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Your cleaning supplies?
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Here is a link to some good ideas for cleaners.
Just wanted to agree with Jawgee if your primary motivation is cost, you can get nearly everything you mentioned for next to free, if not free (especially tooth paste and tooth brushes, I NEVER pay for those… or sometimes pay a quarter) Body washes and deodorant can often be found for free – especially ones that are geared toward men (masculine smelling).
We use lots of vinegar or bleach mixtures for cleaning – very cheap.
I bought soap nuts for laundry and have not been impressed – I’m going to try to make a detergent out of them as opposed to just throwing them in – hoping it might be more effective.
Rebekah
I haven’t had a lot of success lately getting the free (or nearly free) stuff. The last two times there was a coupon available which, when combined with the local store’s sale price, would have given me a toothbrush for free, the store was out of them the afternoon the sale began. I did get a raincheck, but by the time they got more in, the coupon had expired! I asked the store manager about this, and he said it was due to “one of those extreme coupon vultures.” He said they have had the shelves swept clean in cases like this so often in recent months that their corporate office tells them simply not to reorder the items until after the coupon expiration date.
How frustrating that is! I don’t want 30 free toothbrushes; I just want 4–enough for my family!
We use Enjo + water mostly.
A slight bit of mould may show in the bathroom during winter when it’s hard to dry out, so then we will use a small amount of mould kill spray or a vinegar mixture, but that’s about it.
I’ve made my own laundry detergent for years. I’ve had mixed results with dishwasher soap. It will work well for awhile then start building up.
My deodorant is coconut oil, a little baking soda and a few drops of lavender EO. Wonderful!
My toothpaste (or powder) is baking soda, a little salt, bentonite clay and peppermint EO. Love it!
Shampoo is next on my list.
so the deodorant Robin do you just mix it in what & how do you apply? I’m thinking coconut oil would have to be kept cold to keep it solid, so I can’t imagine running to the fridge for my deodorant in the summer??LOL
I just put a large spoonful of CO in a container, sprinkle in probably a couple TBS of baking soda and 2-3 drops of lavender EO (this isn’t necessary but I do it so I don’t smell so much like a coconut cream pie.) Stir together. Dh keeps the air conditioning pretty cool so the CO stays solid in my house. If you’re house is warmer, then yes, you’d want to store it somewhere cooler. I just get a little on my fingers and apply it. A little goes a long way. It’s not greasy at all and works beautifully. We’ve been hot hot here, too, and live on a farm to boot and I have no problems.
Love that idea Robin, I have all the ingredients so will give that deodorant a try. Coconut oil has so many uses, it is wonderful stuff and very healthy. Linda
Fresh Lavender Vinegar recipe:http://thepurposedheart.com/lavender-vinegar/
Rachel
I use lavender in my home made cleanser and toners and in most of my cleaning products, I think Lavender and Tea Tree along with Clary Sage and Geranium are the ones I use most. This one from you Rachel is another winner. Everything seems calmer with lavender and I would hate to be without a bottle or two.
Linda, I looked at the site you posted b/c I am very interested in the dishwasher soap. I make my own laundry and use mostly vinegar and baking soda to clean but want to try the dishwasher soap. The site says equal parts Borax and washing soda but no amounts are given. Do you or Robin have a suggestion for amount? Also, Robin, does the buildup go away if I would run a few loads hot with commercial cleaner when I notice it? Thanks for the help friends!
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
- 1/2 cup Washing Soda
- 1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
- 4 packets lemonade flavor Kool-Aid powder (unsweetened – I buy the off-brand)
or about 1/4 cup citric acid
- 1/4 cup salt (Kosher salt recommended not sea salt)
Directions:
Pour it all into a resealable container and shake it up. Use 1 tablespoon per cycle.
I recommend making half of this and trying it out. If it doesn’t work for you tweak it. Also, you can use a heaping tablespoon if you need to.
Use with vinegar as a rinse aid.
Sorry to jump in on this late in the game. We have been switching over our toiletries and cleaning supplies. After consulting with a homeopathic dr. about some issues including my thyroid she suggest I do some research on the toxins that we are slathering on our bodies including deo, lotion, soaps, shampoo’s, makeup and so on. Some of these have been linked to Alzheimer’s as well as disrupting hormone functions. So we are slowly making the switch. I will include the one’s I have switched to and like below. One thing that I love is they have lots of the same ingredient’s so once you have them it is easy to make your products. Here are my recent switchovers that are working for our family.
– Tooth Soap: I found a recipe and altered it alot and here is what we use. It took a week or so for the boys to adjust to it but we have had no complaints in over a month. I doubled the recipie but used Almond Hemp flavor of dr. Bronners and sweet orange essential oil. My boys don’t like peppermint.
http://homesteadwannabes.blogspot.com/2010/11/homemade-tooth-soap-recipe-healthy.html
-Deodorant – we love this
http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/03/update-homemade-deoderant.html
-Shampoo/Body Wash – we are using Dr. Bronners Lavender Castille Soap for both of these. I put it in a soap pump from target and it only take a little. Works great for both.
-Conditioner – 1-2 Tblsp Apple Cider Vinegar and 1 cup water. I put this in a spray bottle and spray my hair after shampooing and let it set while showering. After rinsing the smell is gone and it works great as a conditioner.
–Laundry Detergent – I use duggar’s recipe except not the Fels-Naptha bar’s. Heard some bad stuff about them. I just used Ivory soap in my last batch. Working well
–Fabric Softener – white vinegar in a downy ball. You can pour it in your fabric softener dispenser if you have one.
– Dishwasher Detergent – this is my first batch of this – working well so far. I also put white vinegar in my jet dry holder.
http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2009/06/homemade-all-natural-dishwasher-detergent.html
I still have some 7th generation cleaners left before I start switching those over. But I have to say making our own stuff or using Dr. Bronner’s is a lot cheaper and I like knowing that my family is not exposed to any potential toxins.
Amy
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