DIY laundry detergent & other green cleaners
Learn how to make environmentally friendly cleaning products at a workshop Saturday at the Red Clover Collective.
You might have already read about this event over on the Bmore Green blog, but Aliza Sollins of the Baltimore DIY Squad will be teaching folks how to put together green laundry detergent, dish soap and all-purpose cleaner.
Bring a bottle and take it home full of one of the products you'll be making!
The workshop, which costs $5, is scheduled from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 20. Red Clover Collective is in Waverly. Click here to register.
Now why would you want to make your own cleaning and laundry products?
It will save you money on some of the basic products you probably use the most, because you can use some cheap ingredients (baking soda, vinegar, castille soap) to clean much of your home.
Of course, it can take time to make some items. Trent over at The Simple Dollar is famous for his DIY laundry detergent recipe ... but it does take work.
But the best reason to make your own products? That way, you'll know what's in them.
Because if you start looking for an ingredients list on your box of detergent or your bottle of toilet cleanser, you're not going to find it --- manufacturers are not required to list contents, as we've told you before.
That's worrisome if you live in a house with small children that might ingest this stuff. It also cedes control of our safety to these businesses, which have received failing grades for using toxic chemicals and failing to communicate with consumers about their contents by environmental advocates.
Comments
There are some laundry detergents that do list all ingredients. Most well known to me are Charlie's Soap and Allen's Naturally (which is biodegradable).
Thanks, Richelle! I think those products are banking on the disclosure, unlike the mass-marketed products you'd find in most grocery stores. --- lfk.
Posted by: richelle | September 17, 2009 3:45 PM
Consumers continue to have access to more information than ever before about cleaning products and their ingredients.
The Soap and Detergent Association has a new fact sheet on how companies are communicating ingredient information to consumers. It's available online at http://www.cleaning101.com/cleaning
A word of caution about all of these supposedly safer DIY cleaning recipes: think twice before mixing once. More information at http://bit.ly/1YUm4d,
Posted by: Brian Sansoni | September 18, 2009 8:37 AM
Note that is it Sunday, Sept 20, not saturday.
Thanks for catching that! --- lfk.
Posted by: It's ME | September 18, 2009 9:40 AM
We have lots of janitorial supplies available including green ones. I've seen DIY hand sanitizer recipes before but not ones for cleaners.
Posted by: Keith | October 16, 2009 4:39 PM