Green Clean

A lot of the comments I got about why people don't use more "green" stuff is the price of things. I wanted to put together a few post of ways you can go green without breaking the bank.
See, to me part of going green is also saving money. There's no way I can afford all the "green" things the stores have to offer. Plus, if you're having to go out and buy new stuff to go green, is that really going green? You're just buying new stuff. Also, a lot of the "green" stuff out there isn't really green. (Example: Clorox green. Yes, it's great that they're making an effort and if that's what you're wanting to use, I guess it's better than nothing.. but still.)

So my first set of posts are on cleaners and what you can use to have the advantage of not having the chemicals but also not breaking the bank.

First, if you want some links on why cleaners are bad, here you go. But you can also look it up yourselves. Or trust me that I've done my research ;) Besides the chemicals that no, don't wash all the way out of your clothes, (You can always smell the "sent" after it's washed..) You're also putting those chemicals into the water, which does go to a treatment plant, but some of it does leak into the earth. Would you want to water your plants with that stuff?
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/07/25/health-hazards-in-household-cleaners-exposed.html

http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/Whats-So-Bad-About-Chemical-Cleaning-Products.html

So, first up... Laundry detergent! Honestly, one of my greatest finds is my laundry detergent.
You can make your own! It's very easy and I have done it.
Here's 2 recipes, one liquid and one dry:
Liquid:
3 Pints Water
1/3 Soap,* Grated
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
2 Gallon Bucket
1 Quart Hot Water
Mix soap in a saucepan with 3 pints of water, and heat on low until dissolved. Stir in Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. Add 1 Quart Hot Water to 2 Gallon Bucket. Add soap mixture, and mix well. Fill bucket with hot water, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.

Dry:
1 Cup Grated Soap*
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
For light load, use 1 tablespoon.For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 tablespoons.

* Good soaps to use are Fels Naptha, Ivory or a castile soap.

TIPS• Liquid detergent can also be used as a pre-treater for stains. • Essential Oils can be added to soap for fragrance.

If you're not feeling up to making your own, there's some other options.
First up, my favorite.. Crunchy clean. I'll admit, this is the only homemade stuff I've bought, so maybe there's a reason it's my favorite. ;) http://www.crunchyclean.com/ I am not kidding you, this stuff smells Soooooo good!! When your mailman is asking you what's in the package because everybody at the post office was trying to guess... You know. The nice thing is though, you don't smell it after you wash your clothes. Monkey farts is the only sent I've tried, but I love it. I have the diaper wash and the regular wash.
It's really not that expensive either. It really lasts you a long time. I've had my diaper detergent since November and I'm nowhere near even half way through it. I've just got the regular detergent, so I can't tell you how long that lasts.

The others that I know of are:
http://www.jennyssimplyclean.com/
http://www.cleangreenmonkey.com/

Now that the cleaners are covered (Somewhat.... There is a lot more out there!) Lets talk fabric softener. I never ever bought fabric softener. I guess I considered it a luxury. Then I found out that you can use vinegar as fabric softener! I was a bit hesitant to try it because who wants your clothes to smell like vinegar?? But it really doesn't. You just put a little bit in your rinse cycle and it really does work great!
Check this out, 1001 ways to use vinegar: http://www.vinegartips.com/

Oh, and that washing soda and borax that are ingredients for the laundry detergent? They're also great laundry boosters for regular laundry detergents, for stains and also for household cleaning. Washing soda & Borax can be found at most grocery stores or Walmart.

Another great way to go green with laundry that will save you money is to get a clothes line and use it instead of your dryer ;)

That's all for this post. If you'd like to share your green ways with laundry, feel free! I know I still don't know very much about this stuff and am always looking for more!