Friday, October 23, 2009

Going Chartreuse

It's been a minute since I developed an interest in being more environmentally conscious. Going green can be such a huge lifestyle change so I thought it would be best for me to tackle it in very small baby steps. My first steps taken were purchasing reusable grocery bags and replacing blown light bulbs with those CFC energy efficient light bulbs. Okay, those steps are operating effortlessly now so I think it's time to make another move. So, what's next on project going light green, chartreuse if you will ... a couple of cleaning supplies.

1. All Purpose Cleaner. The Healthy Hostess has several simple, green clean recipes that I will try eventually. The first on deck is her all purpose cleaner recipe below. You can check out other great recipes for oven and toilet bowl cleaners by clicking on her link.
  • 2 cups of white distilled vinegar
  • 2 cups of water
  • optional - drops of essential oil (your choice)

2. Laundry Detergent. Now I must admit, I'm a little shy about this one because I've bought into the spiel that I must purchase one of the top brands to get the best results. Nonetheless, I'm going to try it since trusted bloggers such as The Lost Goat and Jabs at Debt Free Adventure have all tried it with great success. There are also a host of great tips and recipes here, at Tipnut. I plan to make a powder version with this simple recipe found on both Jab's and Tipnut's sites.

Basically it's a 2 to 1 ratio from what I can tell; 2 parts shaved soap to 1 part borax and 1 part washing soda. Jab did a great job with his pictorial tutorial and he does an excellent job with the cost breakdown as well - I'm not as much concerned about the cost but it's great info.

Who knew I would be so excited about making my own laundry detergent. Geez louise, what's happening to me? Hmm, I'm not sure but I like it so off to the store I go. Have a great weekend everyone!

***FYI ... I'm not sure why the hyperlinks don't show up with a line under them if you receive these posts via email. For those who receive e-mails of the posts I believe the hyperlinks show up as blue colored words, such as The Healthy Hostess and Tipnut. Just in case it's not blue for all e-mail readers, you can tell if a word is a hyperlink or not because it would be the same color as the post's title. For those who read via the blog, the same is true except the color isn't blue - it's the same reddish-orangish color used for the title and signature. Are we all clear as mud now? Thanks loyal reader who brought this to my attention;-).

6 comments:

Matt Jabs said...

Making your own products has very little to do with savings, and much more to do with self-reliance, family fellowship, and a sense of accomplishment.

The fact that the more homemade products you make, the more money you save, is just a cool bonus!

Glad you're trying it Lydia!

Cheers.

Yum Yucky said...

I LOVE cleaning with vinegar. But hubby complains so I stopped. BUT! I'm gonna start again. Thanks for reminding me that vinegar is awesome!

Mama Pea said...

I'm like you with the laundry soap, and bad as it is, I just like my clothes to smell Downy fresh. Cripes. But I MUST try the homemade cleaner. Thanks for the tips!!!

Money Funk said...

I can't use homemade laundry cleaner because I hear they do not work with hard water. And we have just that. Hear that the hard water + homemade laundry soap = dingy gray clothes.

However, I do use Fels Naptha to get out stains. This little $.50 bar that I get on from the top shelf of my grocery store is a hefty stain fighter that works great!

Ms. MoneyChat said...

christine - as crazy as this may sound ... how do i know if i have hard water? i kee hearing about this hard water.

Eron Napier said...

These tips are green - both for the environment, and your finances! I've been using homemade/simple cleaners for years and can attest to the fact that they do WORK. No harsh chemicals. No toxins. No wasted money.