pancakes and waffles and things rather than buying them pre-made or in the mixes. I love to bake my own bread, though I do have a bread maker when I just don't have the time. We eat 100% whole grain whenever possible, including pastas, breads and rices. There are a number of grains out there that I'd like to explore when I have a little more energy, including quitoa which is supposed to be a "super-grain". I stock a lot of basics in my cupboards and try to make things from scratch (though I did better on this before I got pregnant). We also eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.

We try to avoid processed or artificial sugars whenever possible. We don't allow the kids candy or ice-cream or things like that. When they want something sweet, we give them fruit and they love it. Occasionally we will make cookies, but I make them from scratch and use whole grains and things to make them a little more healthy than store-bought cookies. I also have a couple of sugar-free cookbooks that use fruit purees and juices rather than any type of sugar or artificial sweetener. Sugar is a BIG issue to my husband as a large number of his relatives have diabetes and he and I are both addicted to sugar.

We also try to avoid fast food as much as possible, though I've broken down more often now that I am pregnant. Almost everything on fast food menus contains high-fructose corn syrup. Even at sit-down restaurants, anything on the kids menu is likely to have added sweeteners so the kids like it better. And we won't even start on portions and calories per serving, etc.