re towels, try putting hand softener in the wash? and then take them down just before they are dry? Just a thought! let me know if it works!
interesting site- I didn't see anything about lip balms, and such- I tend to have a hard time navigating my way around though! I did see a home page with what looked to be a blog and other pages about 90% reduction. Some really great ideas and lots of practices I believe in- many I practice, some I aspire to.
I just got to this post. I am "spoiled simple" I guess you could say. I can stuff, freeze stuff, make my own sandwich bread (can't perfect rolls yet)... can't use liquid fabric softener (makes a mess of a spetic system).... but I like my computer and TV. I don't use a "mommy pad" but I use a DIVA cup. No waste and it only gets rinsed out. Simple and very effective as my months are very heavy and I can't stand leaks. No kids in diapers anymore - but it was like a pay raise when they grew out of them! Now, I would probably use cloth. I'd like to sew - but I'm not that great at it. But I might work on it at some point because I'd like my daughter to run around in some light summer dresses which cost $20 at the store which I know I can make for $5-10
Ok.. I have but a few seconds again... but will be back later to read read read.. simple/frugal living is totally me The towels not being soft enough... I use liquid fabric softener for our clothes... I can't live with out it! But!!! for the diapers I use white vinegar instead of fabric softener. Fabric softener is a big no-no on cloth dipes. I hang them out every time I can... then to make them SOFT when I bring them in, I put them in the dryer for a few minutes, 10 to be exact. The not only come out nice and fluffy but they are also free of any pollen, bugs that didn't shake out or any other goodies that fly around in country air! Also, if I can't hang them out and I dry them in they dryer the vinegar as a fabric softener works great.. the dipes come out as soft as can be. Oh and the smell from the vinegar.. once everything is dry the vinegar odor is completely gone!
That's right! duh. I use vinegar in all the other loads...LOL I don't know why I forgot this. Geeze. I normally don't buy fabric softener and if I do it never gets used.
I use vinegar, also, and am in the process of learning to make my own. It's a thrill to me! It's called "kombucha," and many people use it as a health drink. (If you research it on the internet, don't be way-laid by reports of two women dying from it. Those apparently have been discredited, but they keep showing up.) I just discarded my extra starters, but in a few weeks I'll have some more to share, if anyone's interested.
isn't mayo oil and egg white? yeah what is vinegar made from... it seems I should know this but I don't
yes mayo is, so you use your blender and you can make it ! We do it with the yoke too, because it is richer then. But I have one of those stick like blender things? Its fun, and you can add like LIme juice to it and other flavors like that!
TM, My vinegar bottle says - Ingredients: Made from select sun-ripened grain, diluted with water to a uniform pickling and table strength of 5% (50 grains) acidity. Straight from the Heinz Distilled White Vinegar.
I'm just a newbie at this, so the little I know is sure to be improved upon, but here's the impression I have at this point: The basic ingredients can be grain, fruit, sugars--any type of food that can be fermented into alcohol and carbonic gas. The gas evaporates, and leaves the alcohol and fruit flavors and other properties. Then oxidation changes the alcohol into acetic acid, which is vinegar. The instructions say to use wide-mouthed jars or open bowls to allow plenty of air contact, so that nearly 100% of the alcohol is changed to vinegar. I used green tea and granulated sugar in mine. The sugar gets entirely used up, and the tea gives nutritional benefits, which remain. The acidic strength can be measured with ph strips, but I haven't found any strips in the right range to do so yet. I go by taste. You can tell when it has become vinegar. To get our process started, we use a kombucha "mushroom," or "mother." It is a film which I think is caused by a symbiotic relationship of fungus and bacteria. When a new film has formed on top of the older one, the acetic acid transformation process should be completed. So, then, this liquid can be used similar to vinegar, or combined with fruit juice and bottled. If left at room temperature for a week or so and then refrigerated, it looks like it becomes carbonated. If you shake it, it fizzes. Some other homeschool families and we have been having fun experimenting with this. Supposedly it's very good for a person. I recommend buying a bottle of kombucha from a health food store to try it and see if you like it, before going to all the work of making it, unless you enjoy experimenting for the sake of experimenting, or unless you'd like to make your own vinegar for cleaning purposes. Some people don't like it to drink, but others recommend taking a measure of apple cider vinegar and honey every day, anyway. (I haven't studied the rationale behind that.) But, anyway, this is supposedly a step more nutritious than regular vinegar. 'Sorry that I can't explain more of the chemistry behind it, but I hope this is helpful.
