Tree Huggin'

It aaaalll started when I declared my major at Texas A&M- Nutritional Sciences. That led to my 1st job at WIC (Women, Infants, and Children- where I counseled women on their health during pregnancy, postpartum, as well as their infants and children up to 5yo). There I learned the importance of breastfeeding over giving formula (for more reasons than you care for me to get into for this post, I promise).



So, when Ada was born, I dedicated myself to giving her only Nature's Best. Which inadvertently led to all homemade, organic babyfood. Which has ultimately to led to this: homemade household cleaners. After doing some research (actually instigated by an initial desire to save a few $$$- stupid economy), I was disgusted to realize how harmful the typical cleaners we use in our homes are. Fertility and reproductive problems, cancer, and environmental issues (duh) are just a few. Then, on top of the benefits to our health and earth, these homemade products benefit our pocketbooks as well. Here are the few I've begun with- as a novice tree hugger, there are still quite a few things I'd like to try!

This is the all purpose cleaner. All that this consists of is a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and tap water. I sprinkled a few drops of lavendar essential oil (known for its antiseptic properties- you could also use tea tree or lemon essential oils) for a fresh, floral scent. And I just mixed all of this in an old Clorox spray bottle.

*From what I know, oils are heat and light sensitive (will become rancid)- so I would keep your oil (and anything containing it) somewhere dark and cool.

This is dishwashing detergent. I'm not sure what I think about this one, yet. I've only used it once in the dishwasher, and a few dishes seemed a little spotty still. All that is in this is 1 cup washing soda (not baking soda- this is in the laundry aisle, and it smells like heaven) and 1 cup borax (also in the laundry aisle). I also put a few drops of lavendar essential oil in this as well- for scent purposes.

OK, this stuff surprised me. This is simply baking soda with a few drops of- you guessed it- lavendar essential oil. Baking soda neutralizes odors, so when you add the scented oil, it becomes an all natural air freshener. I have had this sitting by Ada's trashcan all week- and then tonight I sprinkled it onto the carpet before I vaccumed and it smells delectable in my house. (I chose lavendar because it's not only an antiseptic, it's also used to calm in aromatherapy- which we need around here at bedtime!)

And the most important of the things I made this week: laundry detergent. I knew that scented detergents and fabric softeners were not good for Ada- especially as she struggles with some allergies. Hypoallergenic, pure products can break the bank, though; so this one thrills me. Our clothes have never been softer! The formula for this stuff is: 1 bar zote soap (I couldn't find it- you can use ivory) grated up, 2 cups washing soda, and 2 cups borax. Then pulse all of these in your food processor or blender until its a fine powder. It gets surprisingly fine, surprisingly fast! I'm telling you, the washing soda smells SO clean and fresh- I didn't even add my customary lavendar!

*A little extra tid bit: if you add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle (or in a Downy ball, or if your washing machine has a dispenser for it like ours, just do it at the beginning of the load), your clothes will feel like pillows. And NO vinegar smell, I PROMISE!

My friend Kimberly Hill (http://snakedike.blogspot.com/) led me to this blogger's post: http://www.supercinski.net/superclean/. This is where I got all of my recipes, and where I plan to go when I'm ready to try a new one!