Eco-Cleaning: Laundry Day + Giveaway!

Thanks everyone for understanding my need for a day off, I'm sorry that I broke the agenda - that was unprofessional; but the nice thing about being a blogger - is there's a semi-professionalism that I feel I'm responsible for, which is great - since that's all I've ever been able to achieve in the real world anyways.

Okay, whether you do your laundry at home, or you frequent your local laundromat - you can still go au naturel.

source

source

• Liquid Laundry Detergent: 1 cup liquid castille soap, 2 cups water, 1 cup washing soda, 1/3 cup salt - warm the two cups water, washing soda and salt until mostly dissolved, then transfer to a one gallon container (a cleaned, reused milk container is perfect for this); Add the castille soap to the gallon container, and fill container to top with water. This will be enough detergent for approximately 64 loads: use 1/4 cup per regular load. 
• Fabric Softener: You'd really be surprised what a little bit of vinegar will do to soften your clothes, as well as disinfect them. During the rinse cycle, toss in 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar. The vinegar smell will rinse out; and be covered up by your fabuloso Lavender Dryer Sachets (instructions to follow).

source

A quick note about what to expect from your laundry detergent: it will clean as well as any other "green" product you use; it will disinfect and soften when you add the vinegar to the rinse cycle; it will not be super sudsy like many of the products that you might be using now, that aren't "green" or "eco-friendly", due to the charming lack of SLS. "What's SLS, Tara?", you might be asking - or you could be wiping your brow, "Phew!" with a sigh of relief that crap isn't in there. From either position you sit - you're getting the spiel now:

• SLS: What is it? Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. What does it do? It makes sudsing action that we've become programmed to associate with cleaning. You can find it in (of course, your cleaning products) toothpaste, shampoo, shaving foams, bubble baths - if it suds - it's there. It's also a known skin irritant, can cause allergic reactions in the mouth from dental products, and a possible carcinogenic. Just click on that hyperlink up there for a much simpler breakdown of how freakin' scary this stuff is - and then promptly go on tirade through house removing every last bottle containing the crap. 'Nuff said.

If you'll be tossing your clothes in the dryer - I will be offering a giveaway of a set of 3 EVA Dryer Sachets (One with Lavender, One with Rose, and One I'll let the winner decide on based on my stock of herbs and flowers). Now I haven't been a good little crafty blogger, so I haven't even had time yet to make them, take photos, and get you all excited - let alone do a photo-DIY...

But wait, there's more!! I've got photos of the super-sweet vintage fabric I'll be adorning these EVA Dryer Sachets with:

source

To enter the giveaway for the EVA Dryer Sachets, please visit the EVA Etsy Shop, and tell me what your favorite item is. Also, if you aren't already following, now you know the drill - good for each entry is a mandatory subscription - and I think you'll be glad you did! Just be sure to let me know in the comments if you are a new subscriber and your email. 

For an extra entry (each of these is worth one) tweet this post, facebook, or blog. Comment with your twitter name so I can find you, your blog so I can read/follow, and your facebook link - so we can be friends!

There will be at least one more giveaway tomorrow, deadlines for all entries are Sunday, Mar.  28th at 11:59PM (PST) - I'll announce all giveaway winners on Monday morning! Good Luck!

Here are the instructions for making your very own Lavender Dryer Sachets:

• First of all, you will be in need of Cotton Muslin, you'll determine the yardage, because it depends how many of these you want to make. You need thread of course, and can either hand sew, or use your trusty machine. And organic lavender flowers, again, these can be found from Mountain Rose Herbs or other such places. 
• To make one sachet, simply cut two 5" squares of your muslin, and sew together using 1/4" seams on three sides. Turn inside out and use a pencil or better yet, a bone folder to make neat corners. 
• Fill with your lavender flowers nearly to the top; but leave about an inch so that you can turn in a 1/4" seam, gently iron (avoiding the flowers), and sew shut. 
• It's that simple!

These bags are reusable, and when you sense that the lavender isn't freshening up your laundry with the strength you want; just take a seam ripper and open about 2-3" on your top side. Empty the lavender into a bowl, refill your sachet with new lavender, and sew shut again. 

Now, for that lavender just waiting in the bowl. Crush it in your hands, or even better with a mortar and pestle. Keep it around for the next time you vacuum with baking soda - instead of using essential oils, toss out the crushed lavender flowers. Let sit for a half hour as usual. Aahhhh...I just love the smell of lavender. If you don't, there are plenty of other dried flowers you can use in the same manner.

source

And for those of you who love to use the elements of the sun and air to dry your clothes - now you don't have to worry about tough towels and sheets - that fabric softener will keep them smooth and soft as they dry in the spring breeze.

source

And lastly, the subject of ironing. We all have to do it  - and if you sew, you do it more than just on laundry day. So here's a great recipe for a delicious smelling ironing water that will double as a linen spray before you lay you down to sleep:

• In a sterile 16 oz. bottle: 3 oz. unflavored vodka, 12 drops lavender or your favorite smelling pure essential oil, 12 oz. purified water. Spritz on linens as you iron, or on bed linens about a half hour to hour before sleep.

I think that covers yesterday's post and gets us all caught up for today's post - the Bedroom...

See you again later today!

Best,

Tara

Eco-Cleaning: Smelling Good

This is my absolute favorite part of the entire week, teaching you how to make your house smell delicious with the simplest of ingredients. It's also one of the hardest to find photos for, since our sense of smell just doesn't seem to translate well visually. Ah well.

Here's a quick and simple recipe which will use: some of your produce that's past the point of eating, but not the point of redemption, fresh herbs, fresh flowers from your garden (or just go for a walk and take a few here and there, like I do), and a few spices you'll likely have in your spice cabinet.

• The simplest variation on this recipe is a starting point - you'll find what you love as you play around with it; but do start here so you get the idea: citrus peel, cloves, cinnamon sticks, 1-2 twigs of fresh rosemary, and perhaps the petals from a fragrant rosebud. Toss into your smallest saucepan with water, and bring to a simmer on the stove. Replenish water as necessary. Should last approximately 6 hours for a 1500+ sq.ft house (even with the windows open!)

source

source

source

• If you aren't going to be around the house for a while, but you've just got some lingering smells - like in the bathroom - or maybe the kitchen after a particularly smoky, meaty meal, than I suggest an odor capturing Fragrance Spritz: 8 oz spray bottle filled with distilled white vinegar and 30 drops of your favorite organic essential oil. Since we aren't trying to kill germs here - and we're just trying to make the place smell lovely, feel free to go CRAZY and choose an essential oil that truly appeals to your sense of smell. I'm a huge fan of Ylang Ylang, it makes everything smell better. *Bonus: it's antiseptic as well! Oh, and in case you were thinking, "But now my whole house is going to smell like vinegar!" - it won't - the vinegar smell dissipates in about twenty minutes, and the essential oil sticks around. That goes for all the cleaning solutions as well. 

source

• And here's a bonus for freshening up your car without that awful dangling cardboard tree: In a small jar, soak a cotton ball or two with the essential oil of your choice. Place the jar under the seat of the car (no lid). When the scent wears off - the cotton ball has dried off. Just repeat with a new cotton ball. No more pine-scented parabens making their way through your car.

And a quick product plug from my Etsy shop, if you'd like to try my Simmer Sachets, please take a look - they are made on the premise of the first recipe I've shared with you; but I've been doing this for a while, and they are heavenly.

Finally, a word about the big "why" as to making the change to these forms of air fresheners vs. incense, scented candles, plug-ins, air-sprays, etc.: 

• Incense smell lovely - particularly the Japanese ones. I used to be quite the fan, until I found out all that smoke was also packed with resin. I just didn't want that for my lungs or Marley's developing lungs. I have missed you lovely Japanese incense, I really have.

source

• Scented candles, those little diffusers with the tea lights and the yummy "fragrances", plug-ins, and air-sprays all have one thing in common - synthetic fragrances. Synthetic fragrances, just like perfumes, include dangerous chemicals to achieve the fragrance - which have been linked to allergies and asthma. For more information on "Fragrance", see this link.