My 18 uses for Dr. Bronner's Soap

Many people wonder what the 18 uses are that are mentioned on the Dr. Bronner's liquid soap label. I don't know all of the uses that the doctor had in mind, but here are mine.

1. Hand Soap. Dilute with water and fill a foaming hand soap dispenser (thanks, joyce).
2. Counter Top Spray. Dilute in spray bottle, clean the kitchen as you go!
3. Floor Spot cleaner. I don't clean the whole floor with it, but it works great for little messes in between cleanings.
4. Face wash. I like the Tea Tree for my face. Beware: if you don't have oily skin, you may find it too drying.
5. Body Wash. I like the foaming dispenser in the shower too, but a wash cloth works well.
6. Body Scrub. I love this so much, you can read why here.
7. Baby Wipe Solution. I use a jar that holds about 25 ounces. Put in 1 Tbsp. aloe vera gel and 1 Tbsp. olive oil, fill with hot water and shake until gel is dissolved. Top off with water and 1Tbsp. Dr. Bronner's and swirl around to mix. Pour it over your cloth baby wipes. I use the baby mild soap for this. Don't shake to mix the soap because it will get too foamy.
8. Baby Wash. Don't get it in your baby's eyes. I got it in my eyes once and it doesn't feel good.
9. Hand-wash Wool Soakers. Wool soakers are covers for cloth diapers, for those of you who are wondering.
10. Laundry Stain Remover. Works great, but I did have to treat twice on marinara sauce.

The following are uses I haven't tried yet but am planning to:

1. Dog Wash.
2. Car Wash.
3. Face Scrub.
4. Make-up Brush Cleaner.

A few uses that are a good idea but don't work for me:

1. Shampoo.
2. Laundry Soap.
3. Toothpaste.
4. Dish Soap.

How many more can you come up with?

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more on non-toxic cleaning

yesterday, kelly posted on one of my favorite topics, and something i have been struggling with. oxiclean is biodegradable and great as a laundry stain remover and as a substitute for bleach. i also like it for cleaning bathrooms, but i have to say that nothing cleans a shower as well or as fast as tilex (toxic as hell though!). i tried switching to method cleaners for the kitchen and bathroom but found that they were not as effective, and it was really adding a lot of time to my cleaning regimen. the daily shower spray reduced spots and mildew, but did not kill the bacteria that shows up as pink discoloration on grout. the all surface cleaner required a lot more scrubbing and wouldn't get out even the easiest stains on my countertop.

so i'm still searching for eco-friendly cleaners. as far as non-toxic, i currently like the clorox anywhere hard surface daily sanitizing spray. i started using this because we got a lot of second-hand toys (and preemies are more susceptible and vulnerable to infection), but it has been great for the highchair too, and now we are going to start using it as our all purpose cleaner. my favorite new find is the shark steam mop. i use it to clean all my hard floors, and no cleaner is needed at all... just water! it is expensive (about $80), but totally worth it, in my opinion. i don't have to drag out a dirty bucket and mop (it uses a microfiber pad that you can toss in the washing machine, and you get 3 in the box), it dries much faster, and i can let the baby crawl around while i mop, as there are no harsh chemicals or dirty water.

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Links: non-toxic cleaning

My house isn't that clean. I am the first to admit my shortcomings in this area. I have been especially bad lately and here are my lame excuses:

1. I don't like cleaning
2. None of my children are currently of the crawling/ face planting on the floor age

Baby 3 is dangerously close to crawling. Imagine the previously unexplored germs and dirt she will find in our home if I don't get busy! The only thing less appealing than seeing my baby lick the floor the way it is now is having her do it when the surface is covered in potentially dangerous chemicals. I've been looking around for some safe products to use throughout my house. Here are some that look good:

I don't know if I'm going to be able to even make it past Halloween before I break out these peppermint scented products from Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day. If you sign up to get their emails they send you a coupon code for $5 off a purchase of $25 or more. I really like their dish soap, but I wish I could buy a bigger size to refill my bottle.

Seventh Generation offers a wide variety of cleaning products. I have only tried the dish soap and it didn't work as well as Mrs. Meyer's for me. I think I'll try their toilet bowl cleaner next. You can print coupons from their website if you register.

I can't wait to try the Modern Mermaids products, the all-purpose concentrate is especially intriguing.

A separate post is probably in order to discuss all the ways I use Dr. Bronner's liquid soap. I love it. For now I'll just say that if something needs to be cleaned you can probably use Dr. Bronner's. I don't love it for washing dishes (apparently my current obsession?). I have ordered Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds to try on my dishes instead but it won't be here for a couple of days.

If you want to know exactly what is in your cleaners you could always make your own with vinegar and baking soda. You'll have a clean, healthy home and save some cash while you're at it!

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