I got pregnant & turned into a hippie

Ok, so only partly hippie...and I'm blaming it mostly on the hormones. It all started one day when I decided to be ambitious (and by ambitious I mean the mold was getting really furry and almost starting to talk to me). It was going to be me against the bathtub. Well, it turned out to be me against the Tilex and I lost. (Ha, ok, so really Chad lost.) I couldn't stand the fumes so Chad got stuck finishing cleaning the bathtub. I decided there had to be a safer way to clean the bathroom without all the toxic chemicals. So, I started my search and from there I've been making all kinds of things from scratch instead of buying the toxic version from the store.

And, to put your minds at ease I've been doing some research as well and it turns out that we don't really need all the anti-bacterial cleaning products. Some studies have shown that they don't make a difference. After a year of using them, families still had the same germ count and type on their hands as families who didn't use the antimicrobial products. (Now, being pregnant, having a 1 year old, and with flu season coming I did keep my hand sanitizer & will insist on people using it who are holding the baby.)

So, here's what I've made so far & the links in case you decide to join me on my quest to single-handedly save the planet...well, at least save some money, save your house from toxins it doesn't need, and get some exercise. Have you ever zested an entire bar of soap...trust me, it counts as exercise.

Window cleaner - I'm not sure if I'll stick with this one or try just vinegar & water.
All purpose cleaner - I used the basic all purpose cleaner formula. I wouldn't recommend the one with alcohol and ammonia if you're trying to stay away from harsh chemicals. (Although I did try it & it does work really well.)
Laundry soap - I used Powdered Laundry Detergent - Recipe #4 (I found one bar of zested soap = 2 cups)
Learned the many uses of vinegar
Learned the many uses of baking soda
Foam soap - I did not add the glycerin or scented extract.
Baby wipes

And to be fair, the only reason I made the baby wipes was because I was completely out (I know, how could I have let that happen...again, must be hormones and tiredness). Anyways, Hannah has a massive explosion at 9 o'clock at night (I know, why was she even still awake at that time of day...again, hormones and tiredess). There was no way I was trekking it out to Wal-mart at 9PPM for baby wipes. I instead searched the internet and tada, made them myself. And I have to admit that we've had less diaper rash since we started using them. (And, yes, I still buy the occasional pack of baby wipes to throw in the diaper bag.)

I also got more rags and cloth napkins to use so I can use fewer paper towels and paper napkins...although Chad isn't real impressed with this because he says it takes so much more water, electricity, and gas to run the washer more often that I'm not saving any money or the environment. So, the jury is still out on this one.

I also bought a cloth shower curtain liner that is treated to be anti-mildew. When we get in the shower we put the curtain inside the tub and when we're done we put it back outside the tub so it can dry. This should mean less mildew and a cleaner bathtub!

I'm also looking for a good powdered dishwasher detergent recipe...the one I tried left a horrible film on all my dishes. I'll keep you posted if I find one.

At any rate, I didn't change everything overnight. I just made small changes here and there until I found formulas and systems that worked with our lifestyle. Let me know if you have any good cleaner/household recipes that you use...I'm always up for new things to try!