Okay, so let’s talk sundries. I kind of like that word, don’t you? Sunnnndreeees. It’s one of those words that I never use in actual conversations…but I kind of think I might start. “Oh my, I do believe I’m running out of sundries. Perhaps I should order various and sundry items…”
Many of you have asked if I make my own soaps, etc and what kind I use. While I realize that making my own detergents and soaps would save a little money, it has not reached the top of my list yet…although it is on my list. Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking has several good recipes you may be interested in if you want to make your own laundry detergent and deodorant. I think it’s awesome, but I just haven’t made the time to figure it all out yet. With the exception of inventing my own dusting solution (one part water added to four parts old rag), I’ll continue at this point to purchase the brands of soaps and lotions that I trust.
I check the EWG website to see if a product is safe and non-toxic. Also, if it comes from Tropical Traditions…I completely trust it. Their products are always pure and safe.
All of the soaps and lotions I buy are unscented and without dyes. Our littlest guy, Malachi, can not tolerate any kind of scent or dye with his eczema and strong scents really irritate my asthma.
Here’s a list I came up with of sundries in my home:
- Laundry soap – I use Shaklee. It’s the ONLY detergent I found that does not make Malachi break out. I have family members who are Shaklee distributors who helped me finally find this detergent that works for us. You have no idea how thankful I am. It seems pricey…but I can make a box of detergent last a long time. I love that our clothes smell like…nothing. :) If it smells like nothing…that means CLEAN. I don’t use fabric softener. What’s a little static?I’ve been researching and may try using these soap nuts. They seem to be one of the most economical non-toxic “laundry detergent” around. My Shaklee costs about .25 per load of laundry. Soap nuts are at least half of that. I’ll let you know what comes of my experiment!
- Dish soap– For the past three years I’ve used Ecover. Love it. Love it. Love it. I use the lemon dish soap and the powdered dishwasher detergent. Love it. No spots on glasses. Clean, clean dishes. No fear of icky, toxic soap residue on our plates. Love it.
- Body soap – I love the Unscented Bar Coconut Soap from Tropical Traditions. I even use it to wash Malachi’s hair. Again, it leaves us smelling like nothing….which is clean. I LOVE smelling Malachi’s hair after a bath.
- Shampoo – The bigger boys and I use Giovanni 50:50 shampoo. I buy it by the gallon. The boys use such a small amount…the gallon lasts us a LONG time (well over a year). I’m the only one at our house who uses conditioner, and I use Giovanni Smooth as Silk. Matt uses Home Health Medicated Scalp Wash.
- Toothpaste – We’ve been using Creme de Peppermint from Nature’s Gate. I’m not a fan of fluoride. I suppose that’s another post for another day. We really like this toothpaste. The Creme de Mint is a little less spicy than the Peppermint, so we get the mint one for the boys.
- Lotion – We’ve fallen in love with the MadeOn Lotion Bar and use it exclusively, all the time. It is an amazing product and completely safe!
- Deodorant – My favorite is Tahitian Breeze Roll-On Deodorant from Pure Miessence.
- Chap stick – Again, Tropical Traditions. I pretty much wait until they’re offering free shipping, then I stock up on all the items I buy from them!
- Cleaning supplies – Besides my famous water-on-old-rag solution for dusting and wiping things down, I use Shaklee’s Basic H for almost all cleaning. That stuff is pure enough to drink (not recommending that) and does a great job of cleaning. It is SUPER inexpensive. A little bit goes a long way which means your bottle can last for years.
- Feminine products – Read this post to learn more about my preferences for “punctuation”.
What are your favorite sundries? Isn’t it fun to say sundries?
I’ve been looking for a new deodorant that doesn’t make me itch. I’ll be looking into those. And thanks for the “grammer lessons” I made my own after that post and I’ve felt great these last two months.
After 38 years of having splotchy red bumps on my skin and trying everything under the sun, I purchased a sample pack of Dropps laundry pacs and no more red bumps! My skin doesn’t itch and I don’t have hives anymore. It seems expensive at first but the trips to the dermatologist are no more and the steroid and anti itch creams are no longer needed so I actually end up saving money. They come in little pacs so when we go to the laundromat all I have to do his throw some in a little muslin bag that I recycled and off I go…no more lugging big jugs of anything. I have converted my family members to it as well and my mom says that her skin doesn’t itch either.
I recently tried soap nuts and they haven’t worked for me. I know I’m not overfilling the load, but they’re still not getting my clothes clean.
I have tried the soap nuts on my cloth diapers and they worked great!
I use half water half vinegar as an all-purpose cleaner, and olive oil mixed with lemon juice for a furniture/dusting polish. That makes everything smell delicious and it works wonderfully!
Jessie
We’re a Sun & Earth family. Their products really work! They are delivered promptly to my door. I buy them buy the gallons and just refill smaller containers or buy the pump for the gallon containers.
Aubrey gets my vote for the best skin care products (lotion, moisturizer, etc.). Good shampoo, too.
I also like Suki for skin care.
Since my son was born (5 years ago) I have had the stinkiest armpits and have tried everything natural and unnatural but you won’t believe what works…Regular old baking soda, powdered under the arms. It prevents stinkyness and if they are already bad it scares it far away instantly! It’s cheap and very safe.
I love the Ecover and Basic H. We use those too. I still have not found a good deodorant, so I am still using the harmful stuff. :( My husband uses Tom’s, but he doesn’t like it. He tried going back to his old (harmful) deodorant and it burned very badly. So I am on the hunt for something new. I will have to try the shampoo and conditioner. The regular stuff I use now makes me break-out very badly. Maybe the organic stuff won’t. Wouldn’t that be WONDERFUL!
Thanks for the post and some good leads.
I use Trader Joe’s deodorant, which is not only aluminum and paraben free (what IS paraben, anyway?)– but it’s inexpensive. NOW if only they’d build a Trader Joe’s in our area…
Deodorant – after reading many labels and trying different brands, my children and I use Crystal roll-on (www.thecrystal.com). It keeps the odor at bay and it’s safe.
Toothpaste – I used to use the Nature’s Gate; however, I read the ingredients and it contains SLS – one of “bad” ingredients at the top of my list to get away from! We are currently using Trader Joe’s antiplaque toothpaste (no fluoride, no SLS) but my husband isn’t fond of the fennel flavor, so my search continues.
Shampoo & Conditioner – we use Trader Joe’s! It’s safe and affordable.
Cleaning – I mostly use vinegar for cleaning and as a fabric softener. I make my own laundry soap. I use the Ecover toilet bowl cleaner and I LOVE it! Need to check into their dish and dishwasher soap.
THANKS for sharing all of this with us.
I am allergic to a common preservative found in just about every toiletry out there so I can relate! I really like kiss my face liquid rock deodorant. I can buy it in the natural foods section at Kroger, Whole Foods or the co-op. You do need to let it dry before you get dressed or it doesn’t work all day.
Great info. I’m slowly (because of cost) incorporating some of these products. I just purchased (haven’t received it yet) a steamer to use on my floors, counters, mirrors, toilets…basically all hard surfaces. I’m super excited about it because it seemed like I could find/make natural cleaners but wasn’t sure they were disinfecting as well. The steamer heats up to 212 so it will disinfect without chemicals, etc. I appreciate your info on lotions, soaps and toothpaste as I’d like to get those all replaced in our house.
I started using soap nuts a few months back and LOVE them. No scent. They do a great job….I have three kids :)
This is the first time I’ve posted, but have been reading your blog for a while and really enjoy it – thanks!
For those who are looking for a natural (and cheap!) deodorant that works, I like mixing 1/4 c baking soda, 1/4 c cornstarch and 5-6 T coconut oil. Works better than Tom’s for me and you only use a small amount each day.
I am another baking soda user for deodorant. I have seen more complicated recipes out there and was skeptical when I heard about just baking soda, but I gave it a try and two years later am still very happy with it. I just rub a little on in the morning and am ready for the day!
I use Tom’s toothpastes the clean and gentle kind. We like the spearmint and peppermint, tried the deodorant and it didn’t seem to work I usually use Lindsey’s recipe for that and for her laundry soap. I agree that your clothes smell clean if they smell like nothing. I’ve begun to really dislike all these “scents” that are added to everything. I do love using Essential oils in cleaning around the house it really does smell clean!!
Thank you for this post and mentioning your son’s eczema when discussing your laundry. I am a huge fan of Shaklee as well. People look at me like I’ve grown horns or something when I tell them that it is the ONLY brand that does not aggravate his eczema. I’ve even tried other “green” brands and if I use them for more than a time or two then his eczema flares up. It is nice to know that I am not alone.
I like the JASON line of personal care products if someone is looking for yet another suggestion.
One alternative to your dryer/static issue since you can’t use fabric softeners are tennis balls or those little nubby balls that are called dryer balls. They used to have them on those informercials on TV for $9.99 for 2, but wait, there’s more, if you call now, we will throw in…haha…but CVS drugstores have come up with their own version in their Dollar Days Section, 2 balls for $2! They last a long time and the balls go in between clothes during the drying cycle, separating and absorbing static! Voila!
I too am a Shaklee distributor, so I was happy to see that you use it Laura! I have two little ones and I trust Shaklee the way you said you trust Tropical Traditions. Their vitamins I take instead of prenatals, and their cleaning products are so great and non-toxic, I don’t have to worry about my girls getting sick by breathing dangerous, toxic fumes. My youngest has eczema and I know none of our detergents/soaps/etc. are irritating her sensitive skin. I could go on and on about Shaklee. I just love it :-)
Great post! I’ve been looking for a new shampoo (we currently use Aubrey Organics Sensitive Shampoo, but I miss the bubbles!). I’ll have to try the Giovanni and see if I break out in hives or not.
As for what we use:
I make our chapstick, tooth powder, deodorant, and all our cleaning supplies (Clean House, Clean Planet is where I get the recipes for cleaning).
For all our laundry, including cloth diapers, we use Country Save. We love the Ecover powder for our dishwasher. For body wash we just use Dr. Bronners unscented liquid soap.
We are a very “unscented” family. And now anytime we walk down the laundry isle in the store we get headaches. Yuck. We agree that being clean really smells like “nothing” at all.
Thanks Laura! Now I tried soap-nuts in my front-loader washing machine and found they didn’t work, the clothes still were stained etc… but I have a friend with a top-loader and older children (no food stains) and loves them.
When I did some research on it, it seems that because it’s actually the water that cleans your clothes, but because front-loaders don’t use as much water, they rely on soap/detergent to make the water ‘wetter’ so it can soak out the dirt. And for whatever reason the soap-nuts just weren’t cutting it. I also have a king-size washer and maybe I just needed to use more nuts. But instead I use Ecos Laundry Detergent which I can get at Costco for $15 and one bottle does 210 loads! And it’s all Natural and I’ve been very happy with it.
It’s great to share what products work and don’t.
Great info! I was wondering if you have tried Shaklee’s dishwasher detergent? I’m considering it but haven’t tried it yet.
Also, I’ll be looking forward to hearing more about fluoride. That is one topic I haven’t looked in to yet. A friend asked my opinion and I didn’t know what to say!
I have found that adding a little vinegar in place of liquid fabric softener works wonders! It gets rid of the cling, softens the clothes, and doesn’t cause my kids to have excema flares.
I also make my own detergent because my son has really bad excema issues.
Loving the soap nuts in our front loading washer. Lyndsey’s deodorant recipe (coconut oil, baking soda, arrowroot powder) works perfectly every time. Castile soap for face wash for adults, and use it to wash the kids hair and bodies. Lotion is coconut oil for the kids (my son HAD bad eczema until we started using it) and sometimes for me, otherwise Avalon Organics Aloe Unscented for me and my husband. We also use Avalon Organics shampoo. We make our own all purpose household cleaner and use 7th Gen. dish soap and dishwasher detergent (although I keep thinking about switching that). We use JASON toothpaste, various natural lip balms (sometimes make my own).
I use BioKleen powdered laundry detergent and we love it. I actually wasn’t sure it was worth the price and switched back to Arm & Hammer for a bit. We were totally astonished to find out clothes were stinky and not clean when we used the A&H. I think that because our clothes never smelled like anything with the BioKleen we didn’t realize how clean they really were (the whole it must smell pretty in order to be clean marketing thing was way more ingrained than I realized!).
I also use BioKleen’s BacOut and dishwashing powder. The oxygen bleach was on sale recently so I got some to try…the jury is still out there.
I love EcoVer for handwashing dishes and am tempted to try the powder after your good review. I like the BioKleen, but EcoVer is cheaper for me here.
As far as personal products are concerned, I haven’t made too many switches. The organic shampoo I used made my hair really greasy and I gave it a good long time to allow for an adjustment period. It’s kind of disheartening to pay a lot for something that doesn’t really work, so I’ve been a bit gun shy in that area. I may try the shampoo you mentioned. I will probably never change over to another deodorant; I’ve tried the baking soda thing and the coconut oil thing plus natural versions from the health food store to no avail. I work outside the home and that’s not an area I’m too interested in experimenting with.
Hey Laura!! I love this post.About 2 years ago I started making my own laundry soap.Although I`ve been slacking a bit over the past few months I want to let you know that you will probably end up about $4 and have enough laundry soap for months.It really wrks well for eczema as well.My friend`s husband has very bad eczema and this is the only soap she uses.It has no smell either.It`s really easy to make too!I`ll give you my super easy recipe in case you`re feeling ambitious!
1-1/2 cups borax
1-1/2 cups baking soda
1 bar Fels Napitha or Ivory (which is cheaper and easier to find)grated
All you do is bring 16 cups of water to a boil.Add your shredded soap,and let it melt.Then pour the mixture into a 5 gallon bucket and add your borax and baking soda.That`s it!! Over the next 24 hours you need to stir it as often as possible to prevent it from developing hard layer on top,but even if it does all you hae to do is jus squish it with your hands which I`m sure the boys would love to do for you!! So there you go!!! It`s super easy!!!
Have a wonderful day!!
Since you asked,
I make my own deodorant – I mix coconut oil with baking powder. I keep it in a small glass jar with a lid in my bathroom. I just rub a dab on and it works wonders! (I also found that wearing cotton clothing instead of polyester/rayon clothes makes a huge difference in smell.)
I also use a 50/50 vinegar to water solution to clean everything. Love it!
Correction – BAKING SODA, not baking powder in my deodorant recipe above.
I’ve been using Ecos detergent, Dr. Bronner’s soap, Trader Joe’s toothpaste, and am very happy with my moon cup and handmade flannel panty liners. I make my own cleaning solutions out of Dr. Bronner’s, vinegar and baking soda and the the occasional natural cleaning product I’ve found on sale.
Sun and Earth http://www.sunandearth.com has drawn me in with the irresistable sale they’re running right now. The “Sundance Pack” includes $56.32 worth of products for $24.66. I figure that’s worth a try!
I didn’t read all the comments and I just started reading your site recently, but I had to add my two cents to this. My MIL gave me the rubber dryer balls about six months ago. I was kinda skeptical, but I tried them and I love them! The only drawback is that they do occasionally get lost in a pile of sheets. :)
I’ve never used antiperspirants in my life, but in the past three years (especially after having a child) natural deodorants alone weren’t cutting it. One place I love is Bumble and Bee. http://www.bubbleandbee.com/
She makes a few different kinds of natural deodorant and has a great policy that lets you order another for free (you do pay shipping) until you find one that works for you.
Unfortunately, none of them worked for me (but she is great at customer service! and wonderful lip balms). Recently in CA, I bought Lavilin. It’s pricey, $14 for .44oz. But you only use a little, and only every few days. I’m very impressed so far.
The ingredients are:Zinc Oxide, Petroleum Jelly, Talc, Potato Starch, Calendula Oil, Arnica Oil, Vitamin E, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, Natural Fragrance.
Just have to throw in another natural home-made deodorant suggestion. I used the recipe from the Angry Chicken blog, and added a bit of coconut oil as well. I’ve been using it for a few months and it works fabulously! It even seems to keep me dry (although, have to say, it’s winter, so I wouldn’t say the keep-me-dry aspect is really getting a stress test). My only complaint is the oil sometimes doesn’t wash out of my clothes completely in one cycle. it’s really only a problem with crisp dark colored tops.
I just came over from your post about your son’s eczema. I thought I would mention that I use vinegar as a laundry softener. All my clothes airdry and it works for us. I use about 2 tbsp a load (sometimes a little more).
I also came over from the eczema post and wanted to mention that i use shampoo bars for my hair and vinegar as a conditioner. they work so lovely and are totally natural. I get the bars from Chagrin Valley where she hand makes all of them at her house and they are all so super wonderful. It takes time for some hair to adjust but perseverance pays off in the end. I am chemical shampoo free and i only wash my hair once a week with this stuff. Website is http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com. Her soaps are just saponified oils a few other natural ingredients, nothing fake or chemical about them. :) i also have not had a single split end since using them and my hair is softer and lighter than when I use commercial shampoos. Those commercial shampoos seem to weigh my hair down and then just make me oily a day later.
My gripe is with Bio Kleen laundry powder. I’m stuck with a 10 lb box (that was not cheap)and the product is awful. I’ve tried using more/less powder per batch, fewer clothes, until I’m down to putting very few pieces in so they feel and smell tolerably clean. The water looks murky, often feels greasy, and there is a scum floating on top. I have never seen this with any of the many other products I have used. For the last several years, I stick to “eco-friendly cleaners.”
Why would anyone use this stuff??
I agree with you on the BoiKleen laundry powder. The water does look murky and the laundry powder has left an unsightly ‘scum’ ring on the inside of my washer tub. I went through a whole 10# box thinking the scum would go away. It hasn’t… So now I’m looking for another natural laundry detergent.
I SO love Shaklee! But, I’m also working to figure out an easy homemade recipe. I’ll share it as soon as I figure it out!
Thanks for sharing all your favorite brands! Recommendations really help for people who are just starting to make the switch to cleaner products. I’ve never tried Shaklee or Tropical Traditions myself…but now I’m intrigued!
I make my own powdered laundry detergent. It works great on stains and in cold water. I did it more my necessity because I couldn’t find a powdered HE detergent that got my clothes clean and didn’t make me itch. I’ve found some liquids that work, now that I have found a liquid oxygen bleach, but the price of making my own keeps me from fully making the switch to store bought detergent.
I like using handmade soaps too but I buy those from a friend. I got a soap making book out from the library and decided I didn’t need another equipment intensive hobby!
Could you post what your recipe is for laundry detergent?
Here’s a link to my blog post with my powdered HE laundry Detergent recipe
http://condo-blues.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-to-make-powdered-high-efficiency.html
I’m looking for an alternative to a deodorant. I’ve tried making my own. (CO, baking soda, and arrowroot) Had a HORRIBLE reaction, it was actually blistering) Stopped that,(rash went away) went and bought Alba, had a reaction the same day! That rash was itchy and didn’t go away until I went to the dr and got a steroid cream, cleared up in ONE day. Before i went to the dr, I went w/o deodorant, but since I have to go to work, the one day, I applied CO, then the alba deodorant. Came home and I had the beginning of BO. (yuck!!) I immediately went out and bought my old deodorant. I refused to go to work and smell.
So… does anyone have any recommendations? I really do not want to spend $5 again on deodorant and not be able to use it.
Someone just recommended Lafes to me and said it works well. Might be worth trying!
Thanks Laura! I’m going to look into it. Hopefully I can find something I can use and not break out in a rash!
Would you consider writing a post about your thoughts on fluoride? We are just now switching to fluoride free toothpaste, but fluoride is in our drinking water. We have a reverse osmosis system, but I don’t know if it takes out fluoride. Do you have a filtration system?
I don’t know if you are still looking for a “healthy” deodorant.I have used one that was created by Dee Simmons.She started the company “Ultimate Living”.She is a cancer survivor.She started this company to help others enjoy better health and vitality with the help of her supplements and beauty/personal hygiene products.
I use Burt Bee’s lotion (which you can find at Swanson Vitamins for a decent price).
I also use Mac’s 100% Naturals Chapstick.
This is the best non-aluminum deodorant I’ve tried. I live in the deep South so it really gets tested. And, it doesn’t break me out. The link below shows a picture. Alvera Aloe and Almond. It’s a roll-pn.
http://www.healthsuperstore.com/p-alvera-all-natural-roll-on-deodorant-aloe-almonds-3
I have been using Lindsays’s deodorant recipe from Passionate Homemaking for about 6 months and I LOVE it! It seems that even when I do sweat now, it doesn’t stink :) I have always tried replacing half the coconut oil with cocoa butter so that it is more solid and I can put it in an old deodorant container….but I prefer it with just the coconut oil. I have also read that you can mix half arrow root (or corn starch) and baking soda and just use an makeup brush and puff it on in the mornings so I might try that too.
Thanks for this post! I’ve remembered it since I read it awhile – quite awhile, I think – ago, and I am finally making the jump to try the dishwasher soap and shampoo. They both get good ratings on amazon too. I’m excited!
I have a friend that was/is a Shaklee distributer. She believes in the Basic H so much she had it rigged to come out of her shower and used that as her “soap” She said she loved the way she just smells CLEAN! At the time I didn’t understand that but after years of using natural products, I have gotten to hate the perfumy smell of many products. For a nice smell, I like to use my Young Living essential oils.
I have een suffering from eczema my whole life. I have been up all night scratching, tossing, turnin for years. I am embarrassed by my “cow spots” that don’t tan in the sun, the red rash on my hands and under side of my wrists and forearms. My face has flaky patches around the mouth and on my chest. Complicated w allergies mainly food triggers as mentioned… I have to say the diet is the #1 thing that made my skin calm down and reduce the number of breakouts. Oceans and pools and sweating wreak havoc on my skin, so I also try and avoid (almost impossible with a 5 yr old in the summer). A good friend told me about Amways SA8 laundry soap and LOC multiple purpose cleaner last year. I loved the results so much that I am now a distributor. I have always used unscented, dye free detergents but the leave clothes stiff meaning there is a residue. SA8 rinses CLEAN wo a second rinse and no need for softener or dryer sheets. The LOC doesn’t contain anything harsh and doesn’t irritate my asthmatic lungs (which commonly goes along w eczema). Both very economical. There is a new line of organic bamboo body wash and lotion I have yet to try but others w sensitive skin say it’s great. You can order theses products from http://www.amway.com/AlishaTreadway Hope this helps! I know firsthand how painful and frustrating this is
Hello,
Thanks for the great leads on body products. I have been looking FOREVER for products without palm oil. Both of my
children are sensitive and get hives/excema from using these products. BUT everything these days seems to have it… from cetaphil to california baby.It has been a nightmare. We have been using dr. bronners body wash and a lush shampoo bar recently, wtih straight coconut oil for after bath.Perhaps this is what your son is sensitive to also? Edible things also contain palm oil.
Hi! I know this is an old post but just wanted to tell you about my experience with Soap Nuts. My daughter has horrible eczema too and I switched to Soap Nuts thinking it would help her skin. Well, they broke her out! For about a month we dealt with a BAD outbreak and while I KNEW it wasn’t the Soap Nuts because they were what was best for skin issues nothing else worked. I eliminated everything from her diet. Finally I stopped used the Soap Nuts and her skin cleared up within the week! I know not everyone is the same but if they don’t work for you, your not the only one!
Hi Laura –
I LOVE posts like this that recommend specific products. My biggest household problem is getting stains out of clothing. Do you have something wonderful that you use for that? I feel like I have tried everything and nothing works!
Thanks!
Amy
This is a subject I am passionate about! I’ve tried every natural cleaning product I could find in the last several years but never could find products that worked well and that my family liked. Also they are usually so expensive. Several months ago a friend told me about Melaleuca, The Wellness Co. I have been a customer since then and love, love, love the products. They make over 350 household products including cleaning products, personal care, and vitamins/nutritional supplements. Melaleuca is the botanical name for tea tree and many of the products contain tea tree oil. Check out the website: http://www.melaleuca.com/productstore