My patriotic diaper pile
Since switching to cloth diapering, I have started to make and use nontoxic household cleaners (recipes found at Eartheasy) and my house is just as clean but I can breathe easy not worrying about Abby touching something that has chemicals on it or putting something in her mouth that she shouldn't...and before you think it is super hippy-ish of me to do that, ask your grandmother what she used to clean with before all the bells and whistles of modern chemical cleaners because I guarantee she used things around the house like vinegar, lemons and baking soda!! :)
I also got rid of my dryer sheets (go HERE to find out why) and have switched to felted, wool dryer balls. They not only fluff and de-static clothes, but they cut your drying time down by absorbing some of the moisture so you save on energy, too!! The brand I bought was Buddha Bunz and I use four at a time. They are also great with cloth diapers (CDs) because unlike regular dryer sheets that you shouldn't put in with your CDs (since they leave a residue that can build up over time and cause the diapers to repel moisture), wool dryer balls are completely CD-safe.
Abby playing with some Buddha Bunz that fell out of laundry
That brings me to drying clothes outside. I have been drying my CDs outside on a drying rack whenever the weather permits because it not only saves on energy but the sun is a natural, safe and FREE way to bleach out any stains your diapers accumulate (since it is not recommended that you use bleach on your CDs because it breaks down the fibers and wears them out very quickly). I also started drying my larger items like blankets, sheets, and other bedding outside. The bonus is if something has a smell that you want to get out (gym clothes, things from storage, etc), drying them outside is a great way to get it out!
Cloth diapers and wipes on drying rack and ready to go outside
I use Country Save Laundry Detergent for Abby's CDs and we bought it in a set of four boxes because that brought the cost per load from 13 cents to around less than 1cent per load (detergents like Tide and Gain can be anywhere from 25 to 50 cents per load!!). This laundry detergent is completely natural, biodegradable and CD-safe and you use so little that the amount we got SHOULD last us for two years!!!!!! I started using the first box last October and I am still using it multiple times a day (1 tbsp per load) for our clothes and Abby's CDs. A lot of popular brand detergents in the big bottles are mostly water, so when you get concentrated stuff, it is amazing how long it can last. You can go to Country Save website for more information and also to Diaper Jungle to see the list of CD safe laundry detergents and see how Country Save was given highest rating for cloth diapers!
That is it for now. There are more family adventures to the green side that I will share in a future post, but just to save the suspense, I still shave my legs and wear deodorant! ;)
Until then--Cheers!
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