The Crunchy Conservative

I've moved...

2008-04-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

Follow me to my new concise blog at momarewethereyet.wordpress.com

Cloth Diapers

2008-04-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, since I went cloth, I have more laundry... hence the previous post of homemade laundry detergent recipes.
But, I have much less garbage. As in waste. As in, less trash in the landfill. As in, greener, cleaner planet!

I found this great website with fitted, pinless cloth diapers and covers. After using the velco on diaper covers, I say "Use the pull on vinyl covers," they work better and baby's clothes wont get drenched with pee or poo.

I also found this website that teaches you how to convert a prefold cloth diaper into a fitted cloth diaper. There are step by step photos of how to do it. I've posted a photo of how mine turned out at the bottom of this page. The first time I did it, I almost chunked my sewing machine, but we've made amends since then and I'm sewing nearly every day now.

You can also go to WalMart.com and look up cloth diapers. They have the least expensive all-in-one (AIO) diapers. Five for $45, and inserts 10 for $10. An AIO diaper has the cloth inside and a protective vinyl cover all-in-one. That way, there is no need for the extra pull on diaper cover.

So, if you're going green, it makes since to cloth diaper... and while we are on the subject of babies, BREASTFEED! Less waste. Less mess. Happy baby!

As a Christian, I am embarrassed to say I've just come into all this "green living stuff." I mean, I really never thought about it until we had so many kids, then reusing clothes and diapers all makes sense. This makes having a boat load of kids so manageable... financially speaking!

Homemade Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener

2008-04-10T07:47:00.000-07:00

Liquid Laundry Detergent::

5 gallon bucket
1 paint stir stick for 5 gallon paint bucket
1 bar of fels naptha soap (Dial Corporation)--this can be purchased in some stores, but I found it online at Amazon.com
4 cups almost boiling water
3 gallons hot water
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda (I found this at my local grocer, but you may have to order it online)

In a pot, boil 4 cups of water. As it is coming to a boil, grate the bar of soap into it. *DON'T LET THE WATER BOIL*
Stir the soapy water until the soap is completely melted.
In 5 gallon bucket, add 3 gallons of hot water. Add the 4 cups of soapy water to this, and stir well with the paint stir stick.
Add the borax and stir again, really well.
Finally, add the washing soda. Again, stir really well.

Let the mixture sit over night and cool.
In the morning, it should be a gelatinous mixture.

Use one cup per load.

Powder Laundry Detergent

1 bar fels naptha laundry soap
1 cup borax
1 cup Washing Soda

In a quart size bucket (a sherbet bucket works well), grate the bar soap. It will come to about 2 cups of grated soap.
Mix in the borax and Washing Soda. Stir it up.

The mixture wont mix evenly, but this doesn't matter.

Use 1/8 cup (that's right) per wash load.

Liquid Fabric Softener

2 cups Washing Soda
2 cups distilled white vinegar
4 cups hot water

In a gallon jug, mix washing soda with vinegar. It will fizz, so the get your kids to help. They'll love it!
When the mixture is finished fizzing, add the 4 cups of hot water.
Put the lid on and give it a good shake. Remove lid until the water cools.

Use 1/2 cup in your fabric softener compartment per wash load.

Happy Homemade Cleaning!

Cleaning Green::Green Cleaning

2008-04-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

I have been searching the internet for homemade cleaning products for a few months now.
I thought some others might want a place to find all your favorite cleaning solutions/supplies all in one place.
In this blog, I'll be posting websites and recipes for good clean green living for the Crunchy Conservative!