Thursday, August 6, 2009

Going even more natural! I clean with vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice. Essential oils add a nice scent and I never really feel the need to use anything else. These products are inexpensive and keep things clean with just a bit of elbow grease. They have the added benefits of being eco-conscious and Kristin friendly.

I have always bought natural detergent for the laundry, but have recently discovered Soap Nuts. A more natural way to wash clothing. Soap nuts come off the Chinese Soapberry tree and contain saponin. They are very useful for laundry, but are gentle enough to make body soap, shampoo and other cleaning products with. We have now changed from the detergent to using soap nuts with a few drops of lavender oil. They seem to clean as well or better than the detergent. All in all I am happy with them and plan to keep using them. They are also relatively inexpensive and a good conversation piece!

2 comments:

Alan Post said...

We discovered these recently, and ohman I'm in love.

There is also something called a Western Soapberry that grows around here. We'll be planting one this fall.

I was really surprised to learn just how effective they were. It made me wonder why anyone ever used laundry soap. :-)

Kris said...

They probably weren't easy to come by and it was more profitable to bring over spices than soap! Let me know how your tree works out, it will be a wonderful addition to your place (shade and soap).