Natural Cleaning Tote

Every Saturday morning I grab this tote and scour the bathrooms using chemical-free, inexpensive products. I'm free of hazardous vapors and my bathrooms still sparkle!

I use this mesh shower tote to allow breathing room, but any tote will work. Here are the products it contains:

1. Baking soda. Keep the baking soda in this handy shaker. To prevent caking, try adding a bit of cream of tartar. I use baking soda as a soft scrubber along with the liquid castile soap. (Sprinkle baking soda on wet surface. Squeeze liquid soap over the baking soda and scrub.)
2. Liquid castile soap. Make your own liquid soap using this recipe. Or make a simple version by pouring boiling water over grated natural soap. momsAWARE offers both grated and bar soap through its Online Store. For more recipes using grated and bar soap, see 12 Things To Do with One Bar of Soap.
3. White vinegar. White vinegar works on mirrors, floors, tubs, and toilets. Dilute the vinegar if desired, or infuse with citrus peels prior to filling the spray bottle. (Place lime, lemon, orange, or grapefruit peels in glass jar. Cover with white vinegar. Add cap and allow to sit on shelf for a week or so.)
4. Four Thieves herbal vinegar. This homemade version of a strong antimicrobial disinfectant adds an extra punch when it comes to your cleaning. Raw apple cider vinegar is combined with seven herbs known for their antibacterial properties. View the recipe at Just So Natural Products. These seven herbs can be purchased in a convenient muslin bag at the Just So Online Store.
5. Sonic Scrubber. This tool comes in handy for those hard-to-reach spots. It can be used alone or with a bit of baking soda and liquid soap. Look for one at your local big box store or online. A simpler, less expensive option is a deep clean brush set.
6. Tea tree oil. This essential oil is my favorite disinfectant. I use a couple of drops in the toilet or down the drains to leave behind a fresh, clean smell in the room. I also use a drop or two in the liquid castile soap. Tea tree oil has a very medicinal smell and may be offensive at first. Feel free to use any pleasant essential oil such as lemon or orange.
7. Pumice. No natural cleaning arsenal is complete without pumice. It is 100% natural and 100% effective. Pumice is readily available in stick form at most big box stores. I prefer the handled version for toilet bowl cleaning, such as the Pumie Toilet Bowl Ring Remover. Pumice works on rust, lime, and stubborn stains. I had great success using it to remove soap scum, as I shared in this previous post.

Cleaning without chemicals is not only rewarding but also offers great peace of mind. A tote like this makes a great gift for yourself as well as a friend!

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5 Cheap, Natural, Accessible Products for Your Home

Trying to use fewer chemicals in your home? Frustrated with the higher prices of healthier options? Switching to natural cleaning and personal care products need not be expensive. Consider adding these five products to your regimen and enjoy the savings!

1. Vinegar
   
   White vinegar is optimal for household use. Raw apple cider vinegar is ideal for personal care use. White vinegar costs approximately $2.50 per gallon at most big box stores. Raw apple cider vinegar is not as readily available and costs approximately $5.00 for 32 ounces.
   
   Uses for white vinegar. Keep it simple and pour white vinegar into a spray bottle and use for general cleaning. Dilute if desired or add a favorite essential oil. Make a citrus version by steeping the white vinegar in citrus peels for 1-2 weeks. There are so many uses for white vinegar around your home, there is an entire website dedicated to the topic: 1001 Uses for White Distilled Vinegar.
   
   Uses for raw apple cider vinegar (ACV). Make a heavy-duty cleaner by combining ACV with antimicrobial herbs such as lavender, sage, rosemary, and others (see this Four Thieves Herbal Vinegar recipe). Use undiluted vinegar as a hair rinse or skin toner to help restore healthy pH. You can make a luxurious hair and skin conditioner, Queen of Hungary Water, by combining ACV with restorative herbs such as lemon balm, comfrey, rosemary, and others. (See Just So Natural Products for more.)
2. Baking Soda
   
   A 2-pound box costs approximately $1.30 and goes a long way in your home. Add 1/2 cup to your regular load of laundry. Make a soft scrubber by combining with a bit of liquid castile soap. Polish silver with a blend of 3 parts water to 1 part baking soda. Use as a drain deodorizer and sports equipment deodorizer. Keep an open box of baking soda in your home and/or fridge to help absorb odors. You can even make your own washing soda, a stronger cleaning agent, from baking soda (see How to Make Your Own Washing Soda).
   
   For personal care, pat baking soda under your arm for a natural deodorant. Use as a foot soak or add a small amount to shampoo. Make a paste of baking soda and water to treat insect bites. Baking soda makes a gentle facial exfoliant. Use 3 parts water to 1 part baking soda and rub in a circular motion on your face.
   
   For more suggestions, see the article 51 Fantastic Uses for Baking Soda.
   
   Note: There is no aluminum found in baking soda, though it is often found in baking powder. Baking soda brands like Bob's Red Mill and Frontier offer a more natural product since they mine their baking soda directly from the ground. Arm & Hammer uses a chemical process (described in this article). The more expensive brands may be worth the investment when it comes to personal care products.
3. Hydrogen Peroxide
   
   Hydrogen peroxide is an effective sanitizer consisting of water and oxygen. A 32-ounce bottle costs less than a dollar. Peroxide breaks down in sunlight, so it is best stored in brown or opaque bottles. Attach a spray nozzle to the top of the bottle to have on hand for disinfecting kitchen and bathroom surfaces. Peroxide used in combination with white vinegar effectively kills microbes such as E. coli and salmonella. (See this article for more information.)
   
   Peroxide is an excellent bleaching agent. Add 1 cup to a load of laundry in place of bleach. Sterilize washing machines and dishwashers by running a cycle with 1 cup hydrogen peroxide. Peroxide can be used to lighten hair as well as whiten teeth. Find out more in this article, 28 Amazing Benefits and Uses for Hydrogen Peroxide.
4. Salt
   
   Salt has been used in cleaning, personal care, and food preservation for generations. A versatile mineral with thousands of uses, salt comes in a variety of forms. Unprocessed sea salt is optimal for consumption, while iodized and refined salt is fine for cleaning. A typical container of salt costs less than a dollar. Salt works well for cleaning cast iron. Make a paste with water and scrub. Combine club soda with salt to clean carpet stains.
   
   Sea salt mixed with baking soda and water makes a deodorizing mouth rinse. A combination of salt and baking soda works as a tooth powder. (See my recent post, Why I Stopped Using Toothpaste.) Salt mixed with olive oil can help alleviate itching from poison ivy or insect bites. For more suggestions on integrating salt into your household, see 46 Smart Uses for Salt.
5. Pumice
   
   Pumice is formed from volcanic lava that combines with water, then froths and hardens into pumice. It too has been around for centuries. It is completely non-toxic and useful for cleaning and personal care. Pumice sticks are readily available for less than two dollars. Check the cleaning aisle of your big box store near the bottom. Pumice stones, a bit less abrasive for use on skin, cost a bit more.
   
   Pumice sticks are effective rust and lime stain removers. Too much pumice can be abrasive, so test all surfaces first. For toilet bowl stains, consider the Pumie Toilet Bowl Ring Remover. For greater effectiveness, wet all pumice with water before using. Use pumice to remove rust on outdoor metal furniture. Cosmetic grade pumice can be used to remove stains on teeth.

The five items pictured above cost a total of $7.31. Not a bad investment when you think of the "return" on your health!

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Why I Stopped Using Toothpaste

I had no interest in the contents of my toothpaste until a health crisis forced me to evaluate all areas of my lifestyle—including my tooth care regimen.

I explored the ingredients found in common toothpastes and made the decision to forsake the conventional in favor of something a bit more unorthodox.

I have shared my findings and my recipe with Adrienne at Whole New Mom. The recipe is based on the findings of controversial dentist Dr. Hal Huggins, who states in his Client Education Packet:

“Over the years, one ‘tooth paste’ has won all records, and it is not really a paste. It is a powder. Salt and baking soda. About 20% salt, 80% soda, altered to taste. Some like 50/50, some 10/90 . . . the more salt the better it is for your gum. It feels like brushing your teeth with sand, yet is less abrasive than any tooth paste.”

Wondering about the abrasiveness of baking soda and salt vs. conventional toothpastes? All toothpastes have an RDA value. This radioactive dentin abrasion rating (or relative dentin abrasivity) must be tested and disclosed before approval by the FDA. Baking soda has an abrasion rating of 7, while Crest has a rating of 95. Colgate 2-in1Tartar Control/Whitening has a rating of 200. The FDA's recommended limit is 200, while the ADA (American Dental Association) sets the limit at 250.

View the recipe and learn what's in a tube of toothpaste at Why I Stopped Using Toothpaste.

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How to Make Your Own Washing Soda

Washing soda makes a great addition to any natural household. It offers a nice punch for cleaning since it has a higher pH than its "cousin," baking soda. Washing soda is sodium carbonate. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Baking soda has a pH of 8.4, washing soda a pH of 11. (To view the pH values of other common household items, see this Chemistry of Stain Removal Chart from momsAWARE.)

Just as its name implies, baking soda is great for baking since it reacts with an acid to create an airy, spongy texture. (This is why baking soda, an alkali, is combined with cream of tartar, an acid, to make baking powder.) Washing soda, on the other hand, is great for cleaning since it consumes twice as much acid as baking soda. It is too caustic, however, for baking.

Since the two are closely linked, it's possible to transform baking soda into washing soda simply by heating it. The heat causes the baking soda to release steam and carbon dioxide, leaving a more alkaline substance behind in the form of washing soda.

Since washing soda is not as readily available as baking soda, it may be simpler to make your own.

Directions:

Spread an ample amount of baking soda on a cookie sheet or any other baking pan. Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper if desired. (Doing so makes it simpler to pour the finished product.) Heat in oven at 400 degrees.

Remove pan after 30 minutes or so. Allow to cool. Transfer to a suitable container. Voilà: washing soda!

You'll notice the powder has become grainy and more crystalline. In this photo, the washing soda is on the left and the baking soda on the right. If you're not sure if the process worked, and can't see the difference, try tasting both. You'll know right away!

For suggested uses for washing soda, see momsAWARE's Natural Year Challenge: Household Edition.

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Two Invaluable Products

If I were banished to a remote island and forced to take only two personal care products with me, I would have no trouble making my selection. A deserted island seems like a great idea, by the way. No indoor plumbing, no pesticide sprays, no weed killers.

Unfortunately, an island may not be the answer. Midway Island is 3100 miles from Los Angeles and 2400 miles from Tokyo and its population of black-footed albatrosses is contaminated with DDT, PCBs, and dioxins.

Back to my point. I could survive on a deserted island if I had clean water, a food source, my Internet (a fair request), and

Baking Soda and White Vinegar.

Both are anti-fungal. Both are safe. Both are cheap.

White vinegar is acetic acid which has been distilled and diluted. We use it for virtually all of our cleaning. We use it, along with baking soda or borax, for every load of laundry. We use diluted apple cider vinegar as a hair conditioner. The following is an excellent list.

1001 Uses for White Vinegar

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. If I had paid attention in Chemistry class I would know what that means. I do know that it is a component of the mineral natron and is found dissolved in many mineral springs. We make a paste with baking soda and water (or hydrogen peroxide) and use it as a shampoo, as toothpaste, and deodorant. We've used it as a facewash for acne with great results.

I just ordered 50 pounds of baking soda and paid 23 dollars. A case of white vinegar (at a website called Buy the Case) costs 30 dollars including shipping. I'm not sure of the shipping cost to my deserted island.

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