This Sistah Is Doin' It For Herself

If I wrote about my foray into the Organic and Non-Toxic world, you would want to Google my address and throw rotten food at my door so....won't do that to you, at least, not yet...MUAH-HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!

Instead, I’m going to save my personal story about how I eventually overcame the annoying desire to spend money on Organic Pop-Tarts and pricey cleaners . I am also going to gloss over how I’ve been making my own cleaning products right...about...now!

I don't even know how long it has been since I’ve been using White Vinegar, (I have nothing against other vinegars, for the record) Dr. Bronner's, Hydrogen Peroxide, Baking Soda, Borax and several Seventh Generation cleaning products as part of my cleaning routine, (and no, I am not getting any reimbursement for advertising their products BUT, if they want to pay me...that would be just fantastic...EH-HEM...) but, I have been using those earth derived products as part of my grime busting squad long enough to wrinkle my nose at the smell of the, "lemon scented" Comet that I sometimes grab when I don't really want to put my shoulder to the wheel or, even for a bit of nostalgia.

Pretty much any cleaning product that isn't naturally derived or, just plain natural, makes me feel...weird to use which, is funny considering how weird it made me feel to use white vinegar or, the Thyme and Lemongrass scented Seventh Generation Products.

If you’re an individual who has priced Organic, Non-toxic and, naturally derived cleaning products while you’re shopping, you have probably suffered from sticker shock. Why is it that, the items that use natural products, that are non-toxic, cost more than all the crap that abounds and yells out at us?

There are MANY reasons and, I’m not going to get into them but, I will, just not now. What I want to do now is tell you how I’ve recently made two household products for my home and, what I think about them.

Nourishing Your Children’s Recipe for Toothpaste!!!

When I saw this recipe, I was really excited! I have been looking for a good toothpaste recipe! I purchased what I needed and then, promptly came home to transform into Mix Master B!

Off the bat, I’m going to tell you that, at first, I reacted pretty negatively to the mixture but, because a little Beaker, (The Muppets) lives inside me and, I’m all about giving it a shot when I think it’s not going to work, I kept on. I found out that, all I had to do in order to appreciate this mixture was to mix it up first, I was MUCH happier.

This paste is NOT going to be sweet. This paste is going to be salty, at first. This paste is going to be gritty. This paste is not going to foam in your mouth. This paste is going to take some getting used to, (I was cool with this paste by day three) BUT, I love this paste. This paste is different from store bought paste, it’s best you tuck that away in your head now. This paste is gritty and salty and tangy but, this paste gets around. This paste IS. This paste works around your mouth like a military specialist team, (SEALS, RANGERS, etc.). At first, you’re like, HOLY SHIT! Then, you’re like, “You’re gritty but, you’re doing your job!” and finally, “I was afraid at first but, you really kicked the asses of the germs and bacteria in my mouth and, you even told my bad breath to shut the EFF up!”

And then, despite the salty flavor, you get a hint of refreshing peppermint and, you vow to honor, respect and fully utilize the troops in this toothpaste you made.

By the way…I love our Men and Women in uniform. ;)

Baking soda (works as a natural cleansing agent and it polishes and whitens your teeth as well!)

Sea salt

Hydrogen Peroxide (naturally disinfects your mouth)

Green Stevia Powder (optional as sweetener)

Peppermint oil (optional)
Steps to make your toothpaste

Pour 1/2 cup baking soda into a mixing bowl

Add a dash of salt

Add 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide

Add 1 drop of peppermint oil

Add a dash of stevia (more if you want it sweeter)

Mix it all up until it becomes paste like. You may have to add more hydrogen peroxide to get the right consistency.

A few notes about the homemade toothpaste

You can store it in a glass container to keep it from drying out.

If you’re not into the peppermint flavor, you could try ground cinnamon or vanilla extract. Another quick and easy option is to get peppermint extract (1/4 tsp.) and mix it with 1 tbsp. of baking soda. Add a dash of salt, mix it up, and you are good to go.

Several IMPORANT Notes on the DIY paste:

Instead of Green Stevia Powder, I bought Stevia in the Raw which, contains Dextrose. Where I live, I can purchase Stevia leaves at my local Farmer’s Market, (if I’m lucky) and, because I think a Mortar and Pestle are like, the most awesome and still relevant tools our ancestors have used, I own them. I bought my marble Mortar and Pestle at Ross, surprisingly. I got a BIG kick out of using the pair on the Stevia Leaves I had dried on the sweater net I purchased from the supermarket up the street after they had shriveled. It’s kind of obscene how proud and estatic I was that I got to do dry, ground and use what came from the earth.

I also used Peppermint Extract, instead of Peppermint Oil. The Peppermint Extract I used contains 89% Alcohol and the rest is peppermint oil and water. I couldn’t afford peppermint oil but, if you can, I suggest you invest!

I would use less Sea Salt. Sea Salt is more potent than Table Salt so, you don’t have to use as much. Also? Baking Soda enhances the whole Salt experience.

I placed my mixture into an up cycled Earth’s Best, late stage baby food jar. When I first mixed up this mixture, it was really watery looking but, after letting it sit for three days, it looked more like paste.

MOST IMPORTANT! Stir up your paste mixture BEFORE you use it! Mix up your paste with your brush, finger, spoon or, whatever but, MIX IT UP FOR GOD’S SAKE! Otherwise, you’re going to HATE it and, I don’t want you to hate it for reasons other than it’s just different. Got me? Cool.

Just today, I tried a DIY recipe for a Fabric Freshener. Not as great as all that but, it smells good and, time will tell.

My DIY Fabric Freshner came from: http://tipnut.com/4-homemade-febreeze-recipes/ and, I used the recipe that was mostly water and 3 tbsp Fabric Softner and 3 tbsp rubbing alcohol.
I used the Purex Eco-Friendly Fabric Softner but, I'm still not entirely comfortable using a fabric softner
In the end, if you desire, there are resource you can turn to in order to make your own home and beucts. The amazing thing about making your own is not even how much money you can save but, how much better those products work and, how much you will actually prefer them if you give it a chance.

DIY products are NOT miracle products. DIY products don’t promise anything and, personally, that is why I like DIY products. Promises are empty, results should get the credit.
There are recipes for mixtures that consist only of Essential Oils. I leave that up to you and your family budget to decide. As for me and my family? We're working with Peppermint Extract and Fabric Softener. We work with what we have, what we can do and so on and forth.

You can make your own cleaning products, regardless of whether or not you work or, how much time you have or, your budget. Often, making your own products cost less because they last longer and, cost less to produce. 




Fortunately for us, the internet is broad enough for us to be able to search for ways to save money. Weirdly, most people don’t think about how to save money on cleaning products. You can though. You’d be surprised at how much you can save and how much you end up preferring DIY products over what you can buy.