People tell me I should make and sell this stuff, but nah, this recipe's free. :)
Rose geranium essential oil is very effective in repelling ticks. One of my mushroom hunting areas is heavily infested with ticks and I am very much NOT a fan of ticks! This mix I put together is aimed at both ticks and mosquitoes. I haven't had a single tick on me since using this recipe; it works fairly well for mosquitoes in open areas, but isn't effective enough for deep woods protection. So, without further adieu:
Natural Tick Repellent
4 oz spray bottle
2 oz vinegar - doesn't matter what type, I've used both white and ACV
2 oz water
5ml total essential oil blend:
rose geranium
cedarwood
lavender
Essential oils are not water soluble; you can of course use an emulsifier like polysorbate 20 to help keep everything blended together, but that you'll need to order online whereas the rest you can get at almost any natural foods and/or grocery stores since so many stores have now started carrying essential oils.
The rose geranium works for ticks and the cedarwood & lavender is for the mosquitoes. You can skip those two and use just rose geranium EO if you wish, but personally I like the whole blend.
Directions: Shake very well before use. Spray yourself head to toe. For extra tick protection in areas that are heavily infested, I keep the rose geranium EO bottle with me, soak a wee bit into a tissue, and then dab the tissue on my shoes, pants, and coat.
I have also used this spray successfully on my last dog (she passed away last fall and I haven't taken my new puppy out into the woods yet since she's still too young to go too far) - I sprayed down her chest, back, and legs. She never tried to lick it off, but if your pet likes to lick, you may want to spray only in areas they can't reach.
Affordable fitted cloth diapers, cloth diaper inserts, cloth diaper covers, natural skin care, and crafty things ~ all made with quality and love ~ we do custom orders, too!
Showing posts with label greenchild creations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label greenchild creations. Show all posts
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Lengthening Children's Gloves (or Mittens) with Fuzzy Socks!
I don't know about your child, but my son hates wearing mittens or gloves. He'll pull off anything that isn't attached. I tried the clips that hold the mittens to the jacket but eventually he could pull those off too. And since we live in Minnesota, winters with no mittens (or gloves) aren't really an option.
My first solution after the failed clips was to buy a pair of stretchy fuzzy adult sized socks and use them as mittens. The heel stretches to just the right place and it fits perfectly at his elbow. I slid the "mittens" on over his hands and up over his sleeves to the upper arm, then put his winter jacket on. Bonus - the winter jacket slides over the sleeves without the sleeves riding up! And he was not able to pull these off! Even though he didn't have a "spot" for his thumb, he had enough dexterity he could pick up and hold onto things thanks to the stretchiness of the fabric. He has such tiny little hands that are finally big enough he can wear now wear tiny little gloves. But I knew he'd pull these off too . . . so I took the socks-for-mittens idea a little further.
Please note, this tutorial is for mittens/gloves for smaller children. For bigger kids, I'd recommend the taller adult sized fuzzy socks and cut the socks off at the ankle above the heel rather than at the toe seam.
My first solution after the failed clips was to buy a pair of stretchy fuzzy adult sized socks and use them as mittens. The heel stretches to just the right place and it fits perfectly at his elbow. I slid the "mittens" on over his hands and up over his sleeves to the upper arm, then put his winter jacket on. Bonus - the winter jacket slides over the sleeves without the sleeves riding up! And he was not able to pull these off! Even though he didn't have a "spot" for his thumb, he had enough dexterity he could pick up and hold onto things thanks to the stretchiness of the fabric. He has such tiny little hands that are finally big enough he can wear now wear tiny little gloves. But I knew he'd pull these off too . . . so I took the socks-for-mittens idea a little further.
Please note, this tutorial is for mittens/gloves for smaller children. For bigger kids, I'd recommend the taller adult sized fuzzy socks and cut the socks off at the ankle above the heel rather than at the toe seam.
How to lengthen children's gloves (or mittens) :
You start out with a pair of stretchy children's gloves and a pair of adult sized fuzzy socks. First thing you need to do is turn the socks inside out and cut off the toes at the seam:
Place the sock so the heel is on the underside.
Insert the right-side-out glove into the inside-out sock, fingers first. You want to make sure the sides of the sock match up with the sides of the glove so the heel stays in position for the elbow.
Once you have the glove in far enough and the edges meet up, stretch out the edges and pin the glove and sock together.
8 pins does the job.
Hold it so it's stretched and sew the edges together using a zigzag stitch so it stays stretchy after it's sewn.
It should look like this when sewn:
Now, flip the sock right-side out. They are stretchy enough as a finished item that you can easily get them onto a (cooperating) child's hands and get their fingers positioned into the gloves. (Top and bottom view)
It doesn't matter which direction you start the first one, of course, but remember when pinning the second one to put the glove in the opposite position . . . unlike what I did at first because I didn't pay enough attention and ended up with two exactly the same . . . and had to rip the seam out and start over on that one! You can also find adult fuzzy socks without a heel and just eliminate that issue. :)
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Gluten-free, kid-safe playdough made with lotion and arrowroot! And it's awesome!
Since my son can't use regular Playdoh for the wheat content, and the school asked for a recipe that is safe for him . . . I thought I'd try making my own. I looked online and found so many different play dough recipes! What to try?? Traditional ones made with wheat flour (no!), gluten free ones made with rice flour, and any combination of the two made with either corn starch (another no-no here) or arrowroot. Then there were the recipes using hair conditioner and cornstarch. Then the one I remember from my childhood: salt, arrowroot, and water.
First up, I wanted to try re-creating the one I remember making somewhere in the neighborhood of *cough* 25 years ago . . . I used the recipe I found online as I don't know what happened to the recipe I used as a kid - at any rate, all I can remember of it is that it was flour-free and used arrowroot. The dough came out sticky and grainy, even though I ground down the salt to a fine powder. I kept kneading in more arrowroot, but just when I thought it was okay, it would get all sticky again. Not what I wanted. Sighed and threw it out.
I turned to the recipes online for both play dough and moon sand made with the same two ingredients: hair conditioner and cornstarch. I understand why conditioner + cornstarch would be so silky smooth, and hoped I could recreate the same texture (or close to it) with the lotion I make and arrowroot. Now, not wanting to waste perfectly good lotion, I took about 1/2 oz of the last batch I made and whisked in some arrowroot. Hmm. Used too much arrowroot; now we have moon sand. Nice, but not what I wanted. So, I thought . . . let's let arrowroot do its thing: add cold water, stir over medium heat, and let it thicken. And it worked! (This first attempt is the white blob of play dough in the center of the photo above.)
Now, if you already have lotion you feel comfortable using, please feel free to use your own. But if you want to control the ingredients used, here is the recipe I used. The oils I chose to use could be substituted by others - I chose them only because I had enough of both on hand I wouldn't feel bad if this play dough recipe didn't turn out!
Lotion base for playdough:
Making lotion is pretty easy. You have your water phase and your oil phase and need an emulsifier to bind them together. You'll need a double boiler (although a glass measuring jar placed into a skillet of water works just as well!) and having a stick/immersion blender makes the whole process much easier, too. The raw honey is optional - I just like it in there for raw honey's benefits. You'd also probably be fine without the stearic acid, but I find a mixture of emulsifiers is more stable long term for lotions than only one.
1/2 c. distilled water
1/2 tsp raw honey (optional)
1/2 Tbsp potassium sorbate (inhibits mold)
Oil phase:
1 Tbsp emulsifying wax
1 tsp stearic acid (another emulsifier)
2 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp sweet almond oil
Up to 5 ml essential oils
a few drops of Vitamin E oil
Stir together the ingredients in the water phase in a small glass container; the raw honey will take awhile to disperse unless heated, so if you want the process to go faster, you can use the double boiler to gently heat the water phase. Place the oil phase ingredients in a larger (at least 2 c for space) glass container, and place that container in the double boiler. Stir over medium heat until all the wax is fully melted. Remove from double boiler and set on a heat-safe place. Give it a few whirs with the stick blender, then slowly pour in the water phase, using the mixer to fully incorporate. Then add your choice of EO's and the Vitamin E oil, stir again to fully incorporate. I used a combination of lavender and sweet orange EO's.
This recipe makes just over 6 ounces of lotion, which I separated in to 6 - 1 oz amounts so I could make 6 different colors of play dough.
To make the playdough:
1 oz lotioncolorant of choice
6 Tbsp arrowroot
5 - 6 tsp cold water
There are a variety of ways to color your play dough: food coloring, mineral oxides, or natural liquids/powders from food sources.
If your colorant is concentrated liquid (food coloring), mix a few drops into the 1 oz of lotion before adding the arrowroot.
If your colorant is dry powder, mix it into 1 Tbsp of the arrowroot before adding it and the rest of the arrowroot to the lotion. I used the mineral oxides I have on hand for making cold process soap, at a ratio of 1/8 tsp dry colorant per 1 oz lotion.
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Add 5 - 6 tsp cold water to the saucepan's contents and stir over medium heat. (You could also use cold food-colored water here.)
The moon sand consistency will give way to a frosting consistency.
Then it will get lumpy.
Keep stirring until all of it is stuck onto the whisk. Gently push it out of the whisk onto a plate - be careful, it's hot! You should probably let it cool before doing this step!
If you find the texture to be a little too dry, you can break it up into small pieces back into the saucepan. Add 1 - 2 tsp cold water and stir on medium heat until it all sticks to the whisk again.
And there you have it, kid-safe, silky smooth, DIY play dough with ingredients you can control! :)
Monday, April 13, 2015
Introducing the new Wool Dryer Discs!
Wool Dryer Discs: a project that's been a few months in the making. When I first read about using salt in the dryer to reduce static, I wanted to try it and see if it was all the rage the author (and others) spoke of. Most recommended using a muslin bag tied shut. I have tons of cotton fabric scraps, so it was quick and easy to make a little bag for the salt. I used pink Himalayan salt.
I've been using wool dryer balls, which are nice, but don't eliminate as much static as I'd like them to. They do help cut down drying time, though, because of their ball shape. So, out went the dryer balls and in went the bag of salt . . . and it WORKED. Then it began to work a little less, and a little less. In the article I read, the author mentions the same thing happened and recommended wetting the bag of salt before putting it in the dryer with the wet clothes. I did that, and it worked again . . . until I realized the salt was dissolving with each wetting and eventually I had an almost empty cotton bag.
So, I thought, I like the wool dryer balls, and I LOVE the salt, now how to combine the two? Salt is heavy, and I felt balls of salt would beat the clothes too much, especially smaller loads. And if using yarn, the wool would have to be felted in order for the ball to stay together well. But felting requires water, which would dissolve the salt. Then I started to look into wool fabrics, and found some lovely upcycled wool in a beautiful light sage green. Perfect!
A little experimentation with sewing, and the Wool Dryer Discs were born. Their disc shape helps distribute the salt's weight. Next up was trying out different combinations between using the discs by themselves and also in conjunction with the wool dryer balls. After all was said and done, the best ratio was 6 Wool Dryer Discs with 2 wool dryer balls. The Wool Dryer Discs do a better job reducing static, and the wool dryer balls help reduce drying time. Synthetic fabrics like polyester and acrylic will always have a little static, but it can be greatly reduced by using a combination of Wool Dryer Discs and wool dryer balls.
I have noticed the resulting dryer lint is less fluffy than usual, which is an interesting side effect. I don't know why the salt bag by itself worked and then worked less, unless it had to do with being in a cotton bag rather than using wool. I have not had the same experience using the wool dryer discs, so my assumption is that it has something to do with the fabric used, as wool is already naturally anti-static.
Now as best I can figure out, the science behind it goes something like this: using the Wool Dryer Discs in the dryer cycle heats up the salt, like a pink Himalayan salt lamp. When the salt heats, it naturally generates negative ions. Salt is also hygroscopic (it attracts water). As the clothes are tumbling in the heated dryer, the constant tumbling (where the materials repeatedly come into contact) creates static electricity; an imbalance in positively and negatively charged ions. As the salt is heated, the naturally generated negative ions attract the positive ions and neutralize them, thereby reducing static electricity.
I do believe the salt will eventually completely dissolve in the wool dryer discs (as is the nature of salt with water), but the wool dryer discs will last much longer if not dipped in water. Using the above 6:2 combination, my laundry has been much easier to work with. :)
I've been using wool dryer balls, which are nice, but don't eliminate as much static as I'd like them to. They do help cut down drying time, though, because of their ball shape. So, out went the dryer balls and in went the bag of salt . . . and it WORKED. Then it began to work a little less, and a little less. In the article I read, the author mentions the same thing happened and recommended wetting the bag of salt before putting it in the dryer with the wet clothes. I did that, and it worked again . . . until I realized the salt was dissolving with each wetting and eventually I had an almost empty cotton bag.
So, I thought, I like the wool dryer balls, and I LOVE the salt, now how to combine the two? Salt is heavy, and I felt balls of salt would beat the clothes too much, especially smaller loads. And if using yarn, the wool would have to be felted in order for the ball to stay together well. But felting requires water, which would dissolve the salt. Then I started to look into wool fabrics, and found some lovely upcycled wool in a beautiful light sage green. Perfect!
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| Wool Dryer Discs |
I have noticed the resulting dryer lint is less fluffy than usual, which is an interesting side effect. I don't know why the salt bag by itself worked and then worked less, unless it had to do with being in a cotton bag rather than using wool. I have not had the same experience using the wool dryer discs, so my assumption is that it has something to do with the fabric used, as wool is already naturally anti-static.
Now as best I can figure out, the science behind it goes something like this: using the Wool Dryer Discs in the dryer cycle heats up the salt, like a pink Himalayan salt lamp. When the salt heats, it naturally generates negative ions. Salt is also hygroscopic (it attracts water). As the clothes are tumbling in the heated dryer, the constant tumbling (where the materials repeatedly come into contact) creates static electricity; an imbalance in positively and negatively charged ions. As the salt is heated, the naturally generated negative ions attract the positive ions and neutralize them, thereby reducing static electricity.
I do believe the salt will eventually completely dissolve in the wool dryer discs (as is the nature of salt with water), but the wool dryer discs will last much longer if not dipped in water. Using the above 6:2 combination, my laundry has been much easier to work with. :)
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Introducing the new, thicker fitted diapers!
And the winner is . . .
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| My testers, from this post. |
The thicker fitted diaper!
I'm really excited about this!! I thought I loved my fitted diaper design the way it was - after all, I've been making & selling it the same way for over 4 years. But, there were things I've been wanting to try, and having tried them, it's time for a change - an upgraded design!
Serging the edges cut so much time off making a diaper that I could use more layers of better, thicker fabric and still offer the diapers at a reasonable price. I've been testing these two diapers out with heavy use for over two months and the thicker diaper is my favorite for several reasons - most of which boil down to one main reason: well, it's thicker.
The outer printed flannel remains the cute cotton flannel prints that I've always used, but the inner layers including the pocket are now made with thicker, double-napped diaper flannel. Making the diaper with 3 full layers plus a pocket means the diaper now offers 7 layers of flannel (5 of which are the thicker diaper flannel) when the front flap is folded fully to the inside for smaller babies.
Having the diaper made with better thicker fabric means it's more absorbent, more durable, and it holds its shape. The serged edges also offer something else - better poop containment!
Because the new fitteds hold their shape, the fit will be a bit different; although the same pattern is used, the thicker fabric stretches less. Speaking of stretching less, the bamboo diapers got an upgrade, too. The bamboo velour fitted diapers are now made with not one, but TWO layers of double-napped diaper flannel sandwiched between the bamboo velour and the bamboo fleece, giving baby 9 layers of fabric when the front flap is folded fully to the inside for smaller babies.
As usual, absorbency needed depends on baby's age and wetting habits, so there will always be the inner pocket available for stuffing additional absorbency. The diapers are wide between the legs, but the fabric will relax after a few washes.
My fleece diaper covers will also be changing to serged edges, while the cotton-outer (and fancy floral ones) will remain turn & topstitched for the time being, though that may change in the future.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
In the news again! :)
Last March we started a fundraiser to get a speech device for our son, Kaiden - this is our happy update, aired 12/23/14! :)
KAAL TV 6 ABC News Interview
KAAL TV 6 ABC News Interview
Friday, October 24, 2014
What's new!
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| Two new testers ready for action! |
Sewing diapers for 4 years has given me time to test out different fabrics - I mean really test. I've tested the fabric by different wash routines, different detergents, and different drying methods. I admit, as a busy parent most of the time I take the most convenient route and don't treat my son's diapers as nicely as I should, since I can easily make more. I know that both using bleach and putting the diapers in the dryer weakens the fabric, shortening the lifespan of the natural-fabric diaper. I've been using Cozy flannel for the interior layer & pocket of my flannel fitted diapers, and do not always see equal quality through the entire bolt of fabric. It's one thing if you're treating your diapers nicely, but when you're like me and treat them less-than-nice they just don't last as long as they should and that doesn't make this Mama happy! I pride myself on making a quality product!
So, it is time to test out actual "diaper flannel". Diaper flannel is napped on both sides and is a thicker, stronger fabric than Cozy flannel. And I've been itching to try serging the edges rather than how I make them now, which is turned & topstitched. Overall, I think turned & top stitched has a neater, cleaner look, but serging the edges takes so much less sewing time that it allows me to use better quality (re: more expensive) fabrics and still offer the diapers at a reasonable price.
The two tester diapers above are each made differently - although both have serged edges and use diaper flannel for the interior layers, the dinosaur diaper on the left is made in my usual 3 layer style - 1 layer printed Snuggle flannel, 1 inner layer diaper flannel, 1 inner diaper flannel pocket, while the bears/deer camo print has an extra full inner layer of diaper flannel making it even thicker.
The hardest part about testing the new fabric is going through months of heavy use before being able to make an accurate judgement. I do think the diaper flannel will be better, but only time will tell!
Thursday, April 17, 2014
The costs of doing business . . .
I wish I had another fun post for you - well, I can tell you about my new diaper covers!! :) I am incredibly excited about them because they are so soft (and cute)! I may reserve the blizzard & anti-pill fleece for my "fitted" fleece diaper covers and switch all my side-snap diaper covers to this: Cotton print outer, soft & fluffy fleece inner, & a hidden PUL panel to help prevent compression wicking.
What made me want to make this change? I kept seeing that soft & fluffy fleece in the fabric store and it was calling my name . . . eventually I caved and purchased some. And boy am I glad I did! LOVE it! And there are SO many more prints to choose from for a cotton outer than a fleece outer. I did slightly revise the design; the front waist tabs have been widened a bit and now feature an extra snap. When people refer to a cloth diapered child as having a "fluffy butt", this one really fits that name! So far the above cotton print is the only print I have in stock, but more will come.
Oooooh I just thought of something else fun to tell you! I have finally perfected a diaper pail spray that goes beyond reducing the ammonia stink, which my current diaper pail spray does. This new one reduces ammonia, urine, and poop smells! I plan to offer it in 3 scents: floral, tropical, and fruity. Hopefully that will be ready for production this summer! It does use vinegar and essential oils; all of which are safe for Greenchild Creations diapers, covers, & inserts. However, please always check with your diaper manufacturer as some do not recommend those ingredients to be used on their diapers.
And on to the original intent for this post . . . the rising cost of doing business. Very recently it was signed into law that the minimum wage for the state of Minnesota, where I live, is going up (which I fully support!). It does affect my business because with current prices, pretty soon I will be making less than minimum wage. There have been a few times busy enough I've seriously considered hiring outside help, and I cannot pay them less than minimum wage. What does this mean for the business? It means prices will go up accordingly. I've thought about following how the state of MN plans to roll it out over the next two years; whether or not my customers would want to see 3 price increases or just have one and be done with it. I feel the best course of action is to have just one price increase, which will go into effect in August 2014.
Things like this, among others, make me truly appreciate my customers! Because of your support, this has gone from a hobby to a real, bona fide business; something I never imagined I would do. If someone told me 10 years ago I'd design, sew, and sell cloth diapers, I'd have said they were crazy! It's funny where life takes you - I am loving this journey!
Oooooh I just thought of something else fun to tell you! I have finally perfected a diaper pail spray that goes beyond reducing the ammonia stink, which my current diaper pail spray does. This new one reduces ammonia, urine, and poop smells! I plan to offer it in 3 scents: floral, tropical, and fruity. Hopefully that will be ready for production this summer! It does use vinegar and essential oils; all of which are safe for Greenchild Creations diapers, covers, & inserts. However, please always check with your diaper manufacturer as some do not recommend those ingredients to be used on their diapers.
And on to the original intent for this post . . . the rising cost of doing business. Very recently it was signed into law that the minimum wage for the state of Minnesota, where I live, is going up (which I fully support!). It does affect my business because with current prices, pretty soon I will be making less than minimum wage. There have been a few times busy enough I've seriously considered hiring outside help, and I cannot pay them less than minimum wage. What does this mean for the business? It means prices will go up accordingly. I've thought about following how the state of MN plans to roll it out over the next two years; whether or not my customers would want to see 3 price increases or just have one and be done with it. I feel the best course of action is to have just one price increase, which will go into effect in August 2014.
Things like this, among others, make me truly appreciate my customers! Because of your support, this has gone from a hobby to a real, bona fide business; something I never imagined I would do. If someone told me 10 years ago I'd design, sew, and sell cloth diapers, I'd have said they were crazy! It's funny where life takes you - I am loving this journey!
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Fundraising time!
My little guy has been using a Vantage Lite (LAMP system) loaner unit in speech therapy and is doing fantastic! He picked it up quicker than anyone thought he would (except me, LOL!! I KNOW he's a smart little stinker!!). But, since it's a loaner unit, it's time for it to be used with another child. These speech devices, while fantastic . . . are not cheap. We're talking a range of $6000 and up, up, up. So . . . here we are . . . fundraising time!
Here is our GoFundMe page: http://www.gofundme.com/HelpKaidenTalk Please go check it out - donations of any size are immensely appreciated, as well as sharing his page via social media. We're off to a great start, and are so blessed to have so many wonderfully caring people in our lives!
Here is our GoFundMe page: http://www.gofundme.com/HelpKaidenTalk Please go check it out - donations of any size are immensely appreciated, as well as sharing his page via social media. We're off to a great start, and are so blessed to have so many wonderfully caring people in our lives!
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Blog Reviews!
I love working with bloggers! It is truly one of the best forms of advertising! I have provided A LOT of diapers (and other product) over the last 3 years in exchange for blog reviews (most with giveaways), and have had many wonderful reviews written about them.
Normally I do many blog reviews with giveaways each year. I did the same last year; well I should clarify - I did send out a lot of requested product for blog reviews with giveaways. This last year was a big learning experience for me. This last year, I learned that while most of my bloggers have been fantastic, some are, unfortunately, not. :( My first two years, I think I only had one or two transactions that were less than stellar. But this last year . . . sadly, I had very few that went well, and most that went . . . not well. Product that got sent out at my expense with no review written in exchange, nor me receiving the product back; basically a lot of people got some very nice free items. At my expense! I am not a big company; I am one person. Sometimes I need to use Etsy funds to put food on the table when things are tight, and that makes me even more thankful for all my wonderful customers!!
I've had to revise my blog policy because of this year's experiences. I am still very happy to provide FREE diapers for blog reviews, but now there is a catch: depending on the size and activity level of the blog (some will be exempt), all diapers must be paid for in advance. I will provide FULL reimbursement (including shipping) as long all conditions are met, which include the time frame the review is posted, the blogger providing me with the review link, and giveaway winner information. See, easy, right? Provided the criteria is met, the diapers end up being 100% FREE. While it was easier to just send free product, I lost a lot of money (and product!) this last year, and I really don't want to do that again, I just cannot afford it. I hope all my bloggers understand!!
Click here to read my Etsy Shop Policies. The Blog Policy is further down near the bottom of the page. :)
Normally I do many blog reviews with giveaways each year. I did the same last year; well I should clarify - I did send out a lot of requested product for blog reviews with giveaways. This last year was a big learning experience for me. This last year, I learned that while most of my bloggers have been fantastic, some are, unfortunately, not. :( My first two years, I think I only had one or two transactions that were less than stellar. But this last year . . . sadly, I had very few that went well, and most that went . . . not well. Product that got sent out at my expense with no review written in exchange, nor me receiving the product back; basically a lot of people got some very nice free items. At my expense! I am not a big company; I am one person. Sometimes I need to use Etsy funds to put food on the table when things are tight, and that makes me even more thankful for all my wonderful customers!!
I've had to revise my blog policy because of this year's experiences. I am still very happy to provide FREE diapers for blog reviews, but now there is a catch: depending on the size and activity level of the blog (some will be exempt), all diapers must be paid for in advance. I will provide FULL reimbursement (including shipping) as long all conditions are met, which include the time frame the review is posted, the blogger providing me with the review link, and giveaway winner information. See, easy, right? Provided the criteria is met, the diapers end up being 100% FREE. While it was easier to just send free product, I lost a lot of money (and product!) this last year, and I really don't want to do that again, I just cannot afford it. I hope all my bloggers understand!!
Click here to read my Etsy Shop Policies. The Blog Policy is further down near the bottom of the page. :)
Saturday, October 12, 2013
What? An all-natural, easy-to-make shower cleaner that actually works?
I've waited a really long time for this!
We've lived in our house for over 17 years. We also live in an area with super ridiculously hard water. Our shower (well, the whole bathroom) was newly remodeled, never been used when we moved in . . . and in all those passing years, the lime scale buildup + soap residue got pretty bad.
I tried everything. I mean EVERYTHING - from natural cleaners to harsh chemicals to the "leave it on and forget it" types, even tried using cleaners that weren't specific to showers. Or bathrooms. Some of the bathroom cleaners loosened the soap residue into a thick sticky mess that was virtually impossible to clean off not only the walls but whatever I was using to clean the walls - sponge, scrubbie, scrubbing brush, etc. Beyond that, all I've really been able to do is etch and discolor the walls with the harsh cleaners. The shower might have been "surface clean" but it certainly wasn't "down to the original surface" clean. I even scoured the Internet for ideas, and sadly found that everyone pretty much said lime scale with soap residue just could not be cleaned off effectively or safely.
I really hated my shower.
Now, when I wash my son's diapers, I use vinegar for the hard water and we also boil vinegar in our electric teapot to remove the lime scale. I know that citrus essential oils break down oil; I use citrus essential oils in my Citrus Scrub Soap. Not only does the Citrus Scrub Soap easily cut through the oily kitchen grease and grime, it will also take permanent marker off of plastic and remove adhesive.
So there I was thinking, there has to be a way to combine the vinegar with the citrus oils in such a way that it can stay on the walls to soak for an extended period of time. It's pretty difficult to soak vertical surfaces with runny liquids! Any thickener I added needed to be washed off easily and not interfere with the cleaning process. Eventually . . . eventually I got the bright idea to thicken the mixture with xanthan gum. Xanthan gum also acts as an emulsifier, keeping the essential oils dispersed within the vinegar. Xanthan gum clumps when added to liquid, but over several hours will thicken the mixture into something gooey and sticky, yet it can be washed off with just hot water. Xanthan gum can be found in grocery stores. It's expensive, but since such a tiny amount is needed, it will last a very long time!
I was so excited by the idea I made some right away. As I mentioned above, the xanthan gum clumps and doesn't mix well. No worries, stir it as best you can and let it sit for a few hours to thicken, stirring occasionally. How many hours? Overnight is good. I used my first batch within 3 - 4 hours, and 24 hours later, it was a little thicker. I applied it directly to the worst of the soap residue spots (make sure the shower walls are dry, so water doesn't dilute it), and left it on for at least 12 hours. And that spot came CLEAN. I mean, down to the original surface clean!! I was beyond excited about this . . . this meant that I *might actually* have a really clean shower again! I applied the rest of the mixture to the rest of the shower walls. It got thin in some spots since I had made a small batch. Then let it sit overnight and scrubbed it off in the morning. The applied mixture does dry on the shower walls, and you'll need warm, if not hot, water to loosen up the dried sticky mixture. But when you scrub it off, it takes the soap residue with it!
Some of my heavy lime scale spots were still there, and after repeated applications, were STILL there. Sigh . . . . okay, what now? Then I turned to citric acid - it's supposed to be better at breaking down lime scale. I experimented with the amount to add to my vinegar/essential oils/xanthan gum mix. I found that if I used a lot of it, it did a great job on the lime scale but it didn't rinse clean and left LOTS of white streaks on my shower walls, which is one of the issues I'd had with commercial cleaners that promised to cut through lime scale.
I also wanted to be able to cut through the soap residue a little faster, so for the next round I used most of the same essential oils I use in my Citrus Scrub Soap. Ahhh, not only did that smell fantastic, it really worked!! Citric acid and essential oils can be purchased online. I get a lot of my supplies at Wholesale Supplies Plus - if you order over $40, your shipping is free! (They have such a great selection of items it's not hard to spend $40!!)
Now back to the white streak problem . . . baking soda! A nice, natural, gently-abrasive scrubber. I had tried making a simple cleaner of just vinegar and baking soda years ago, but it didn't do anything for the soap residue, and couldn't stay on the walls long enough to break down the heavy lime scale. I tried adding it to the gooey mixture, but of course, baking soda reacts with vinegar - which yes, that is what I want, but not while storing it! What to do? Aha! Just dump a good amount in the coated dried tub, dip a wet scrub brush in it, and get to scrubbing.
Then for the real test: I waited. I let the shower get really dirty. Soap residue, lime scale buildup . . . it wasn't pretty and I really didn't want to take a shower in it! When I couldn't stand it anymore, I made a fresh batch of shower cleaner, applied it, and let it sit overnight. In the morning, I dumped a good amount of baking soda in the tub, ran a little hot water to wet down the scrub brush, dipped the scrub brush in the baking soda, and scrubbed away. It did take some scrubbing effort since I purposely let it get that bad, but when I was done, I had a sparkling clean, down to the original surface, CLEAN shower.
And it's all natural. And my shower smells fantastic. *Blissful sigh*
1 c distilled white vinegar
1 tsp citric acid
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
No more than 10 ml (1/3 oz) combined essential oils:
sweet orange essential oil
tangerine essential oil
lemon essential oil
grapefruit essential oil
baking soda
Directions: Mix the citric acid with the xanthan gum. Add vinegar and essential oils. Cover tightly - make sure the lid seals tight! Shake well to mix. Let sit several hours to thicken.
Once mixture is thickened, apply to DRY shower walls with a sponge, maybe a paintbrush, or I've even used my hands. Wait several hours (overnight is easiest). Then the next time you take a shower, dump some baking soda in the tub and scrub away!
This does rinse away best if you have one of those handheld sprayer shower heads, so you can do a final rinse/scrub to make sure all the baking soda grit is rinsed away.
(Please note you should probably wear gloves to apply the mixture to shower walls if you have any broken skin or are sensitive to citrus essential oils or citric acid.)
UPDATE 11/20/16 - I have been using this recipe to clean my shower since writing the original post, but mostly just use sweet orange essential oil instead of the EO blend because it's simpler when I'm in a hurry. As I recently found out - this recipe is excellent at removing gum from clothing, and works well at cleaning the gum-coated dryer, too. For the clothes, I sprayed it on, let it soak in a few minutes, used a bristle brush to scrub, rinse, and right back in the wash it all went. The dryer: first I sprayed on the shower cleaner and let it soak awhile. Then a little sweet orange essential oil cleaned the mess right off. Lastly, I finished up with a 50/50 vinegar/water mix to wipe up the essential oil residue and leave the inside of the dryer sparkling clean.
We've lived in our house for over 17 years. We also live in an area with super ridiculously hard water. Our shower (well, the whole bathroom) was newly remodeled, never been used when we moved in . . . and in all those passing years, the lime scale buildup + soap residue got pretty bad.
I tried everything. I mean EVERYTHING - from natural cleaners to harsh chemicals to the "leave it on and forget it" types, even tried using cleaners that weren't specific to showers. Or bathrooms. Some of the bathroom cleaners loosened the soap residue into a thick sticky mess that was virtually impossible to clean off not only the walls but whatever I was using to clean the walls - sponge, scrubbie, scrubbing brush, etc. Beyond that, all I've really been able to do is etch and discolor the walls with the harsh cleaners. The shower might have been "surface clean" but it certainly wasn't "down to the original surface" clean. I even scoured the Internet for ideas, and sadly found that everyone pretty much said lime scale with soap residue just could not be cleaned off effectively or safely.
I really hated my shower.
Now, when I wash my son's diapers, I use vinegar for the hard water and we also boil vinegar in our electric teapot to remove the lime scale. I know that citrus essential oils break down oil; I use citrus essential oils in my Citrus Scrub Soap. Not only does the Citrus Scrub Soap easily cut through the oily kitchen grease and grime, it will also take permanent marker off of plastic and remove adhesive.
So there I was thinking, there has to be a way to combine the vinegar with the citrus oils in such a way that it can stay on the walls to soak for an extended period of time. It's pretty difficult to soak vertical surfaces with runny liquids! Any thickener I added needed to be washed off easily and not interfere with the cleaning process. Eventually . . . eventually I got the bright idea to thicken the mixture with xanthan gum. Xanthan gum also acts as an emulsifier, keeping the essential oils dispersed within the vinegar. Xanthan gum clumps when added to liquid, but over several hours will thicken the mixture into something gooey and sticky, yet it can be washed off with just hot water. Xanthan gum can be found in grocery stores. It's expensive, but since such a tiny amount is needed, it will last a very long time!
I was so excited by the idea I made some right away. As I mentioned above, the xanthan gum clumps and doesn't mix well. No worries, stir it as best you can and let it sit for a few hours to thicken, stirring occasionally. How many hours? Overnight is good. I used my first batch within 3 - 4 hours, and 24 hours later, it was a little thicker. I applied it directly to the worst of the soap residue spots (make sure the shower walls are dry, so water doesn't dilute it), and left it on for at least 12 hours. And that spot came CLEAN. I mean, down to the original surface clean!! I was beyond excited about this . . . this meant that I *might actually* have a really clean shower again! I applied the rest of the mixture to the rest of the shower walls. It got thin in some spots since I had made a small batch. Then let it sit overnight and scrubbed it off in the morning. The applied mixture does dry on the shower walls, and you'll need warm, if not hot, water to loosen up the dried sticky mixture. But when you scrub it off, it takes the soap residue with it!
Some of my heavy lime scale spots were still there, and after repeated applications, were STILL there. Sigh . . . . okay, what now? Then I turned to citric acid - it's supposed to be better at breaking down lime scale. I experimented with the amount to add to my vinegar/essential oils/xanthan gum mix. I found that if I used a lot of it, it did a great job on the lime scale but it didn't rinse clean and left LOTS of white streaks on my shower walls, which is one of the issues I'd had with commercial cleaners that promised to cut through lime scale.
I also wanted to be able to cut through the soap residue a little faster, so for the next round I used most of the same essential oils I use in my Citrus Scrub Soap. Ahhh, not only did that smell fantastic, it really worked!! Citric acid and essential oils can be purchased online. I get a lot of my supplies at Wholesale Supplies Plus - if you order over $40, your shipping is free! (They have such a great selection of items it's not hard to spend $40!!)
Now back to the white streak problem . . . baking soda! A nice, natural, gently-abrasive scrubber. I had tried making a simple cleaner of just vinegar and baking soda years ago, but it didn't do anything for the soap residue, and couldn't stay on the walls long enough to break down the heavy lime scale. I tried adding it to the gooey mixture, but of course, baking soda reacts with vinegar - which yes, that is what I want, but not while storing it! What to do? Aha! Just dump a good amount in the coated dried tub, dip a wet scrub brush in it, and get to scrubbing.
Then for the real test: I waited. I let the shower get really dirty. Soap residue, lime scale buildup . . . it wasn't pretty and I really didn't want to take a shower in it! When I couldn't stand it anymore, I made a fresh batch of shower cleaner, applied it, and let it sit overnight. In the morning, I dumped a good amount of baking soda in the tub, ran a little hot water to wet down the scrub brush, dipped the scrub brush in the baking soda, and scrubbed away. It did take some scrubbing effort since I purposely let it get that bad, but when I was done, I had a sparkling clean, down to the original surface, CLEAN shower.
And it's all natural. And my shower smells fantastic. *Blissful sigh*
ALL NATURAL SHOWER CLEANER RECIPE
Container with a tight-fitting lid
1 c distilled white vinegar
1 tsp citric acid
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
No more than 10 ml (1/3 oz) combined essential oils:
sweet orange essential oil
tangerine essential oil
lemon essential oil
grapefruit essential oil
baking soda
Directions: Mix the citric acid with the xanthan gum. Add vinegar and essential oils. Cover tightly - make sure the lid seals tight! Shake well to mix. Let sit several hours to thicken.
Once mixture is thickened, apply to DRY shower walls with a sponge, maybe a paintbrush, or I've even used my hands. Wait several hours (overnight is easiest). Then the next time you take a shower, dump some baking soda in the tub and scrub away!
This does rinse away best if you have one of those handheld sprayer shower heads, so you can do a final rinse/scrub to make sure all the baking soda grit is rinsed away.
(Please note you should probably wear gloves to apply the mixture to shower walls if you have any broken skin or are sensitive to citrus essential oils or citric acid.)
UPDATE 11/20/16 - I have been using this recipe to clean my shower since writing the original post, but mostly just use sweet orange essential oil instead of the EO blend because it's simpler when I'm in a hurry. As I recently found out - this recipe is excellent at removing gum from clothing, and works well at cleaning the gum-coated dryer, too. For the clothes, I sprayed it on, let it soak in a few minutes, used a bristle brush to scrub, rinse, and right back in the wash it all went. The dryer: first I sprayed on the shower cleaner and let it soak awhile. Then a little sweet orange essential oil cleaned the mess right off. Lastly, I finished up with a 50/50 vinegar/water mix to wipe up the essential oil residue and leave the inside of the dryer sparkling clean.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Thoughts on fabric . . .
I've learned the pros and cons of different fabric types in the 3 years I've been making cloth diapers; I'd like to share them with you!
NATURAL FABRICS
First, whatever I made, I put it through some harsh treatment because I wanted to see how well everything held up.
Pin closure vs. snaps/Velcro: Out of all the fabrics I use, only two did not hold up well: bamboo fleece and bamboo French terry with pin closure.
Now, there's bamboo French terry, which is 70% bamboo and 30% cotton, and then there's bamboo baby loop terry, which is 70% bamboo, 28% cotton, and 2% poly. The first time I purchased bamboo terry, it was bamboo baby loop terry and it held up really well - in fact, for being 3 years old and always using pins with it, it looks darn near perfect. The second time I purchased bamboo French terry, and it shredded almost immediately using pin closure; all my son's inserts with that batch has holes everywhere. The 3rd time I purchased, it was the bamboo baby loop terry, and I have not used pin closure on that yet - just waiting to see how well it holds up in the wash alone (so far, so good!).
Bamboo velour is 70% bamboo, 28% cotton, and 2% poly and that holds up very well with pin closure. Bamboo fleece is 70% bamboo and 30% cotton and it eventually shreds with pin closure, although it takes quite awhile for that to happen; in my experience, about a year with heavy use I finally saw some holes developing in the pinning area. For this reason, I recommend purchasing the snap or Velcro option when purchasing a custom bamboo velour/bamboo fleece fitted diaper.
Both cotton and bamboo flannel hold up very well with pin closure, as does cotton twill. The custom combination cotton twill/bamboo velour fitted diapers hold up very well to pin closure!
Line Drying: Line drying is the best option for extending the life of natural fabric diapers. To help avoid the crunchiness that can come with line drying cotton flannel, try shaking the diaper (or giving it a few quick snaps) before hanging. You may want to do that after they are dry, too. It's also nice to re-shape the diapers before hanging them, as it will lead to a better fit once the diaper is dry.
Cotton twill, bamboo flannel, and bamboo baby loop terry hang dry the best with very little or no crunchiness!
Other fabric notes:
While bamboo flannel stays soft (even when line dried!) and holds up to pin closure well, it does shrink. More than I expected it to! For this reason, I no longer make fitted diapers out of bamboo flannel. It does however make fantastic diaper inserts!
Hemp - I don't use hemp because my son is sensitive to it. We started out using hemp fleece, but quickly found out that it could not touch his skin or he'd get a rash. And it shredded with pin closure.
SYNTHETIC FABRICS
Polyester fleece - I use both blizzard fleece and anti-pill fleece in my fleece diaper covers. After testing out both ways, I now make sure the inner white layer is blizzard fleece; this ensures the cover is a wee bit more water resistant. I did recently test out putting in a small PUL panel in the wetness zone (not throughout the whole cover) and that worked extremely well, I was super impressed! I'll still offer fleece-only covers, as lots of Mama's with sensitive babies prefer them, but I'll be making some with the PUL panel as well. I may use Etsy's variation option, but that will mean the fleece covers are made to order rather than being in stock.
The great thing about fleece is that you can't really hurt it no matter how you wash/dry it. It's pretty hard to stain, too. The only thing I have found, is that to keep fleece looking its best, it needs to be placed inside a mesh laundry bag for washing. You can certainly wash fleece with the rest of your diapers, but I do not recommend washing them directly in with the rest of the diapers - they need to be placed inside the mesh bag or the fleece will pill up - especially if washed with prefolds!
PUL - I currently don't offer diaper covers made entirely of PUL - the reason being is that I don't care for fold-over-elastic. In my experience, wetness wicks through the FOE too quickly, even with polyester thread. I want to try tricot nylon (think Thirsties or Bummis covers), but have heard it is difficult to work with.
I have purchased different kinds of PUL, and found that Fabrite was definitely the best! Unfortunately, they closed shop a few years ago. I have purchased "end of roll remnants" from other companies and found that to be a bad idea, as the heating process may not have been complete before the roll started, leading to delaminating PUL.
My new favorite PUL is from Babyville. It's different from the typical PUL - it has a white inner rather than the clear. If it delaminates, it does not cause a problem like typical delaminated PUL does! That white layer, delaminated or not, is pretty bulletproof. I have a cover that fully delaminated almost immediately (it was defective, and a lot of people were having the same issue when Babyville PUL was first being sold in stores) but we're still using it!
I think that's all - I try to be pretty thorough when testing out fabric! :)
NATURAL FABRICS
First, whatever I made, I put it through some harsh treatment because I wanted to see how well everything held up.
- I tried leaving the cotton flannel fitted diapers sopping wet in the wetbag after rinsing. Bad idea. It rots the cotton flannel fairly quick.
- I put everything in the dryer and rarely, if ever hung the diapers out to dry. This puts much more wear and tear on the fabric - cotton flannel, bamboo fleece, and bamboo velour in particular.
- The outer, printed cotton flannel shows wear after about a month of heavy use.
- The bamboo velour becomes less soft, and more terry-like.
- Both the cotton flannel and the bamboo fleece eventually lose their soft fuzzy nap.
- It's harder to sun out stains.
Pin closure vs. snaps/Velcro: Out of all the fabrics I use, only two did not hold up well: bamboo fleece and bamboo French terry with pin closure.
Now, there's bamboo French terry, which is 70% bamboo and 30% cotton, and then there's bamboo baby loop terry, which is 70% bamboo, 28% cotton, and 2% poly. The first time I purchased bamboo terry, it was bamboo baby loop terry and it held up really well - in fact, for being 3 years old and always using pins with it, it looks darn near perfect. The second time I purchased bamboo French terry, and it shredded almost immediately using pin closure; all my son's inserts with that batch has holes everywhere. The 3rd time I purchased, it was the bamboo baby loop terry, and I have not used pin closure on that yet - just waiting to see how well it holds up in the wash alone (so far, so good!).
Bamboo velour is 70% bamboo, 28% cotton, and 2% poly and that holds up very well with pin closure. Bamboo fleece is 70% bamboo and 30% cotton and it eventually shreds with pin closure, although it takes quite awhile for that to happen; in my experience, about a year with heavy use I finally saw some holes developing in the pinning area. For this reason, I recommend purchasing the snap or Velcro option when purchasing a custom bamboo velour/bamboo fleece fitted diaper.
Both cotton and bamboo flannel hold up very well with pin closure, as does cotton twill. The custom combination cotton twill/bamboo velour fitted diapers hold up very well to pin closure!
Line Drying: Line drying is the best option for extending the life of natural fabric diapers. To help avoid the crunchiness that can come with line drying cotton flannel, try shaking the diaper (or giving it a few quick snaps) before hanging. You may want to do that after they are dry, too. It's also nice to re-shape the diapers before hanging them, as it will lead to a better fit once the diaper is dry.
Cotton twill, bamboo flannel, and bamboo baby loop terry hang dry the best with very little or no crunchiness!
Other fabric notes:
While bamboo flannel stays soft (even when line dried!) and holds up to pin closure well, it does shrink. More than I expected it to! For this reason, I no longer make fitted diapers out of bamboo flannel. It does however make fantastic diaper inserts!
Hemp - I don't use hemp because my son is sensitive to it. We started out using hemp fleece, but quickly found out that it could not touch his skin or he'd get a rash. And it shredded with pin closure.
SYNTHETIC FABRICS
Polyester fleece - I use both blizzard fleece and anti-pill fleece in my fleece diaper covers. After testing out both ways, I now make sure the inner white layer is blizzard fleece; this ensures the cover is a wee bit more water resistant. I did recently test out putting in a small PUL panel in the wetness zone (not throughout the whole cover) and that worked extremely well, I was super impressed! I'll still offer fleece-only covers, as lots of Mama's with sensitive babies prefer them, but I'll be making some with the PUL panel as well. I may use Etsy's variation option, but that will mean the fleece covers are made to order rather than being in stock.
The great thing about fleece is that you can't really hurt it no matter how you wash/dry it. It's pretty hard to stain, too. The only thing I have found, is that to keep fleece looking its best, it needs to be placed inside a mesh laundry bag for washing. You can certainly wash fleece with the rest of your diapers, but I do not recommend washing them directly in with the rest of the diapers - they need to be placed inside the mesh bag or the fleece will pill up - especially if washed with prefolds!
PUL - I currently don't offer diaper covers made entirely of PUL - the reason being is that I don't care for fold-over-elastic. In my experience, wetness wicks through the FOE too quickly, even with polyester thread. I want to try tricot nylon (think Thirsties or Bummis covers), but have heard it is difficult to work with.
I have purchased different kinds of PUL, and found that Fabrite was definitely the best! Unfortunately, they closed shop a few years ago. I have purchased "end of roll remnants" from other companies and found that to be a bad idea, as the heating process may not have been complete before the roll started, leading to delaminating PUL.
My new favorite PUL is from Babyville. It's different from the typical PUL - it has a white inner rather than the clear. If it delaminates, it does not cause a problem like typical delaminated PUL does! That white layer, delaminated or not, is pretty bulletproof. I have a cover that fully delaminated almost immediately (it was defective, and a lot of people were having the same issue when Babyville PUL was first being sold in stores) but we're still using it!
I think that's all - I try to be pretty thorough when testing out fabric! :)
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
The new "fitted" fleece cover!
I gave the one I made a good trial run up at the cabin. We were there 6 days, and I only wanted to wash diapers twice, which means I had to stretch my stash since we line dry up there. And it was super humid the first time I washed; the diapers took sooooo long to dry!
I have to say I am absolutely in LOVE with this new fitted fleece cover over any other style of cover I've tried - including my side snapping ones!! To stretch my stash, took the inserts out of my flats, used them by themselves, and padfolded the flats to make more inserts. I couldn't snap any of them in, since I only added snaps to the new insert I made to try this idea out - and they stayed in place great! I used our bamboo inserts and padfolded flats in my regular side snapping covers, but they didn't stay in place quite as well, and I think that's because with the fitted cover, I can set the rise wherever I want, so overall it fits better - then with a better fit, the fleece "grabs" the absorbent fabric, helping it stay in place better. With the regular side snapping fleece covers, I ended up pinning the insert in the front to keep it in place better.
The new fitted fleece cover is bulky if used over a fitted, especially a heavily padded fitted (like a nighttime diaper) . . . but it can be done! :)
I must say I love pins with these. I get such a great fit!! I will offer them with a snap option though - I just need to figure out the snap pattern placement, since fleece is so stretchy, it will be a little different than the snap pattern on my fitted diapers.
Here's a link to the photo album on my Facebook page, which shows how it works: The new fitted fleece cover.
I have to say I am absolutely in LOVE with this new fitted fleece cover over any other style of cover I've tried - including my side snapping ones!! To stretch my stash, took the inserts out of my flats, used them by themselves, and padfolded the flats to make more inserts. I couldn't snap any of them in, since I only added snaps to the new insert I made to try this idea out - and they stayed in place great! I used our bamboo inserts and padfolded flats in my regular side snapping covers, but they didn't stay in place quite as well, and I think that's because with the fitted cover, I can set the rise wherever I want, so overall it fits better - then with a better fit, the fleece "grabs" the absorbent fabric, helping it stay in place better. With the regular side snapping fleece covers, I ended up pinning the insert in the front to keep it in place better.
The new fitted fleece cover is bulky if used over a fitted, especially a heavily padded fitted (like a nighttime diaper) . . . but it can be done! :)
 |
| Front view |
 |
| Rear view |
I must say I love pins with these. I get such a great fit!! I will offer them with a snap option though - I just need to figure out the snap pattern placement, since fleece is so stretchy, it will be a little different than the snap pattern on my fitted diapers.
Here's a link to the photo album on my Facebook page, which shows how it works: The new fitted fleece cover.
Friday, May 17, 2013
The Cookbook and My Son's Story
I wrote a guest post for The Paleo Mama blog, with the short version of my son's story and a recipe included!
Cavemom's Cooking is not only a cookbook, but my son's story: how I stopped my son's benign myoclonic seizures and awoke his sensory processing abilities, our decision to go paleo, and the simple paleo recipes that followed. When we went paleo, I never thought about writing a cookbook. But as time went on and my son made so much progress, I knew his story needed to be told. And what better way than with what helped him the most? Food! Volume 2 is currently in the works!Paleo eating is grain and gluten free, dairy free, legume free, and nightshade free. Simply fresh, whole foods - fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, and seeds. Easy to make, tasty to eat! If you're looking to get away from today's processed foods filled with artificial ingredients, preservatives, colors, and flavors, give this a try.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Natural Laundry Soap DIY Kits are here!
 |
| Soap nuts, soapwort root, and papaya leaf |
This is something I've been formulating for a little while now. I've always wanted to try soapwort root for washing. And while researching that, I learned that papaya leaf not only posesses mild cleansing abilities, it is also antibacterial and has been used internally to rid of intestinal worms. (Saying that, PLEASE do not drink the laundry soap!!!) I decided to combine the three to see how well it would work on my son's stinky diapers. (If you have a toddler, you know just how stinky those diapers can get!)
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| 1 DIY kit yields 1 pint jar of Natural Laundry Soap |
I expected it to clean the diapers at least as well as the previously purchased liquid soap nuts. Not only did it, but it made them softer - at least in my hard water, I could definitely tell a difference. So then I tried it on my clothes - and they were softer too! However, my mom, who has soft water, didn't feel a difference. Now, I haven't used a fabric softener for years - didn't want to risk buildup on the diapers - so the next test - bath towels. Since we have ridiculously hard water, some of our cheaper bath towels feel rough, even after being dried in the dryer. Not only that, but we live in a 112 yr old home, which has no bathroom ventilation besides a window. Although we use a good fan for air circulation, we still can get that stinky wet towel smell. Suprisingly, the rough bath towels didn't feel softer like the rest of my clothes, but there was a benefit I didn't think of, which I believe to be due to the papaya leaf. Normally we use our bath towels for a few days before grabbing clean ones. As soon as they start to stink, they go in the basket. I took one of these newly-laundered ones and used it as a test. It took much, much longer to get that musty wet towel smell! I also have a waffle weave fabric shower curtain that I wash right with my towels. It gets lime and rust buildup on it, and while the new laundry soap didn't get it pristine white by any means, it did a heck of a better job than bleach ever did.
The downside: this liquid laundry soap does not take out oil-based stains. If you wish to use it on your regular laundry, you may still want to use a stain-remover.
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| Natural Ammonia Remover |
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