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lots of questions
Okay I have a lot of questions and hope to get some guidance and suggestions.
While we try to be mindful of what we use we could do better. First off do you have any suggestions for cotton (organic preferred) liners and tampons? I hate regular liners because TMI I they make me feel sweaty and gross. I am BFing so have not had a cycle yet but want some ready for when it starts again. I do not want to use a cup or washable liners - I want to be green but that does not appeal to me at this time and think my husband would have a heart attack if he had to wash my bloody clothes. Me as well for that matter!
Next, what about vinegar - kind, how much, how often. Etc in the wash cycle? Can I use it on my 2 month olds stuff like clothes, bedding, etc? I have a top loading but HE washer and it has the bleach spot and a fabric softener spot as well and specific buttons to push to utilize those as well.
What homemade cleaners do you use and do they kill germs and are they antibacterial? I would like to mix up a batch and put in a spray bottle. We use a steam mop on the floor so feel like we are good for floor cleaner.
What about reusable snack bags for my sons lunch and a wet bag for my baby when he starts daycare so they can send home soiled clothes - I do not cloth diaper but I do use Seventh Gen diapers and love them. I do not want them to send his clothes that are dirty in his diaper bag but do not want them to use a plastic bag either so thought a wet bag would be a good option. I would like to get it monogrammed and later use it for the pool for wet towels and swimsuits as well.
For beauty products do you use witch hazel or rose water and if so when and for what? I have and use and love argan oil - pure with nothing else - as a moisturizer on my face and ends of my hair but want a toner as well and was not sure what to use. What cleansers do you like to use or make that can be used with a clarisonic?
Thank you for any recs or answers you can provide as well as any tips for other ways that are easy for newbies to live a green life? Thanks and I truly hope I do not sound too ignorant with these questions!
Re: lots of questions
Wow, lots of topics here! I'll try to answer since it looks like no one else is jumping in, although I am far from the greenest person, I am making strides in that directions.
Regarding menstruation, I really do recommend the cup. I used to think it was weird and gross, but now that I have it I can't believe I didn't try it before. It's so convenient and much more clean than changing disposable products. Just wash it out when you take a shower and no muss, no fuss.
I don't have any experience using vinegar other than as a rinse aid in the dishwasher. I'm a huge fan of Dr Bronner's for general cleaning - a little goes a long way. Does it kill germs? I assume so, it it antibacterial? I'm not sure. I think antibacterial products are overrated.
For reusable snack bags, wet bags, check out Etsy - there are so many cute options out there.
My beauty products are not green yet (although I do have a "green" shampoo that I use, and homemade soap). However I am taking a home herbal class and once I get to that chapter I'll be making some of my own products and will be able to give more advice there.
Good luck!
Thank you for replying I was about to give up! I will check Dr. Bronners that seems to be a popular suggestion. I appreicate your time and will check out Etsy as well - never thought about that!
I've always just used vinegar like regular fabric softener. I keep a separate bottle to clean the floors and I use Apple Cider vinegar to rinse my hair. I love it!
Antibacterial cleaners usually contain triclosan, and that scares me. Good old soap and hot water mixed with a little elbow grease will clean just about everything. Baking soda makes an awesome scrub, removes stains and kills odours. I often mix it with lemon juice to create my own cream cleanser. Vinegar works awesome with baking soda too for a great cleaner/stain remover, but doesn't smell as nice.
I use reusable wet bags of various sizes for cloth diapering, potty training & swimming. Love them. The reusable snack bags look great, I do not have any recs but would love to try them in lieu of containers.
I use witch hazel for toner and I scrub with sugar about once a week. Daily, I use a microfibre face cloth to clean my skin. Coconut Oil is my current moisturizer, but I mix it up.
I know you said no cup, but I really recommend you give it a shot. I thought it was a little gross/crazy to begin with, but I absolutely love it. I love that I don't have to change it as much as a tampon, which is a huge lifesaver with my busy job.
I clean surfaces with Dr. Bronners diluted in water in a spray bottle. Like pp said, "antibacterial" (in the commercial/marketing sense) is something really overrated. A good old fashioned scrub with soap and water is all the antibacterial you need for most things, especially considering the fact that things like triclosan (what is in "antibacterial" soaps) are questionable health-wise.
If you can sew, you can make your own wet-bags and reuseable snack bags (very easy, lots of tutorials online). If you can't, find someone that can, or order some on Etsy. Most of the ones I see are cotton on the outside with ripstop nylon on the inside. You don't want to use things like vinyl.
I don't use witch hazel or rose water, or a toner.. so I can't help you with that.
I do recommend you read the book "Raising Baby Green"... I found that it had a lot of good info in an easy-to-read format (for parents and non-parents alike), especially for green newbies. It had info about food, plastics, household chemicals/exposures, etc. I was able to check it out from the library.
Good luck!