What the Laundry Product Manufacturers Don't Want You to Know...

You don't have to use fabric softener.  Don't believe me?  Let me tell you a little story...

A few months back my clothes dryer died.  It was actually quite dramatic (or so I'm told since I didn't witness the event.)   There was smoke, some flames, and my husband and sons dragging it outside while it was still smoking. 

Up until it's demise, we'd been using the Bounce Dryer Bar as our fabric softener of choice.  It's actually pretty cool.  Instead of using dryer sheets which end up in the trash, you stick this solid bar onto the interior of your dryer drum.  As the clothes come into contact with the bar it spreads its softening and anti-static properties to them as it slowly wears down to a nub. (Envision a stick of deodorant glued to the inside of your dryer.)

Since the bar was attached to our now-dead dryer and we didn't have a spare lying around, our new dryer was without a dryer bar.  In a way, I didn't really want to put one in my brand-spanking-new dryer.  It was so new and shiny and ... pure.  As a result, the new dryer didn't have a bar and we didn't have any dryer sheets on hand.  So, we dried our clothes without those things.  And, do you know what happened?  Nothing!

That's right, our clothes still dried.  They didn't feel like sandpaper and there was only a minimal bit of static.  After a while I wanted to try and conquer the small amount of static that we did have so I tried a product called Woollies.  They're three balls of tightly felted wool that you toss in your drier to soften your clothes and avoid some static.  I like the Woollies but they haven't been life-changing or laundry-changing for me.  They may soften the clothes a bit but I think the white vinegar I put in the washing machine does most of that.

Finally I came upon the best way to address the static issue. 1) Don't over dry the clothes.  It's ok if there's some moisture left when you pull the laundry out of the dryer. 2) If you do over dry them, spritz the whole load lightly with some water in a spray bottle and toss the clothes like a salad.  That usually takes care of the static without costing you money or using chemicals.

So here's my take-away--fabric softener isn't necessary.  Proctor & Gamble may want you to think it is but it AIN'T.  Save your money and get a dollar store spray bottle and a jug of white vinegar and you'll be set. 

Feel free to thank me later.
Blessings,
Laura

Happy Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day and to celebrate I'm going to share with you my two new favorite things:  Baking Soda and Vinegar.  I know, those two items aren't exactly "new" but they have only recently risen to the top of my favorites list.

My new best friends.

It seems that Baking Soda and Vinegar, both together and separately, have seemingly endless uses that I keep learning about or discovering on my own.  To keep it simple, I'll make a list:



My new hair care routine.

• In the Refrigerator-Who doesn't have a box of A&H (Arm & Hammer. I was going to go with B.S. for Baking Soda and thought better of it.) in their fridge or freezer?  Yes, it keeps the air fresh and clean and absorbs odors.  Nothing new here but it still works. Stage 1 of my Baking Soda and Vinegar love affair.
• In the Bathroom-Brush your teeth with A&H to get your teeth extra clean and a little whiter.  When my teeth feel particularly dirty, this is my go-to solution.  Stage 2-The attraction begins.
• In your Laundry-When nothing could get the sweaty smell out of my husband's colorful (unbleachable) workout gear, I finally put in some A&H and vinegar and.....Stink-B-Gone! Stage 3-Could this be love?
• In the Shower-Here's one of my newer finds:  Mix some A&H with water and use it to wash your hair!  I was skeptical at first but I have to say, it really works!  And, my hair is soft and healthy to boot!  Follow up with some ACV (apple cider vinegar) and water and you have a "conditioner" of sorts.  Check out this post from Simple Mom where I learned this trick.  Awesome! Stage 4-Yep, it's love.
• In the Kitchen (again)-since A&H worked so well on my hair, I decided to see how well it would clean greasy kitchen crud.  Before resorting to the A&H, I had tried to clean the front of my greasy microwave with a brand name kitchen cleaner that was made for cutting through grease.  Not only did it not work, it smelled awful and my skin felt yucky (Very descriptive, I know.)  So, off to get the A&H!  I got a dishtowel damp and sprinkled some A&H on the towel and started scrubbing.  The grease came right off!  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Stage 5-Completely head-over-heels.

My Green & Clean Team.

I now have spray bottles filled with 50/50 vinegar/water solution, 50/50 A&H and water solution, 100% vinegar, and a shaker bottle for A&H (made from an old empty Coffeemate Creamer container).  I can't believe how effective these cleaners are.  They're also easy to make and CHEAP!

At this point, I'm walking around the house with A&H strapped to one hip and a spray bottle of Vinegar strapped to the other waiting for dirt to make the first move.  Honestly, dirt doesn't stand a chance.  I've got an itchy trigger finger.

Remember-Keep it Green!
Blessings,
Laura