Courtesy of "The Green Goose"
When those surrounding me realize how literally hippie I am, they tend to balk.
Majority
of them are past the whole "too cool to be green" thing that was going
on for a while, but no one is immune to the sticker shock! Today's
major corporations are banking big on the fact that we genuinely WANT
to be more conscious about how we treat the earth. The "green" products
are generally priced a noticeable amount higher than the other
cleaning products, and sadly, it causes many people to shy away from
them.
I
was a bit more stubborn than most. Growing up, I was always told I
could argue with a fence post and win... and I fully intended to use
that to my advantage. We definitely couldn't go completely green with
the price of the products available, so we just had to find a solution.
As I began researching this online, I learned quite a few interesting
things. One that really made me angry, and definitely motivated me...
most of these "green" products were really only normal cleaning
products, with a few drops of essential oils in them, and a fancy new
label... now I was really motivated! I started in the kitchen, and
worked my way through the whole house.
Cleaning Products:
My absolute favorite cleaning products is Vinegar. Hands Down. I use it for EVERYTHING!
I
simply reuse a spray bottle, and put 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water.
Safe for any and everything! Windows, Glass, Counter tops, Showers,
Baths, Floors, anything you can think of :)
If I want a little more sanitizing action, then a few drops of Tea
Tree Oil in the mixture does the trick. The best part? Vinegar costs
$2 a gallon.
When
I need a little extra scrubbing power, I take a little salt, or baking
soda, or both, and sprinkle them over the tough spot. Scrub a little,
and voila! These 2 ingredients are probably already in your kitchen,
and part of your household larder, cant get better than that!
Okay,
so I know your probably a little skeptical about these, right? Surely
they cant cut it all! What about soap scum? Easy peasy! I scrub my
shower with lemon. Just take a lemon, cut it in half, and have at it!
works like a charm!
What
about paper towels? They were one of the first things we cut out. I
went to the local dollar store(family dollar had the best deals for us)
and bought giant packs of wash rags. I paid something like $5 for 25
cloths. $10 dollars later, our paper towel problems were solved. Make
sure you buy enough that you don't have to wash on a schedule to avoid
running out. My drawer was always full, and often overflowing, so I
never missed not having paper towels. I kept a small laundry basket,
and later a hanging wet bag in the kitchen and just tossed the dirties
in there, and into the wash.
At the sink is where it gets tricky.
I have yet to try making my own dish soap, but this blog: http://frugallygreen.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-make-your-own-dishwasher.html has me inspired!
Normally
for dish soap I go to our nearest health food store, and get super
concentrated dishwasher soap out of the bulk bins. its $3 or so
dollars a lb, and you mix 1 part of it, to 2 parts water. I usually do
1 part mix, 1 part vinegar, 1 part water. This goes in the
dishwasher as well.
For the spot free rinse for the dishwasher, I simply use vinegar. I'm telling ya, this stuff is good for EVERYTHING.
In
the laundry room we use soap nuts for our laundry detergent. Soapnuts
are dried nuts that contain natural sopanins. They are great for
sensitive skin, cloth diaper safe, and clean just about anything:) They
generally sell for around $15 for 150 loads.. which isn't bad! But
they tend to last me much longer, more like 200- 215. On top of being
amazing for laundry, You can boil a few with water and have all purpose
cleaner. When we run out, I will be trying this recipe: http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/05/2011-do-it-yourself-experiment-4-homemade-powdered-laundry-soap.html
Combined with a few coupons, its a super cheap option! Remember,
washing on cold saves you money on your electricity bill, and helps keep
the earth a little greener!
As
for laundry softener.... get ready for it.. Vinegar! Seriously.. it
works amazing! I know a few of you might be thinking vinegar stinks,
but no worries, once it dries, the smell is gone. Needless to say, we
use a lot of vinegar! and love it!
How about other things around the house? We have been eliminating them one by one, and its truly an adventure!
Household Items:
Believe
it or not... Cooking supplies are big on my list of pet peeves. We all
know non stick isn't a long term option. It seems that no matter how
expensive a set you buy, they don't last long enough. Which means they
go right out to the dump. Its a waste all the way. All that energy, all
those resources to make them, all that plastic to package them, and
then how long do they last? And if we are speaking the truth here..
they really are bad for you. The non stick coating leaches into your
food, and flakes off as they get old. My family made the switch to
Cast Iron and Stainless Steel. We hunted garage sales, thrift stores,
and waited for them to go on sale. If properly cared for, they last
forever. Literally, you can pass them on to your kids.
The
same goes for Utensils! go metal! By switching to these, you are
saving money in the long run. One investment, a lifetime of use.
ZipLoc
bags, and Saran Wrap. Yeah, I know they are brand names, but its what
we all call them(: We just recently phased these out at our house. The
replacements are definitely an investment. But, they save so much
money, and the earth!
As for baggies, try etsy: http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?ref=auto&q=reusable+sandwich+bag
If you can sew, try making your own! remember though, PUL
is not food safe, so stick to rip stop nylon, and keep the shiny side
away from your foods. http://lizzylanefarm.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/cloth-snack-bags/
Plastic
wrap is bad for the earth, bad for your wallet, and bad for you. We
replaced ours with rip stop nylon lined covers. I love em, and they work
so well! http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?search_submit&q=+bowl+cover
Now, I know this isn't for everyone, but give it a shot: Family Cloth
We
switched to family cloth a while ago. Don't get me wrong, we still use
toilet paper, and most certainly have it available for our guests...
but we dig family cloth! Old t-shirts make great cloths, they don't
fray, and are easy to cut. We keep a basket above the toilet full of
cloth, and a trashcan with a lid next to it. every 2-3 days we toss it
into the wash on sanitize, and they come out clean as new. Don't knock
it before you try it.
Cloth Diapers are
definitely the way to go for babes needs! They seriously rock! I wont
spent much time here, because Christy has a post on it if you scroll
down a tad(: She is absolutely right! Better for babies, better for
earth, and much better for our wallets! Want a few more statistics to
convince you? read here: http://thedirtyhippie.blogspot.com/2011/04/sposies-vs-cloth-diapers.html
Mama Cloth is also something to consider.
I buy mine from www.randumosity.com,
but I have made a few too. Trust me ladies, you WILL save money here if
you properly care for your pads. And your cramps, wallet, and the
earth will thank you! Its simple, just wash every other day, and
reuse. www.keepercup.com is another great option. I will spare you the details, at the sake of embarrassing anyone, but please read up on them!
And mama's.... Please use your Clothes Lines.
They
save electricity, which saves your budget, and the earth! On top of
that, no scented laundry soap can ever top the smell of a fresh clean
breeze. Sunshine also is AMAZING at getting stains out, no elbow grease
required! And if you use cloth diapers, you already know its your best
friend! If you must use your dryer, use dryer balls. Wool ones tend to
work best, and a handful of them can cut your drying time in half.
I'm
going to end this novel now, before I find myself on a epic dialog
about chickens, cars, and clothing, but I hope you found some hinters
on how to make your life greener, and more affordable. Don't ever
forget that corny old saying your mother probably told you growing up.
Where there is a will, there is a way. You don't have to be made of
money to be kind to the earth. And in fact, being green is usually the
cheaper option! Have fun finding new ways, and don't let the big
corporations scare you away(:
-the dirty hippie
Love what you see?? Go check out more of The Green Goose on Facebook, her blog at www.thedirtyhippie.blogspot.com, and her own handmade items in her Etsy store http://www.etsy.com/shop/adbayer
Many
of the things The Dirty Hippie (or The Green Goose) talks about here
are things our family has tried! Cloth Diapering, mama cloth, reusable
bags, vinegar for laundry (and cloth diapers) and dryer balls and I have
to say I am soooo glad we switched! I have to add that as far as mama
cloth goes, I thought I would be completely grossed out, but just read
up on it! You will find that moms that use it experience less
menstruation related symptoms and shorter cycles!
The Green Goose has many of her handmade items available for you to purchase! Head over to her Etsy store
and browse the wonderful items she has at a great price!! We have used
her dryer balls and reusable snack bags and LOVE them !! She also made
some woolie's for our little Collie Pollie, but by the time they reached
our house he had already grown out of them!!!!! While you are browsing
think of celebrations coming up; green items make a wonderful gift for
those you love!
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