the GREEN in me

So I'm one of those environmentally conscious people. I have worked at eliminating the commercial chemical cleaners from our household and have succeeded! Vinegar & baking soda are about all you need.

But i though I would share my laundry detergent recipe along with a few products I LOVE and have gone back to time and again to buy from them.

Laundry detergent:
1 bar Fels-Naphtha soap (shredded)
1 cup Borax (I get the classic 50 mule team borax)
1 cup A&H super washing soda (different than baking soda, find it in the laundry isle)

just mix it all up and use 2T per load (more or less as you see fit)

For fabric softener I fill a downy ball with straight vinegar and pop it in (my washer doesn't have a fabric softerner dispenser). It works, doesn't leave a smell on the cloths. And even if you don't make your own detergent the vinegar will help strip soap residue off your cloths. For whites I add extra borax.

As for products I like....
Crystal body deodorant
http://www.thecrystal.com/index.cfm -
I work in a factory on the production floor and I find this works very well. It is NOT antiperspirant so if you have a sweat problem this will only take care of oder.

Chagrin Valley Soap
http://chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/products.htm
These soaps and products are GREAT! I have switched to the bar shampoos for quite a while now and love them. Their lotion bars are also excellent if you have excessively dry skin and during the winter months when your skin dries out.

Ecover Dishwasher tabs
http://www.ecover.com/us/en/Products/Dishes/Dishwasher+Tablets.htm
I was a die hard Cascade girl till i found these! I didn't think I could find an environmentally friendly product that compared to Cascade. These work GREAT! I don't have to pre-rince my dishes and they come out clean, no residue. You can also use Vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser and it will also reduce spots.

All Battery
http://www.all-battery.com/
I have been buying my rechargeable batteries from here for several years now. the prices are great and the quality is good as well. I charge them in my RayoVac charger and have used all the sizes and am quite happy with them. i also like the fact that they ship "empty" so there is less packaging and they can bundle them together.

And you can't forget the best 1st aid product nature ever made!

Tea Tree Oil
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsupplementguide/a/TeaTreeOil.htm
I have used it personally for psoriasis, cuts, scrapes, burns, acne, bug bites... you name it and it will help it heal faster! Follow the link above for a list of what PPL have used it for.



I will add more as I think of it.