Household Cleaner

I have continued to use the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide cleaner and I like it. I feel like my counters, stove, sinks are getting clean. I have learned that to make my bathroom sink sparkle I have to wash with the cleaner and then rinse with water and wipe with a dry cloth. I still haven't completely decided what to do with the toilet. I do use the cleaner on the outside of the toilet and the seat. I still like to use my Clorox wand inside my toilet. It's easy and I know it's cleaning and I don't have to stick my hand in the water. However, on the rim and the underside of the ring (where most of the yuck is) I still haven't' decided. I did however find that using Borax in my tub works great! It's easy to use and very inexpensive and it contains no harsh chemicals. The only thing I am still wondering about is the grout in the shower between the tiles. So far it's okay but I think once in a while I'll have to use something that really gets into the grout.

Here's a couple notes about the shampoo free:
I really like not using shampoo and the baking soda/water mixture seems to work well. My hair feel clean. The problem is the rinse. I am still using the apple cider vinegar with honey and tea tree oil but I think maybe it's causing some buildup from the honey. So, I think I have decided to use regular shampoo one every week or two weeks. And as a side note- if you use the apple cider vinegar be aware that if it gets in your eyes it really stings! And since I usually tip my hair upside down to get the back of my scalp I have also learned that it burns when it gets up your nose. Just FYI.

Up next: Laundry soap. I've got all the ingredients and I'm almost out of my store bought stuff. I just need a five gallon bucket with a lid! So, as soon as I get that I will begin. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them here or contact me.

Another Update

Hello all. I had to take a week break to get through the end of school. I have had some people asking me, "How's it going now?". It has been a couple of weeks since my first experiment - The Oil Cleansing Method.

I think I will NEVER go back to using over the counter facial cleansers. I LOVE the OCM! Now, I know it has no anti-aging qualities, so to speak, and none of the "miracle" face lift ingredients that certain products are claiming these days. But, it is natural. It is cheap! It is working. My skin is still feeling clean and it's not overly dry. I still have blemishes but I'm not totally sure how long it takes for my skin to get used to the new cleansing method. The blemishes I do have are smaller than usual and they seem to go away sooner than they used to. The Oil Cleansing Method is relaxing and effective.

The household cleaner:
Well, I'm still not totally sure what I think about it. I like it for the kitchen counter, the stove, the sink, the bathroom counter and sink and even the floor. I added some essential oils and it really cut down on the bad smell of the vinegar. I'm not sure I like it for the bathtub or the inside of the toilet. I haven't tried any alternatives, i.e. baking soda, to scrub the bathtub but I will and I'll let you know how it goes. The toilet has some staining that does not come off well with the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. It might be clean but stains are not an option for me in the bathroom.

Shampoo free:
Still working on this. I like the baking soda and water wash. I still use the apple cider vinegar, water and honey for a rinse. I think I've been adding too much honey though since it seems my hair is feeling like it's not getting completely clean. I also added tea tree oil and I like that. I think it helps with the itching. So, now my recipe is 3TBL apple cider vinegar, 1TBL honey and 1 cup of water. I haven't experimented with my daughter's hair again. I also have used regular shampoo and conditioner once. I think I might do that once every couple of weeks.

I am not sure what I'm going to be experimenting with next.It may be a week or so before I make my next thing but I will update you via facebook when it happens. Some things that I am really excited about are: laundry soap, deoderant, lip balm and perfume. If you have any suggestions please let me know. The idea is find something that is natural, cost effective and fairly simple.

Comments and Links

I am so sorry that many of you were not able to leave comments. I think I fixed that problem. Also, I fixed all the links within the blog and in the sidebar. Enjoy!

Homemade All-Purpose Household Cleaner

A couple days ago I made my first bottle of all-purpose household cleaner. (Here is the link to the how-to video)I followed the recipe exactly. I used 2 cups of water, 1 cup of white distilled vinegar and 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide. I don't have any essential oils so I didn't use any. I already had a spray bottle (be SURE it's 32 oz.). The spray bottle I had was clear thought. So, I got creative. I got one of my husband's black sock that had lost it's mate long ago and I used that to cover the bottle. (See pics). The first place I used the cleaner was in the kitchen. I was happy with the results but my kitchen wasn't that dirty. I didn't have any greasy spots to try it on. So, we'll have to wait and see about that later. Then I took it upstairs. I noticed a spot on the wall in my kids' bedroom. I think it was chocolate plus lots of grimy hand dirt. So, I sprayed the wall with the cleaner. It came off splendidly! The darker spots I had to spray twice and it I let it sit on the spot for a couple of seconds it seemed easier to wipe.

Next stop, the bathroom. Now, as many of you know, how clean my bathroom is means a great deal to me! This is the true test! My bathroom was not all that messy since I tend to clean it very regularly. However, the children had all taken baths, the sink had little bits of makeup powder in it and basic dirt. First off, the sink. It cleaned well but it didn't shine like I like. So I rinsed it with water and dried it with a towel and voila - there was the shine! I also used it on the mirror. I wondered if the hydrogen peroxide would make it streak. Nope. It looked at first like it might streak but after it dried it looked great. Next, toilet. The cleaner did a fine job on the outside of the toilet. I did not use it on the inside because I still have a Clorox wand and I used that. Then, the shower. I did not do an extensive test on how it handles the grout grime. I just did a basic surface clean. I sprayed the whole shower and tub and wiped it with a cloth. As I got to the tub I was skeptical. I sprayed it and let it sit for a couple seconds. I took the cloth and started scrubbing. I quickly realized it was going to take some serious elbow grease to get the tub clean. I think I might need to get a bristle scrub brush of some kind. As I was scrubbing, thick dark grime was coming off but it had to be scrubbed and scrubbed. I was wondering if what I heard on t.v. might be right- that the cleaners containing bleach just bleach the dirt and they don't actually remove it? Hmmm. I don't know but I think I will have to try it again and see if it gets easier. Eventually, I got all the grime off and rinsed the whole shower and tub and dried it with a towel and it sparkled. I even sprayed and wiped the tile floor. My bathroom looked and felt clean.

In summary, I think I'll keep using the cleaner for most everything. I might eventually try to find a better cleaner for the tub. And for sure I WILL get some essential oils to add. My house smelled of vinegar for a while after cleaning. I admit, I would rather smell vinegar than harsh chemical fumes but vinegar is not a light, happy smell. I think lavender or lemongrass may be in order for the future.

More about bread

After posting the short story of how I came to making my own homemade whole wheat bread, I received a few questions. So, this is an attempt to go into a bit more detail on how it all works.

First of all, I do own some very nice and very expensive machines. However, you do not need to own the specific machines that I do. I own a Nutrimill grain grinder. There are several types and brand names of grain grinders out there. I have never used anything else but I know others who have. From the research my husband and I did we believed that the Nutrimill was the best value. Nutrimill is sold by individual distributers and I'm not sure what the price is but you can always do some price comparison or look for a used machine at yard sales or on craigslist. The grain grinder is an integral part to making wholesome whole grain recipes. You can certainly buy whole wheat flour at the store (which is better than bleached white flour) but it looses much of it's nutrients by just sitting on the shelf. The fresh flour contains much more of the healthy nutrients our bodies need. Plus you can always use your grinder to grind other types of grains as well.

I also use a Bosch Universal mixer. This is very expensive piece of machinery. Like I said yesterday, we scrimped and saved in order to buy ours brand new. But, again, you wouldn't need to have the exact same machine. A Kitchenaid or other type of mixer would do just fine. The Bosh is the sturdiest and probably the longest lasting mixer. They have an excellent warranty and they can handle large quantities of dough. I do have friends that use other types of mixers though. You will just have to experiment with mixing times and amounts of liquids that you will need. The thing I love about the Bosch is that I can mix enough dough for five loaves of bread in just five minutes. I don't know how that compares to other mixers.

This is the website for the woman whom we took our class with. You really don't need to take a class. However, her cookbook called Healthy Recipes from the Heart of Our Homes is really great. All the recipes are designed to work with the Bosch mixer. (It also includes pressure cooker recipes). Click here for her recipe for Foolproof Bread (this is the recipe we use for bread, cinnamon rolls, pizza etc.) Her website also has information about why to grind your own grains and other great informational articles, schedules of classes (for those in Colorado Springs) and product information. If you do purchase your products through her please tell her that you heard about it from me.

Other items you may need in order to start your venture into homemade bread are: several bread pans, yeast, honey, dough enhancer (which can be purchased at a health food store) and lots of oil (veg. oil). We began with glass bread pans purchased at Wal-Mart and they worked just fine. But, we wanted a longer loaf so we ended up purchase 12 inch loaf pans found here. We also purchased yeast in bulk here. We purchase our wheat from a local health food store or from Phyllis. We use Wheat Montana white wheat. It makes a very light wheat flour.

One more quick note. Phyllis recommends using oil on your counter instead of flour when you are making the dough into loaves. The extra flour on can make the bread dryer. The oil doesn't hurt anything and keeps it from sticking.

I hope this has answered some of your questions about starting to make your own flour and your own bread. If you have any other questions please leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer those questions. Also check the links section for all the websites I have referred to in this article.

Whole Wheat Bread

I have been grinding my own wheat and baking bread for over a year now. I love it and will never quit! This is that story. One day I went to a friend's house and she said, "I'm nearly out of bread so I need to make some. Wanna join me in the kitchen?" So, off we went. I watched as she ground the wheat and made the bread and then about an hour later we tasted the best bread I had ever eaten! I couldn't believe it was whole wheat! I couldn't believe it was so easy! I couldn't believe my children were asking for seconds. I asked how she got started and she told me of a local woman who teaches cooking classes in her home. In the meantime, due to our expressed interest, we were given a Nutrimill grinder for Christmas. I looked at it. I loved it. But I didn't really know what to do with it. So, off we went to the cooking class. There we learned how to make bread, focaccia and even cinnamon rolls with our whole wheat flour. We scrimped and saved and scoured the furniture for all the cash we could find and purchased on of my most favorite machines in the house! The Bosch Universal mixer! Whoo hoo! Now I had all the machines, I just had to bite the bullet and do it. So, we bought some bread pans, yeast, and wheat and began our experiment.

Really all it took was doing it! Truly, I grind the wheat in the grinder, put all the ingredients in the mixer and mix it up for about 5 minutes. I separate it into about 5 loaves (a little over 1 lb each) and let it rise for about 20 minutes. No punching, kneading, etc. Once it rises I put it in the oven for about 20 minutes and we have the best tasting, super nutritious bread for less than you pay at the store for something comparable. You can get creative. You can add other grains such as millet, spelt, etc. We are sort of "plain jane" around here so we don't do any add ins. We do, however, make cinnamon rolls and pizza out of our whole wheat dough. I also make whole wheat pancakes and waffles. I have made numerous breads and desserts with the whole wheat flour.

I said before I will never go back. I was afraid that if we spent all that money I would try it and get tired of it and go back to buying the white nastiness off the shelf at the store. But, because this is truly so easy, I will never give it up! I make several loaves at a time and put them in the freezer for later. I've even sold a few to friends. the only thing I regret is not finding out about it sooner.

Am I insane or just weird?

I have had more interest and response to this blog than anything else I have done. So, I figured I'd let you in on why I am doing this in the first place. Well, the reasons are many. But most of them all boil down to making the best life I can for my family (the pic above is one of my sons). First of all, I truly believe that what God created HAS to be better than what man makes. I am thankful for the intelligence and creativity that God has given to man and I do believe that the innovations and technology that we have come up with has had a dramatic and beneficial impact on our world and society. However, I also believe there are many damaging side effects of these innovations as well. I wonder if using harsh chemicals in our homes and on our bodies has caused some of the sicknesses and diseases we see today. I wonder if cutting those out of our lives could help prevent some tragic, long term problems. I do not have proof of this but I'll just say, I feel better knowing that I am not exposing my family to the harsh unknown substances that come in some of the products I have bought in the past.

Secondly, I am trying to be a good steward of not only my family and their health but of our finances as well. I found, so far, that the things I am trying are by far less expensive than the store bought versions and believe it or not, are SUPER easy to make!

Thirdly, I know that reusing items is better for the planet. So, as a bonus, by not purchasing so many disposable bottles and containers I am decreasing the waste that comes out of my home and the harmful effects they could have on our beautiful Earth.

Lastly, something that I didn't expect has happened! I get this feeling of accomplishment and pride. I love feeling like what I'm doing is helpful, healthy, frugal, creative and it's something I made! It's a great feeling.

I know there are those out there that are rolling their eyes at me like I'm crazy. And, that's okay with me! I invite you all to join me in these experiments and find out for yourself if you might actually enjoy being a little weird too!

Later today I will talk about homemade bread and wheat grinding and tomorrow I will let you know how my homemade cleaner did on my grimy bathroom surfaces!

Day 7- Poo free and OCM

Day 7- One week! Well, last night I used the oil on my face and steamed it off with a hot cloth and them hopped into the shower. When I got out my face felt dry and I didn't do anything to it. This morning my face felt dry too and I could see dryness on it. Eventually, throughout the day it gets a little of it's natural moisture back. By the time I put my make up on this afternoon it wasn't really too dry anymore. However, I have discovered that if I'm going to cleanse my face with oil and take a shower at night I should just let it steam out in the shower. The less water the better I guess. Today I bought sunflower oil to try instead of EVOO. I'm going to finish out the EVOO mixture I made so I'm not sure when I'll try the sunflower oil. But, I'm wondering if it will be better for the dryness. I'll let you know.

I washed my hair last night with the baking soda mixture. I used a full cup of it (1 TBL of baking soda dissolved in water). I also rinsed with the ACV (I used about 3 TBL apple cider vinegar and 1 1/2 TBL honey in one cup of water. ) I used about 2/3 of the cup for the rinse. My hair is feeling dry to me these days and from what I've read it feels like maybe I'm using too much baking soda. So, I think I'm going to try using just 1/2 cup next time. I wonder if using more ACV rinse will help the itching. I am also considering using coconut oil or maybe even a little sunflower oil on my scalp once a week to see if it helps. I'll let you know what I try and how it works. One thing I am happy with is that the baking soda does get the mousse out very well and the rinse does not stink! I keep worrying that my hair is going to smell like vinegar but it doesn't.

If you have been trying this too and have found out anything you'd like to share - please feel free to leave a comment.

Now, since it's been a week I've decided to only update on the OCM and poo free topic whenever I make a change or find something new. The next items I will be talking about will be homemade flour and bread (that won't take long) and homemade all purpose household cleaner. I will be making that tomorrow.

Lastly, feel free to check out the links in the right hand column of this page. As I find helpful information I will post the link there.

Day 6 - OCM and "Poo free"

Had a party today!! Whoop Dee Doo! So, better late than never with the update I suppose.

Day 6- Didn't wash with oil last night. Woke up this morning feeling a little dry. I didn't do anything except put my make up on. So, I have felt a little dry all day. I do have a new blemish although, I must say, it is that time of the month (sorry if that is TMI for any of you). I usually break out really bad around this time of the month but so far this has been the least amount of break out in months! Yippee! But, due to the dryness I may be experimenting with new oils and amounts in the coming weeks. I'll keep you updated.

Also, I didn't wash my hair last night or this morning. It felt clean. I wet it this morning and slathered mousse in it. By the end of this day my head is ITCHING like CRAZY! So, back to the Internet to find out the problem and a possible solution. I'll let you know tomorrow what I find out! I did give my daughter a shower today but I had forgotten to make a new batch of "baking soda shampoo" and I was in a hurry so I grabbed the Pert. I liked it a lot better than our last experience with the baking soda but, I'm not going to give up. I'm going back to the internet for more information and will try again soon.

I am by no means an expert on any of this and I am simply chronicling my experience but if you have any questions let me know, I'll do what I can to answer them. Also, watch for links to helpful websites coming soon. I will also be making my first batch of laundry soap sometime soon, hopefully in the next week.

Day 4 & 5- OCM and "Poo free"

Yesterday I was gone all day so I didn't get a chance to update.

Day 4- Shampoo free- I washed my daughters hair with the baking soda and water. Her hair is medium thickness and very long. It is very straight and very tangle prone. The baking soda mixture did fine at cleaning her hair. I also used the vinegar rinse. I noticed a couple issues with using this on her hair. One is that when she got out of the bath her hair and head still smelled like vinegar and even a little like it was still dirty. Also, her hair was VERY tangely! I had to use some conditioning spray to release the tangles. The rest of that day and the next her hair smelled perfectly fine and feels clean. I think I will try it again only I will use the shower head instead of washing it in the bathtub. I think the spray from the shower head may make it easier to rinse it out and cause less tangling in the process.

OCM- Two very small, new blemishes. Other than that, nothing different regarding the oil cleansing and my face for day 4.

Day 5- Shampoo free- I styled my hair with lots of mousse yesterday and today washed it with baking soda. It did not feel as though it got quite as clean as before. I wonder if the drastic change was when it stripped all the left over waxes and build up from my previous shampoos and conditioners and, now since that is all gone, it doesn't feel so drastic. I also wonder if I need to use more solution since my hair is so thick. I will experiment with this and let you know. There was a little more hair loss than before but not nearly as much as with store bought shampoos and conditioners.

Day 5- OCM- Yesterday I had on make up and mascara. Last night I washed my face with the oils. I was asked if I was sure that the oil was removing all my make up. Since I typically use dark colored wash cloths and towels, I wasn't truly sure. So, last night I did the normal routine and then I checked with a baby wipe. I wiped various parts of my face with the baby wipe and it was clean and white! All the make up was gone and the mascara came off easily as well. The blemishes I got the other day have almost cleared up completely. I think they were a result of my pores beginning to work properly again after being clogged and stripped for so long. This morning my face felt a little dry so I used a much smaller amount of the oil mixture and rubbed it into my skin. Then I hopped in the shower and let it steam out. I used a wash cloth and patted my face while still in the shower to insure any residual oil was wiped away. When I got out my face felt great! Not dry. Now, the rest of my skin? That's for another day. I have a feeling I will be investigating body soaps and washes very soon! Stay tuned!

Day 3- OCM and "Poo free"

Okay, last night I washed my hair for the second time with the baking soda and water mixture. My scalp had been itching before my shower, as it usually does at the end of hot summer days. I wasn't sure if the wash was going to fix the itching. It did! Another bonus to this wash and rinse- I am not loosing nearly as much hair! I'm telling you, I have been removing enough hair to clothe a small animal from the drain each time I washed my hair. Now, there was much, much less! Truthfully only a few strands! If this continues to be the case- I'm completely sold!

I spent most of the day outside in the sun yesterday and I did not wear makeup
or wash my face with the oil last night. I just rinsed it with warm water in the shower. When I got out of the shower my face felt very dry and tight but I did not moisturize at all. I just went straight to bed. This morning I found that my skin is not dry or tight. It seems soft and just the right amount of moisture- not too oily. I do have one small new blemish but the old ones are getting better. Hmmm. I think this might just be working.

Day 2- "Poo Free"

This is day 2- I woke up thinking my hair would feel dry and frizzy. I didn't style it yesterday after my shower. This morning it feels soft and it is LESS frizzy than when I use store bought shampoo. It still feels clean.

Day 2- OCM

This is day 2. I didn't wear any makeup yesterday but I still cleansed my face with the oil. It actually feels really nice and followed by the steamy cloth it is so relaxing! This morning I woke up feeling a little bit oily in the creases of my nose. So, I will probably not use as much on the days I don't wear makeup and I'll focus more on making sure the hot cloth gets the creases. The rest of the skin on my face feels great, not oily, not dry. Other than that, I have already noticed a reduction in blackheads on my nose and I have not seen an increase in other blemishes. Whoo hoo!

Day 1- "Poo Free"

Day 1- Baking Soda Shampoo and Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse. Today in the shower I used the recipe of 1 TBL of Baking Soda dissolved in warm water as my shampoo. I had not washed my hair the previous day but I had used Mousse to style my hair. I wondered of the baking soda solution would really get all that gunk out of my hair. Now, I have VERY thick, coarse, curly hair. I poured about a half a cup of the solution all over my hair and scalp. I mixed it in. I rinsed it out. AMAZING! My hair was squeeky clean and felt smooth and soft. It didn't lather but I had no need to reapply. What would it feel like when I got out of the shower and after my hair dried? Read on.

After the baking soda wash I applied about a quarter cup (or less) of the following recipe: 2 TBL of Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/2 TBL honey to hot water. I mixed it really well and spread the mixture on the ends of my hair and massaged a bit into my scalp. I let it sit while I finished my shower. I rinsed it out. I wondered if I would smell like vinegar all day.

After the shower I towel dried my hair and it felt clean and smelled clean (not lovely, but not like vinegar- whoo hoo). I put it up in a clip and now that it is mostly dry it still feels clean, doesn't smell like vinegar and the ends are actually soft. I even asked my husband to smell my hair and he said it doesn't smell like vinegar and it smells clean.

So, there you have it. Day 1.

Day 1- OCM (Oil Cleansing Method)

Day 1-OCM- I used the Oil Cleansing Method last night for the first time. I had on make up and mascara. I did not wash it off before I used the oil. I mixed 1 TBL of Castor Oil with 3 TBL of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I put about a quarter size portion in my hand and massaged it on my face. It felt nice. Then I heated a wash cloth in hot running water, rung out the excess and held it over my face to steam. I repeated the hot wash cloth three times. By the time I finished. My make up was removed, including my mascara. My skin did not feel oily. It felt smooth and moist. I went to bed. When I woke up I thought maybe my skin would feel oily. It didn't. It felt smooth and supple. Usually I have dry skin on and around my nose and I don't today. I still have the blemishes I have had for the last couple days. But, they are not worse.

The Fight for my Face

I just decided to do it. I'd been reading about it and hearing about it for a long time. I didn't really believe it could work. So, I decided to try it. Nothing like the truth of personal experience right? So here it goes. With gritted teeth I took the plunge into the world of homemade personal grooming products. I have started with facial cleanser. I have dry skin. I have had severe eczema. I have had very severe acne. I have super sensitive skin. So, put all this together and this is a very scary world for my face. But, after hearing some of the ingredients in the mainstream, big name facial cleansing products and after emptying my wallet countless times to try them, I realized it was a bad idea all around. So, what was left? Well, I could "invest" in one of those big time direct sales companies and "make money, or at least get my products for free". Or, I could just sell my kidney so I could afford to purchase the super expensive, all natural, anti aging, miracle products. I didn't have the fortitude for either.

I had heard from a friend of mine that she had discovered and was enjoying using a method called the Oil Cleansing Method. She admits to having acne prone skin as well. After briefly talking with her about it I began some research. I read the instructions and the recipe. I read the chat threads. I googled it. I read it again and again and I just couldn't believe it. I even read it to my sister and she sort of smirked too. The premise is washing your face daily with oil! EVOO! (not just EVOO but I'll discuss particulars later). How could putting oil on an already blemish prone skin really work? Does it work? That is the question we will be finding out.

In the process of learning about the oil cleansing method I have come across a myriad of websites and folks that have gone shampoo free and body wash free as well. I figured, if I'm going to try one, I might as well try it all. I'm also going to be investigating the success of homemade laundry detergent and probably some homemade household cleaners. Who knows where this might lead! Follow along and we will take the plunge!