Homemade Happenings

I have been on a natural kick lately, meaning I have been experimenting with making my own cleaning and personal products.  Namely, I have made shampoo, dishwasher detergent, and will be making laundry detergent very soon.

Now for the rundown on my opinion on each of the items I have made...

The shampoo, made with castile soap is not for my hair.  I truly gave it a good shot too, trying it for 2 weeks.  It made my hair feel gummy and look oily.  I was rinsing with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice which didn't do much to help the look and feel.  I am now using my homemade shampoo for body soap which I do like a lot.  I did wash my hair with baking soda and was very pleased with the results, but still need to come up with a good conditioner other than apple cider vinegar because my locks need to smell like something other than vinegar.  More experimenting to come...

I tried the homemade dishwasher detergent last night for the first time and was very pleased with the results.  There was no residue and my dishes were shiny and streak-free.

I will be running out of my store-bought laundry detergent within the week and will be making laundry detergent which I will comment on here once I try it.

Other cleaning products I plan to make are air freshener, all-purpose cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, bathroom cleaner, glass cleaner, wood floor cleaner, and more as I need them.

I have decided to go natural for a few reasons.  First, it will be extremely cheap to clean my home, it will be better for the environment, and I won't have to worry about any toxic chemicals making my family sick.  So while I save money I will also help to save the earth and my family's health.

If anyone would like the recipes I am using, let me know and I will give them to you.  You can also google homemade cleaners but be prepared to take the time to experiment if they don't work out the way you would like the first time.