A 12lbs package was just dropped off with a notable thud downstairs at our doorstep. Inside the medium size box was the start of a new age in our household, shown above. We're phasing out almost every cleaner and soap (though not shampoo and facial cleanser yet; Emily is investigating making our own natural formula versions with ingredients like flax seeds and olive oil) and replacing it with Dr. Bronner's products, continuing our own Green @ Home journey...
Our front garden project is a slow going one (finally finished pulling out all the dead plants and I'm still sifting through the dirt for larger rocks, stones, organic matter), so we decided to focus inside the home. We've been primarily a Method cleaning products household. But Emily has found herself to be sensitive to the scent of their products, aggravating her allergies. Her solution was to order this year supply of Dr. Bronner's Magic All-In-One cleaners. Ignore the fact that the photo of Dr. Bronner on the website looks like a striking resemblance to one of Spiderman's worst enemies; his selection of soaps come highly touted and have earned him a passionate following.
Made of organic virgin coconut, olive, jojoba, hemp and essential oils, Dr. Bronner's products are also notable for the fact they're USDA National Organic Program certified and also certified Fair Trade. And because we purchased in bulk, we'll be able to just refill out attractive Method foaming soap dispenser and dish washing soap containers, while using the bar soap in the tub (smells good too!). It's a small change, but it will result in a less artificially scented home, with less chemicals and a lot less packaging waste throughout the year.
Got a similar Green @ Home solution or change in lifestyle you'd like to share? Remember we have a load of free giveaways from Ecover and a beautiful Raksha Bella bedding set to giveaway to one randomly chosen winner (it's not a contest, so everyone has a fair chance of winning). We're accepting entries till the end of this month, so enter below...
INFO:
Please send us photos and info on how you live green@home. This is not a contest, just a way to build up an AT inspirational database of sorts on how real folks are living greener at home.
Simple, straightforward ideas are welcome, like how you deal with your recycling bin in a small kitchen, and so are ambitious projects - like your amazing green roof. We hope to have a big archive of ideas to inspire us all by the end of the month.
PRIZES:
In exchange for sharing your green@home ideas, Ecover will reward the first 100 ApartmentTherapy readers, who submit photo/essays demonstrating ways in which their lives are green, with their choice of Ecover Liquid Laundry detergent
Raksha Bella will reward one lucky sweepstakes winner with a complete bedding set made from all certiefied Indian organic cottons. The set includes a queen-sized duvet cover, quilt, two pillow cases and two European shams in the winner's choice of three designs. The Classic Collection from Raksha Bella features sumptous textiles in traditional Indian prints, handblocked with lowimpact and vegetable dyes. Choose from the Raj Paisley (available in Indigo or Rum Raisin), Tree of Life (in Canton & Mimosa) or Indian Rose (in Dusty Cedar, Cress Green or Indigo). A retail value of $1,165.00.
HOW TO ENTER:
To enter the Green @ Home Giveaway, please submit below. Submissions will be posted from July 7th to August 1 and winners will be notified by August 8th.
RULES:
Please, only one submission per person. Duplicate submissions will be discarded.
This is not a contest.
The first 100 posted submissions will receive a gift from Ecover.
The winner of the Raksha Bella Sweepstakes will be randomly drawn from all complete entries (even those that aren't posted).
Winners must claim their prize within three business days after the date of notification of such prize. A Sweepstakes winner's failure to respond to the prize notification within the specified three business days will be considered such Sweepstakes winner's forfeiture of the prize and an alternate winner may be selected from the pool of eligible entries. If an entrant is found to be ineligible, an alternate winner may also be selected from the pool of eligible entries.
To enter, you must be a U.S. resident, age 18 or older to enter. Employees, partners and vendors of Apartment Therapy and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter. We will disqualify any entries that we believe are generated by scripts and other automated technology. When applicable, the winner may be required to execute and return within five business days an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability and Publicity Release to be eligible for the prize or an alternate winner will be selected.
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dr bronners makes for a super gross shampoo, leaving lots of residue. it makes my skin sticky and coated, too.
Anything that I have ever cleaned with Dr. Bronner's was coated with a whitish residue. Dishes were especially bad. I have gone back to using mostly baking soda, borax and vinegar.
I've never had a problem with using Dr. Bronner's on the skin and hair. Everyone's skin and hair are different, though, so maybe it depends on the person.
i use Dr Bronner's sal suds for all home cleaning purposes. i put a bit in containers and then add water to dilute it some -- as a result i have no residue problem.
If you have fine hair, definitely don't use it as shampoo. It took my about a week to get my hair looking and feeling right again. I don't really like using the soap on my body, either--it feels kind of weird after. One exception: I will use the eucalyptus on my face during the time of the month I tend to break out. It seems to keep my pores pretty clean.
I use 1/4 cup of the lavender, plus a shake or two of baking soda to do my laundry. It makes the whole house smell amazing. To do my floors, I put, hmm, say, two squirts of the soap plus some baking soda and vinegar into a bucket, then fill it with hot water. It can leave a little bit of soapy residue, but I've found that tweaking the water-to-soap-to vinegar ratio helps. If worse comes to worst, I scoot a clean wet towel around the floor to rinse it. It seam to work.
I still use Mrs. Meyer's, Bon Ami, and Shaklee (and baking soda and vinegar) to clean the other surfaces in my apartment.
I'm sure you guys needed to know all this!
I've used Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap since childhood as a handsoap. I even tried brushing my teeth with it once...wouldn't recommend that.
Good all Doc Bronner's. All one--all one--all one!
i brushed my teeth with bronners for a couple weeks once and it was fine. it's doesn't taste great but my teeth felt super super clean.
I've been experimenting with Dr. Bronner's unscented soap for the last six months. Here's what I've learned.
Best Practices:
1. Dilute with water in proportions 1/4, soap / water
2. Put the diluted soap in a foaming bottle, I use a recycled Kiss My Face "Self Foaming Liquid Soap" container.
I tried using the diluted formula as shampoo last week and I found the results less than satisfactory. I use the soap for showering and hand washing.
I just gave it a try in the tub just now without any residue problems, making me suspect that your local water quality/hardness and own skin/hair makeup might affect individual experience.
I use the peppermint soap as body wash, and in place of shaving cream in the shower. It really wakes me up in the morning, and a bottle seems to last FOREVER! I think I've had the current bottle I've been using since February.
I use baking soda and vinegar to clean everything and tea tree oil for my wood floors. i have com to the conclusion that you don't ever need to buy any kind of cleaner, ever.
You can make shampoo out of baking soda.
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I LOVE the Peppermint soap! I haven't tried any of his other products, but the smell of the soap is really refreshing.
In addition, if you like the wierd writings on Dr. Bronner's products, I think you'll like the Miracle Soap. I've always had suspicions that it's just dish detergent with prayer (apparently one of the main ingredients is prayer), but whatever it is, this soap performs MIRACLES on my hair.
http://www.miraclesoap.com/
My mom picked it up one day at a raw food store and our family has been hooked ever since.
For the entirety of my life, my father has smelled like Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap. I think he's been using it since the 70's.
If you're looking for shampoo/conditioner alternatives, investigate the "no 'poo" method (as in no-shampoo.) In short: one tblsp baking soda per cup of water (shampoo) and one tblsp apple cider vinegar per cup of water (rinse). I haven't used standard shampoo in two years now. Most easily used if you keep the concoctions in squirt bottles.
And instead of lotion, I have been using some extra virgin olive oil (can even use a little bit on your scalp in the winter.) I'm an artist and chemical safety has been drilled into me. All of these chemicals we put on our skin on a daily basis is really a bad idea - they get absorbed into our circulatory systems but are untested for side effects past the skin-reaction level. But beyond that, I actually prefer these food-grade products as cosmetics. And no, I don't smell like a salad! (You can even infuse the vinegar or oil with other scents - I use lemon rind and vanilla.)
I've been using the peppermint bar soap for a while (love the scent). I find that there is less crud on my shower doors and tub than with regular soaps.
I use Dr Bronner's for all my soap/shampoo needs. I haven't used it as dish soap though. I like it as a shampoo and soap, it makes me feel clean, and since my hair is naturally oily it balances me out. I use pure coconut oil as a moisturizer.
I find that using Dr. Bronner's for a first wash and following up with a different shampoo for a second wash leaves my hair really clean. I use an apple cider vinegar rinse after.
It doesn't take much Dr. Bronner's -- it's very easy to use too much. Try diluting or using only a small amount.