EcoSprout Detergent: A #FluffyXmas Highlight!

#FluffyXmas?  Oh yes!  If you haven't heard yet, there is a huge Merry Fluffy Christmas blogging event that will be kicking off December 1st.  There are more than 40 blogs participating, and at each one you will have the chance to enter for some amazing fluff packages.  Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to be telling you about my sponsors in these #FluffyXmas Highlights!  You'll learn about some great products, and then have a chance to come back during the event to win my Merry Fluffy Christmas package.

Today I am introducing you to Eco Sprout's 100% natural & biodegradable cloth diaper detergent.  It is also is free from dyes, brighteners, enzymes, phosphates and is SLS free.  

I have to admit that when they contacted me about a review, I was way more than skeptical.  I've used a lot of detergents and more times than not we end up with a rash, ammonia burn, stinky diapers or repelling (back when I used microfiber).  I am always nervous when I try out a new detergent, and this time was no different... until I used my first overnight diaper!

G's diapers had been in need of a good washing, as she is older now and ammonia seems to sneak up on us from time to time due to random foods she eats.  Every few washes or so I tend to add an extra hot wash or rinse, which does the trick, but Eco Sprout kicked it out all on it's own, no extras!  I put a very thick overnight diaper on her that night and when she woke in the morning, there was not a scent to be found, and her diaper was FULL of pee.  I'm talking this girl had to go!  I'm such a skeptic, I never really expect to love a detergent, but I was amazed by Eco Sprout.  I can tell you in no uncertain terms, that this rarely happens.  

Washing was simple.  I followed my regular routine, cold wash with or without detergent, depending on if they are really dirty or not and then my hot wash with detergent.  With Eco Sprout I use 2-3 scoops in my top loading machine, sometimes I'll use a scoop or two in the cold wash if I've gone too long between washes.  I have been using Eco Sprout now for a couple of months and it has worked well and predictably.  I would recommend it to anyone.  

As with any detergent, especially if you are having diaper issues, you're going to want to do a good heavy wash the first time to get rid of the issues caused by your previous detergent.  Eco Sprout includes instructions with this in mind, as well as easy to follow standard wash instructions.  I have found this detergent to be very easy to use, no fussing and worrying over using enough or too much.  I've had others where a flat scoop vs a rounded scoop would make a difference, so this is a welcome change.

Eco Sprout runs $24.98 for 192 HE loads, and there are other sizes available as well.  The detergent comes in unscented and scented varieties (Not sure which to get? Get a sampler!).  The scents are gentle and pleasant, and won't scent your diapers (you really don't want leftovers!)  While you're browsing, be sure to check out their Pail Freshener, Bottom Balm & Bottom Spray.  I haven't had the chance to try them, but if they are have as well thought out as the detergent, I'm sure they'll be great!

I hope you try Eco Sprout's detergent, I am loving it and I'm sure you will too!

Be sure to come back December 1st for your chance to win a 24oz bag of Eco Sprout Detergent during the Merry Fluffy Christmas event!

If you have any questions, please post them below and I will be sure to answer them.

DIY Dishwasher Detergent without Borax!

I've been playing around with a dishwasher detergent recipe for a while now, and finally worked out one that leaves my glasses clear and does not use borax.  I am happy to use borax in my laundry detergent, but I feel that using it on my dishes is probably not the best choice.

For some time now I've been stuck using uneco-freindly options, mostly.  I've been using Cascade packs with Lemi-Shine.  It was the only thing that cleaned my dished and left my glasses clear from film and yuck.  I have been using this DIY recipe with success.  It used Lemi-Shine, which is completely safe and eco-friendly.  The only thing I wish is that I could buy it in tubs.  I simply will not do a load of dishes without it.

1 1/2 Cups Lemi-Shine (They come in 12 oz containers, so this is a full one)
1 1/2 Cups Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Baking Soda
1/2 Cup Sea Salt (any will do I'm sure)

Use 2 Tablespoons per load and if you like, vinegar can be added as the rinse agent.

You can find everything you need to make this at Alice.com  I am an Amazon fan, but they charge way too much for the Lemi-Shine!  Alice.com offers free shipping on all orders and once you spend your first $50, you'll get a $10 credit.  They also have great prices and coupons!

If you're new to Lemi-Shine, right now you can head to their site for a sample.  I swear, this stuff is amazing if you have residue issues, hard water issues, etc!

This has been working wonderfully for me.  I hope you try it out and I would love to hear how it works for you!

DIY Laundry Pretreater

Whether you're using a DIY Detergent or a store bought detergent, you're going to need a pretreater. With three kids, it seems like I'm always getting these little oily spots on my clothes that seem to not come out in a normal wash. This mix works well on stains and oily/greasy spots too!

This pretreater is affordable and easy to make. I hope you love it as much as I do. You'll need some DIY detergent, a bar of Fels Naptha soap (I highty recommend this bar for it's stain fighting abilities), a bottle and/or spray bottle and hot water.

Cloth Diaper Detergent : How-To

If you've been around here long, I'm sure that you've come across my DIY Cloth Diaper Detergent at one point or another.  You might use it, or perhaps you've toyed with the idea of making it, but thought it would be too much work.  Have no fear, it's both affordable and easy to make!




This method of mixing can be applied to the Laundry Detergent Recipe as well.

Green Your Laundry (and maybe more!)

I think we all know to buy safe laundry detergents, but what about the containers they come in?  It seems that every detergent I see comes in a bulky plastic bottle that's nearly impossible to reuse/repurpose and the only option seems to be recycling.  Throw what you know about traditional containers or into the proverbial recycling bin - there's a new bottle in town!

Like our family, working mom Julie Corbett was shocked by the amount of plastic jugs and cartons her family produced on a regular basis.  She decided to do something about it.  With some inspiration from the Canadian milk pouches (they're thin bagged milk, which is often placed into a reusable pitcher - it's amazing) and the molded fiber tray her iPhone came in she got to work.

After lots of hard work and a paten on her technology in May 2008, Ecologic Brands was born.  Today I introduce you to their fantastic two-part container.  The molded fiber shell is made from 70% old corrugated cardboard boxes and 30% old newspapers. The inner pouch and spout are made from #4 Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) plastic. The dosing cap is made from #5 Polypropylene (PP) plastic.

Every empty Ecologic bottle is 100% recyclable.  Simply pop open the outer shell at the seams and separate it from the inside bag.  The outer shell can be recycled with cardboard or tossed into your/your local compost bin.  Rinse out the thin inner plastic bag and recycle it along with the cap at your local recycling center.  If you need help finding your local center, use the search at Earth911 or check your local Whole Foods Market.

I was lucky enough to have a chance to check out one of these bottles myself, and I must say - I love it!  It's sturdy and I love the look.  In addition to the bottle, inside was Seventh Generation's 4X Concentrated Detergent, which I am loving.  You can read more about it here.  I have the scented version, and it's so nice.

I love this bottle and I hope to see it come to store shelves in so many more categories than detergent.  Can you imagine?!  Juice bottles, milk jugs, additional cleaners, and more - all easily recycled and consuming far less plastics.  We're a family of five and it's impossible to avoid containers.  A product like this can make such an amazing impact.

What do you think?  Have you seen it/tried it?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Tate's Natural Miracle Conditioner (with Giveaway!)

I want to tell you about a product that I've been using for a while now and that I just love.  It's called Tate's Natural Miracle Conditioner and it's fabulous!  What makes Tate's so unique is that while it's called a conditioner, it's so much more than that.

Tate's NMC is my #1 go to as a facial lotion, wash, scrub (add sugar!) and makeup remover.  It does an amazing job and leaves my skin looking and feeling great.  My pores appear smaller (I've noticed this on my husband as well), my skin tone is much more even (no dry patches) and my skin is much less temperamental..  Let me show you!



In the video I mentioned that there are something like a hundred uses for this stuff, and I wasn't kidding!  Here are just a few of my other favorites:

Hair - Tate's is a wonderful conditioner and can even be used as a leave in!
Body - It's a great body lotion, there is no residue and it works well, especially with regular use.
Sunburn - Gentle enough to help moisturize after an unfortunate run in with the sun.
Bath - Add a few pumps to your bath water for a moisturizing soak.
Baby!! - This stuff is crazy gentle and perfect for little ones.  I use it in my daughters hair and it can even be used on baby's bottom to sooth and help prevent rashes.
Laundry - You can use this in the wash as a truly natural fabric softener.
Household Cleaning - Add a little Tate's to a spray bottle of water and use it for dusting, leather conditioning and ironing.

Want more ideas?  Check out the booklet that comes with your bottle of Tate's or this blog post!

In addition to this wonderful, amazing product, Tate's offers many others.  I have friends that use some of them and I look forward to trying them in the future!  You can check out their full line here.

Now, for the moment you've been waiting for - Tate's has generously offered one of these amazing bottles of conditioner for one of you to try.  If you don't win, no fear - this product is amazing and well worth every penny.  I have bought several bottles and will continue to do so.

Enter to win!

Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!

Follow our blog and tell me why you want to try Tate's Natural Miracle Conditioner!  Include your email address (if it's not on your profile) and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow EFFBlog & tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "You've got to see this stuff!  Win Tate's amazing, do it all conditioner @EFFblog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1 #giveaway" Comment with a link to your tweet. Tweet daily for more entries!

*Like us on Facebook, The Eco-Friendly Family

*Add our Blog Button to your blog or web page. Leave a link!

*Tell others about this giveaway on your blog or other social media (message boards, Facebook, etc!). Leave a comment with a link. One entry for each way you share!

and as always, Good Luck and Enjoy!

US Only. Giveaway ends May 30th.  I'll use random.org to pick a winner. I will email the winner. If I do not hear back within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided the product mentioned to review. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. Review & Ad Information, Giveaway Guidelines

Fabric Softeners

If you've been around here, you've likely seen my post on the dangers of traditional fabric softeners.  As part of our new MomsEveryday segments, we'll be covering some topics a bit more with video included to help viewers easily find our tips, information and suggestions.  These air on my local NBC stations and I am so blessed to have this platform.


As outlined in our post Fabric Softeners: What You Should Know, traditional fabric softeners contain a long list of chemicals, many of which are actually skin irritants (just for starters!)  Most fabric softener sheets are actually coated with animal fat (that's the waxy sheen on them).  Yuck, right?!

My favorite fabric softener choices are dryer balls, vinegar and a few commercially available plant based liquid softeners.

Dryer Balls - I love these things and use four in my very own dryer.  They really help reduce drying time and I am always surprised by how soft everything gets.  I notice that it cuts down on wrinkles too.  I love that!  Dryer balls are easy to use.  Toss them in your dyer and that's it.  No need to take them out or remember to put them back in, unless of course your children think they are toys and run off with them!In regard to the drying time, I predominantly use All-in-One style diapers and they dry in a single cycle with these in my dryer!  If you're not familiar with modern cloth diapers - be sure to check out our FAQ!

My favorite dryer balls are Nellie's.  I have a set of their original and PVC free.  I really love them both, but I think I prefer the softening effect of the PVC slightly more.  If you want a natural option, wool dryer balls might be for you.  They are felted wool balls and have the same function.  I have only tried one type of these and mine were not all that well made and I was not pleased with the fuzzies left on my clothes.  Knowing more about yarn quality now than I did then, I believe that was the contributing factor.  Lots of people use and love their wool dryer balls.

Vinegar - You might think that your laundry will come out smelling like vinegar, but I can promise you that it will not.  I was worried about this before I gave it a try and was very pleased by how well it worked and the lack of scent.  I use a Downy distributor ball to put the vinegar in my wash when I use it.  I fill the ball about half full and toss it in.  If your machine has a reservoir to fill with softener, you can put the vinegar in there.

Store Bought Softeners - If dryer balls or vinegar aren't for you, you can certainly buy safe fabric softeners.  I have used a couple and have been very pleased with them.  Below are a few of the brand options.

Ecover

Seventh Generation Liquid  - we have used this and it works great

Seventh Generation Dryer Sheets

Method Liquid

Method Dryer Sheets - we have used these and like them a lot

Mrs. Meyers Dryer Sheets
Mrs. Meyers Liquid

DIY Cleaners

There are so many good cleaning recipes out there, but I would like to share a few that we use in our home.

All-Purpose Cleaner
1 3/4 c Water
1 3/4 c Vinegar
1 tbs Dish Soap (a small squirt)
1 dropper full of Grapefruit Seed Extract or several drops of Tea Tree Oil

I gently mix this up (so I don't cause too many bubbles!) and pour it into a spray bottle.  You can mix this up with just vinegar and water if you like.  It will still do the trick :)

Glass Cleaner

1 1/3 c Water

1 1/3 c Vinegar

1 tbs Dish Soap (a small squirt)

1 dropper full of Grapefruit Seed Extract or several drops of Tea Tree Oil
1/3 c Rubbing Alcohol (this will give you a great streak-free shine)

Again, mix gently and you can leave out the dish soap and grapefruit seed extract (or TTO) if you need/want to.

Scrub
Baking soda!  Add a bit of water to make this a paste and scrub away.  You could also use a bit of dish soap to make it soapy/scrubby.

Tough Water Marks/Soap Scum
Apple cider vinegar.  In the bottom of the shower or sink, plug the drain, add hot water and some ACV.  Let it sit for a while and then you should be able to really wipe the scum away.

If you can't let this sit (it's on a virtical surface) try using hot water & ACV to scrub with.  Sometimes I'll add a bit of baking soda too.  Be careful if doing this with hot water/acv as it will foam up quickly.

Fabric Softener
Vinegar - use 1/4-1/2 cup per wash during the rinse cycle.  I like to use a Downy Ball to make it easy.

You could also use 1/4-1/2 cup of vinegar & baking soda.  Some people like to mix these up beforehand in a large batch.  If you do this, be sure to do it in a large bucket or other basin.  This will fizz up a lot.  Stirring the baking soda in slowly will help with that.  Once you're done you can put it into a container.  Be sure to give it a gently shake before each use as some of the baking soda may not dissolve completely.

Alternatively you could not use additives at all and simply keep some dryer balls in your dryer.  Read more about that here.

Bulk Clothing Laundry Detergent Recipe - more info & smaller batch recipe here
3 Boxes Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (55 oz each)
2 Boxes 20 Mule Team Borax (76 oz each)
1 Large Tub OxiClean (96 oz)
24 Bars of Soap, finely grated

Use 1-2 tablespoons per wash load.

If you're having trouble finding the ingredients, try Alice.com  You'll get a $10 credit once you spend $50, prices are great and shipping is always free!

Bulk Cloth Diaper Detergent Recipe - more info & smaller batch recipe here
3 Boxes Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (55 oz each)
2 Boxes 20 Mule Team Borax (76 oz each)
1 Large Tub OxiClean (96 oz)

Use 1 tablespoon per wash load - start out with half of this amount for a high efficiency machine.

If you use this for clothes use 2-3 tbs per load.  This recipe works well on clothes, though you may want to pre-treat tough spots.  I like to use a bar of Fels Naptha for this purpose.  I just wet it, the cloth and rub.

Concerned about borax?

A recent article by EWG cautions the use of borax for cleaning in the home noting that toddlers and young children face special risks from hand-to-mouth transfer of carpet or crack and crevice, dust or spray borax treatments. I would recommend not using borax as a general home cleaner - any cleaner (aside from pure water) used for these purposes will leave a residue.  I feel comfortable using the minuscule amount found in each use of the detergent. It is not used on open surfaces and is washed out during the rinse cycle.

You can read a bit more on this debate here - there are some great points of view in the comments.

Cleaning Up Stained Kids' Clothes

Each time I grab clothes for our youngest from storage I am faced with stains.  I put clothes away washed and clean, but they come out with these awful, yellowed stains.   They are protein stains that develop from proteins left in the fibers from drool and other things.  I use to think that there was no saving them.  I tried washing every which way and nothing worked.  So when our youngest was due and I was faced with a tub of stained newborn clothes, I put my cloth diaper knowledge to work.  I used the sun!

It worked beautifully!  All of our baby clothes were saved and it was easy.  I have since used this on just about any, and all, natural stains with great success.  Here's what I do:

I have a wash tub in my laundry area, so I fill it about half full of hot water and added 2 or 3 massive scoops of Oxiclean. I mean the big green scoop that it comes with. I put on my rubber gloves and dissolve the Oxiclean in the water. I then add every piece of stained clothing, being sure to get each saturated. My objective is not to have it be a big pool of water, but just enough to get everything sopping and just a little left over (I want that Oxiclean super concentrated!).

You could do this in your tub or even in the washing machine - which would be ideal.

I let it all soak overnight.  If I did this in the wash tub, I would transfer the laundry to the washing machine with the help of a bucket.  I fill the machine as usual - using warm water and then add a normal amount of detergent.  Do a normal wash cycle, but do not dry in the dryer!

Then, here comes the rest of the magic. I hung them all out to dry in the sunshine.

Voila! Every stain was gone. They all looked like new! I couldn't believe it. Some of the stains were awful too. I had a couple of outfits that were headed for the trash, but I thought I'd toss them in and give them a chance. They look like new too. Wow, just wow.

Thank you oxygen action and sunshine, you have saved me, yet again :)

This is great for getting clothes ready for donating or yard sales, for salvaging stained family favorites and more.

Warmer weather means spring cleaning!

I love spring and actually look forward to spring cleaning.  I'm not generally a fan of housework, the work is rarely done and it never lasts BUT I love spring cleaning.  I love opening up all of the windows and doors, wiping down everything and sorting through the winter collections.

Last year I was introduced to Seventh Generation cleaning products.  They are formulated to be safe for your family and the environment.  With Seventh Generation there are no harsh fumes and everything is non-toxic.  I even read on one container: "Seventh Generation products, although not intended for consumption, aren't poisonous."  Wow, that's a nice feeling.  I've never had a child consume a cleaner, but the sad fact is that it does happen, and not just a little.  Nearly 12,000 children under the age 5 are seen in the emergency room each hear due to injuries caused by household cleaners.

I was able to try out a whole host of Seventh Generation products this past year and I must say, I *love* them.  I have already started to replace bottles as needed.  Two of my favorites are the Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner and the Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner.  They clean safely and as a happy side effect of the Thyme Oil used to disinfect they smell so refreshingly clean - but nothing like the toxic fumes of traditional cleaners.  If you don't like scents, no worries Seventh Generation offers a full Free and Clear line.


Seventh Generation is upfront, open and honest about their products.  They tell you what's in them - unlike most companies.  For example, their Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner contains:
Thymol (component of thyme oil), Sodium lauryl sulfate (palm kernel or coconut-derived cleaning agent), copper sulfate pentahydrate (bluestone) (mineral derived water mineralizer), citric acid and sodium citrate (cornstarch derived water softeners), essential oils and botanical extracts* (origanum vulgare (oregano) oil, cedrus atlantica (blue atlas cedar) bark oil, citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil, cymbopogon schoenanthus (lemongrass) oil, citrus medica limonum (lemon) fruit extract, mentha citrata (orange bergamot mint) leaf extract, aqua (water)

For argument's sake, let's see what a popular 'name brand' disinfecting bathroom cleaner's ingredients look like:
n-Alkyl (60% C14, 30% C16, 5% C12, 5% C18) dimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride 0.1373%, n-Alkyl (68% C12, 32% C14) dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chloride 0.1373%, Other ingredients: 99.7250%


Say what?  Yep, they don't even tell you what's in that other 99.725% of their product.

As I mentioned, Seventh Generation offers a whole line of products so be sure to check them out.  Multi-surface, bathroom, disinfecting wipes, laundry detergent, fabric softener, dish soap, dishwasher pacs, glass cleaner, toilet paper, paper towels.. the list goes on.  I have truly loved pretty much everything I have tried.  The only item that fell short for me was the dishwasher tablets.  I think that has a lot to do with our water and machine.  I have to follow a strict routine to get my dishes to come out properly.

Be sure to sign up at Seventh Generation for great coupons too!  They even have a great forum where you can get and share tips with others.

For great promotions and tips be sure to connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!


FCC Disclaimer: I was provided the product mentioned to review. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. Review & Ad Information, Giveaway Guidelines

Want to try the Activeion?

Now is your chance.

I reviewed the Ionator HOM for you back in January and have been using and loving it since.  I am consistently pleased with it's performance and when I was offered the chance to work with them again I was more than happy to.

Because of the great response to them here on The Eco-Friendly Family, Activeion is offering you, our readers, an $10 discount on the Ionator HOM.  If you've wanted to own the HOM but weren't sure it would work for you, no fear, Activeion offers a 30 day money back guarantee.  I can't tell you how great this product is.  It truly breaks up messes for easy wiping better than most of my homemade and commercial cleaners (all eco-friendly of course!)

To take advantage of this opportunity, head over to Activeion by October 31, 2010 and use code:

blog2010

What about small appliances?

Some months ago when my vacuum cleaner was giving me less than stellar results I began searching for a green option.  I saw lots of gimmicks claiming to be 'green' but nothing I read stood out as truly earth friendly and the brands concerned me.  I have tried several brands in the past and none have done much good.  It seems that the ones I've used don't pick up well enough and the most recent one even flicked dirt back at me while I tried to vacuum!

I sent out emails to a few different companies hoping to get some feedback and information about their companies practices and the (hopefully) Earth consciousness of their products.  To the pleasure of my curiosity, Dyson wrote me back and offered to let me review their Dyson DC31 handheld.  Though it was not a floor vacuum, I had actually read a bit about this device because of it's highly efficient motor.  I was interested in seeing how well this little device could really work.  After all, my current handheld wouldn't hold a charge and barely picked up anything even when it did.

The Dyson handheld's motor is unlike traditional electric motors.  It is smaller, lighter and more powerful than conventional motors. It has no carbon brushes, therefore no carbon dust and less components to wear out and degrade performance.  The latest Dyson digital motor is three times faster and more power efficient than any other - meaning Dyson's new handhelds can deliver twice the airwatts for the same run time.  This is truly an innovation.  It also has a dual power mode to allow you to save even more energy when wanted, or get an extra boost when needed.

I have been using this handheld daily for a few months now and it's been a blessing in so many ways.  I think my favorite is using it in the kitchen and dining room to help tidy up my counters and floors.  We spend so much time in there that crumbs end up in, on and around everything.  In addition to my counters, it was a life saver when our brand new 'other' brand vacuum died.  I was able to keep things tidy while I searched for a new vacuum.  I have to admit that before this handheld, the price of a Dyson put me off a little.  The thought of spending a few hundred dollars or more on a vacuum was a bit to swallow, but the thought of purchasing trash that would quickly end up in a landfill concerned me much more.

I was able to pick up a Dyson recently for a great price and I am beyond thrilled.  I realize that Dyson is not directly an "eco-friendly" company, but from all I have experienced (with two products now) and through reading their literature, I am very pleased to have worked with them and to have purchased their product.

The amount of dust and fiber that I can pick up with my machines is amazing.  They are both highly efficient.  I spend very little time vacuuming in comparison to other vacuums that I have tried and the amount of dirt removed.  I am continually shocked by all that comes up and  I could not be happier.

At the end of the day I think quality makes it's mark on the environmental front.  Yes, I could have spent a couple hundred dollars less on a vacuum, but then were would I be?  I did that recently.  I purchased a $90, well rated by Good Housekeeping, vacuum and it was picking up nothing inside of a month.  All of the energy used to manufacture it - wasted.  All of the components and plastics in the machine - wasted.  The gas used to transport it from factories and stores - wasted.  The man hours spent moving and stocking it - wasted.  My time and hard earned money - wasted.

In addition to the Dyson products being highly efficient, they don't continue to produce waste like many of their counterparts.  There are no bags or filters to replace.  It's not hard to see that their machines were built with sustainability in mind.

Household purchases like this that often leave me wondering, "Was it the most eco-friendly choice."  With my Dyson, I believe the answer is "Yes."

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided product to review.  No money or other perks were given. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. For more information about this blog please look here.

CDs aren't just for bottoms.

When I was pregnant with our youngest daughter I went happy crazy looking for all sorts of adorable newborn cloth diapers.  Our older daughter was born 7 weeks early, so I wanted to be prepared with diapers small enough to fit her in the event she was early too.  I wanted to cloth diaper her from moment one (and I did!).  I'll talk more about that later.

As I went about gathering newborn diapers I found myself with a large stash of preemie sized prefold diapers.  It turns out that I do not like prefolds in the newborn stage.  Thankfully I had plenty of other tiny diapers that I did like.

So now that I had 3 dozen prefolds sitting here unloved, what was I to do?  Well, I set aside one dozen for a possible future baby.  The other two dozen, well they have found their way into my heart :)  I love them...

...for house cleaning!

They are perfect for wiping down counters, dusting, etc.  But most importantly they fit perfectly on Swiffer type cleaning mops.  We had an old wand sitting around here from when my husband did a job that required some clean up.  It has sat here unused because I wasn't about to buy refills for it.  I decided to try these tiny prefolds in place of the expensive and wasteful refills.  The center section of the prefold is thicker and sits right on the bottom of the mop.  Not only do they fit perfectly but they work better in my opinion, plus they are washable!

One thing to note about these is that like all cloth diapers, you'll want to wash these a few times in hot water to get them ready to use.  They will have some natural oils in the fibers and you want them to be ready to soak up and tackle your floors.  I don't wash them any special way after that.  They work great and I hope you like them too!

Paper towels are so yesterday!

Paper products can be terrible environmental offenders. From the use of virgin pulp, the manufacturing and the worst - the disposal. When it comes to household paper products, they are all disposable. What an awful waste of a tree.

One easy change for you (and big change for the environment!) is replacing your paper towels with fabric ones. Not only is it better for the environment, it's better for your wallet and cleaning. Cloth cleans so much better.

There are so many options when it comes to these. There are beautiful unpapertowels that many vendors sell. Some even snap together so that you can put them on a roll like traditional paper towels.  They come in a variety of colors and styles and many vendors will even make them custom to your taste.

However, if you're like me, you can't afford to outfit your kitchen with spendy paperless towels.  Not that I wouldn't love some.  It's just not something needed right now.

So what did I do?  Well, one day while at the store I spotted a huge rack of 18-count washcloths (Mainstays from Wal-Mart).  They were a measly $4 a pack.  For $8 I have 36 perfectly usable and scrubby cloths to use to tidy up my house.  They work well, wash well and I couldn't be happier with them.  Especially since they were so affordable.  I store mine under my kitchen sink for easy grabbing.


And look, even my kids like them ;)

When I'm done cleaning I toss them in with my regular laundry.  If you like to keep things a bit more tidy (or if you like accessories) you can even get one of these great kitchen wetbags to store them in until laundry day.

Regardless of what you choose to get, you'll love the switch from paper towels.

Have you made the switch?  I'd love to hear what you think and if you purchased unpaper towels, what brand you recommend.  It might help someone else choose.

Green Cleaning

I recently did a post about avoiding harmful chemicals in cleaning products.  I have been working with Earthbound Farms and while browsing through their funny Greenman videos, I found this gem.  Enjoy.

Thank you Vinegar!

A couple months ago my daughter discovered her brother's crayons.  More specifically she discovered his RED crayon.

Little red crayon made it's way from my son's room down our hallway, though our kitchen and into our dining room before I knew what had happened.

I don't purchase specialty products that remove crayon from walls, so I thought I'd try my tried and true vinegar.  The question was how.

After much trial and error I ended up with these results.  Before & After

It's not perfect (if you look close you can tell the wall was wiped down in spots), but the crayon is gone and my walls aren't all marked up like they use to get when I used more conventional products.

Here's the tip!

Hot vinegar and baking soda!

Get out a microwave safe cup/bowl.  Pour in some vinegar, you don't need too much.  Heat it up, but keep in mind that you will be handling it.


I pulled my hot vinegar from the microwave and headed to my spots.  Once I was sat down to scrub I added a sprinkle of baking soda to give it some extra strength.  I grabbed my wash cloth and dabbed it into the hot vinegar solution.

I pressed the hot rag onto the crayon and then gave it a gentle scrub.  I find that circular motions work well.

That's it!  It was all gone.  It didn't take long to round up all of the crayon spots.  I did have to reheat the vinegar before moving onto the next spot, but I'll take that over new paint any day.

Good luck and if you have another eco-friendly solution to removing crayon (or other child mishaps) please feel free to share!

Laundry Detergent Suggestion & Question

I had a random question and suggestion for all of you.

I offer a homemade laundry detergent recipe here on the blog, free of charge.

We have a local farmer's market and I'm making up a batch for my grandmother to sell there.  I plan to include my card with the blog's address.  I know that the recipe is available here for free, but not everyone wants to make it and I thought it would be helpful as well as make me a few dollars for my troubles.


Suggestion:
Do it too!  If you have a farmers' market or community that could benefit from this, use the recipe, make the detergent and sell it!  You'll help others live with less chemicals and make a few bucks for your labor.  Plus you'll never have to buy detergent again.  That's what I call a win-win-win!

Question:
I have been tossing around the idea of offering it for sale through the blog (perhaps the cloth diaper version too).  Though the recipe is here, not everyone wants to DIY and some people may have trouble finding some of the ingredients.

Also, I thought it might be beneficial to those who want to try the detergent before making it for themselves.

So what do you think?  Would it be helpful or should I just deal with it locally?

So Clean!

From time to time I hear about a product from someone. They tell me how much they love it and I can't help but want to try it out, see if it's all true and share it with you, my readers.

That's exactly how I found this product. It's called Miraclean and it's from a sweet woman who runs Bare Naked Cleaners.
One of the obvious perks about this product is that it comes in a super compact concentrate. No big packaging!

I got the product and quickly set about diluting it into an old juice bottle. I'm all out of spray bottles, what can I say. It still works the same :)

I'd get my rag damp and go about cleaning as usual. It has a lovely natural fragrance, and you can also choose any number of essential oils or fragrance oils to scent it to your liking. I prefer to stay scent free, so plain is great for me!

I found this product to work great on all of the typical things you would expect a cleaner to work well on. Counters, quick cleaning, etc. It wasn't until one fateful night that it really stood out for me.

My husband and I had been playing a game of Scrabble when our nearly two year old daughter grabbed our pen and went happy with it on our sofa. I wasn't too happy, but I had to try something to get it out, and quick! I reached for my Miraclean, dabbed my towel and rubbed the ink stripes a bit. Gone! Just gone, and it hardly took any cleaner or effort. No hard scrubbing at all.

I was shocked and thrilled all in one instant :D Our sofa was saved and I was thankful to the friend that recommended this product! (Thank you!)

Miraclean contains no phosphates, ammonia or chlorine bleach. It is 100% biodegradable and perfect for people with sensitive skin. It can be scented (at your request) with pure essential oils.

It contains water, vinegar, stain and soil removers, and a coconut derived cleaning agent. (I do not know anything further about the natural ingredients in this.)

Bare Naked Cleaners would like to give you the chance to try out this great all-purpose cleaner.

----Update! We have a winner!----
The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!

Congratulations to christschild! Enjoy!

 

Here's how!

Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!
Visit the Bare Naked Cleaners shop and tell me something else you would like to try. Include your email address and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow us and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Win Miraclean from @EFFblog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1 #ecofriendly #eco #green" Leave a comment with a link to your status. Tweet daily for more entries!

*Follow our blog and post letting me know that you are :) (right side bar)

*Become a member of our new Green Living Community, leave a comment letting me know.

*Join our new email newsletter (right sidebar) for notices on special events coming up for the blog.

*Put the EFF Blog Button on your blog sidebar or web page. Leave a link!

*Post about this giveaway on your blog or other social media. Leave a comment with a link.

and as always, Good Luck and Enjoy!

US Only. Giveaway ends February 28th. I'll use random.org to pick a winner. I will email the winner. If I do not hear back within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided a sample to review. No other compensation was given. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. More information & Giveaway guidelines.

Never clean your home with chemicals again!

I was browsing the internet one day and stumbled upon an article about a new product that cleans with water. At first, I thought it was steam (I was wrong.), but what made me take a good look was the size of the product. It looked like a standard cleaning bottle. It didn't look like some heavy appliance that I would have to lug around. I had to know more about it, how it worked, and why.
I started reading about the Ionator HOM. The first thing I wanted to know what how it worked. It sounded too good to be true that plain old tap water, without a lot of heat, was going to effectively clean and sanitize.

What I read made some sense, but I kept looking :) I noticed Bill Nye's face down at the bottom of the page and clicked :)

So before I go any further, I would like you to watch this entertaining and informative video by one of my childhood heroes (I *loved* him!), Bill Nye :)



After seeing this video, I not only better understood the technology, but I really, really had to try it. The thought of not having to use anything other than perfectly clean water to clean my house became so appealing.

If you would like a little more information on the cleaning and sanitizing abilities of the Ionator, please check out these other great links.

Check out Activeion on YouTube!
Clips from The Doctors, CNBC, PBS & More.

EPA Certified Lab Results

When used as directed, the Activeion Pro removes more than 99.9 percent of the bacteria listed below from non-poroushard surfaces. This includes 2009 H1N1! (PDF Press release on that!)

How Does It Work?

A water cell applies a slight electrical charge to the tap water. The charged water passes through an ion exchange membrane, creating an oxygen-rich mixture of positive and negative nano-bubbles. The activated water now attracts dirt like a magnet and lifts it from the surface, enabling it to be easily wiped away.

Let's talk about the Ionator HOM in action :)

The first thing I did when it arrived was charge it up and then test it out! I couldn't wait. Yes, it charges! No batteries to replace, simply plug and go. I have had this for about a month and have only charged it twice.

The first thing I used this on was my counters. I sprayed it on like I would have with any cleaner. I liked how it worked. It didn't seem like it require any more effort than usual and I was pleased with the result. My counter tops are dark though, so I glanced around for a challenge. Something I could really see the results with.

I soon spotted my filthy glass patio door. My husband comes home through these doors and my children know this. They spend much of their time going to the door, touching it, kissing it, licking it, you name it! This poor door was covered in greasy finger prints, cracker kisses and who knows what else.

I grabbed my towel and sprayed the door down as usual. I wiped and swirled and then did the same to the outside of the door. This is what impressed me and got me hooked on the Ionator HOM. I am so pleased with it.

(Please click on it to see it larger!)

What really impressed me was not just that it worked, but that it didn't require any extra exertion. Also, for glass and like things, it didn't leave streaks, and that's without any harsh chemicals to prevent them :)

I also did my stove top. I purposely left it overnight to let the food left over to try on. Sorry about the light reflections. I tried :)

(Please click on it to see it larger!)

I have found the Ionator HOM to be very effective and easy to use. As with any cleaner, if there is something stubborn, I spray, let it sit and then give it a little extra scrub. Even if it did require a little extra elbow grease, I would consider this a great cleaning product.

I have three children and they are around me at all times. I can safely clean around them with the Ionator HOM. I've been using homemade cleaners for some time, but they still aren't things that I want to spray directly around my children. I don't have to worry about that at all with this.

Here is a cute little bonus :)

This is on the Activeion website, but it is so adorable. I wanted to share it here too :) I use to have a chinchilla. They are so sweet!

"So, where did our life-changing technology come from? One sensitive little chinchilla, named Chili.

Hi Chili!

When the inventor of our technology bought Chili as a pet for his family, he learned quickly — many home cleaning products are deadly to the little fellows. So, he set out to invent a way to clean the chinchilla's cage — without harmful chemicals. Chili's owner looked at the big, technologically advanced cleaners and sanitizers often used in food-processing plants and costing thousands of dollars. He found a way to miniaturize the technology to fit into a portable, and affordable, handheld appliance. And he ended up with a revolutionary product for the good of all.

Enter Activeion Cleaning Solutions, and Activeion™ Pro, ionator EXP™ and ionator HOM™.

Made in the U.S.A.

Today, our products are built right in Minnesota, and are used every day around the world to guard students in schools, patients in hospitals, guests in restaurants from harmful bacteria. And now we can all clean most homes, schools, and businesses with simple ionized water. Just think: One day soon we will wonder why we ever used chemicals to clean. Thanks to Activeion. And that sweet little chinchilla."

I have had the pleasure of talking to and working with Activeion and they would like to give you the opportunity to see what I have seen and enjoy this great product.

----Update! We have a winner!----
The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!

Congratulations to Nikki! This thing is amazing! Enjoy!

Here's how to win this wonderful product for yourself!
Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!
Post here and tell me what it would mean to you, to never need chemical cleaners for your daily cleaning. Include your email address (if it's not on your profile) and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow us and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Never clean your home with chemicals again! Win the amazing Ionator HOM from @Active_ion & @EFFblog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1 #ecofriendly #eco" Leave a comment with a link to your status. Tweet daily for more entries!

*Follow Activeion on Twitter, leave a comment

*Follow our blog and post letting me know that you are :) (right side bar)

*Join our new email newsletter (right sidebar) for notices on special events coming up for the blog.

*Put the EFF Blog Button on your blog sidebar or web page. Leave a link!

*Become a fan of the EFF blog on Facebook, leave a comment.

*Become a fan of Activeion on Facebook, leave a comment.

*Become a member of our new Green Living Community, leave a comment.

*Post about this giveaway on your blog or other social media. Leave a comment with a link.

and as always, Good Luck and Enjoy!

US & Canada Only. Giveaway ends February 4th. I'll use random.org to pick a winner. I will email the winner. If I do not hear back within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided the product to review for the giveaway (Thank you Activeion. I am thrilled with the results!). No money or other perks were given. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. For more information about this blog please look here. For giveaway guidelines please look here. RVJQEWGH8B3D