Moving Forward on Our Natural Journey....

Our journey towards a more natural lifestyle has been going on for a couple of years now.  Throughout the past couple of years, we’ve slowly taken steps to be live a more natural life.   It all started with household cleaners.  When I first started reading about all the harmful ingredients in cleaning products and what they can cause (asthma, cancer, pre-mature puberty etc), and how CHEAP they are to make at home, I decided I had to try making our own cleaners.

Change out the cleaning products, check.  That was easy.  No major habit’s really had to change.  We just used old bottles, and filled them with a vinegar/water mixture and added baking soda when something needed extra cleaning power. 

After that, we decided to stop wasting as much as possible.  My lunches are packed in re-usable containers whenever possible, rather than baggies.  We try to use towels and rags at home, rather than paper towels and sponges.  Every little bit helps save money, our health, and the environment.

Once we had the cleaning and lunch containers down, we decided to tackle our health.  By this, I mean we decided to try to cut the crap.  We drastically cut out the processed CRAP and typically try to only shop the outside grocery aisles.  Do we still buy some canned stuff?  Yes.  Do we still eat cereal?  Yes.  But we’ve cut out at least 95% of the crap we used to eat.   Now the cereals I eat are whole grain and not sugary sweet.

So where are we now?  At this point, we’re trying to switch over as much as possible to organic foods.  We’ve slowly been transitioning to it, but it’s very costly, and I’m trying to research the best options and prices where I’m able to.

And if we’re concerned about what we put IN our bodies and around our bodies (cleaners), why shouldn’t we be concerned with what we put ON our bodies?  I’d love to start buying/making natural deodorant, shampoo/conditioner, soap.  Honestly, not sure where to begin, and I’m so fearful of being perceived as a hippie.  I don’t want to smell or have rough skin or hair.  Does anyone already use these items in their daily life?  If so, what brands do you like/dislike and what tips do you have?  Not really sure where to go from here.

Thanks for your help, ya’ll!

Part 2 - Homemade Cleaning Products: Better For Us And Environment

So as I mentioned in the original post, homemade cleaning products are much better for those in a household, but also much, much better for the environment than the typical store bought cleaners.

The ingredients in many cleaning products have been linked to different cancers.  Also children who are exposed to harsh cleaners are also 400% more likely to get asthma! (Is that why I have asthma?  Thanks mom!  jk!!)  So of course these are serious health concerns linked with using such harsh products in your home.  PLUS, think of the high cost of using them as well!  Not only are you taking up a top of space in your cabinet because you had to purchase 20 different products to do 20 different things, you are spending approximately $3 on each bottle!  That is $60 just for cleaning supplies in your cabinet.

Also, I mentioned that using store bought cleaners are bad for the environment because when they are washed down the drain, or put into the air, you are putting these chemicals right back into our water and dirt.  Plus, there is a ton of plastic garbage that comes along with those 20 different bottles of cleaner, and we all know how long that is going to stay in the landfill!!

When all is said and done.  A little bit of baking soda and vinegar can go a long way.  It's cheap and environmentally friendly, and of course it takes up much less space - in your cabinet and your wallet.  BUT if you are someone who is bothered by the smell of vinegar, even with essential oil, Mrs. Meyers has some fabulous cleaning products to try out.  They are great for the environment!  The only downside is that some of them can be a bit pricey.   To read more about Mrs. Meyers, click here, or check them out at your local Wal-Mart.

Part 1 - Homemade Cleaning Products

As I mentioned in my last post, Simple Start to Going Green, we started using homemade cleaning products.

The biggest change we made was by simply using a mixture of baking soda and vinegar for cleaning.  Baking soda and vinegar are both very gentle cleaners that do not harm most surfaces (I believe granite is the exception).  The one really great thing about baking soda and vinegar is that both are super cheap, especially compared to standard cleaning products!  We buy a 13.5 lb bag of baking soda at our local wholesale store, for around $5 and it lasts forever.  We buy whatever off-brand of vinegar is at the store we're shopping at.  It's all the same, and if it's just being used for cleaning, who cares what brand it is.  I know the kitchen sink doesn't care! 


There are many areas of your home that this combination can be used.  Just to name a few that we use:

• Sprinkle baking soda in sink and spray with vinegar to react, then scrub sink
• This can also be used for the shower as well, or a higher concentration of baking soda to make it more like a Soft Scrub
• Baking soda can be sprinkled in toilet and then sprayed with vinegar to react/fizz then clean 
• A tablespoon or two of vinegar added to a spray bottle of water is a great floor cleaner.
• A cup of baking soda added to laundry will help get clothes cleaner, get smells and stains out, as well as fight static -- don't get me started on how bad dryer sheets are!!
• Baking soda is also really good for deodorizing in general.  You can sprinkle your carpet and vaccuum it up.  Much safer than those fancy smelly ones that they sell these days.  
• One of my other favs is using baking soda for cleaning my teeth.   I keep a small container in the bathroom from time to time and use it as a natural, gentle whitening for my teeth.  And I *hope* it is also a breath freshener, since it's a deodorizer! ha!

Also, any of these homemade cleaning combinations can have essential oils added to them for a better smell, if the vinegar smell bothers you.

There are many other types of household items that can be made, such as homemade hand soaps and laundry soaps, but I haven't ventured that direction yet.  When I do... you guys will be the first to know.

So have any of you tried using homemade cleaning products?