Homemade {Powdered} Laundry Detergent

Since September, I have been kicking chemicals out of our life here in the casa de Voorhees. It has been an adventure, and a heck of a lot of fun, and surprisingly, not very much work! And it has cost very little, which is what really matters to me in the long run. Oh, and no more migraines, far fewer pesky skin irritations...

Last month, I had a bit of a nightmare scenario on my hands. The dreaded skin itching began again. I have had several go-rounds with this unpleasant skin irritation since I was about 20. The first one happened at Disney World after being in a whole bunch of pools and water parks. The second came after going in a hot tub. The others all came after...well...who knows what? I would say about once a year, I have this really itchy, bumpy irritation that takes about a month to clear up, and it can be completely hellacious to deal with. I have determined that at least one of the factors that can set this off are harsh skin irritants, such as cleaning products and most definitely, heavily scented laundry detergent/softeners/dryer sheets. Since we have been using homemade, unscented detergent for 6 months without any issues, I had to really rack my brain for the source of the latest outbreak. Then, I discovered the evil of all earthly evils, stuck up on the inside of my dryer. A Bounce Dryer Bar. While my sweet husband was trying to rid us of static, I was left feeling like a giant ball of itchy frustration. After a few weeks and treatments with a white vinegar dilution, I am doing a lot better. But I am more determined than ever to keep laundry associated chemicals far, far away from my skin. Ugh.

All-Natural DIY Body Wash

My living room is a disaster today-I am talking mountains of down comforter, mounds of tissue, and a nest of pillows. I have been attacked by a combination of cold/allergies/oh-so-fun time of the month issues, and I am down for the count. I did want to put a post up today though, to make up for my lack of posting, and to make myself feel like something more than a runny, sneezy, sweatpant-clad slob. I even showered for the occasion. And on that note, my post today is on homemade, DIY, natural body wash.

We have all seen the commercials...an unrealistically fit and attractive woman with perfectly shaved and glowing skin lathers up in the shower with mountains of foam and cleanses her unusually already clean skin. Who the heck actually looks like that when they shower? I shower when I have peeled myself out of bed or off the couch, and it is generally not an attractive state. But ladies, I have a secret one-up on the commercial girl. And you can too. If you make your own body wash. I am not advocating throwing out whatever you have on hand now. I used up what I had left, and then made my own about two months ago, and I have been loving it. I have about half a bottle of some Softsoap body wash in my shower, which I will use for comparison in this post.

Sweet Pepper Chicken with Whole Wheat Penne and Roasted Garlic Asparagus

My favorite part of leaving winter behind is the explosion of color in my fresh produce options. Suddenly, my kitchen transforms into a rainbow of delicious possibility, and the dreary days of winter and dull, lifeless food seem to fly out the window. This dish is a celebration of colorful rainbows of culinary possibility. Oh, and it's super easy, super healthy, and a great way to get your vitamins in for the day.

Prepare your palate for a delicious treat of Sweet Pepper Chicken with Whole Wheat Penne and Roasted Garlic Asparagus.  We ate this with a crisp spinach salad and savored every bite!   

Let me say-I have always hated peppers. I remember being served stuffed green peppers as a child and hated them, and I think my aversion comes from that. I have learned to like red and yellow bell peppers, but my world was literally rocked a few weeks ago when I had my first sweet baby pepper. It was like eating vegetable candy, and I have been hooked every since. This simple dish was a great chance to allow some chicken to absorb the sweet, succulent flavor of these peppers. The green onions added another flavor dimension and really bumped this dish up to a 10 for me. The asparagus was a deliciously simple pleasure, and the addition of a nutrient-rich spinach salad rounds this out and makes it both healthy and delicious.

Creating Your Cleaning Arsenal-You Can Do It!

When I first embarked on my journey of becoming a natural frugalista, I was terrified of the amount of time, effort and money that it would take. Going organic and green is pricey! Political proclivities aside (and mine don't so much line up with most greenies), my transition was based in economics. That's right, the bottom line for me is the wallet. We are a single-income couple, and this adventure had to save us money for it to be worthwhile and feasible. I was also fearful that making my own green cleaning products would make me become a crazy recluse that cooked up potions on my stove while my friends and family secretly whispered that I was going batty. While the whispers and rumors may be flowing, I am happy to report that my experiences have been cheap and not very time consuming. I can whip up most of my things in 5 minutes or less. So rest assured, you can make the transition as well, even if you work full-time, or have kids clinging to your ankles, or are on a tight budget. I still spend less on my cleaning supplies than I did when I was couponing for them, and far less time than when I was dragging my coupon binder out daily to scour the internet/flyers/stores for deals. So today, you get my photo essay of the basic things you need to start, and a price point for all of these items. And the best part? This stuff makes ALL of the following: Laundry detergent, all-purpose spray, toilet cleanser, shower cleanser, soft scrub, floor wash, oven cleaner, microwave cleaner, window/glass cleaner, shampoo and body wash. Amazing, right? Don't believe me? I'll post all of these recipes over the next few weeks.

Are Natural Cleaners Effective?

When I first considered transitioning to natural cleaners, I was skeptical of their ability to truly kill germs and keep my house fresh and sanitary. I was raised in a bleach-loving household (I love you, Mom!) and for a long time, didn't feel my dorm rooms or apartments were clean unless I was reeling from bleach fumes. Research has made for some interesting reading and consideration in convincing me that for most cleaning issues, natural is the way to go. That being said, I do keep a diluted bleach solution around for emergency occasions, but they have been few and far between these last seven months.

I won't spend forever discussing the chemical science to explain how natural cleaners work, but I will pop some links in that you can peruse at your own leisure. Here's the bottom line for me-anything that makes me have a four-day migraine and makes me feel completely nauseous and gives me a killer skin irritation is something I don't want to use often.

Natural Cleaning-Infused Vinegars

In September, I embarked upon an epic bathroom cleaning project. It was one of those, "hey, I'm going to scrub every nook and cranny, wipe up every tiny speck of dust" cleaning rampages that I tend to go on when I am stressed. After a ton of bleach and two hours, I had the worst migraine headache of my life. It lingered for four days. I made a vow then and there to stop using toxic and harsh chemicals in my cleaning. Since then, I have been experimenting with and absolutely adoring a ton of fun, and SUPER inexpensive natural cleaning solutions. My house sparkles, my head doesn't hurt, and our budget is incredibly happy about our frugal, natural choices! Ultimately, my goal is to one day not worry about my child drinking anything under the sink. Vinegar would make the kid sick to their stomach, but no call to poison control needed.

My go-to ingredient for cleaning is vinegar. A gallon of the stuff runs for about $1 at Wal-Mart or Target, and it goes so far. Since September, I have gone through two gallons-and I am an obsessive cleaner. I use it in the tub, toilet, on the floor, in the wash...it is my wonder cleaner. So today, I am going to share one of my vinegar experiments that is sitting in my windowsill as we speak.