Since becoming a mother I've been learning all sorts of things everyday. Sometimes I go to bed at night feeling like my brain won't turn off due to all of the information running through it. I'm always looking for the most natural way to take care of my family. I'm also always looking for ways to save money.
These are a couple of projects that I've done that are not only more environmentally-friendly but also save us money and remove unnecessary chemicals from our home. I did not come up with these ideas on my own. Thankfully there are TONS of blogs, pinterest boards & online articles that share a wealth of information...this is also the reason my brain has a hard time turning off. ALL THE INFORMATION!
The first project is HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT.
I read Ilia's blog, Joy's blog, Michelle Duggar's blog and this blog. I gathered the materials from Wal-Mart and began shaving the Fels-Naptha bars. I shaved a bar of Fels-Naptha and mixed in equal parts Borax, Washing Soda & Baking Soda (1 cup of each for every shaved bar). I ended up making 2 batches & mixing it together.
I put it in a glass jar with a teaspoon & put it in the laundry room. Some people out there thought the Fels-Naptha looked like a delicious cheddar cheese & reached for a bite...thankfully for them I didn't let them sample! It's funny that it was mistaken for cheese because Stephen used to call laundry detergent "laundry sugar". So now I've put cheese in the laundry sugar!
We've been using the detergent for a couple of weeks now & it's been great! I accidentally got some chocolate ice cream on a pair of linen shorts & when I pulled them out of the wash the stain was gone! Woohoo! {No pre-treating involved}.
Hopefully we'll continue to enjoy it because it is SO cheap. We figured out the cost. I was buying Arm & Hammer detergent {which is already one of the cheapest ones} & that was about $.25/load. The homemade detergent is only about $.05/load! Y'all, we're saving a whole dollar every 5 loads!
Do any of you make your own detergent? Have you enjoyed it?
Another project I recently did was to make some HOMEMADE "PLASTIC WRAP"...except without the plastic. I found this pin on pinterest and decided to give it a try.
I found beeswax pellets at Earth Fare and some patriotic cotton fabric on clearance at Wal-Mart. I did sew the seams of the first piece of cloth I used but then I determined that it wasn't really necessary because the beeswax would keep it from fraying.
Also, I set the oven a little lower than she suggested because I used pellets & she was using grated beeswax and it didn't take but about 2 minutes for the pellets to melt. I've only used it once, to cover a pot of leftover black beans because I need to get some rubber bands.
The sheets fold well but they don't stick like "traditional" plastic wrap so rubber bands are kind of necessary.
What are some sustainable projects you've done? What is your motivation for choosing sustainable options?
Ok, definitely gonna try that non-plastic wrap! Also, awesome to know you can get beeswax at Earth Fare!
ReplyDeleteor Whole Foods!
DeleteAnd thanks for the shout-out! :o)
ReplyDeleteThe faux plastic wrap is an interesting idea. I usually just sit a plate on top of the bowl if it's only going to be in fridge for only a day. Otherwise, I like canning jars. Easy clean-up.
ReplyDelete