Shopping List

I came to the realization earlier this week that I should give everyone a shopping list of commonly purchased items for your clean n’ green supply locker.  I think you will be amazed at how simple and inexpensive this style of living can truly be.  I bet most of you have at least five of these already. 

Just in time for your weekly trip to the grocery store here it is.  The list is broken out into two categories, those items purchased frequently and those used frequently.  The items used frequently tend to be more expensive in comparison but they last along time.  I buy so much vinegar that cashiers always ask me what I’m canning!

Frequently Purchased

*White Vinegar

*Apple Cider Vinegar

*Baking Soda

Washing Soda

Borax

Fels Napa (or perfume free soap of your choice)

Hydrogen Peroxide

Cornstarch or Arrowroot

Witch Hazel

Isopropyl Alcohol

Frequently Used

Castile soap

Coconut Oil

Vitamin E Oil

Avocado Oil

Apricot Oil

Essential Oils

Jojoba Oil

Citric Acid or Fruit Fresh

Course Kosher Salt

* The best price for these items has been Costco or another Bulk Warehouse type store.

Boil Away Foul Air

Cooking, pets, husbands and kids can leave our home with less then desirable smells.  Most of us are horrified at the idea of a friend coming over and saying our house smells so we spend a fortune on room sprays, candles and other products that mask the odors and leave toxins in our air.  Stop wasting your money and buy the one product that eliminates odors…..Vinegar! No surprise, vinegar is one of my cleaning super products.   

Method:

Boil equal parts water and vinegar

Super easy and super efficient.  You can boil the mix while you cook, while you eat or any point during the day.  It’s important to note that too much vinegar will leave your house, less then inviting so dilute it.    

We use to live within five miles from a local pig farm and when the wind blew just right on a hot summer day our house smelt like we lived at the pig farm.   A couple couples boiling on the stove and home smelt clean again. 

Stain Fighting Power

Weather you buy your clothes new or shop resale, we pay a lot of money for our clothes.  I shop conservatively so I can wear items for multiple seasons.  I’m guilty of having clothes in my closet that are from my early college days, over ten years ago.  What I have found works best for treating stains in our family is one of three methods below.  There are hundreds of stain treatment possibilities based on stain type and materials affected.  This recipe is for your everyday food, dirt and baby poop variety stain on cotton and cotton blends. 

Ingredients:

Spray Bottle

Hydrogen Peroxide

Baking Soda or Washing Soda

Hand Soap

Water

In a light blocking spray bottle mix equal parts water, hand soap and hydrogen peroxide add 3 table spoons baking soda or washing soda.  I’ve used both and can’t tell a difference between the two.  Mix and apply as needed.  Shake the bottle before each application.

Rinse the stained article with cold water, removing any debris.  Use the above mix to spray onto the article scrub as needed or let dry.  Wash as normal

*For the best results in stain fighting treat the stain immediately.    

Some great pretreatment options include:

Mix cold water and baking soda together and soak the affected items until you have time to deal with it.  I found this method very helpful when I was used cloth diapers.  Thoroughly rinse the article and drop it in a bucket. 

For tougher stains pretreat the article using the above mix and rub in some additional Fels Napa soap.  Rub the article together to work deep into the stain.  A stiff bristle brush would also work.   

The most natural way to remove stains is with sun bleaching.  I found this especially useful to keep my cloth diapers bright white and looking new.  This was very helpful for those baby clothes after diaper explosions.  All of my baby poop stains were soaked in baking soda until wash day, which averaged every third day.   Baking soda neutralized any odor on the items.  After washing the items in cold water, hang them in the sun to dry.  The sun works as natural bleach on the stains.  Some stains will need longer exposure then others.  There are tips for line drying your clothes so they don’t get stiff, but I never followed them.  I always rewashed these items anyway.  I know not very green, but I live in the desert where it’s always blazing hot and dusty out.  Clothes just don’t come off the line smelling like a summer breeze out here.

Using these methods I really don’t recall any of our daughter’s baby clothes falling victim to permanent stains.  At least not yet! 

**Nothing on here is an exact science, experiment with ingredients and measurements.  Every recipe I have found has been tweaked from the original to work based off my needs. 

Cost Savings:

Shout 30oz: $4.52

Peroxide: $1.50

Dish & Hand Soap

This is incredibly easy and again cheap.  If you have not noticed already those are two things that perk my interest.  My Sister in Law spent the day with me a couple months back and she was amazed at how quick and easy it was for me to whip up a batch of liquid and powder laundry soap, dishwasher detergent and dish/hand soap.  When I first started out making these items she was intrigued but intimidated to try it on her own.  So that afternoon we had a show and tell session in my kitchen which my husband says doubles as the "lab".  Once she realized how easy the whole process was, she had girls day back home showing off her new skills. 

1 bar of grated soap

1/2 gallon water

2 tbsp glycerin

Decorative soap dispenser

Mix ingredients together in a large pot on the stove. Set over low heat, stirring occasionally until the soap has dissolved. Transfer to a jar and cover tightly. For thinner gel soap, use 1 gallon of water.  This works both for dish and hand soap.  Most of my dishes find their way to the dishwasher, so if you find this soap doesn’t hold up to your hand washing liking, try adding baking soda to the batch.   

For the kitchen and utility sink I keep soap made from Fels Napa bars.  These have better grease cutting properties.  Feel free to use Castile (like Dr. Bonners) or any soap of your choice.  If you want something that will not dry out your skin stick with a castile soap. 

I like to watch out for decorative soap pumps from second hand stores but you can reuse any pump you have on hand.  For a really cute look buy a “mason jar pump” from www.etsy.com.

Natural Fabric Softener

I’ve never really been keen on fabric softeners in my wash and I’ve always been too frugal to buy dryer sheets. Occasionally over the years, I would grab a bottle from Costco.  When I did use them, I always felt like there was a residue left on my clothes so those purchases were few and far between.   Keep in mind our detergents and fabric softeners untimely end up in our drinking water.   Like other commercially produced products fabric softeners are packed full of  chemicals that mimic natural ingredients and are monitored closely by the EPA.   

If you are into big business conspiracies think about this.  If not skip ahead to the next paragraph, no hurt feelings.  The same manufacturer who produces detergent also sells, fabric softener and dryer sheets.  That equals to a lot of money to have soft wrinkle free laundry.  This is where the vicious cycle of dependency begins.  We feel compelled to continue using all the products to get the results you desire, the results the manufacturer promised.  Why not have one product that doesn’t harm your clothes or your health?  For them it is all about the profits.  Most of us walk around oblivious to there being anything harmful about the products we use because the government has approved their use……..Think again.  Big business fuels big government.

But what if you could use a detergent that reduced your dependency from static cling and wrinkles?  Start by trying one of my recipes for homemade detergent or source out one on the web that works best for your needs. 

In lieu of fabric softeners try adding ½ cup white vinegar to your washer.  Not only will the vinegar break down any remaining soap residue in your laundry it will clean your washer.  No need to worry about your clothes smelling like vinegar the smell with dissipate in the dryer if any carries over from the washer.  None of my non “Crunchy” friends have never told me my clothes, bedding or towels smell, so I take that as success. 

You can also add dryer balls to the dryer to expedite drying.  My aunt was doing this year’s ago and I thought she was crazy until I went home and Goggled it.  This way you are saving money on dryer sheets and electricity. 

Cost Savings:
Downey Free & Clear Fabric Softener 103fl oz: 9.99
Distilled White Vinegar 128fl oz: 3.99

Repurposing Baking Soda

In yesterdays post I showed you how to make your own odor jars for the house.  But what do you do with the baking soda at the end of the month?  The whole point of Clean N’ Green living is to reduce our dependency on commercial products, leave the Earth better then we found it and keep our hard earned money in our pockets.  So here are a few uses for your used baking soda.

Garbage Disposal:

            Empty used jar of baking soda down the kitchen sink, flush with 1 cup of vinegar.  Wait 10 minutes and rinse with hot water.  Keep in mind that everything you rinse down the sink, bathtub and flush down the toilet ends back up in our drinking water.  If you happen to be on septic system like we are the baking soda again neutralizes the tank and keeps everything decomposing nicely.   I’m happy to report we’ve lived in our home for two years and never needed it pumped. 

Toilet Bowl:

            Pour used jar of baking soda into your toilet bowl and scrub with toilet brush.  Again the baking soda will brighten and reduce any odors.

Grease Stains:

            If your husband spends hours in the garage working on the cars like mine you are bound to end up with a grease stain or two in the garage or driveway.  Pour the baking soda on the stain and allow it to absorb.  Sweep up contents and scrub clean.

Patio Furniture:

            Now that the summer months are upon use, clean up your stored patio furniture with a baking soda paste wash.  Not only is the mix toxic free but you will find your furniture bright and shiny.  Plus you don’t have to worry about scuffs.  I can’t count how many times as a kid I cleaned my parent’s patio furniture with Comet and inhaled the fumes.   

The possibilities are endless, just be creative.  Personally, I would stay away from reusing the baking soda on your furniture or carpet because you do not want your mattress to smell like last week’s fish dinner.

Cost Savings:

Disposer Care: $7.80

Soft Scrub: $4.35

Griot’s Garage Oil & Grease Cleaner: $13.99

Comet: $1.07  

Trapping Odors

We’ve all fallen victim to purchasing the little orange cardboard box of Baking Soda with removable sides and placed it in our fridge, freeze, car and any other place that accumulates odors.  Well stop paying $3.00 a box and make your own reusable packs.  If you haven’t noticed by now, I am addicted to the 101 ways to use baking soda within the home.  This post is no different.  We buy the 13.5lb bag from Costco for less than $6.00.  That’s a huge savings since most grocery stores sell the generic brand 1lb box for $1.00!  When you stop and think about 13.5lbs of baking soda for $6.00 and all the things you can do with it…EEEEKKKK! Bottom line, saving money here lets me enjoy more SHOE SHOPPING!

What makes baking soda so intriguing is that it has a neutralizing pH; which makes it perfect for odor control and cleaning. 

Materials:

Glass jar: I use canning jars or recycled glass jars

Baking Soda

Optional: fabric and rubber band

Directions:

 Fill your jar/container ¾ of the way full with baking soda. 

*You can go as simple or fancy as your heart desires.  If you plan to set the jar out on the counter you might want to dress it up with cute fabric and ribbon.  If you are going to use it in the fridge/freezer use whatever material you have lying around.  I happened to have excess fabric from a Christmas jar craft already cut to size.  

            Cap the jar using a piece of fabric and secure with the canning jar ring or rubber band

Voila!  Just like that you saved at least $6.00 a month.  Replace monthly or as needed.  Check in tomorrow to find out how you can dispose of your used baking soda every month and clean your house at the same time.