I just read a wonderful post from Passionate Homemaking on green options for taking care of the family laundry. I was very impressed with the cost comparisons and descriptions that the author, Lindsay Edmonds, included. I’m looking forward to doing my own comparisons with some of the options that Lindsay explored. For a do-it-yourself recipe and a seedy option, please check out the Passionate Homemaking blog. I’m sure you will enjoy the Homemade Laundry Detergent, Charlies & Soap Nuts post and many others!

Did you see the add on Ideal Bite’s website for eco-friendly shoes from Payless?!

In keeping with my quest for sustainable clothing I needed to check them out. And, just in time to trade in the winter boots for something light. After trying out the selection at my local Payless store, I selected the casual brown Ginger Mary Jane style. These are made with organic cotton uppers and recycled rubber soles. Even the elastic strap is made from recycled recycled PET.

I’ve had them now for a couple weeks and they are still comfortable and enjoyable to wear. A nice under $25 find!

Check out all of the Zoe&Zac styles at Payless ShoeSource.

…and getting them clean!

This has been the challenge in my house ever since I converted the household to green cleaning. How will we get the dishes spot free without our mainstream dish detergent? So far we’ve tried several options and Seventh Generation has performed quite well.

This weekend, however, I received my shipment from the Ecostore. I won a $25 gift certificate from The Queen Mommy’s Cafe. Honestly! [by the way, April 3oth is National Honesty Day, you may read about it on her blog]. After reading about the Queen Mommy’s satisfaction with the EcoStore’s laundry whitener (and having less than satisfactory results in that area myself), I knew I wanted to try it too. To fill out my order I included the hand dishwashing liquid and two bars of soap.

The dishwash liquid is made from a blend of palm and coconut surfactants into a super concentrated formula. The directions call for using only a squirtful for a sink full of dishes. Knowing how much liquid we usually use, I immediately created a small amount of diluted solution (about 2/3rds water) in an empty dishwashing liquid container.

I was first surprised at the rich amount of suds that developed. The dish liquid I was currently using claimed to produce “lots of suds” when in reality it produced hardly any. Despite being watered down, I was able to wash the glassware to my satisfaction (i.e. no finger prints or spots). The real test came from trying to clean the glass measuring cups that I had just used to make a batch of lotion.

My homemade lotion is made by blending vegetable oil, water and melted beeswax. A desirable quality of lotion is that it doesn’t wash off easily, at least that’s what I’m looking for. Since I’m still an aprentice lotion maker, I’m rather messy on the job. Trying to wash lotion off the dishes while my hands are heavily coated (from trying to clean up the excess lotion) is no easy feat! In the spirit of National Honesty Day, I must admit that clean-up takes much longer than I’d like. Yet, my new dishwash liquid (even diluted) cut through the lotion and cleaned the glass (after a second washing)! Hurray!

Now I need to go check on the laundry…

Make-it Monday is for the do-it-yourself folks. I will post ideas on Mondays so that you have time to plan ahead and can use the rest of the week to gather any necessary items.

Let us start with an easy one. In my last post I suggested some inexpensive items to add to your next grocery list. If you already picked up the distilled white vinegar (made from grain), great! If not, there’’s still time.

All-Purpose Household Cleanser/disinfectant

supplies: clean spray bottle, vinegar, water (optional: essential oil such as lavender or grapefruit)

Step 1 – fill bottle half-way with plain water

Step 2 – fill rest of bottle with vinegar

Step 3 – spray surface to be cleaned (!!!NOT MARBLE!!!!)

Step 4 – wipe clean with a sponge or  soft cloth

Now, is not that easy?

BONUS TIPS:

Surface does not seem clean enough? Try full-strength vinegar next time and let the surface soak for a few minutes.

Do not like the vinegar smell? Add a few drops (3-5) of your choice of essential oil. The vinegar disappears fairly quickly leaving a more pleasant sent behind.

…the grocery store aisles, that is.

I have been reading two very informative books on simplifying the household cleaning chores. The first book, Organic Housekeeping, by Ellen Sandbeck, I discussed here earlier. The other book is Green This!, by Deidre Imus. Both are full of suggestions for how to eliminate the toxins in your cleaning routine and Ms. Imus goes into detail on why we do not want these toxins in our homes.

Reading these books and following the cleaning suggestions described by these two ladies can seem like a daunting big step if taken in all at once. But even big bites can be broken down into little nibbles.

One of the steps toward healthier housekeeping is acquiring the right ingredients. So, here is Baby Step No. 1. – the next time you are in the grocery store, big up the following:

• A large bottle of distilled white vinegar. Look for the kind that specifically says it is main from grain. Vinegar can also be produced as a petroleum by-product, so unless the bottle says “from grain”, we may not know the actual origin. Heinz is one example.
• a large box of baking soda.
• Optional: a bottle of distilled water.

All of the above should add less than $5 to your grocery bill. If you want to stretch this Baby Step a bit further, also pick up an empty spray bottle, preferably with a trigger similar to those used for glass cleaners.

That is all there is to to Baby Step No. 1.