Help on "green" household prods..

[sinead_B]

I'm hoping some of you may be far more informed than me on this...
I really want to learn...
also i'm about to move to a house on a Septic system and want to make a fresh start..

I'm desperately trying to cut the products in the house..
I have switched to B soda and Vinegar for cleaning.. thats working great.
Using Eco store to wash.. its ok but not loving it.. and i have to do a drive to get it...
But i think i have been caught out.. i bought a few "Method" products... but now reading online it seems this brand is not all its claimed up to be..

Sooo
What ingredients do i want to avoid?

And does anyone know this brand
Enviro Australia

Any comments.. its on the $$ side so i want to know its ok.. and not just another, claim to be green..

Thanks!!!

[Clarielle]

I would think of it the other way around, as in: what do I need to clean and what can I use to clean it.
What is it that you can't clean with bicarb soda and vinegar? (not a rhetorical question!)

[sinead_B]

Good point!
You have me thinking big time now..

ok, so if i have BS and Vin in the house for most stuff..

I would like
Hand wash by the sinks
Washing up liquid (no dishwasher at the mo)
Laundry Powder/liquid
Shampoo
Conditioner
Shower gel of some type
Bubblebath (i don't use anything on DD per-say but she loves bubbles)

They are the only prods i can think of that i would like/need..

In my current house the floors all get either steam mopped or vin/water and Microfirer cloths... but the new house had a couple of rooms with 70's wood Parquet.. will the same cleaning be ok on that?

Any suggestions on the above would be great..

ETA: I have just ordered a trial of Soapnuts.. people seem to love 'em or hate 'em

[bamboogal]

so annoyed i just wrote a post and now its gone.

you can get a cheapie shampoo and conditioner from Coles called organic care. It has no parabens or Sodium laurel Sulphate(SLS). These are the ones i try to avoid. I prefer alchemy shampoos though which are much more expensive.

dishwashing - envirocare is my fave. i also use Natural instinct. both are easily available at health stores

washing detergent - i uses herbon it is 100%biodegradable and based on eucalyptus oil. i buy a 5L bottle for $30. not as good as the chemical stuff but its a trade off sometimes.

Liquid soaps - i'd try to avoid SLS and parabens again. there should be plenty around. we have a liquid castille soap here.

bubblebath is a tough one. i bought an SLS free one and i don't understand how it can be called bubblebath and it was really exxy.

[becboo]

This is what we use:

Hand wash by the sinks - we have a wooden soap dish and buy natural solid soap (I cut it up into small sections, looks gorgeous and lasts well, sometimes the big hunks of soaps get yuck quickly iykwim).
Washing up liquid (no dishwasher at the mo) - Natural Instinct but I am tempted to get some pure natural soap and use that - apparently it works a treat with the dishes.
Laundry Powder/liquid - Planet Ark
Shampoo - Alchemy - worth its weight in gold and don't need half as much so I find it is cost effective despite initially being expensive - great for everyone in the family too
Conditioner - as above
Shower gel of some type - we don't use shower gels, just some lush natural solid soap but I think Alchemy has a shower gel?
Bubblebath (i don't use anything on DD per-say but she loves bubbles) - the SLS free ones don't do the trick so maybe introduce something else at bath-time ie sprinkle some lavender flowers (if you have them growing outside) in the water in lieu of the bubbles

Have fun! I am just about to do another green audit on the house!

Bec.

[Obsi]

I think we're conditioned to think we need lots of different specialty products, when really most things can be cleaned with the same product.

Plain pure soap can be used for everything If you're wanting the least messed with thing, I'd go a castille soap (just oil and lye), which can be grated to make laundry powder (maybe mix with a bit of baking soda)... and a small amount used for dishwashing (don't want it too slippery).... and of course it washes hands and body My dad only ever uses soap as a shampoo (not even a "shampoo bar", just regular soap) and his hair is the thickest and nicest out of the whole family.

Personally I don't like bar soap for handwashing.... I find it's messy - it always makes a sloppy mess under the soap holder, so I like the convenience of liquid soap.... but at Tahlia's kinder they have the bars of soap in mesh bags that hang off the tap, so they don't sit anywhere to get messy and the mesh helps scrub hands - I think it's brilliant, and I have been tempted to try it at home.

We use Natural instincts shampoo, conditioner and handwash, and I squirt some shampoo or handwash (essentially the same ingredients in them) in the bath while it is filling and swish it around with my hands to make more bubbles... it's not as bubbly as bubble bath, and the suds go away quicker, but it's enough for Tahlia and means I don't need to buy extra stuff (and commercial bubble baths can be chemical cocktails). I'm planning on just buying the shampoo or hand wash from now on and just using it for either use.

Shower gel is just liquid soap.... so you could just use liquid soap.... if you choose a mild one (eg a natural one that is fairly plain) you should be able to use it as a shower gel, hand soap, bubble bath and shampoo.... there really isn't much difference in cleaning a body vs hands... or really hair when you think about it (your scalp is skin)...

I'm going to try some of the soapnut recipes for making hand wash and shampoo (boiling them in water and adding cornflour to thicken). I use soapnuts or earth choice laundry liquid (I'm trying to go for just soapnuts, but we have the liquid as a backup and hubby tends to forget to use the soapnuts when he does the laundry)

[sinead_B]

Thank you ladies!!!

exactly what i was after..

Off to look that those..

The envirocare do a SLS free Bubblebath .. ill maybe give it a try but i love the idea of flowers

[Obsi]

You can also get some natural bath salts and add some food colouring, essential oils and flowers and sprinkle some in instead of bubble bath. doesn't bubble obviously but I think kids like the concept of having something special in the bath just as much as bubbles

[sinead_B]

Thanks Obsi, a mine of information as always

I love the idea of making up some thing special for the bath for her..

Castile soap was a new one to me, so i have just done some reading.. will look in the shops..
I found a brand called Melrose that does a liquid Castile soap with EO's for use in the shower and hand wash.. will look for it...

[becboo]

I also find that if you pop into your local Health Food Shop/Organic shop they are fantastic with info

Have fun!

Bec.