Category Archives: Going "Natural"

DIY / Going "Natural"

DIY: Homemade Laundry Soap

February 21, 2019

As I mentioned in this post, I’ve been working on making most of the household cleaners we use myself, to both cut down on plastic waste and so I know what I’m putting on/around my kids.

There are a number of different recipes out there for making your own laundry soap, and the recipe below was not the first one I tested. The first batch I tried included Borax, but after reading up on Borax, I decided that it was an ingredient I didn’t want to include in my household cleaning products. (This is also the most likely reason that the dishwasher detergent recipe I used didn’t work well. Borax can really make a difference!)

I tested multiple laundry detergent recipes before landing on one I liked, and ultimately found the right recipe that makes a giant batch with minimal time commitment. Also, all the included ingredients have an A rating on the Environment Working Group website.

You don’t need a whole host of items to make your own laundry soap, and you can buy pretty much everything on Amazon for cheap and use the whole thing in one go. If you’re interested in making your own laundry detergent, below is the recipe I use, with a full linked ingredient list at the bottom of the post for shopping ease.

Recipe:

Laundry Detergent
55 oz / 3 lbs 7 oz super washing soda (one box)
64 oz / 4 lbs baking soda (one box)
4 bars castile soap
3 lbs OxiClean Baby or OxiClean Free (one container)
32 oz / 2lbs epsom salts (one bag) optional, acts as a softener

  1. Use a cheese grater to grate castile soap, or cut into pieces and add to a food processor with baking or washing soda then pulse to combine.
  2. Stir together all ingredients to combine and use 1 tablespoon per load — no softener needed. 

Shopping List:

Laundry Soap:
Washing Soda
Baking Soda
Bar Castile Soap
OxiClean Baby or OxiClean Free
Epsom Salts

Storage:
Large glass canister (for storing laundry soap — I also store excess washing soda, baking soda, and Epsom salt in these, since they come in a set of four)
Tablespoon scoop
Old-school label maker (if you’re extra type-A like me)

DIY / Going "Natural"

DIY: Homemade Cleaning Products

February 20, 2019

If you’ve ever done any research on the Environmental Working Group website, you’ve probably realized how many household and cleaning products are hazardous to the environment and/or your health. In an effort to limit the number of outside chemicals used in our home — especially those that come into contact with the kiddos — I decided to try and make most of our cleaning products myself.

There’s plenty of information out there on the web about how to DIY your own cleaning solutions, and after a little online sleuthing I set to work making ours and found it surprisingly easy and cost-effective. It requires a bit of an investment at the start, but overall I’ve found that my homemade recipes go further than the “traditional” cleaners I used before, and because I purchase the ingredients in bulk they end up costing less over time. Making my own products has also drastically cut down on the single-use plastic bottles coming into our home as well.

I’ve tried multiple recipes and have listed out the ones I use and like below. I tested multiple laundry detergent recipes before landing on one I liked (that post is coming up tomorrow!), and also tried both homemade dish soap and dishwasher soap, but hated both and so haven’t included those recipes here.

You don’t need a whole host of items to make your own cleaning products, and you can buy pretty much everything in bulk at Costco and/or on Amazon for cheap. If you’re interested in making your own cleaning products, below are the recipes I use, with a linked ingredient list at the bottom of the post for shopping ease.

Recipes:

All-Purpose Surface Spray
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup purified water
20 drops essential oil
*I like to use a mix of seasonal/citrus essential oils in this for the kitchen spray and tea tree essential oil for the bathroom spray

Wood Furniture Spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup purified water
20 drops essential oil
*I like to use eucalyptus or pine, and sometimes mix it with lemon

Glass Spray
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
2-3 drops liquid castile soap
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2 cups purified water
10 drops citrus essential oil

Tub and Tile Scrub
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
10 drops tea tree or thieves essential oil
1 cup baking soda
*add ingredients to a mason jar in the order listed, then shake to combine

Sink/Stove/Counter Abrasive Cleaner
I use straight baking soda mixed with a tiny bit of water and use a microfiber cloth or scrub brush

Shopping List:

Cleaning:
Baking Soda
Distilled White Vinegar
Liquid Castile Soap
Purified Water
Rubbing Alcohol
Essential Oils*: tea tree, thieves (this is a less expensive dupe), lemon, eucalyptus, pine, grapefruit, tangerine, orange
*My recommendation would be to start with three essential oils: 1. tea tree or thieves, 2. eucalyptus or pine, and 3. a citrus. This is a nice starter mix, though you may want to add on a citrus oil to it. This assortment is a nice mix if you want more than one citrus option. This is also a great comprehensive starter pack.

Storage:
Glass amber bottles (I use 8, 16, and 32 oz bottles)
Mason jars
Old-school label maker (if you’re extra type-A like me)

DIY / Going "Natural"

Get Rid of Fruit Flies (the natural way)

July 31, 2014

fruit bowl

Well kiddos, sorry for the radio silence over here the past few weeks.  Prior to the beginning of this week, I was soaking up every minute of my forced summer vacation, and relaxing like I’ve never relaxed before.  I must say, it was pretty nice.  But, alas, I got a new job and returned to work this week.  So I’m back in the routine of being a real person now, which means that the blog may or may not be making a comeback onto your computer screens.

Let’s transition to what this post is actually about, shall we?

I don’t know about you guys, but this is the time of year when my countertops are generally overflowing with summer produce.  Tomatoes, summer plums, peaches, melons…  I hoard them and eat them by the dozen.  All this fruit ripening away on the counter though generally means that at some point or another we get overrun with fruit flies.  And it’s really not so appetizing to grab a nectarine from the fruit basket and immediately see a swarm of gnats start buzzing about.

I don’t like the idea of spraying a bunch of chemicals near the fruit I eat, (I mean, I try to avoid pesticides in my food before I buy it, so why would I want to add some after the fact?) so I did a little research on how to deal with the fruit fly problem naturally.  After a bit of googling and a trial run, I found the perfect natural solution.  Here’s what you’ll need:

  • small bowl or container (I used a small mason jar)
  • apple cider vinegar
  • dish soap
  • plastic wrap
  • rubber band
  • small sharp knife
  1. Place a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into the bowl or container you’re using.  Add a squirt of dish soap, then cover the top with plastic wrap.
  2. Secure the plastic wrap around the edge with a rubber band, then take a small knife and cut a few slits in the top of the wrap.
  3. Place your contraption near where the flies are congregating and let it sit for a few days, and that’s it!

The fruit flies will be attracted to the smell of the apple cider vinegar and will fly into the container through the slits in the top.  Once in there, they will be trapped by the plastic wrap.  Also, the dish soap changes the surface tension of the water, making it so that the flies drown if they land in it.

Easy right?  Problem solved!

Going "Natural"

Back to Basics: How to go “No ‘Poo”

March 26, 2010

Ok, first I’d like to apologize for the lack of photos in this post, as well as the extreme length of what’s to follow; but I realized that a lot of the basic information on how to go without shampoo and conditioner is a bit chopped up on here (and on the internet… yeah, it’s a sh#@ show out there for those of you researching going no ‘poo), so I’ve decided to condense the necessary info into one post (think of it as the Campbell’s soup version of no ‘poo info — dense, but all you’ve ever needed.  Minus the water and microwave…)

First things first, I recommend brushing your hair before getting into the shower to assist in the detangling process (as, remember, you’re not going to have the detangling power of conditioner on your side).

Here’s what you’ll need to go no ‘poo (seriously, who the F named this movement??):

-Baking soda
-Apple Cider Vinegar
-2 squeeze bottles (I use two 8 oz ones I found in the travel section at Target — 99¢!)
-Tablespoon measure
-Comb
-Any additives you want to add to the Apple Cider Vinegar rinse (see ADDITIONS TO THE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR RINSE discussion below)

***NOTE: I RECOMMEND WASHING YOUR HAIR NO MORE THAN ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK ON THIS DIET.  YOUR HAIR DOES NOT NEED TO BE (NOR SHOULD IT BE) WASHED EVERY DAY, OR EVEN EVERY OTHER DAY.

Ok, onwards and upwards.

CLEANSING:

Use 1 tbsp. baking soda mixed with 1 cup (8 oz) water.  Make sure to shake up the mix before applying it to your hair, as the baking soda tends to settle at the bottom of the bottle.  I like to use one of those 8 oz squeeze bottles I found at Target in the travel section (99¢!  Can’t beat that.)  for this and the Apple Cider Vinegar rinse.

Wet your hair thoroughly.  Squeeze the baking soda rinse over your hair, paying particular attention to your roots (as the baking soda is what will keep your hair from becoming a greasy mess over the course of the week, so put it where it counts).  Once the entire mixture is on your hair, comb through your hair with your fingers or a comb.  Make sure to massage your scalp as this step is important in making sure your scalp gets clean, which will give your hair greater volume once dry.  I like to use a comb for this step as it helps keep my hair untangled as well.

Leave the rinse on your hair for 30 seconds to 1 minute (or longer if you find your hair is getting very greasy throughout the week), then rinse well.  When I say rinse well, I’m not joking (I know, if I was it would be HILARIOUS).  If you don’t rinse adequately, some baking soda can be left on your scalp which will leave you with an itchy head until your next wash (“Um, ew, do you have lice???”)  Yeah, neither fun nor funny.

CONDITIONING:

The basic recipe for this is 1/2 – 1 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with 1 cup (8 oz) water.  You can increase or decrease the amount of vinegar based on your hair’s reaction (add more if you find your hair is dry — 1 tbsp; add less if it’s on the oily side — 1/2 tbsp).

After cleansing and rinsing, squeeze the Apple Cider Vinegar mix over your hair, then comb through.  With this mix, you may want to pay more attention to the ends of your hair as this is what generally needs more moisture.  Once you’ve let the mixture sit for 30 seconds to 1 minute, rinse well.  (I rinse this mix out with cool water as I’ve heard it increases shine.  Whether this is actually true or not, I have no idea; so, experiment and decide for yourself.)

REMEMBER: Though you may be turned off by the smell of the vinegar in the shower (I call it “Romaine fresh”), the smell will not stay on your hair (even if you don’t rinse the vinegar out). Once your hair is dry, it will smell normal (unless you style it with something weird after the fact. Gross.  I mean… no judgment.)

You can adjust the Apple Cider Vinegar mix as follows based on how your hair is reacting to the natural diet:

If your hair is EXTRA DRY AND/OR CURLY/VERY PRONE TO TANGLES: comb the ACV rinse through your hair and don’t rinse it out.  Leaving the rinse on your hair will help maintain moisture as well as act as a detangler.

If your hair is DRY: comb the ACV rinse through your hair and do a very quick rinse (like, if you were being graded on how thoroughly you’re rinsing your hair — A, being totally rinsed — you’d basically get a D… or an F+.  Don’t worry, you won’t be graded in real life on this…  If you are, I don’t know what to tell you; other than your home life sounds weird.)

A note for those of you who experience dry hair on this diet. If you’ve left the ACV rinse on your hair (no rinsing) and still experience dryness, you can cut down the Baking Soda rinse to once a week(or less), or even cut out the Baking Soda rinse altogether, as this is the part of the routine which is drying.  Know that if you up the number of times per week you use the ACV rinse, it may actually be more drying for your hair (thus, why you should cut down on the baking soda, rather than up the ACV).

If your hair is NORMAL: comb the ACV rinse through your hair and rinse thoroughly.

If your hair is OILY: squeeze the ACV mix over the ends of your hair and avoid your roots (as this is where your excess oil is coming from).

If your hair is EXTRA OILY: skip the ACV rinse altogether.  (However, after a week or two on the natural diet, your scalp should re-adjust itself to not be so greasy so you should be able to add the ACV rinse back into your routine.  See below.)

A note for those of you who experience oily hair on this diet: this should be temporary.  Shampoo is basically a detergent which strips your hair of its natural oils (the very oils hair needs to regulate itself and look healthy and shiny).  On the natural diet, your natural oils aren’t stripped away when you wash.  Because of this, your scalp might over-produce these oils for a week or two while adjusting to the no ‘poo.  Know that the greasy period should be temporary, and stick it out (maybe with a hat or two).

ADDITIONS TO THE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR RINSE:

You can add a number of things to the ACV rinse to cut down on the “salad smell” and/or add to the natural benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar.

Herbs: (information below comes from this site)

Burdock: great for thinning hair, dry, irritated scalp, dandruff, and seborrhea
Calendula: conditions
Catnip: Promotes healthy hair growth (among other hilarious benefits…)
Chamomile: a healing and soothing herb to soften hair, soothe the scalp, lighten, condition, and stimulate growth
Horsetail: Helps brittle hair due to its high silica content
Lavender: useful for all hair types it stimulates hair growth, and de-greases
Marigold: lightens hair color
Nettle: conditions, improves color and texture, helps with dandruff, irritated scalp, and dry scalp
Parsley: enriches hair color and gives a nice luster
Plantain: great for dry, irritated scalp, dandruff, and seborrhea
Peppermint: stimulates the scalp
Rosemary: excellent for all hair types and problems it acts as a tonic and conditioner, one of the best herbs to use, gives luster and body, stimulates growth, helps with dandruff, and brings out dark highlights in the hair
Sage: traditionally used to restore color to graying hair, excellent for week hair
Saw Palmetto: good for hair thinning and hair loss
Thyme: good for oily hair, dandruff, and mild hair loss
Witch Hazel: leaves and bark are astringent and cleanse oily hair
Yarrow: for oily hair
Yucca: Navajos swear by yucca root to prevent hair loss and to cure dandruff

For these, the rinse will be made from the actual herbs (not essential oils). You can use dried or fresh herbs. As a reference, if making a Rosemary rinse, use 2 sprigs, approximately 5 inches each, of fresh Rosemary; or use 1 tbsp. dried Rosemary in 1-2 cups water. If using loose herbs, use a teabag (or something similar); or strain your mix before using (because, really, is that a thyme leaf in your hair?) A coffee filter is helpful for this. Also, you can steep your herbs in boiling water (15 minutes minimum), or simply leave them in hot tap water (overnight at least, 2 weeks is ideal — seriously). Remember, the longer the herb sits in the mix, the more concentrated the beneficial effects of the herb will be in the rinse.

Essential Oils:

Do your research on essential oils before adding them in to your ACV rinse, as some essential oils can irritate your skin if not used correctly. Lavender essential oil (which I use in my rinse) is one of the few essential oils which can be used directly on your skin.  If you decide to use an essential oil in your rinse, MAKE SURE that it is pure and not the cheaper “fragrance oil” or “nature identical oil.” Although this is the most expensive part of the natural diet (if you opt to use one), you only need one drop (yes, that’s right, 1 drop) in the ACV rinse; so that little vial that cost you somewhere between $9 and $30 will last you a whopping 3 years.

Where to buy: essential oils are not super common, but can be found at health food stores like GNC or Whole Foods, or online. I got mine at The Vitamin Shoppe (I have no idea why it’s called “Shoppe”; last time I checked it wasn’t an old-fashioned candy store) $8.99 for .5 oz of lavender essential oil.

I think that’s pretty much all the info you need.  This will be one of the last no ‘poo/go natural posts, as the month is nearly over and I will be making the transition to my next 30 day challenge very soon.  If you have any additional questions, post a comment or email me (I’ll get back to you, I promise).

I hope you all try going no ‘poo for 30 days; and if you do, I’d love to hear how it works for you!  Good luck (and, more importantly, good hair!)

Going "Natural"

Boo

March 24, 2010

Got a call this morning that my stylist is sick, so I won’t be able to get my hair cut today as planned.  What a bummer!  On the plus side, got to have lunch in San Jose with my sister and my brother (who’s home from college on spring break.  Braden gone wild!)  Aren’t we just an adorable bunch…

Ok so that was going to be a sibling picture (trust me, it was cute), but my mom’s computer is slower than that guy’s speech you met at the bar last Friday night.  I don’t know what the deal is with the computer/site/internet connection, but it felt like I was trying to download music off Napster from my dial-up internet connection circa 1998 (not that I EVER did that).  Apparently something in the equation of iMac + WordPress + AT&T internet = FAIL Fixed!

Ok I’m off!  Gotta go grill Braden (the extra cool one in the photo…) about this quarter’s happenings at everyone’s favorite UC…  I’ll post again once I’m on a computer that doesn’t take 40 hours to upload a photo later!