Making your own "products"

[kib]

When contemplating the "what won't you buy" thread I started thinking of revisiting a challenge to myself making as many home-made products of natural, abundant, non-toxic ingredients as possible this year, avoiding nationally-available prepackaged brands and chemicals whenever possible. I do have my own recipes for a few of these, but I'm always interested in new ideas.

The pre-made products I can think of that I don't want to buy if I can find a good way around it:

toothpaste
mouthwash
sea breeze
body soap
shampoo
conditioner
hair styling product
moisturizer
makeup - mascara, eye and lip pencils, lipstick or gloss
deodorant
talcum powder
laundry detergent
fabric softener
laundry pretreat
dish detergent
dishwasher tablets
windex
scouring powder
furniture polish

I'd love a list of about ten ingredients that could be combined in various ways to take the place of these, hopefully saving on cost, packaging and environmental impact. I know baking soda and vinegar are on the list, what else?

[Rosemary]

lemon juice
olive oil or another natural oil
tea tree oil

I use the natural brands of dish detergent for several things: dishes, of course; laundry pretreating; washing floors and bathroom surfaces.

The book that I think would give you a recipe for any of the items on your list, except possibly some of the makeup, is "Better Basics for the Home" by Annie Berthold-Bond. Here's another place to look - the creator of this website wrote one of the first books I'm aware of on this topic - http://debranontoxicproducts.com/

[Mrs-M]

You have always been such an inspiration to me Kib. You really know how to pull out all the stops and are not afraid to dig deeper.

Sadly I'm not savvy on making homemade goods but that in itself won't change the fact that this is going to be an enjoyable thread to visit. If I do come up with any in the meantime I will be sure to post.

[fidgiegirl]

+1,000,000 on the Better Basics book. It is awesome and has a wide, wide variety of recipes, from cleaning to automotive fluids to furniture polishes to children's (and grown up) craft materials.

Everything I am about to share I learned from that book.

Scouring: salt, baking soda, I seem to remember cream of tartar
Windows: hubby uses a vinegar/water mixture and a squeegie. Slick.
Fabric softener: we use vinegar in the fabric softener compartment of our front loader. In the dryer we have about 10 tennis balls instead of dryer sheets. Stuff is a tad staticky right now, but it always was at this time of year with dryer sheets, too. We are pleased, overall.
Toothpaste: baking soda paste

Laundry detergent: Trent @ The Simple Dollar blog (http://www.thesimpledollar.com) makes his own. Maybe you will get some ideas there.

Good luck!

[razz]

Don't forget to use a tiny, tiny dab of the zinc oxide ointment for babies as your deodorant. I have one container that I have been using for about two years and it is only half empty.

Vinegar for fabric softener, hair rinse, floor cleaner, bathroom sink and all counter wipe. I put about 1/2 cup of baking soda down our bathroom sinks, pour about a cup of vinegar and let it fizz then pour down two kettles full of boiling water to keep the drains flowing freely.

Simple washing soda dissolved in hot water as a soak for dirty laundry.
1/2 cup Borax for cleaning the toilet bowls.

Liquid dish detergent for cleaning the tub and shower.

Bar of laundry soap for rubbing onto moistened collars etc that need some extra cleaning.

We really use so few products that I wonder why people are buying all these chemicals for their homes.

Cetaphyl or a generic equivalent is all the facial care with baking soda as a gentle facial scrub.

[rosarugosa]

I've been using a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol with a few drops of lavender oil for cleaning glass and chrome. Works really well, and the alcohol is pretty cheap at Costco.

[herbgeek]

I use sesame oil (the light kind, not the dark highly flavored kind) for a moisturizer at night. Sinks in pretty quickly. I don't want the chemicals on my skin when I'm sleeping, but I will use a commercial moisturizer for daytime that has sunscreen in it. +1 on the baking soda as a facial scrub. Very gentle. A mix of rice powder or cornstarch with baking soda makes a nice dusting powder, particularly with a couple of drops of essential oil added.

I like the Creative Herbal home for recipes for the home, and any of the Storey Publishing books for cosmetic and body product recipes.

[mira]

I'm still searching for the elusive miracle ingredients that can do everything. I'll settle for a handful of ingredients for now. Everyone's suggestions are excellent. These are some of my tried-and-tested favourites:

hair styling product - flax seed gel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIPVOBVG_tE

conditioner, glass cleaner, facial/body cleanser - apple cider vinegar diluted in water (doesn't leave a smell behind if you rinse well, I promise!)

shampoo - shikakai powder

sea breeze astringent - maybe witch hazel? Or tea tree oil diluted in water

[Rosemary]

witch hazel is a good suggestion for an astringent. It's also great on mosquito bites (as is vinegar).

[Perplexa]

The one pre-made product I swear by is (unscented) Dr. Bronner's. I mix it with baking soda to make a paste for scouring (and spritz on vinegar if I need some disinfecting or an extra "fizz"), use it to wash my face/body (not hair though...makes my hair feel like straw), and would use it for handwashing dishes, except my roommates don't like that (it doesn't suds very well). I also really, really like my microfiber cleaning cloths. A bit of vinegar/water scrubbed with microfiber gets mirrors and practically everything else perfectly clean. (Unfortunately, the ones I have I got in a big pack advertised for "automotive use" at Costco, and I'm hesitant to use them around food, so they're mainly for floors and bathrooms.)

What I'm looking for are good homemade laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent recipes. Anyone know of any?

[redfox]

I use Dr. Bronner's soap for lots too. I love it for cleaning the bathroom. With a green scrubbie and lotsa' elbow grease, everything gets clean!

[debi]

For cleaning in my household I use homemade laundry soap, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide (also use as a mouthrinse and to make teeth whiter), salt, lemon juice, liquid dish soap for grease on clothing, baking soda.

I had a friend who came from South America and she made her own blush by using a mixture of corn starch with a bit of beet juice to tint to the color she wanted. If you don't wear contact lenses, you can use a mini brush and wipe your lashes with petroleum jelly instead of mascara.

[SRP]

I've tried a few homemade things, primarily house cleaning products. But as far as cleaning tubs and sinks, I really have to rely on Barkeepers Friend. I'm on a well with a high iron content. Even though the well/pump system includes a filter, those orange stains still build up. Barkeepers is the ONLY thing I can find that keeps them halfway at bay.

As for all those other items you people are talking about... let's just say I'm impressed. I need to go back through this thread and get some ideas. That's why I love you guys.

[redfox]

More reasons to make your own... a list of nasty chemicals to avoid
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/7-ingredients-to-ban-from-your-bathroom.html?page=8

[fidgiegirl]

I thought of one more . . . we use Bon Ami for cleaning.

[AnneM]

Someone asked about homemade laundry detergent. I shred two bars of Fels Naptha soap (use my KitchenAid attachment). Then I add three cups each of washing soda and Borax, and mix. You only need a few tablespoons of this to get a full load of laundry clean.