This year on Earth Day I started thinking about ways that my family could make changes that would have a positive impact on the planet. Now I certainly haven't gone crazy by making my own cloth diapers or anything. I decided to pick one thing to change. Otherwise I'd make all of these huge plans, get overwhelmed, and never get started. So for this year I decided to change the way that I do laundry.
The first thing that I did was eliminate liquid fabric softeners and dryer sheets. They contain a lot of harmful chemicals and I found a more natural solution to soften fabrics and prevent static. I purchased Fuzzy Wuzzy dryer balls. They are made of 100% wool. You put them in the dryer with your clothes and they keep things fluffy. They also seriously decrease your drying time! I have my dryer on medium heat and a load of towels was finished drying by the time the next load was finished washing. I've never done so much laundry in such a short amount of time! They are awesome so far!
The next thing that I changed was our laundry detergent. I found a natural homemade detergent that is phosphate free, chlorine free, non toxic, planet friendly, and safe for sensitive skin. It's called Crunchy Clean. So far I really like it! It's also pretty neat that you can choose how you want it scented. I think there are almost 50 different options. The one that I'm currently using is Rice Milk & Marshmellow, it's very nice and not overpowering. I'm excited to order more to try another scent! It's a little less expensive than the detergent we were already using even when you calculate the shipping cost. I also plan on using vinegar in the rinse cycle to help with softening, brighten colors, I just haven't tried that yet. We also plan on putting up a clothesline! I'm excited about that! We lined dried most of our clothes when I was younger and nothing beats the smell of sun dried sheets!
I found both of these products on www.etsy.com
www.CrunchyClean.etsy.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5150548
Some other things that I would like to change in the future are: decrease paper towel use by using cloth, make an effort to use reusable grocery bags, make baby food, try some homemade house cleaning solutions.
What are you doing to be more green?
