I've recently had requests for information about "simple" cleaning products. It feels so good to be free from purchasing commercial cleaners and having them in our home. It feels great to know my cleaning products aren't doing more harm to the environment, and that they're not having a negative effect on my health nor the health of my family. And - the cost is pennies compared to commercial products. It just feels good!
There's a myriad of information online about natural cleaning for home and body so I won't go into detail other than sharing my own experience.
I believe "cleaning" our body is more about "feeding" our body's exterior. My aim is to promote health and well-being for my skin, which contributes to my overall health and well-being, and to do so within a tight budget. It doesn't take much at all, cost-wise, so it's a really lovely way to care for yourself.
Hair
The biggest lesson I've learned when it comes to my hair/scalp was to drop the "must wash daily" habit. It's terrible for the scalp, which is so much happier with its own oils. It took awhile for my hair to get used to the idea of being washed only once or twice a week, but once it got into a natural frame of mind, it was healthier and easier to manage. It's now at a point where it generally only needs a basic washing about once every 7-10 days.
For basic hair cleaning, I use baking soda, vinegar, and water, though mostly I just use vinegar and water. Sometimes I add baking soda to water and shake the mixture and massage it well all over my scalp then rinse with a vinegar/water blend. Other times I make a paste with some baking soda in my hand and a bit of water then massage that in and keep making more paste as needed. Usually I prefer to sprinkle baking soda onto my scalp, wet or dry, massage it well and then (because I just enjoy the fun of it!) squirt vinegar over my scalp (it's good to let the vinegar container sit in the warm water first unless you enjoy having cold liquid running/dripping down your back) and work my fingers through that lovely foaming action! I follow this with a thorough water rinse and sometimes do an additional vinegar/water rinse. Once or twice a month I use olive oil (only need a couple of tablespoons) and/or natural honey yoghurt for deep conditioning. I rinse thoroughly with water then usually do a brief wash with a bar of organic soap I keep for just this purpose followed by a vinegar/water rinse. Once in a blue moon I use a "clean" (organic, no animal testing, etc.) commercial shampoo after deep conditioning.
Bathing
For me, a basic bath is 1/2 - 1 cup vinegar poured into the bath water. Other than that, the sky's the limit. Olive oil (1 tablespoon is usually plenty, definitely no more than two), epsom salts, baking soda, orange peels, herbal teabag (lovely to squeeze over the skin), oatmeal in a bit of fabric tied with string (again, wonderful to squeeze/drip over skin) - any or all of the aforementioned (feel free to add fruit, milk (nut,goat,dairy,whatever floats your boat), natural juice, or any other natural tidbits you desire!) make for a healthy, natural experience for your body and soul. If I use a washcloth, I use a piece of felted wool (I'll soon have some for sale in my shop). If I don't use olive oil in my bath because I know I won't have time to clean it from the sides of the tub after bathing (empty/rinse tub, sprinkle baking soda either onto sides of tub or onto sponge and wipe, rinse), I'll put a couple drops at a time into my palm and massage that over my skin, occasionally adding a few drops of vanilla extract as well.
Face
I usually just use water in the morning. Before bed, I usually use a piece of felted wool (lovely benefits to using wool!) with vinegar to wipe off the bits of the day then sometimes rinse with water then smear a few drops of olive oil directly onto my skin as needed. Once in awhile I'll do a natural yoghurt mask which takes about 1-2 tablespoons of yoghurt to do my face and neck and hands - just smear it on as you would use a commercial skin cream, let it dry (or don't) and rinse off. Another option I sometimes use is a bit of oatmeal in a piece of tied fabrice - wet the bundle and squeeze the oatmeal "juice" into your palm then rub onto your skin. There are all sorts of other natural facial/bodycare options. I find that what I'm presently using presently works for my skin and my budget.
Scent
As we continue to move towards being a commercially scent-free society, there are natural ways to enhance your natural scent or to provide a scent for yourself to enjoy throughout the day. I enjoy the scent of vanilla, so occasionally I'll rub a couple of drops onto my hands or onto my neck or scarf so I can breathe it in wherever I am. A bit of olive oil in the background might help the scent linger longer.
Teeth
I wet my toothbrush then dip it straight into baking soda and brush then rinse with a water/vinegar combo. Flossing is important. Rinsing after flossing is important. Cleaning teeth before breakfast is important so any ick that may have accumulated throughout the night is not being swallowed. In summer, I usually keep a few fresh mint leaves with me to chew as needed throughout the day rather than commercial gum/breath freshener. Drinking mint water (water with fresh or dried mint leaves in a non-plastic/non-paper cup - I like popping some into my water bottle for mintry freshness throughout the day) is also beneficial for that fresh mouth feeling.
*Lately I've been reading about some interesting connections between honey and dental care, but I don't know enough about it to feel comfortable putting the information here. It's certainly interesting and research-worthy!
Household Cleaning
Baking Soda. Vinegar. Water.
Baking Soda: almost anywhere that needs scrubbing/polishing - stained cups, sinks/tub, toilet bowls, hard-water-stained faucets, refrigerator, etc. For small areas, I dip a fingertip of a wet rag into baking soda. Rinse, dry/polish if needed.
Vinegar: countertops, floors, sinks, tubs, toilets, windows, glass tables, etc. I try to keep a spray bottle with a water/vinegar mix for most uses and a small separate spray bottle with just vinegar for glass/faucets/mirrors. Just a little spray will do! I also put vinegar into the toilet bowl when it needs freshening.
Stovetop/Oven: Scrub with baking soda as needed. For tougher spots - when I've boiled the kettle for tea/cocao, I pour a bit of the boiling water onto what needs to be cleaned on the stovetop, place a dishcloth over it and let it soak then use baking soda and an old toothbrush.
Air/Fabric Freshener: Water/vinegar mixed and kept in a spray bottle - spray as needed. Also great for spraying directly into the toilet as needed after flushing.
Laundry: We use about half a cup of baking soda instead of laundry detergent. Sometimes we add a bit of vinegar as well. I am still working on finding what works best for static cling when using the dryer. For awhile, I tried those plastic (ugh, plastic!) balls that are meant to replace dryer sheets but they dimpled all my clothes every time. I've read that making felted wool dryer balls are the answer but I haven't tried them yet. **UPDATE: The last few weeks, I've been using just straight vinegar for washing my clothes - it's likely around a cupful that I pour in. Static cling is minimal at the most.
*************************
Well, that's all that's coming to mind off-hand. I'll add more if more comes to mind, but I'd love to hear your natural body/household solutions!
There's a myriad of information online about natural cleaning for home and body so I won't go into detail other than sharing my own experience.
I believe "cleaning" our body is more about "feeding" our body's exterior. My aim is to promote health and well-being for my skin, which contributes to my overall health and well-being, and to do so within a tight budget. It doesn't take much at all, cost-wise, so it's a really lovely way to care for yourself.
Hair
The biggest lesson I've learned when it comes to my hair/scalp was to drop the "must wash daily" habit. It's terrible for the scalp, which is so much happier with its own oils. It took awhile for my hair to get used to the idea of being washed only once or twice a week, but once it got into a natural frame of mind, it was healthier and easier to manage. It's now at a point where it generally only needs a basic washing about once every 7-10 days.
For basic hair cleaning, I use baking soda, vinegar, and water, though mostly I just use vinegar and water. Sometimes I add baking soda to water and shake the mixture and massage it well all over my scalp then rinse with a vinegar/water blend. Other times I make a paste with some baking soda in my hand and a bit of water then massage that in and keep making more paste as needed. Usually I prefer to sprinkle baking soda onto my scalp, wet or dry, massage it well and then (because I just enjoy the fun of it!) squirt vinegar over my scalp (it's good to let the vinegar container sit in the warm water first unless you enjoy having cold liquid running/dripping down your back) and work my fingers through that lovely foaming action! I follow this with a thorough water rinse and sometimes do an additional vinegar/water rinse. Once or twice a month I use olive oil (only need a couple of tablespoons) and/or natural honey yoghurt for deep conditioning. I rinse thoroughly with water then usually do a brief wash with a bar of organic soap I keep for just this purpose followed by a vinegar/water rinse. Once in a blue moon I use a "clean" (organic, no animal testing, etc.) commercial shampoo after deep conditioning.
Bathing
For me, a basic bath is 1/2 - 1 cup vinegar poured into the bath water. Other than that, the sky's the limit. Olive oil (1 tablespoon is usually plenty, definitely no more than two), epsom salts, baking soda, orange peels, herbal teabag (lovely to squeeze over the skin), oatmeal in a bit of fabric tied with string (again, wonderful to squeeze/drip over skin) - any or all of the aforementioned (feel free to add fruit, milk (nut,goat,dairy,whatever floats your boat), natural juice, or any other natural tidbits you desire!) make for a healthy, natural experience for your body and soul. If I use a washcloth, I use a piece of felted wool (I'll soon have some for sale in my shop). If I don't use olive oil in my bath because I know I won't have time to clean it from the sides of the tub after bathing (empty/rinse tub, sprinkle baking soda either onto sides of tub or onto sponge and wipe, rinse), I'll put a couple drops at a time into my palm and massage that over my skin, occasionally adding a few drops of vanilla extract as well.
Face
I usually just use water in the morning. Before bed, I usually use a piece of felted wool (lovely benefits to using wool!) with vinegar to wipe off the bits of the day then sometimes rinse with water then smear a few drops of olive oil directly onto my skin as needed. Once in awhile I'll do a natural yoghurt mask which takes about 1-2 tablespoons of yoghurt to do my face and neck and hands - just smear it on as you would use a commercial skin cream, let it dry (or don't) and rinse off. Another option I sometimes use is a bit of oatmeal in a piece of tied fabrice - wet the bundle and squeeze the oatmeal "juice" into your palm then rub onto your skin. There are all sorts of other natural facial/bodycare options. I find that what I'm presently using presently works for my skin and my budget.
Scent
As we continue to move towards being a commercially scent-free society, there are natural ways to enhance your natural scent or to provide a scent for yourself to enjoy throughout the day. I enjoy the scent of vanilla, so occasionally I'll rub a couple of drops onto my hands or onto my neck or scarf so I can breathe it in wherever I am. A bit of olive oil in the background might help the scent linger longer.
Teeth
I wet my toothbrush then dip it straight into baking soda and brush then rinse with a water/vinegar combo. Flossing is important. Rinsing after flossing is important. Cleaning teeth before breakfast is important so any ick that may have accumulated throughout the night is not being swallowed. In summer, I usually keep a few fresh mint leaves with me to chew as needed throughout the day rather than commercial gum/breath freshener. Drinking mint water (water with fresh or dried mint leaves in a non-plastic/non-paper cup - I like popping some into my water bottle for mintry freshness throughout the day) is also beneficial for that fresh mouth feeling.
*Lately I've been reading about some interesting connections between honey and dental care, but I don't know enough about it to feel comfortable putting the information here. It's certainly interesting and research-worthy!
Household Cleaning
Baking Soda. Vinegar. Water.
Baking Soda: almost anywhere that needs scrubbing/polishing - stained cups, sinks/tub, toilet bowls, hard-water-stained faucets, refrigerator, etc. For small areas, I dip a fingertip of a wet rag into baking soda. Rinse, dry/polish if needed.
Vinegar: countertops, floors, sinks, tubs, toilets, windows, glass tables, etc. I try to keep a spray bottle with a water/vinegar mix for most uses and a small separate spray bottle with just vinegar for glass/faucets/mirrors. Just a little spray will do! I also put vinegar into the toilet bowl when it needs freshening.
Stovetop/Oven: Scrub with baking soda as needed. For tougher spots - when I've boiled the kettle for tea/cocao, I pour a bit of the boiling water onto what needs to be cleaned on the stovetop, place a dishcloth over it and let it soak then use baking soda and an old toothbrush.
Air/Fabric Freshener: Water/vinegar mixed and kept in a spray bottle - spray as needed. Also great for spraying directly into the toilet as needed after flushing.
Laundry: We use about half a cup of baking soda instead of laundry detergent. Sometimes we add a bit of vinegar as well. I am still working on finding what works best for static cling when using the dryer. For awhile, I tried those plastic (ugh, plastic!) balls that are meant to replace dryer sheets but they dimpled all my clothes every time. I've read that making felted wool dryer balls are the answer but I haven't tried them yet. **UPDATE: The last few weeks, I've been using just straight vinegar for washing my clothes - it's likely around a cupful that I pour in. Static cling is minimal at the most.
*************************
Well, that's all that's coming to mind off-hand. I'll add more if more comes to mind, but I'd love to hear your natural body/household solutions!
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