All Purpose Homemade Cleaning Solution

I've posted this before, but I have read that we actually absorb way more chemicals through our skin (the largest organ in the body) than we do through food. That's scary when you really stop and think about it. I walked into a pharmacy the other day, and it really hit me. We live in a world of chemicals chemicals chemicals!!!! Everything is chemicals, to the food we eat, beverages we consume, gum we chew, the lotion we put on our skin, the detergent that we wash our clothes with (and wear all day) to the cleaning solution that we spray on the counter top and wipe up with a paper towel. Meanwhile all those chemicals are sitting on your skin.

I admit it (raising my hand really high). I'm working on this. I'm better than I was that's for sure. I used to be a hard core abuser of Windex. Yup I said it, Windex. I would spray that shit on just about anything. It leaves granite counter tops oh so sparkly! I would seriously go through a bottle every two weeks. Gross. Not to mention at at least $3.00 or more a bottle it gets expensive!

I started wearing rubber gloves a few years ago (head down) and was still using it. It was a hard habit to kick. I knew it wasn't good for me. My hands started getting really irritated from it. Then I started thinking about it, I was spraying the counter, where I prepared meals for my family with this poison. Literally that's what it is. Poison.

Here are the ingredients from SC Johnson's website
Windex Ingredients

This article was written by Jane Kay, and published in the San Francisco Chronicle. It talks about some of the many hazards of house hold chemicals. Windex being one of them, and touches on just some of the reasons why these products are not safe:
To view the full article click HERE


Hazard Warning on Home Cleaners
Study says many use chemicals linked to fertility problems
by Jane Kay

Dozens of common household cleaning products contain hidden toxic chemicals linked to fertility disorders in lab animals, according to data gathered by a women's research group.A type of glycol ether is frequently found in popular cleaning products such as Windex Aerosol, Formula 409, Lemon Fresh Pine-Sol and Simple Green All Purpose Cleaner, says the report released today by Women's Voices for the Earth, a Montana-based nonprofit working to eliminate or reduce toxic chemicals in the home.

The chemical, called ethylene glycol butyl ether or EGBE, is on California's list of toxic air contaminants. Some animal studies indicate that it produces reproductive problems, such as testicular damage, reduced fertility, death of embryos and birth defects. People exposed to high levels of EGBE for several hours have reported nose and eye irritation, headaches, vomiting and a metallic taste in their mouths, studies show.

It's difficult for consumers to know whether their favorite cleaner contains the chemical because manufacturers aren't required to list it on the label. Neither the state nor the federal government regulates indoor air pollution, for instance how the cleaners might degrade air inside a home.

"These are products that women are using in their households on a daily basis, and they use them around their children," said Alexandra Gorman, the group's director of science and research and an author of the report.

The group wants to help people become aware of chemicals they might want to avoid.

Scientists say most people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. Babies, elderly people and sick people spend almost all of their time inside.

The women's research group pored through federally mandated Material Safety Data Sheets pertaining to household cleaning products. The data sheets, which are prepared by the manufacturers and are widely available online, contain information on chemicals used in products.

The group found that EGBE, also known as 2-butoxyethanol, was a common ingredient. It's a colorless, biodegradable chemical with a fruity odor that acts as a degreaser.

The researchers found about 50 products containing varied amounts of the chemical. Some manufacturers, like Sunshine Makers Inc., which makes the Simple Green brand, didn't report how much of the chemical is used in its products.

Sunshine Makers, based in Huntington Harbour (Orange County), advertises its Simply Green brand as nontoxic and environmentally friendly. In its response to the research group's study, the company said it didn't detail all the chemicals in its products to "protect its formula from piracy."

"At the same time, we back up all of our safety, health and environmental claims with independent laboratory test data, which is available to the public for the asking," the statement said.

Brian Sansoni, a spokesman for the Soap and Detergent Association, an industry trade group, responded to criticisms of the use of EGBE in household cleaners.

"There is no need to play 'Fear Factor' here. This ingredient usage in cleaning products is not known to be of concern for consumers who use these products as directed," Sansoni said.

Members of his group include Clorox Co. and S.C. Johnson, which manufacture Formula 409, Pine-Sol and Windex Aerosol -- the only Windex formulation to contain EGBE, according to the data.

The federal government removed EGBE from its list of hazardous air pollutants a few years ago, Sansoni noted.

Andrew Jacques, a spokesman for the American Chemistry Council, which represents the manufacturers of the chemical, said his group believes the several recent EPA reviews of EGBE "indicate its low toxicity to humans and the environment."

The EPA maintains a safety guideline for chronic inhalation exposure. The guideline is just that, not a regulatory limit but a guide for health officials.

Jacques also said EGBE is a key ingredient in many cleaners and helps cut the amount of volatile organic compounds in a cleaning product. Such organic compounds can cause other types of air pollution, including smog.

Some academicians and government scientists believe that there should be a reduction in toxic chemicals used in the home.

William Nazaroff, a professor of environmental engineering and chairman of the Energy and Resources Group at UC Berkeley, said the EPA erred when it removed the chemical from the hazardous air pollutants list.

Nazaroff conducted a study for the California Air Resources Board in 2006 on the indoor air chemistry of cleaning agents and toxic air contaminants.

He found that people using some common products containing EGBE could be exposed to levels 12 times greater than California's one-hour exposure guideline.

"None of these are (legally enforceable) standards for ordinary indoor environments. We have a blind spot in our regulatory structure for toxic air pollutants," Nazaroff said.

"It defies logic to think that it's unsafe to be exposed outdoors but it would be safe to be exposed at that level indoors," he said.

Generally, some of the people who have the most exposure to the chemicals are janitors and maids.

Some of those workers are represented by the Service Employees International Union. Ahmad Abozayd, vice president of SEIU's Local 87 in San Francisco, said there have been oral agreements with companies to use nontoxic products.

In the Bay Area, about 30 million square feet of office space is cleaned with products deemed "environmentally preferable," said Angela Gustafson, senior vice president for OneSource Building Services Inc., a national cleaning company.

The bulk of the chemicals have been certified by an independent group called Green Seal, she said.

"It's absolutely a trend. It's not just for the cleaners of the buildings but for the people who work in the buildings."

In the old days, "people thought it was a good thing to see blue water in the toilet and smell the bleach smell. But if there's so much chemical and caustic in the bathroom, that's harmful."

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So this is why I prefer to make my own and it's so so simple, and cheep!

All Purpose Cleaning Solution Recipe:

Mix equal parts warm water and white vinegar

Add one drop of free and clear Dish soap. I use Dapple

Add a few drops of tea tree oil (anti microbial). For a spray bottle size mixture I use about 6-8 drops

Shake it up and start cleaning


What can you use this for you ask? Just about everything!

I use it on counter tops, bathroom sinks, mirrors, windows, toilets, bathtubs, stainless steal. You name it! I even use it to clean my floors. I have ceramic tile and a laminate light wood floor, and I find it works amazing on those!

Disposable or Reusable Homemade Baby Wipes and Non Toxic Solution

I started doing this when I started cloth diapering. It's really easy, smells amazing, and is so much gentler than even the sensitive or hypoallergenic baby wipes. I think they work better too, win win in my book!!
I have sensitive skin on my hands and I find that the conventional baby wipes really irritate the tips of my fingers. To the point that they crack and peel. Ouch! I've noticed a huge improvement since using the all natural solution.

Here is the very simple recipe:

2 cups almost boiling water

1TBS of your homemade soap flakes
I use the hemp lavender (see my baby wash post for directions in making the soap flakes. Super easy and economical)

1TBS coconut oil

2-3 drops of Tea Tree oil
It's an anti fungal. Great for baby's skin, and helps keep the musty smell from the wipes.



Mix all ingredients together. I do up a triple batch and store in mason jars. You just have to re heat the liquid before you pour over the wipes if it cools down. It gets a little thick.
I use baby washcloths. I fold them and store them in an old baby wipe container and pour the solution over them.
That's it!!

I also make disposable ones to take along with me, or when I encounter something (ahem) super messy!

I tried cutting a paper towel roll in half and using that, too much fuss, and I didn't like how hard they were to separate.

I combed the paper product isle, and stumbled on Klenex disposable hand towels. They hold up like paper towels when wet, are soft, and you can put them in an old wipe container and they are dispensed just like store bought wipes. Just take them out of the box. Put them in the old wipe container and pour your solution over them. I put a stack about an inch high in, pour a little solution, put another stack on top, push down, repeat.
Here is what they look like: (pic at bottom of the page)

Klenex Hand Towels

Putting the wipes in the old baby wipes container

Pulls out just like the store bought wipes!

Homemade Crunchy Granola- make easy cute gifts too

This stuff is addicting and oh so cute in its little jar. As I always say, "it's all about the presentation"!

Crunchy Granola Recipe:

2 cups old fashioned oats

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup chopped raw almonds

3/4 cup raw coconut flakes

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup safflower oil

1 tsp cinnamon

A few good pinches of course sea salt
I sprinkle a little bit on top before I put it in the oven too.

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Then mix the wet ingredients together. Combined the two. Spread on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 30 min. Toss, bake another 20-30 min

That's it!

Homemade Baby Wash

I started making my own baby wash a few months ago. Around the time I started cloth diapering I started researching all the things that we put on baby's delicate skin. It's gross! I forget where I read it now, but I read that we actually absorb more chemicals through our skin, than we do by eating contaminated food. Think about it, your skin is the largest organ in your body. Then add to it, that baby's skin is much more sensitive, thinner, and delicate, and why in the world would we want to put harmful chemicals and diapers loaded with toxic ingredients up against their skin all day.

Here is a great website I found with some really important information on what products are safe for our kids. This women has done an amazing job of compiling all this research!
http://safemama.com/cheatsheets/

I'm slowly going through the process of replacing our "old" products with new healthier ones. Not just for the kids, but for my husband and I as well. As soon as I learned there is formaldehyde pretty much in everything, including many popular brands of baby wash, I was sold. That can't be good....right!!!!

So not only is this baby wash good for baby's skin, it's super easy to make too. There is initially a little prep, but after that, it's all downhill.

Ingredient's:

1 bar of Dr. Bronner's Magical Soap
Hemp Lavender sent

1 bar of Dr. Bronner's Magical Soap
Baby Mild sent

Here is a link to Dr. Bronner's stuff:
http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/SFNT.htm

Tea tree oil

Almost boiling water

1. Prep:

This may sound funny, but you are going to actually shred the soap with a cheese grater to make soap flakes. Each bar of soap is roughly $4.00 and you get so much use out of it, it puts the baby wash you can buy to shame.  These soaps are made out of Castile soap, olive oil, coconut, oil, Jajoba oil, and that's about it.
I store my soap flakes for future use.

2. Heat Water 
Bring the water close to a boil in a tea kettle or pot.

3. In a large glass measuring cup, add
1/3 cup of the Baby Mild soap flakes and 1 TBS of the Hemp Lavender soap flakes

4. Add 3-5 drops of Tea Tree Oil

5. Fill the measuring cup up to 2 cups with the boiling water. Stir to dissolve soup and then pour into a glass container.
Please don't store your toxin free baby wash in a toxic container :)
I actually use an old vinegar bottle. It works perfect.

6. Let the solution sit over night. It is going to look clear and thin right after its made. The next day it will be a whitish color and thick. Give the bottle a good shake to loosen it up, and mix it up again.

Right after mixing:

 

After it sits for a while:

 

Viola! That's it! I use about 2-3 capfuls in the bath. I am careful about getting too much in their eyes. I don't think it is "technically" tear free, but we have never had any issues.