I make almost all of our toiletries and all of our cleaners. I am still experimenting with some things to improve on what I am using but I refuse to go back to the chemicals! For all glass as well as a nice smelling antibacterial cleaner, I make a lavender decoction and use it, undiluted, in a spray bottle. It is WONDERFUL on windows and leaves no streaks. Be careful when using it in the bathroom because if you don't wipe up all the cleaner it will leave purplish color drip marks on toilets, walls, etc. It doesn't stain them however, I just don't like seeing the drips! It is easy to wipe off with a wet rag if you miss some, though. This is my preferred homemade cleaner, but I also use a lot of vinegar, baking soda and washing soda. I am getting a stockpile of soapnuts in a little while and will be using those for as many different things as possible. There are a bunch of variations on how to use them, this is what I plan on using them for as soon as I get my hands on them. Laundry, shampoo, dishsoap, and body wash. There are various ways of making them up in order to use them for these different things, you will just need to do some research and find a recipe that is easy for you and that works for your families needs. I am still looking for a recipe for a stain remover that does not include Tide.
We use coconut oil for a lot of our toiletries. You can make a lovely lotion/rash treatment using coconut oil, olive oil, beeswax and any other oils that would be good for your individual needs. You can also use it as the base in things like deo., toothpaste, and deep conditioning hair treatments. Apple cider vinegar in water is a good alternative to conditioner and I know that there are a multitude of homemade shampoo recipes out there. Google it and you will get a plethora of choices! Just pick one and start experimenting. That is what I had to do because everyone's bodies are different and so will need different things and react differently to recipes. Youtube can show you how to make a lot of these types of things. I need to see things in order to learn quickly and so the past year I have probably used it on a daily basis. But because of that we are buying almost NO premade toiletries and NO pre made household cleaners at all. Pick one or two things at a time and just go for it. Stick with those one or two things until you are happy with your results, then move on to the next one on your list.
Also, be willing to experiment on yourself first, some of these things don't work out for the individual trying them and so you want to go small scale at first until you find one you like. Like, for instance, there was the time I was trying a new shampoo recipe and I very nearly dyed my hair green!
Have fun! HTH! If you have any specific questions feel free to ask or pm me.
-Miranda
