Make your own laundry detergent

I am so excited about this!  I started tinkering with making a more natural laundry detergent and I created a recipe that works better, smells better and is much cheaper than my natural detergent!   Considering how frequently I do laundry, it’s fun to actually get excited when I get to make my home made concoction.  It’s extremely simple to do!  A lot of homemade detergent recipes call for shredding a bar of soap, baking it, etc.  NOT THIS RECIPE, it comes together in 30 seconds. 

This recipe is for one large load, but you could easily modify it based on the load you are doing.  Just remember that there are 3 teaspoons in a Tablespoon… so adjust the recipe based on your load size.

For a large load, empty the washing machine of any clothes.  Turn the water to HOT.  Add 1 Tablespoon baking soda, 2 Tablespoons Borax powder (found in laundry detergent aisle), 1 Tablespoon natural liquid laundry detergent (for the sudsing action) and 6-12 drops of bergamot essential oil (natural antibacterial that smells wonderful).  Once the ingredients are added, adjust the water temperature to your normal setting and put clothes in!  Your clothes will smell amazing and feel super clean after every wash! 

1 Tablespoon baking soda

2 Tablespoons borax

1 Tablespoon natural liquid laundry detergent

6-12 drops bergamot essential oil (or your favorite essential oil)

***  We've written several e-cookbooks {all $1.99} that are quick, easy & guaranteed to bring yummy, fun times in the kitchen!  Pull out the spoons, put on your oven mitts and get cooking with one of our cookbooks.  Get them here!  ***

Photo courtesy of All Things New.  If you want to buy a natural laundry detergent for a loved one or don’t feel like making one, this is super close to my recipe and super green!  Buy Here!

  

Reusable Batteries… a greener choice!

He’s got a bag that is filled with toys for the boys and girls again  ...

… and most of the toys will be battery operated.  What should green parents do?  

Invest in reusable batteries!  For approximately $20 you can purchase a battery charger and four batteries making it easy to recoup your investment in a year or less and quickly save money. 

Reusable batteries can be charged between 1,000 – 1,500 times and are easy to recycle when they have maxed out.

If you have used traditional batteries at home and are not sure where or how to recycle them, check out 1800recycling.com to find the closest place to recycle.

***  We've written several e-cookbooks {all $1.99} that are quick, easy & guaranteed to bring yummy, fun times in the kitchen!  Pull out the spoons, put on your oven mitts and get cooking with one of our cookbooks.  Get them here!  ***

switch fabric softeners to something safer

I will admit it, in winter I have cheated on my ‘green’ fabric softeners with traditional ones.  I LOVE my green fabric softener sheets but during the winter, our laundry sometimes has a lot of static.  And static cling clothing drives me bonkers (it’s like nails on a chalk board to me)!  But, after hearing all of the bad news (again) associated with conventional fabric softeners, I have decided to go completely green and not look back.

Conventional fabric softener sheets can contain some really nasty chemicals… chemicals that I DO NOT want touching my children’s skin… remember skin is the largest organ in the human body!  It’s safe to say that bypassing traditional softeners will also avoid the possible exposure to ugly ingredients like:

• A-Terpineol -  Associated with central nervous system disorders
• Benzyl Acetate – A carcinogen linked to pancreatic cancer
• Benzyl Alcohol -  An upper respiratory tract irritant
• Camphor – It’s listed on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list (enough said)
• Ethyl Acetate – Another culprit on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list and an irritant to the eyes and respiratory tract

So what can you do to dry your laundry and keep your clothing from sticking together (and the dreaded electrical charge if you have to pull them apart)?  Try these 5 tips for cling-free & chemical-free laundry:

1. Line dry when possible!  It’s the best choice.
2. Safety pins!  Who would have thunk it?  Place 2-3 safety pins on a cloth or rag and dry with your clothes.  I am not sure how this works, but it does work!
3. ¼ cup of Vinegar added to the ‘fabric softener dispenser’ of the washing machine is a natural fabric softener.
4. Wool dryer balls!  This is a fun new discovery.  The balls bounce around in the dryer and keep the laundry fluffed, static at bay, and it reduces the drying time!  They last for a long time too.  After an initial investment of $20+, you will be good to go for years! 
5. Avoid over-drying.  Additional (and unnecessary) drying time typically leads to additional static cling.  If your dryer has a sensor to automatically turn off when clothes are dry (rather than a set time), use that option!

dryer balls photo courtesy of Clean Sypria

upcycling clothing for kids

I am not crafty at all!  As a matter of fact, I think I have a craft deficit, so when I see super cute ideas like upcycled kids hats, toys and tops, it makes me wish that I had inherited my mom’s crafty abilities (and while we’re at it, her green thumb too!).  Luckily these projects are relatively easy for anyone with a small amount of craft ability.  Just to be safe, I am having my mom come over before I venture into my next craft project.

Not only are these projects typically simple, they are also super green and a great (and cute!) way to use items that might get donated or tossed. 

Here are instructions for:

Upcycled kids hat pattern

Upcycled kids toy

Upcycled kids skirt

happy crafting!

switch to soy candles

This holiday season light soy candles for a greener home!

You’ve made a delicious dinner; set a gorgeous table that includes a candlelit glow and, cough, cough… you don’t realize that you are inhaling the equivalent of secondhand smoke with your petroleum-based candles.  Keep your family safe & still enjoy candles by switching to soy.

Soy is a healthy alternative to petroleum-based candles.  Petroleum-based paraffin candles contain possible carcinogens or toxic chemicals like benzene, toluene, ethyl ketone, naphthalene and possibly lead in the wick.  Soy is easier to clean up and burns cleaner.  It is usually more expensive but burns a lot longer (sometimes twice as long as paraffin candles, which offset the higher cost)! 

Image courtesy of Coco & Bubbles

Shop here for their soy candles!