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relpostimgcuplik({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$blogger":"http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-06-27T07:04:14.324-07:00"},"category":[{"term":"Health"},{"term":"Recipes"},{"term":"DIY"},{"term":"Gluten Free"},{"term":"Dairy Free"},{"term":"Raw"},{"term":"Urban Farming"},{"term":"Parenting"},{"term":"Paleo"},{"term":"Remedies"},{"term":"Treats"},{"term":"Holiday"},{"term":"Preservation"},{"term":"Cleaning Products"},{"term":"Fermented"},{"term":"Unschooling"},{"term":"Foraging"},{"term":"Crafts"},{"term":"Pressure Cooking"},{"term":"Keto"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Life Unprocessed"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"Living very well on very little."},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/posts\/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/-\/Cleaning+Products?alt=json-in-script\u0026max-results=50"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Cleaning%20Products"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"20"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"50"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-728398092006928504"},"published":{"$t":"2020-03-27T15:02:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-03-29T14:07:27.503-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parenting"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Remedies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Our Year of Buying Nothing: The Quarantine Edition"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Living just outside Seattle, Washington, our community buckled down early due to the novel Coronavirus. We've now been homebound for several weeks. While others around us were lining up early outside stores to buy all the hand sanitizer and toilet paper, we found our own rhythm at home, relearning ways of using less and still buying nothing. (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2020\/01\/our-year-of-buying-nothing-first-month.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EClick here to read more about our decision to buy nothing for one year\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EGroceries\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003EHow are we getting by without going to the store? I wrote an article years ago, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/03\/you-dont-have-to-go-to-store.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EYou Don't Have to go to the Store\u003C\/a\u003E, during a time when we also didn't go grocery shopping at all. In it I describe how we got by without needing to shop. Some things have changed since I wrote the article; most notably we don't have a farm\/garden anymore, so buying fresh veggies is a must. We now have a weekly produce delivery service, Freggies, which delivers a good variety of high quality fresh fruits \u0026amp; veggies. We also have our weekly dairy \u0026amp; egg delivery, using Smith Brothers local dairy delivery service. If you live in their delivery area, here is a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.smithbrothersfarms.com\/Referred?dc=FRIEND\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ereferral code, which will save you $20 off your first order.\u003C\/a\u003E Wherever you live, it's worth looking into your local farmer or producer delivery options. Many businesses that didn't use to deliver are now providing that option, as a means of staying in business during the quarantine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe are also making use of our own food storage, taking stock of our freezer and pantry, and making the best use of the items we've been stocking away. As my son said this morning over canned peaches on our pancakes, you know it's the apocalypse when we start eating canned food. I maintain a food inventory spreadsheet, with different tabs for freezer, fridge, cabinets, and pantry, where I itemize our foods on hand. It's great for meal planning. I normally check it before going shopping, to make sure I don't overbuy something I already have in the pantry or freezer. I try to update it after getting groceries, or when I use something up. It's a good reminder of how much we already (or still) have. As the weeks go by, our diet is getting different from the usual (we are out of meat, for example) but because of my spreadsheet I know we won't go hungry anytime soon.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EMeals\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003ESeparate from groceries but along the same lines, I'm preparing all our meals from scratch, using items from our freezer, pantry, and produce delivery. Like you I'm sure, I've been reading a ton about how coronavirus is transmitted, and what activities are safe. Lots of people are ordering from local restaurants, which is a wonderful way of supporting struggling businesses right now. However, every time you bring something into your home that someone else touched or potentially sneezed or coughed on, you have to disinfect it or risk spreading the virus. I just don't think I'm ready to enjoy a meal that comes with that kind of potential. Maybe after a few more weeks, when I'm desperate to eat something other than lentils, we'll re-explore that idea... For now, I'm having fun being creative with what we already have. Make it a game: What can we make today that the kids won't hate?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EToilet Paper\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm not sure there has ever been such a storm on toilet paper. At least in our area, every store that carries TP has had lines outside before they open, and is sold out very soon after the mobs enter. Stores are now setting limits on how much toilet paper each customer can buy, and they are still selling out every day.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI normally buy toilet paper at Costco, and one of their giant packs lasts us a good part of the year. However, since we are all home constantly now, I knew we'd be going through it about twice as fast as usual, so I've taken measures to reduce use: I have switched back to using cloth for pee. I keep a wash cloth on the back of each toilet, and refold as necessary before tossing it in the laundry. As the only lady in the house, and one who drinks a lot of tea, this measure is likely to vastly reduce our family's TP use. You can also use smaller cloths, and toss them into a small bucket or bin after each use, for later washing. We did this for years, back when my kids were in cloth diapers, and just washed the wipes along with the diapers. I made them out of small squares of old flannel baby blankets, hand stitched around the edges to prevent fraying. Pee cloths can be thrown right in with the normal laundry.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI may yet have to venture out to a store to get more toilet paper, depending on how long this quarantine lasts, but for now I'm happy to avoid the additional risk of an airborne virus. With online toilet paper costing as much as $2 per roll, I'd also like to avoid getting price-gauged if possible.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESanitizer\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUse soap instead. Soap kills viruses effectively. We wash hands every time we come home from anywhere that we have touched anything others might have touched. I keep lotion at every sink and in my purse, so it's easy to apply after every hand washing. It's important to keep your skin from drying out and cracking, a common affliction during the arid winter months but especially now with all the increased washing. Dry, cracked skin is open to infection and feels yucky besides.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you still need hand sanitizer, you can make your own using alcohol and aloe vera gel. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/prepare\/cleaning-disinfection.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EThe CDC recommends a 70% alcohol solution\u003C\/a\u003E. When we were still coming and going from our house daily, we would wipe down our phones and keys each time we came home with alcohol wipes. You can simply apply rubbing alcohol to a cloth to make your own wipes, but this would be harmful to bare skin if you do it frequently.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow that we are home nearly constantly, there is much less to worry about sanitizing. On our daily walks, we just don't touch anything except occasionally the mail. I process the mail right after bringing it inside, and then wash my hands. You can of course toss most of it in the outdoor recycle bin instead of bringing it inside at all. And then wash your hands.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EEntertainment\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis is a very real need, with so many kids suddenly out of school, and adults out of work. Many people resort to buying stuff out of boredom. It's easy to desire the novelty of new items to fill our time and space, but our family is still committed to a year of buying nothing (as I've said, this doesn't include food \u0026amp; TP). So how are we keeping ourselves sane, fulfilled, and busy during the weeks and potentially months stuck at home?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI make a list of things for us to do each day. This includes all activities we do as a family, chores each kid needs to do, and meals I plan to make. I also write the day of the week at the top of the list, or else I would have no idea.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDaily family activities include card and board games, walks around the neighborhood, exercise time, reading aloud with my younger son, and asking each other trivia questions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHomeschooling, for our kids, includes the above activities, as well as alternating between two hours of online learning (we use Khan Academy) and workbook time, or two hours of video games.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMy older son and his friends have managed to organize online D\u0026amp;D games, as well as other games that can be played via video chat. He does this for two hours at a time, three days a week. It's helped him to feel connected to his peers during this socially isolating time. While he meets with his friends online, my younger son and I often work on an art project together.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENetflix, Hulu, DVDs, etc. Every evening after dinner we've been watching episodes of The Office together, or other funny shows (last night was Netflix's Pandemic, but I personally recommend generally ending the day with something a little more uplifting). I can't bear the idea of \"binge-watching\" anything, so we always limit the amount of episodes to 2-3, depending on length of the episodes. After watching shows, we end screen time and read books until bedtime.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBetween episodes, we always do \"family exercise time\". Using a timer, we take turns choosing an exercise to do for one minute. We do this for two full rounds, then two minutes of stretching, for a total of around 10 minutes. It's quick but challenging, and there's always a nice variety this way.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EWellness\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003EWe've found a nice balance of spending time together but also giving each other space. It can be easy to get on each other's nerves when cooped up together endlessly. Be patient, keep it light, see the good in people and be forgiving.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI wake up every morning and meditate for a comfortable 15 minutes. A regular practice keeps me from catastrophizing, or making mountains out of molehills. We also meditate as a family every evening before bed, for just 5 minutes. It's just a nice time to sit together, breath and relax. Here is my article on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/meditation-how-why.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Emeditation basics, the how \u0026amp; why\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGet outside every single day. Don't let a day pass when you have been inside all day, unless you are bedridden. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2018\/02\/how-i-finally-got-to-sleep-ending.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EI struggled with insomnia for years\u003C\/a\u003E, and one of the keys to better sleep was a long morning walk; daylight, fresh air, and exercise all help to regulate our circadian rhythms. Also, being cooped up can make you feel crazy. Getting outside will remind you that your world is still all there, you have space, and best of all: it's springtime! Enjoy the animals, the birds singing and the squirrels acting crazy, the flowers starting to cover the trees, and animals generally getting bolder as they meet with less human interference.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKeep your immune system strong by doing the following:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELimit sugar, which has a hazardous effect on immune function.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESupplement with vitamins C \u0026amp; D, and Zinc lozenges, which all help prevent respiratory illness.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGet plenty of sleep. Try to turn the lights out at 10, and allow enough time in a darkened room to wake up naturally in the morning.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMove your body daily. The immune system requires muscular movement for optimal circulation of lymphatic fluids. Sitting around all day is not good for anyone.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFind comfort in your people, pets, or your online community. My cat has been such a blessing through this. He is always there for us, always happy to love and be loved, so soft and warm. He doesn't care that the world as we know it may have ended, as long as we still have some kibble.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-yqNuXuXJHNw\/Xn5vaRudyxI\/AAAAAAAAlZQ\/RWJAVCDPSGw9RHYEz7MaLRxrvrmJhp3kgCKgBGAsYHg\/s1600\/00000IMG_00000_BURST20200322175346768_COVER.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1200\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-yqNuXuXJHNw\/Xn5vaRudyxI\/AAAAAAAAlZQ\/RWJAVCDPSGw9RHYEz7MaLRxrvrmJhp3kgCKgBGAsYHg\/s640\/00000IMG_00000_BURST20200322175346768_COVER.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBelow are Amazon Affiliate Ads. Any purchase made through these links helps support our family. Thanks in advance!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/728398092006928504\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2020\/03\/our-year-of-buying-nothing-quarantine.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/728398092006928504"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/728398092006928504"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2020\/03\/our-year-of-buying-nothing-quarantine.html","title":"Our Year of Buying Nothing: The Quarantine Edition"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-yqNuXuXJHNw\/Xn5vaRudyxI\/AAAAAAAAlZQ\/RWJAVCDPSGw9RHYEz7MaLRxrvrmJhp3kgCKgBGAsYHg\/s72-c\/00000IMG_00000_BURST20200322175346768_COVER.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-4218839283553993311"},"published":{"$t":"2018-01-26T16:17:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-01-26T16:58:43.075-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"DIY"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"What Happened When I Used Homemade Dish Powder... \u0026 How I Fixed It."},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I love natural solutions for everyday purposes, and had been making my own natural dish tablets for years, before finding a less labor-intensive recipe for a simple dish powder consisting only of baking soda, salt, and a few drops of soap. I recently wrote an article about that experience and how to get naturally clean dishes, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2018\/01\/how-to-make-dishwasher-powder-with.html\"\u003Ewhich you can read here\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EThe Problem\u003C\/h4\u003EWhen someone mysteriously warned me that the simple dish powder would clog my dishwasher, I didn't have any idea what they meant. How could 3 very soluble ingredients create a clog? But about two weeks after switching to this recipe, I found out\u0026nbsp;(and remember, this is after using homemade tablets for years, so this might have been coming anyway). There was an inch of standing water across the bottom of my dishwasher after running a load, and a bunch of greasy buildup in the filter. This is it, I thought. I've gone too far, and broken an expensive appliance. However, fortunately that's not the end of the story.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EThe Fix\u003C\/h4\u003EAfter using a rag to sop up all the standing water, I cleaned everything I could. When I examined the parts of the filter at the bottom of the dishwashwer, I found that they were very greasy, so I cleaned them with soap \u0026amp; hot water. I guess my homemade solution is just not hardcore enough to keep that grease from accumulating.\u0026nbsp;I googled how to fix a clogged dishwasher, and found \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.discovercabrillo.com\/is-your-dishwasher-not-draining-try-these-three-tips\/\"\u003Ethis helpful website\u003C\/a\u003E, with tips from a plumbing company. They offer three things to try before calling a plumber, and it gave me hope that this was something I could handle.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile I tried their tips (which didn't seem to help in my case) I also read my dishwasher manual. It said that it was designed for storebought dish soap, particularly dish pods. Using dish pods, it said, would keep the pipes clean from scummy buildup. That very morning I went to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.costco.com\/\"\u003ECostco\u003C\/a\u003E to pick up dish tablets. Their store brand is the cheapest I could find from a trusted source.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-keT_xdgHZSE\/WmvBQblMImI\/AAAAAAAAX78\/RdAKKIw2gQQMjQyVXSP0M8iz72TR6pO7ACKgBGAs\/s1600\/IMG_20180126_150853.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1200\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-keT_xdgHZSE\/WmvBQblMImI\/AAAAAAAAX78\/RdAKKIw2gQQMjQyVXSP0M8iz72TR6pO7ACKgBGAs\/s640\/IMG_20180126_150853.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBravely, I loaded my dishwasher with the now piled-up dishes, and ran a load with the chemical smelling dish tablet. It appeared to be working as normal, so I relaxed a little. When it came time to open the door, I was prepared for a flood of soapy water, but it didn't come. The dishes were clean and perfect, the floor of the appliance clear and empty. And all it took was running it with one dish pod. Just to be on the safe side, and to clear out any remaining greasy buildup as much as possible, I ran the next load with a conventional tablet as well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4\u003ELooking Forward\u003C\/h4\u003ENow, it may seem like I haven't learned my lesson, but my plan is to alternate using my natural dish powder with storebought tablets. This is not just to reduce the cost, since these dish tablets are only 11 cents a piece, but to reduce the chemical impact. Salt \u0026amp; baking soda are both edible, and I feel much better about flushing them out into the environment. They don't have the grease-busting abilities of harsh chemical detergents, but if I run a conventional dish tablet once a week I think I can keep the pipes squeaky clean, and maintain the life of my appliance. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBelow are Amazon Affiliate Ads. Any purchase made through them helps support our family, without any additional expense to you. Thanks in advance!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4218839283553993311\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2018\/01\/what-happened-when-i-used-homemade-dish.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/4218839283553993311"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/4218839283553993311"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2018\/01\/what-happened-when-i-used-homemade-dish.html","title":"What Happened When I Used Homemade Dish Powder... \u0026 How I Fixed It."}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-keT_xdgHZSE\/WmvBQblMImI\/AAAAAAAAX78\/RdAKKIw2gQQMjQyVXSP0M8iz72TR6pO7ACKgBGAs\/s72-c\/IMG_20180126_150853.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-2392128450009123623"},"published":{"$t":"2018-01-17T05:08:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-01-17T05:14:46.779-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"DIY"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Remedies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Using Conditioner for Shaving Cream"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Have you ever had conditioner that didn't work on your hair, or that you just didn't like for whatever reason? What did you end up doing with it?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGenerally, the options would be to either throw it away, give it away, or (especially if you paid good money for it) use it anyway. Well, here is another option: Use your conditioner for shaving cream. No, you don't need shaving cream or gel from a can to get a good shave. Try this; it works!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-wIhuEgqoOTs\/Wl9MFFm_2vI\/AAAAAAAAXvo\/_KxFRZ62s9ANZRnTnwSMwIoTYigePWviQCKgBGAs\/s1600\/IMG_20180117_045516.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"A Life Unprocessed\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1268\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"506\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-wIhuEgqoOTs\/Wl9MFFm_2vI\/AAAAAAAAXvo\/_KxFRZ62s9ANZRnTnwSMwIoTYigePWviQCKgBGAs\/s640\/IMG_20180117_045516.jpg\" title=\"Using Conditioner for Shaving Cream\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI've been shaving with conditioner that I was given, and it works perfectly. It provides a creaminess, rinses easily away, and moisturizes. I keep the conditioner in a small tub that I can easily scoop what I need from while shaving, and refill as needed. It's as simple as that.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI also discovered I can easily shave at the sink, rather than in the shower, which saves water. I just use a washcloth to wet the area before shaving and wipe away the conditioner after.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-0mX0YSSAyX4\/Wl9JTaVQapI\/AAAAAAAAXvQ\/g4aaDG-wK288LnUBZG2BL70qinO78InMgCKgBGAs\/s1600\/IMG_20180115_095153.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"A Life Unprocessed\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1357\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"542\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-0mX0YSSAyX4\/Wl9JTaVQapI\/AAAAAAAAXvQ\/g4aaDG-wK288LnUBZG2BL70qinO78InMgCKgBGAs\/s640\/IMG_20180115_095153.jpg\" title=\"Using Conditioner for Shaving Cream\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShaving with your conditioner provides an elegant solution for conditioners that don't work great for your hair, and might be a better option for your skin than whatever you've been using to shave with. Conventional cans of chemical shaving creams and gels create endless waste, but the bottles conditioners come in can generally be recycled. It takes just a small scoop to provide coverage, so one bottle lasts a long time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you're interested in going shampoo and conditioner free, check out my articles on using simple household staples to get super clean hair: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/02\/how-my-family-went-shampoo-free.html\"\u003EHow My Family Went Shampoo Free\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/05\/still-shampoo-free-magic-of-baking-soda.html\"\u003EStill Shampoo Free\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBelow are Amazon Affiliate Ads. Any purchase made through them helps support our family, without any additional expense to you. Thanks in advance!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2392128450009123623\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2018\/01\/using-conditioner-for-shaving-cream.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/2392128450009123623"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/2392128450009123623"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2018\/01\/using-conditioner-for-shaving-cream.html","title":"Using Conditioner for Shaving Cream"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-wIhuEgqoOTs\/Wl9MFFm_2vI\/AAAAAAAAXvo\/_KxFRZ62s9ANZRnTnwSMwIoTYigePWviQCKgBGAs\/s72-c\/IMG_20180117_045516.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-5215168946969621889"},"published":{"$t":"2018-01-15T05:00:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-03-30T22:36:07.561-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"DIY"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Urban Farming"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How To Make Dishwasher Powder With Three Natural Ingredients"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-SpQm_fg6zeo\/WluDnnTG3mI\/AAAAAAAAXlk\/qvzvHKxeEDwwgo6bVTkGK2Yx2arT_8oSgCLcBGAs\/s1600\/before_after_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"A Life Unprocessed\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1061\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"424\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-SpQm_fg6zeo\/WluDnnTG3mI\/AAAAAAAAXlk\/qvzvHKxeEDwwgo6bVTkGK2Yx2arT_8oSgCLcBGAs\/s640\/before_after_1.jpg\" title=\"How To Make Dishwasher Powder With Three Natural Ingredients\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou don't have to buy dishwasher detergent. Your dishwasher won't be ruined by homemade dish soap. You won't have suds erupting all over your kitchen floor. Just follow the simple instructions below, and you'll have clean dishes with no mess, no hassle, hardly any expense, and all natural ingredients. (For a recent update on this experience, please check out my article \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2018\/01\/what-happened-when-i-used-homemade-dish.html\"\u003EWhat Happened When I Used Homemade Dish Powder... \u0026amp; How I Fixed It\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor the last couple of years, I've been making my own dish tablets. It's a complicated process that I never really perfected, which is why I never wrote an article about it. I would make huge batches of tablets, each batch lasting for many months, so I only had to do it a few times. However, my dishes recently had been coming out a little streaky and spotty. Clean, but not shiny. So I wanted something else. I considered buying conventional dishwasher detergent, so I spent some time on\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;comparing all the prices, reviews, and ingredients. The reviews were very mixed, especially for the more \"natural\" products, so I really wasn't sure what to try. But then when the new year started, we began \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2018\/01\/tracking-your-personal-expenses-and.html\"\u003Ekeeping a budget\u003C\/a\u003E, and I no longer wanted to buy something if I could make do without it. So I hit up \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?ei=DvlcWtzyKdG2jwPqvaSACA\u0026amp;q=homemade+dishwasher+soap\u0026amp;oq=homemade+dishwa+soap\u0026amp;gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0i7i30k1j0i13k1j0i7i30k1l4j0i13k1j0i7i30k1l3.4065.4447.0.5799.2.2.0.0.0.0.80.160.2.2.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.2.158....0.JbYFOdL4PTI\"\u003EGoogle\u003C\/a\u003E in search of a better solution for our dishes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-TIkthN6Sq20\/WlY7QFdI5dI\/AAAAAAAAXf4\/PdSwAvlq7g4ZDp2ctge3yTx6ruCIeuQzQCKgBGAs\/s1600\/IMG_20180109_162344.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1200\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-TIkthN6Sq20\/WlY7QFdI5dI\/AAAAAAAAXf4\/PdSwAvlq7g4ZDp2ctge3yTx6ruCIeuQzQCKgBGAs\/s640\/IMG_20180109_162344.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI found right away this apparently common solution. Before I decided to give it a try I started a conversation about it in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/255733331534890\/?ref=br_rs\"\u003EBuy Nothing Challenge\u003C\/a\u003E group I'm in on Facebook, which is full of helpful and knowledgeable people who come up with interesting ways to not buy things. 75 comments later, I was left feeling quite confident that none of my ingredients would damage my appliance. One warning someone did mention is that using white vinegar as a rinse agent will damage the dishwasher's seals over time. While I have tried using vinegar in the past, it's not something I recommend simply because it didn't seem to make a difference in my dishes. Through this research I also figured out that the squeeze of liquid soap I'd started adding to my homemade tablets was probably the reason my dishes had been looking streaky lately, since liquid soap has a harder time rinsing away. This recipe uses a little liquid soap, but only a few drops.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere were one or two people who told me right off that this would void my warranty and\/or wreck my dishwasher. This at first gave me pause, but then I asked why.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHow would salt, baking soda, and a tiny amount of soap cause any damage? They all go easily into solution in water. They're not particularly harsh and they're not going to clog anything. People are afraid of making their own; companies don't want you to make your own; but as far as I can tell, there is literally no harm in making your own. I've been \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2016\/05\/how-to-make-liquid-laundry-soap-with.html\"\u003Emaking my own liquid laundry soap\u003C\/a\u003E for three years without any problems, as well as my dish tablets. I have a long history of doing things my own way, pretty successfully, so after my research I was confident in running my first trial load.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was so pleased. Not only were they clean, but they were shiny again. This much easier method worked better than my elaborate dish pod recipe.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-cZd41r35XhM\/WluT7H-00gI\/AAAAAAAAXmM\/NfAJGmGw-EUvmkgfasBcI8pUC8DvxyMBACLcBGAs\/s1600\/IMG_20180109_162505_before_after.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"A Life Unprocessed\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1061\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"424\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-cZd41r35XhM\/WluT7H-00gI\/AAAAAAAAXmM\/NfAJGmGw-EUvmkgfasBcI8pUC8DvxyMBACLcBGAs\/s640\/IMG_20180109_162505_before_after.jpg\" title=\"How To Make Dishwasher Powder With Three Natural Ingredients\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow, without further ado except the reminder that this might void the warranty on your dishwasher, here is the recipe.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E2 teaspoons salt\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E2 teaspoons baking soda\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E3 drops liquid soap\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI use lavender Dr. Bronners liquid soap, which smells amazing. Place all ingredients in the soap tray, and close it up. Run as normal, and behold how clean this easy method gets your dishes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EFor the first few batches, I anxiously checked each dish to make sure my new method was working. It does. It continues to work great. Now I just keep a jar of baking soda and a jar of salt under my sink, next to a squeeze bottle of lavender liquid soap. I buy all three in bulk from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.azurestandard.com\/?a_aid=z10mym6FoA\"\u003EAzure Standard\u003C\/a\u003E, so they are very cheap. Washing dishes is amazingly easy, and I can have naturally clean dishes without having to slave away making dishwasher tablets. (Update: Please check out my more recent article \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2018\/01\/what-happened-when-i-used-homemade-dish.html\"\u003EWhat Happened When I Used Homemade Dish Powder... \u0026amp; How I Fixed It\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-4HzMXFhYpLs\/WluEHjDEbpI\/AAAAAAAAXls\/YoOjTUFxmEAO7XK4MCIklu7g-GFSfaAdACLcBGAs\/s1600\/before_after_2.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"A Life Unprocessed\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1060\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-4HzMXFhYpLs\/WluEHjDEbpI\/AAAAAAAAXls\/YoOjTUFxmEAO7XK4MCIklu7g-GFSfaAdACLcBGAs\/s640\/before_after_2.jpg\" title=\"How To Make Dishwasher Powder With Three Natural Ingredients\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EPlease let me know how this works for you!\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EBelow are Amazon Affiliate Ads. Any purchase made through them helps support our family. Thanks in advance!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003E{   \"@context\": \"http:\/\/schema.org\/\",    \"@type\": \"Recipe\",    \"name\": \"Homemade Dishwasher Powder\",   \"image\": \"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-SpQm_fg6zeo\/WluDnnTG3mI\/AAAAAAAAXlk\/qvzvHKxeEDwwgo6bVTkGK2Yx2arT_8oSgCLcBGAs\/s1600\/before_after_1.jpg\",   \"description\": \"How To Make Dishwasher Powder With Three Natural Ingredients\",   \"keywords\": \"Cleaning Products, DIY, Health, Urban Farming, dishwasher soap, detergent\",   \"author\": {     \"@type\": \"Person\",     \"name\": \"A Life Unprocessed\"   },   \"datePublished\": \"2018-01-15\",   \"prepTime\": \"PT1M\",     \"recipeIngredient\": [     \"2 teaspoons salt\",     \"2 teaspoons baking soda\",     \"3 drops liquid soap\"   ]   } \u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5215168946969621889\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2018\/01\/how-to-make-dishwasher-powder-with.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/5215168946969621889"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/5215168946969621889"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2018\/01\/how-to-make-dishwasher-powder-with.html","title":"How To Make Dishwasher Powder With Three Natural Ingredients"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-SpQm_fg6zeo\/WluDnnTG3mI\/AAAAAAAAXlk\/qvzvHKxeEDwwgo6bVTkGK2Yx2arT_8oSgCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/before_after_1.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-345586506870041514"},"published":{"$t":"2017-01-16T07:00:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-01-17T11:32:00.356-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Keep Your Shower Squeaky Clean With This Simple Trick"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-2XJdnJVUg1w\/WHlKkM5t9QI\/AAAAAAAAPh8\/FCBCP7fX77YvZTQd-4QhPmnq3odgWxJ3QCKgB\/s1600\/IMG_20170113_125502.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-2XJdnJVUg1w\/WHlKkM5t9QI\/AAAAAAAAPh8\/FCBCP7fX77YvZTQd-4QhPmnq3odgWxJ3QCKgB\/s640\/IMG_20170113_125502.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWe've lived in our house for nearly two years, and I've never scrubbed our tiles. There are SO many things I'd rather do! But dirty, funky grout looks nasty, so obviously we want to prevent it. This one very low cost shower tool will do it for you (along with the commitment to spend 30 seconds using it after every shower). Best part is, it doesn't require any cleaning products. Ever.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-J2CYev4Cy_k\/WHlLV6NVC2I\/AAAAAAAAPiA\/iyBVD2y6XZYmasbvmtq5LKpDlcZfihWNACKgB\/s1600\/IMG_20170113_125557.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-J2CYev4Cy_k\/WHlLV6NVC2I\/AAAAAAAAPiA\/iyBVD2y6XZYmasbvmtq5LKpDlcZfihWNACKgB\/s640\/IMG_20170113_125557.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe simple shower squeegee. Probably costs a few dollars? I don't know; I got mine for free from my local Buy Nothing group. In our second shower, we use an old window squeegee that I bought at the Dollar Store years ago. For a dollar. We unscrewed the wooden handle that came on it, and just never use the spongy side. You can probably buy one that is actually attractive if you are willing to spend a couple dollars.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-LavKeo_mcUk\/WHlLwTeNsQI\/AAAAAAAAPiE\/VWMEYLFYhPw2dGklfupGCT4IRwHCsMUtACKgB\/s1600\/IMG_20170113_125849.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-LavKeo_mcUk\/WHlLwTeNsQI\/AAAAAAAAPiE\/VWMEYLFYhPw2dGklfupGCT4IRwHCsMUtACKgB\/s640\/IMG_20170113_125849.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThey both conveniently reside in their respective hanging shower caddies, so they're easy to grab right after we bathe. In our tiled shower, using the squeegee is totally straightforward: just swipe in long strokes from the top of the wetness (it's about shoulder height for us) to the tub rim, then swipe the water off the rim of the tub. It should all roll right into the tub where it will go down the drain instead of turning your grout black with mold. Work from one side of the shower to the other; the squeegee should leave it pretty much dry as you go. It's very satisfying when you think about never having to scrub your shower again.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-oTAhBJY39bQ\/WHlMt1n6ipI\/AAAAAAAAPiM\/SXOLwr6WFxMrkKpGTQSjrkpegddERb9vgCKgB\/s1600\/IMG_20170113_125904.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-oTAhBJY39bQ\/WHlMt1n6ipI\/AAAAAAAAPiM\/SXOLwr6WFxMrkKpGTQSjrkpegddERb9vgCKgB\/s640\/IMG_20170113_125904.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EIn our vinyl shower, it's a little trickier because there are rounded corners that need to be squeegeed side-to-side, rather than vertically. If you have this kind, just start at the top and work your way down. Then sit back, enjoy your clean showers and all that sweet free time.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPlease check out the following links if you're interested- any purchases made through my link help support our family. Thanks in advance!\u003Cbr\u003E \u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/345586506870041514\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2017\/01\/keep-your-shower-squeaky-clean-with.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/345586506870041514"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/345586506870041514"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2017\/01\/keep-your-shower-squeaky-clean-with.html","title":"Keep Your Shower Squeaky Clean With This Simple Trick"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-2XJdnJVUg1w\/WHlKkM5t9QI\/AAAAAAAAPh8\/FCBCP7fX77YvZTQd-4QhPmnq3odgWxJ3QCKgB\/s72-c\/IMG_20170113_125502.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-1304645675879845244"},"published":{"$t":"2016-06-23T08:00:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-01-11T11:52:39.237-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"DIY"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Preservation"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Urban Farming"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How To Use A Deep Corner Cabinet"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-dNrmKdZhQp8\/V2soPs9-RCI\/AAAAAAAALNk\/3AsyXw1N4JAaal_G3zHLGnyChGSipwcCQCKgB\/s1600\/IMG_20160622_162334.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"A Life Unprocessed: Storing Food in Jars\" border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-dNrmKdZhQp8\/V2soPs9-RCI\/AAAAAAAALNk\/3AsyXw1N4JAaal_G3zHLGnyChGSipwcCQCKgB\/s640\/IMG_20160622_162334.jpg\" title=\"How To Use A Deep Corner Cabinet\" width=\"478\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy first house had the original 1942 cabinets, with solid wood and well-built shelves, though there were very, very few of them since it was an incredibly tiny house. In my new home, the kitchen is a bit bigger, and it's lovely to have more storage space and countertops. All the cabinetry is new, and pretty cheaply done. When I was first loading things into the deep corner cabinet, which extends behind the dishwasher, the shelf inside it completely failed under the weight. The four little pegs just couldn't support the mass of everything on that long, deep shelf.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter trying to reset the shelf a couple of times, I just decided to remove the whole dysfunctional shelf. Theoretically, there is less storage space in there now, but having it be entirely open is actually really convenient in such a deep cabinet. It's like a big cave that I just have to lean into to get things from the back. Obviously, I put the least used items in the way back, and the stuff I use every day goes right up front. It really is all much more accessible than if the original shelf were in place, since I simply need to reach in and lift out the jar I want, with nothing to move aside. Labeling the lids makes it super easy to find what I want.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-liwzil9C3JA\/V2snb1QpwCI\/AAAAAAAALNY\/fFDViCjTEWoQIOimUCGJhZdsO_TE-9oagCKgB\/s1600\/IMG_20160622_162119.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"A Life Unprocessed: Storing Food in Jars\" border=\"0\" height=\"478\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-liwzil9C3JA\/V2snb1QpwCI\/AAAAAAAALNY\/fFDViCjTEWoQIOimUCGJhZdsO_TE-9oagCKgB\/s640\/IMG_20160622_162119.jpg\" title=\"How To Use A Deep Corner Cabinet\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOf course, it's all about the jars. Since I buy food in bulk, I pour it into 1 gallon glass jars to keep in my kitchen, and store the rest in buckets or bins in the area of the garage designated as my pantry. Jars keep things fresh, keep moisture and pests out, and look pretty nice compared to a mess of open packages. After mice got into the cabinets of our old kitchen one night, and chewed into every little bag and box, I transferred all our food to jars where it would be safe! Heavier stuff, like sea salt and baking soda, I put in tall half-gallon jars so they're still easy to pull out, since gallon jars can get pretty weighty.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EThere are fancier ways of making use of this often inaccessible space in your kitchen, but this works for me because it's simple and free, and I have access to everything inside without having to remove a bunch of items to get to the storage in back.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlease check out the following links if you're interested- any purchases made through my link help support our family. Thanks in advance! Also, nearly all of our bulk foods pictured above are purchased through \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.azurestandard.com\/?a_aid=z10mym6FoA\"\u003EAzure Standard\u003C\/a\u003E, a natural foods distributor.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ac\u0026amp;ref=qf_sp_asin_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=lifeunpro-20\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B002RZRJHI\u0026amp;asins=B002RZRJHI\u0026amp;linkId=UL2YOELARG5IUHAY\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ac\u0026amp;ref=qf_sp_asin_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=lifeunpro-20\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B00BWIX1EQ\u0026amp;asins=B00BWIX1EQ\u0026amp;linkId=NGSBDXHFYOGAO4U2\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1304645675879845244\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2016\/06\/how-to-use-deep-corner-cabinet.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/1304645675879845244"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/1304645675879845244"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2016\/06\/how-to-use-deep-corner-cabinet.html","title":"How To Use A Deep Corner Cabinet"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-dNrmKdZhQp8\/V2soPs9-RCI\/AAAAAAAALNk\/3AsyXw1N4JAaal_G3zHLGnyChGSipwcCQCKgB\/s72-c\/IMG_20160622_162334.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-1848306523053072000"},"published":{"$t":"2016-06-03T06:49:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-06-21T17:11:13.319-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"DIY"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Remedies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Urban Farming"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Wonderful Low-Cost Water Filter"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"We live in a region known for abundant, fresh, and clear water, the Pacific Northwest. However, more and more tests are showing that tap water in some cities in the Pacific Northwest, as well as many other regions, have dangerously high lead levels. Many of us feel, have felt for years, that we cannot rely on the cleaning methods of the municipal water system. Having a home water purification system just makes sense in this world where more junk is being dumped into our shared water supply all the time. Factory farms, modern industry, petroleum based global transportation, and the pharmaceutical industry all contribute to the problem of dirty, unsafe drinking water- even in places where we expect the water to be so clean.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESeveral months ago, I was searching online for a water purification system that would work in our new house. We had installed an under-sink water filter at our old place. At our new house, there is no place at the sink for the spout of that style of water filter to come up through. I considered buying the type of water filter that attaches to the main faucet, but they seem bulky and cumbersome. I did not want a bunch of plastic. I did not want something with expensive filters that would need to be replaced frequently. I really thought I might not find anything that worked for us, and I was tired of drinking water that tasted of chlorine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-zez3Vqi3T80\/V1CurSa7GOI\/AAAAAAAAK80\/_1-M4oQd-b0V_LaXZFIi0Q6dUac9ICURQCKgB\/s1600\/IMG_20160602_145201.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"A Wonderful Low-Cost Water Filter - LifeUnprocessed.com\" border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-zez3Vqi3T80\/V1CurSa7GOI\/AAAAAAAAK80\/_1-M4oQd-b0V_LaXZFIi0Q6dUac9ICURQCKgB\/s640\/IMG_20160602_145201.jpg\" title=\"Gravity Fed Water Purifier - LifeUnprocessed.com\" width=\"478\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was actually thrilling when I found this water filter. I never knew this design existed. The gravity fed, stainless steel countertop water filter was exactly what I was looking for:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIt's very low tech- it requires no plumbing or batteries.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIt's low maintenance- the ceramic filters do not need to be replaced. When the water filtration rate starts to get too slow, you simply remove the filters and give them a good scrub, and they will filter again like new.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe unit is made of high grade stainless steel and ceramic, with very little plastic (the base of the filters and the spigot that comes with it, which is replaceable, are plastic).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFrom what I can tell, this type of filter removes virtually everything you want removed, while leaving the important trace minerals. It renders unsafe water safe, whether that water came from a well, a stream, or your urban tap.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAnd finally, it's an amazing price, considering many water filters cost thousands of dollars.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-0RFYT5Rs4zM\/V1C0hXwjmPI\/AAAAAAAAK9I\/E7XkCL1TCE00aOnVNAJJ7wru1uZ31U0zgCKgB\/s1600\/IMG_20160602_145221.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"A Wonderful Low-Cost Water Filter - LifeUnprocessed.com\" border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-0RFYT5Rs4zM\/V1C0hXwjmPI\/AAAAAAAAK9I\/E7XkCL1TCE00aOnVNAJJ7wru1uZ31U0zgCKgB\/s640\/IMG_20160602_145221.jpg\" title=\"Gravity Fed Water Purifier - LifeUnprocessed.com\" width=\"478\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMaybe most importantly, the water that comes from this water purifier tastes GREAT. I have started actually enjoying drinking plain water, something I had not really been in the habit of lately. It's satisfying, smooth, and pure. I didn't even know what I was missing before!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere are different brands to choose from, that all do basically the same thing. The two main brands are British Berkefeld, and Berkey. They both make more expensive black carbon filters, which you can pay extra for, and which need to be replaced at some point. I just went with the standard ceramic filters that come with the unit. Both these brands had great reviews; I\u0026nbsp;opted for\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;the British Berkefeld based on price, and because they\u0026nbsp;had the mid-range size that I wanted. I've recommended the same type to friends and family, people who were still buying water in plastic bottles, and who were contemplating spending several thousand dollars on a high tech water purifier. Seriously, everyone loves it as much as I do. I'm posting an ad for it below, as well as to the other leading brand for comparison. Please check it out if you're interested- any purchases made through my link help support our family. Thanks in advance!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ac\u0026amp;ref=qf_sp_asin_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=lifeunpro-20\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B002RZRJHI\u0026amp;asins=B002RZRJHI\u0026amp;linkId=UL2YOELARG5IUHAY\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ac\u0026amp;ref=qf_sp_asin_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=lifeunpro-20\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B00BWIX1EQ\u0026amp;asins=B00BWIX1EQ\u0026amp;linkId=NGSBDXHFYOGAO4U2\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1848306523053072000\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2016\/06\/a-wonderful-low-cost-water-filter.html#comment-form","title":"31 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/1848306523053072000"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/1848306523053072000"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2016\/06\/a-wonderful-low-cost-water-filter.html","title":"A Wonderful Low-Cost Water Filter"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-zez3Vqi3T80\/V1CurSa7GOI\/AAAAAAAAK80\/_1-M4oQd-b0V_LaXZFIi0Q6dUac9ICURQCKgB\/s72-c\/IMG_20160602_145201.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"31"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-4057489319301517203"},"published":{"$t":"2016-05-27T16:35:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-01-11T11:54:47.046-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Crafts"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Recipes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Remedies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How to Make Liquid Laundry Soap With Three Simple Ingredients"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I know a lot of people are going to wonder why they would ever make laundry soap when they can just buy laundry detergent at the grocery store. First of all, it's super easy. Once you do it, you will probably be like, why have I not done this before? But since being easy is not reason enough, for most of us, there are a few more reasons. In addition to containing chemicals that are hazardous to the environment, the most common laundry detergents also contains known carcinogens and many other irritating ingredients. Many people give every load they wash an extra rinse, because their skin is sensitive to harmful detergents and they need to make sure it's all removed before wearing their clean clothes. You will not have to do that with this soap. Also, with anything you make yourself there is far less packaging waste, and whenever you need to make another batch you can simply reuse the same containers, instead of creating more garbage.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd yes, this works in an HE washer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-kmTaXbfsz7g\/V0jLfVjnoqI\/AAAAAAAAK0U\/VjSr3dYxQ202xh74x3kt3Q4WcO4flDprwCKgB\/s1600\/IMG_20160516_134849.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"How to Make Liquid Laundry Soap, With These Three Simple Ingredients\" border=\"0\" height=\"478\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-kmTaXbfsz7g\/V0jLfVjnoqI\/AAAAAAAAK0U\/VjSr3dYxQ202xh74x3kt3Q4WcO4flDprwCKgB\/s640\/IMG_20160516_134849.jpg\" title=\"Borax, concentrated liquid soap, and super washing soda\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis makes a lot of laundry soap, from a very small volume of ingredients, so it's incredibly economical. I purchase my ingredients in bulk from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.azurestandard.com\/?a_aid=z10mym6FoA\"\u003EAzure Standard\u003C\/a\u003E, a natural foods distributor. I make a two gallon batch and it lasts me over a year. This recipe is easily halved, if you have a smaller container or want to test the recipe before making a ton. Unlike a lot of homemade laundry soap recipes, there's no cooking or grating required. Simply mix together, dissolve in hot water, and then add a large amount of tap water and it's ready to go.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI keep mine in glass pitcher with a leakproof lid, and give it a gentle shake before each use, since the ingredients can settle over time. I mix my soap up in a 5 gallon bucket, and then use this to refill the pitcher as needed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-W12up1D9J5s\/V0jNM-6M8HI\/AAAAAAAAK0g\/_D0fYrMI-NkXFIN1nBpO5cORXgJ7GuUpgCKgB\/s1600\/IMG_20160516_135853.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"How to Make Liquid Laundry Soap, With These Three Simple Ingredients\" border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-W12up1D9J5s\/V0jNM-6M8HI\/AAAAAAAAK0g\/_D0fYrMI-NkXFIN1nBpO5cORXgJ7GuUpgCKgB\/s640\/IMG_20160516_135853.jpg\" title=\"Jug of homemade laundry soap\" width=\"478\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn to the recipe!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EIngredients:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E6 Tbsp Castile soap or other concentrated liquid soap\u003Cbr \/\u003E6 Tbsp Borax (available in the cleaning aisle of department and grocery stores)\u003Cbr \/\u003E6 Tbsp Super Washing Soda (don't be discouraged- I had no idea where to buy this when I first started making laundry soap, so I found out how to make my own from Baking Soda. See instructions at bottom.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E1 quart hot water plus 7 quarts cool water\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlace your ingredients in a clean bucket and add about a quart of very hot water to dissolve everything. I use an old 5 gallon bucket, but you could also use an upcycled bottle from a storebought liquid laundry detergent - just adjust the amounts of ingredients accordingly if it's a smaller container, and use a funnel as needed to fill the container you choose.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-fGBbMaD8Srw\/V0jPUj6gQpI\/AAAAAAAAK0s\/6nxO-UPJeF09cHVq45BeNqcgXwSPrXGpgCKgB\/s1600\/IMG_20160516_135713.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"How to Make Liquid Laundry Soap, With These Three Simple Ingredients\" border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-fGBbMaD8Srw\/V0jPUj6gQpI\/AAAAAAAAK0s\/6nxO-UPJeF09cHVq45BeNqcgXwSPrXGpgCKgB\/s640\/IMG_20160516_135713.jpg\" title=\"Making liquid laundry soap at home\" width=\"478\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EStir up the ingredients with the hot water until well-mixed, and then add in enough water to equal two gallons overall. (So, if you've already added a quart of water, add 7 more quarts, bringing it to two gallons total.) Stir well and ladle or pour into your pitcher, bottle, or jar for easy use.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow you have two gallons of wonderful, natural, easy laundry soap. How do you use it? Probably exactly how you have always used liquid laundry soap. Open the soap compartment, pour in what you need, and you're golden. I use maybe 1\/2 cup per load. I just pour it into the soap tray to the Max Fill line (assuming I'm washing a full load). Less for smaller loads.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESuper Washing Soda:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMaybe you already found it in the same aisle as the Borax. I had a harder time finding any, but fortunately it's even easier to make than laundry soap. Plus, making your own ensures you know exactly what's in it. Conveniently, it's made from a single ingredient that nearly everyone has: Baking Soda.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPour a couple cups of baking soda in a large baking dish, and bake for 1 hour at 425 degrees. Give it a bit of a stir once or twice, to ensure even baking. This long bake changes it chemically so it is no longer baking soda, and it will have a different consistency when it's done. Less sticky and clumpy, more dry and smooth. 1 1\/3 cups of baking soda will reduce down to 1 cup of washing soda, when it's done. Save any excess washing soda in an airtight jar for your next batch of laundry soap. For more info on super washing soda, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.mommypotamus.com\/how-to-make-washing-soda\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Echeck out this article\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you prefer, Amazon sells a handy two pack of Borax and Super Washing Soda, perfect for this kind of endeavor.\u003Cbr \/\u003EPurchasing them through my ad below provides a small boon for our family; thank you in advance!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ac\u0026amp;ref=tf_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=lifeunpro-20\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B00AZ6IH68\u0026amp;asins=B00AZ6IH68\u0026amp;linkId=YV5VBMH2ANZ4XCQX\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4057489319301517203\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2016\/05\/how-to-make-liquid-laundry-soap-with.html#comment-form","title":"16 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/4057489319301517203"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/4057489319301517203"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2016\/05\/how-to-make-liquid-laundry-soap-with.html","title":"How to Make Liquid Laundry Soap With Three Simple Ingredients"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-kmTaXbfsz7g\/V0jLfVjnoqI\/AAAAAAAAK0U\/VjSr3dYxQ202xh74x3kt3Q4WcO4flDprwCKgB\/s72-c\/IMG_20160516_134849.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"16"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-1701786955096053249"},"published":{"$t":"2016-03-09T14:51:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-07-21T18:18:50.130-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Urban Farming"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How to Compost - Whether You Garden or Not"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I recently came across an article in a popular magazine about whether to put foods down the garbage disposal, or to throw them in the garbage. Every item that it mentioned, from the wet stuff they advised to put down the drain, to the solids they recommend we throw in the garbage, are things that we compost. Nowhere in this article did it even mention composting. I was kind of floored.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ntYo1yz8aWU\/Vt4wkqLteiI\/AAAAAAAAJP4\/zS3PRaJbhuY\/s1600\/IMG_20160307_174451.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ntYo1yz8aWU\/Vt4wkqLteiI\/AAAAAAAAJP4\/zS3PRaJbhuY\/s640\/IMG_20160307_174451.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe've been reducing our impact on landfills and enriching our garden soil for years with this incredibly simple practice. While I appreciate having a garbage disposal just because it quickly and easily removes gunk that gets rinsed off our dishes, I never intentionally put food, leftovers, cores, rinds, or anything food-based down the drain. Composting is easy! Why waste water sending ground up food down to the water treatment plant, or create stinky, rotting garbage every week, when you can let kitchen scraps do what they do best: turn them into natural, rich compost!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-JH53HHeS5lM\/Vt42T2p-veI\/AAAAAAAAJRg\/vGJsNLA2zjI\/s1600\/IMG_20160307_174605.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-JH53HHeS5lM\/Vt42T2p-veI\/AAAAAAAAJRg\/vGJsNLA2zjI\/s640\/IMG_20160307_174605.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDuring fruit fly season, or if you have curious pets, it can really help to keep your compost container covered. Our compost bin came from a thrift store without it's original lid, so our makeshift and fully functional lid consists of a conveniently sized plate. Every time we empty the container, I give it a quick wash to ensure that it's not getting gross. I think when there are a lot of fruit flies around people's compost, it's often because the container hasn't been cleaned thoroughly. During fruit fly season, emptying and thoroughly washing the bin every 48 hours will prevent fruit flies from breeding in it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EComposting in Your Yard:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003EOur system is straightforward. Everything that we don't eat or feed to our pets gets scraped, tossed, or poured into our little kitchen collection bin. When the bin gets full, a couple times a week, we dump it into our large backyard compost bin. Whenever I have newspapers or non-shiny junk mail, or when the kids finish a workbook, I tear them into strips and toss them into the yard bin. Ideally, there should be about an equal volume of \"greens\" (fresh, wet, food waste) and \"browns\" (dry leaves, shredded paper) in your bin.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-wYplz57P0iU\/Vt4zHSaQXgI\/AAAAAAAAJQ0\/akWTObrBl2Y\/s1600\/IMG_20160307_175430.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-wYplz57P0iU\/Vt4zHSaQXgI\/AAAAAAAAJQ0\/akWTObrBl2Y\/s640\/IMG_20160307_175430.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe have a two-bin system, where we place waste in one bin until it's full, and then let the compost mature in that bin, while filling another bin with kitchen scraps and paper. It can take several months for compost to mature, depending on the season. It helps to give it a stir with a pitchfork every once in a while. If it's dry give it some water. Keep it covered so it doesn't dry out in the sun or get too wet from rain. Heat helps things break down, so we keep our bins in a warm, sunny nook in our yard, conveniently close to our garden bed where the finished compost will be used.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-4ONfYknbmo0\/Vt40TqtXJDI\/AAAAAAAAJRE\/XzwX4BB6nqU\/s1600\/IMG_20160307_175448.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-4ONfYknbmo0\/Vt40TqtXJDI\/AAAAAAAAJRE\/XzwX4BB6nqU\/s640\/IMG_20160307_175448.jpg\" width=\"478\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe above compost has been maturing for a few months. It hasn't been stirred, so the stuff on top has not been broken down, but underneath will be a heap of mature soil. We also use red worms in our compost, which help digest food waste into clean soil. Ask friends who garden, or \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2013\/10\/start-or-join-buy-nothing-facebook-group.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eyour local gifting group\u003C\/a\u003E, if they have a couple handfuls of red worms they could spare to help get your compost going. (Note: I usually tear up my egg cartons into smaller pieces, which makes for easier composting, but sometimes I get lazy\/busy and just toss it whole into the bin. Either way, it will become soil eventually!)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EIf You Don't Compost at Home:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat if you don't have a yard? Or don't want to mess around with making compost in your yard? Many urban areas now offer free compost collection, included with your weekly garbage service. This giant gray bin is for yard and food waste, and essentially anything made of natural materials that will break down into soil. Just like the big blue recycling bin, yard waste collection in our area is free for all garbage service customers. Your food and yard waste will be picked up and brought to a large composting facility, where it will be turned into great mature compost for local gardeners to purchase. This option is easy and straightforward, and does serve to keep a lot of unnecessary waste from our landfills. However, I prefer to skip the middle man and make my own compost for my plants, rather than needing to buy someone else's.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-maX9-sgbSgM\/Vt41CRuwxwI\/AAAAAAAAJRQ\/SmFjh0-1GJA\/s1600\/IMG_20160307_175620.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-maX9-sgbSgM\/Vt41CRuwxwI\/AAAAAAAAJRQ\/SmFjh0-1GJA\/s640\/IMG_20160307_175620.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat Not to Put in Your Compost Bin:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you are making your own compost, there are certain things you will find that don't break down as easy as others. Mango pits, orange peels, onion skins, avocado pits and peels... I still toss these things in. I know they'll break down eventually, and I don't mind having a chunkier \"mature\" compost. \u0026nbsp;However, you never want to put meat, cheese, or other animal products in your compost. This would just open the door for rats, who smell that stuff from down the street and will come running. Rats won't be an issue if you keep your compost plant-based. Throw on a good layer of shredded paper anytime fruit flies become a problem.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThings I avoid putting in my home compost bin, but which are fine in the bin that gets picked up, are branches (woody debris takes more time\u0026nbsp;+ heat to break down) and those compostable take-out cups, utensils, and containers (unless they're simply made of cardboard, they just won't get enough time and heat in a home compost setup). Likewise, meat scraps, bones, and other animal products can be placed in the bin that gets picked up. Bones will definitely break down in those giant compost heaps. Plus, animal scraps are no more likely to attract rats in the yard waste bin that gets picked up every week, than they would be in the garbage. Natural fabrics like silk, wool, hemp, and 100% cotton will break down in the compost, but may not break down quickly enough for the home composter.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThings made from plastic, glass, styrofoam, rubber, nylon, metal, etc need to be recycled or placed in the garbage, as appropriate for your area. Fortunately most packaging is recyclable these days, and hopefully someday more of it will be compostable. Do not compost any soaps or cleaning chemicals, as this would harm the microbes that are essential for breaking things down.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat to Compost:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI compost all fruit and vegetable scraps, bits of bread that my kids don't finish, any food that has gone bad, used tea leaves and tea bags, coffee grounds and coffee filters, egg shells and cardboard egg cartons, paper grocery bags, paper napkins and tissues, and non-shiny junk mail and newspapers, which should be shredded into approximately 2 x 6\" strips. This is a great way to get rid of sensitive documents that have account numbers and personal information on them. Turn them into soil, problem solved!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-LjW5CAkXxXw\/VuCl-Ya3krI\/AAAAAAAAJUE\/IiFRz1lL6_c\/s1600\/IMG_20160309_141852.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-LjW5CAkXxXw\/VuCl-Ya3krI\/AAAAAAAAJUE\/IiFRz1lL6_c\/s640\/IMG_20160309_141852.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe lived for several years \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/03\/how-we-ditched-our-garbage-service.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewithout having garbage service at all\u003C\/a\u003E, which worked for us because we were able to compost so much of our waste. We eventually needed the service again though, mostly for the recycling collection that goes along with garbage pickup.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith a tiny bit of effort, you can reroute this vital waste stream from landfills to create an enriching soil, for your garden or some gardening neighbor. Mature compost holds vital nutrients, stores rainwater, and supports so much microbial life, which is essential for thriving plants. \u003Cbr \/\u003EBelow are Amazon Affiliate Ads. Any purchase made through them helps support our family. Thanks in advance!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1701786955096053249\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2016\/03\/how-to-compost-whether-you-garden-or-not.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/1701786955096053249"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/1701786955096053249"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2016\/03\/how-to-compost-whether-you-garden-or-not.html","title":"How to Compost - Whether You Garden or Not"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ntYo1yz8aWU\/Vt4wkqLteiI\/AAAAAAAAJP4\/zS3PRaJbhuY\/s72-c\/IMG_20160307_174451.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-8292665270876527373"},"published":{"$t":"2015-10-13T16:57:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-06-22T07:14:38.714-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"DIY"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Recipes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Remedies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Oil Pulling: How to Save Your Teeth and Gums with this Simple Trick"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-J3njRnZAQLA\/Vh2UAOELeSI\/AAAAAAAAG_o\/8u1AYrMCsng\/s1600\/IMG_20151011_165120295_HDR.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"oil pulling coconut oil tea tree oil\" border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-J3njRnZAQLA\/Vh2UAOELeSI\/AAAAAAAAG_o\/8u1AYrMCsng\/s640\/IMG_20151011_165120295_HDR.jpg\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHave you ever heard of oil pulling? A few years ago, after reading all kinds of articles about how this traditional oral hygiene technique would prevent cavities and improve health, I tried doing it every morning. I would wake up and swish coconut oil in my mouth for several minutes as my tea brewed. Not the hardest thing to do, but I never really noticed any effect, so I eventually let it go. I asked my dentist about it, and he knew really nothing about it either way. So I was pretty uninspired to continue, until recent developments.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA few months ago, I suddenly found myself plagued with sensitive gums. They felt a little puffy, and would bleed a tiny bit every time I brushed. This continued for a few weeks. It was minor, but it was persistant. I was worried the dentist would tell me I had gingivitis, or some type of mouth plague. So I resolved I'd do what I could on my own for a few weeks, and then get to a professional if I couldn't clear it up.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI came up with this recipe because I know a lot of natural oral care products contain tea tree oil, which has very effective antimicrobial properties. Tea tree oil is extremely strong, and best used at a very low concentration, so I just needed something to mix it with. I knew from all my reading about oil pulling that coconut oil, which is antiviral, antibacterial, and even antifungal, would be the best base for a mouthwash.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-P0uQaa__P4U\/Vh2Xfugiq5I\/AAAAAAAAG_0\/eBrow3-i2JY\/s1600\/IMG_20151011_165232798_HDR.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"coconut and tea tree oil\" border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-P0uQaa__P4U\/Vh2Xfugiq5I\/AAAAAAAAG_0\/eBrow3-i2JY\/s640\/IMG_20151011_165232798_HDR.jpg\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo, simply, I made a mouthwash by mixing coconut oil with several drops of tea tree oil. I swished this combination around in my mouth every day for a few minutes, and my gums were completely better within a day or two. I did finally go to the dentist for my annual cleaning and checkup, and the dental assistant who cleaned my teeth and checked my gums said she couldn't believe I was recently having problems, since my gums looked extremely healthy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInspired to try it yourself?\u003Cbr \/\u003EMix together in a little jar about 1 cup of virgin coconut oil and ten drops of tea tree oil. Stir it very well, and swish a small spoonful around in your mouth once a day.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBonus! It freshens your breath while it kills all the junk in your mouth.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETea tree oil is safe for oral use, however it should not be swallowed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBelow are Amazon Affiliate Ads. Any purchase made through them helps support our family. Thanks in advance!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8292665270876527373\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2015\/10\/oil-pulling-how-to-save-your-teeth-and.html#comment-form","title":"11 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/8292665270876527373"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/8292665270876527373"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2015\/10\/oil-pulling-how-to-save-your-teeth-and.html","title":"Oil Pulling: How to Save Your Teeth and Gums with this Simple Trick"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-J3njRnZAQLA\/Vh2UAOELeSI\/AAAAAAAAG_o\/8u1AYrMCsng\/s72-c\/IMG_20151011_165120295_HDR.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"11"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-2158768008672405527"},"published":{"$t":"2015-10-07T11:09:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-06-22T07:15:29.287-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"DIY"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Wash Your Car In The Rain!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-NFYQhW-XdWQ\/VhVaqL4rRRI\/AAAAAAAAG6w\/NZHdH4QLim8\/s1600\/IMG_20151007_094023534_HDR.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"rainy car wash\" border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-NFYQhW-XdWQ\/VhVaqL4rRRI\/AAAAAAAAG6w\/NZHdH4QLim8\/s640\/IMG_20151007_094023534_HDR.jpg\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe had a drought most of the summer, but finally got a heavy rainstorm. Eric and I took this opportunity and ran outside with spray bottles of homemade cleanser and rags, and got absolutely soaked while our cars got clean.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EI used to just grab the hose and some rags on sunny days, once my car had reached unbearable levels of grime, and go to town. Six months ago though, we moved to a house that has a spigot in the back, too far for the hose to reach the driveway. After living here for a while, parking under trees that constantly sprinkle our cars with sticky leavings, we finally realized our cars weren't actually going to wash themselves.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-gArClAqezJQ\/VhVdML2r2TI\/AAAAAAAAG7Q\/wD9BIj8RjtM\/s1600\/IMG_20151007_093721056_HDR.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"rainy car wash\" border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-gArClAqezJQ\/VhVdML2r2TI\/AAAAAAAAG7Q\/wD9BIj8RjtM\/s640\/IMG_20151007_093721056_HDR.jpg\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EToday, well into October, I woke up to pouring rain and decided to wash my car again. I had thought washing my car in the pouring rain might be doable only during the warmer rains of summer, but knowing I could change into dry clothes right after made it totally fine getting soaked.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis time I used a big bowl of warm soapy water, which I preferred to the spray bottle method.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-Rg83rADHdHg\/VhVcYkt0aUI\/AAAAAAAAG7A\/WluxTe6UVBM\/s1600\/IMG_20151007_093741959_HDR.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"rainy car wash\" border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-Rg83rADHdHg\/VhVcYkt0aUI\/AAAAAAAAG7A\/WluxTe6UVBM\/s640\/IMG_20151007_093741959_HDR.jpg\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's actually a bit fun. I know getting soaked while scrubbing away isn't for everyone, but I enjoy getting dirty once in a while. We spend so much time avoiding the rain here in Seattle, sometimes it's really amazing just to fully experience it. Plus, the only water I used was what it took to fill the bowl, and no rinsing required!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJust make sure you use a natural cleanser so that the drippings that wash into the gutters or your yard are not too toxic.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBelow are Amazon Affiliate Ads. Any purchase made through them helps support our family. Thanks in advance!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2158768008672405527\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2015\/10\/wash-your-car-in-rain.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/2158768008672405527"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/2158768008672405527"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2015\/10\/wash-your-car-in-rain.html","title":"Wash Your Car In The Rain!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-NFYQhW-XdWQ\/VhVaqL4rRRI\/AAAAAAAAG6w\/NZHdH4QLim8\/s72-c\/IMG_20151007_094023534_HDR.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-6205640444318738663"},"published":{"$t":"2015-07-11T13:15:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-01-11T11:56:15.742-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"DIY"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Recipes"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How to Make All-Purpose Homemade Scrubbing Solution"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThis simple combination of just two natural, common household ingredients can be used to safely and effectively clean just about any surface. It really works. I wouldn't bother writing about it if it was just kind of OK- which is how my natural cleaning methods were for years, before I started making this.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-OzJkdOXYQ3I\/VaB49nH3XZI\/AAAAAAAAGyU\/npilyso1I_g\/s1600\/IMG_20150708_165135380.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-uLh4w7xmw9E\/VaB5O2TvZDI\/AAAAAAAAGzw\/gBhVsww1wjs\/s1600\/IMG_20150708_165410669.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"natural scrubbing solution\" border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-uLh4w7xmw9E\/VaB5O2TvZDI\/AAAAAAAAGzw\/gBhVsww1wjs\/s640\/IMG_20150708_165410669.jpg\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn fact, I can't believe it took me this long to try it. Previously, I was simply cleaning my tub with pure baking soda, and a whole lot of scrubbing. It worked, sorta. I cleaned my sinks just with a scrub brush and some soap. When my worlds collided in this recipe, I was amazed at how much easier it was to clean everything, just as naturally, and how much cleaner everything got.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo the recipe, then!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"make natural scrubbing solution\" border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-2aTirK90B0w\/VaB45XEQnFI\/AAAAAAAAGxY\/SGdPqBRXUjA\/s640\/IMG_20150708_164325316_HDR.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAll you'll need are these items, plus a bottle for the finished product.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EIngredients:\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-9vw3u8cX1Bk\/VaB46RUEdbI\/AAAAAAAAGxs\/YWylMQeKeVk\/s1600\/IMG_20150708_164421633.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"ingredients for scrubbing solution\" border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-9vw3u8cX1Bk\/VaB46RUEdbI\/AAAAAAAAGxs\/YWylMQeKeVk\/s640\/IMG_20150708_164421633.jpg\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E1 c baking soda\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E1\/4 c liquid castile soap\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E1\/4 c water\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E(If your soap isn't scented, and you like things that smell nice, you can add a couple drops of essential oil. Lavender or tea tree oils will also help with disinfecting.)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EBGz1AhDHtk\/VaB5L_Y9spI\/AAAAAAAAGzM\/3Duido-UJso\/s1600\/IMG_20150620_140344224_HDR.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"natural scrubbing solution\" border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EBGz1AhDHtk\/VaB5L_Y9spI\/AAAAAAAAGzM\/3Duido-UJso\/s640\/IMG_20150620_140344224_HDR.jpg\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI like to write what goes into my homemade cleaners right on the bottle, which makes it super straightforward when it's time for a refill!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003Cb\u003EInstructions:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EMeasure ingredients and pour into the bottle. I use an old Siracha bottle, but any repurposed squeeze bottle will work great.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-_97H3g8Gwpw\/VaB48liOqUI\/AAAAAAAAGyE\/pHNWn3bV1Lc\/s1600\/IMG_20150708_164809001.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"make scrubbing solution\" border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-_97H3g8Gwpw\/VaB48liOqUI\/AAAAAAAAGyE\/pHNWn3bV1Lc\/s640\/IMG_20150708_164809001.jpg\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShake well and use like any scrubbing cleanser. When I was a kid we used Soft Scrub, and this works every bit as well.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-fr0gyx7NvP8\/VaB5Kt9esaI\/AAAAAAAAGzI\/bnzgwIEoC4g\/s1600\/IMG_20150620_140148740.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"scrubbing sink\" border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-fr0gyx7NvP8\/VaB5Kt9esaI\/AAAAAAAAGzI\/bnzgwIEoC4g\/s640\/IMG_20150620_140148740.jpg\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBesides the fact that this is a million times cheaper than products you can buy (if I did my calculations right) you don't have to worry about rinsing every bit of cleanser away before, for example, bathing your children in the tub. It's just baking soda and natural soap, both of which you might actually want a little of in a bath.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-7a_ai6Q6zF8\/VaB5LK9cHqI\/AAAAAAAAGzE\/U3DWOGbjGvk\/s1600\/IMG_20150620_140259460.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"stainless sink\" border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-7a_ai6Q6zF8\/VaB5LK9cHqI\/AAAAAAAAGzE\/U3DWOGbjGvk\/s640\/IMG_20150620_140259460.jpg\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's easy to make, and kinda even makes cleaning fun.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn a closed container, this solution should last indefinitely. Shake before use, as the ingredients can settle into layers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EBelow are Amazon Affiliate Ads. Any purchase made through them helps support our family. Thanks in advance! Ingredients for this recipe can be purchased in bulk from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.azurestandard.com\/?a_aid=z10mym6FoA\"\u003EAzure Standard\u003C\/a\u003E, a natural foods distributor that we love.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6205640444318738663\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2015\/07\/how-to-make-all-purpose-homemade.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/6205640444318738663"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/6205640444318738663"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2015\/07\/how-to-make-all-purpose-homemade.html","title":"How to Make All-Purpose Homemade Scrubbing Solution"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-uLh4w7xmw9E\/VaB5O2TvZDI\/AAAAAAAAGzw\/gBhVsww1wjs\/s72-c\/IMG_20150708_165410669.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-5710553947003871325"},"published":{"$t":"2013-07-18T23:07:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-07-21T10:47:09.949-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Remedies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"For The Ladies: How To Never Buy Another Menstrual Product"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReusable menstrual product?? Do tell!\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-S9_ua6iWvAc\/UejU1d0_88I\/AAAAAAAACVs\/rUKhr5ImASU\/s1600\/P7084403.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-S9_ua6iWvAc\/UejU1d0_88I\/AAAAAAAACVs\/rUKhr5ImASU\/s640\/P7084403.JPG\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI bought this Keeper 13 years ago, and have been using it happily ever since.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBefore discovering that these existed, I had tried all manner of other menstrual products. I hated the disposable-diaper feeling of typical maxi-pads. Cloth pads were a pain to wash and deal with when I was out of the house, plus they felt bulky. Most tampons created so much garbage with their box, wrappers, and disposable applicators. For years, I used applicator-free tampons, but even these created some garbage, and required buying a new box each month. I've always hated anything disposable, really.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EOn the beach in Yucatan, a fellow traveler gave me a sea sponge, which was inserted like a tampon (after being disinfected with boiling water). I loved the idea of a natural sea sponge tampon, but unfortunately, I always knew when it was saturated because blood would leak out when I laughed or sneezed. It didn't exactly meet my needs, and it didn't last forever. When it started to wear out, I went back to disposable tampons.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWhen I got fitted with a diaphragm, the nurse informed me that the diaphragm could also be used as a menstrual product! This worked for me to some degree. I loved that you just had to rinse and reinsert it, and there was nothing to throw away, but emptying it was kind of a mess. I had trouble getting it out and to the sink without drips dropping where I didn't want them. Tampons were mess free, so I went back, but I was dissatisfied.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-hBGbSrcbD5c\/UejWA88xVtI\/AAAAAAAACV8\/TsqDPzrWTLk\/s1600\/P7084406.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-hBGbSrcbD5c\/UejWA88xVtI\/AAAAAAAACV8\/TsqDPzrWTLk\/s640\/P7084406.JPG\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EFinally, when I was in college I discovered \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.keeper.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EThe Keeper\u003C\/a\u003E at my local health food co-op. It seemed a bit expensive, but I quickly calculated that it would be paid off after just a few months of not having to buy tampons, plus I got a volunteer discount at the co-op. I've saved an absolute fortune in the decade-plus that I've had The Keeper in use.\u0026nbsp; It works every bit as well as the day I bought it. (See the end of the article for a much less expensive version.)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-vdFmgP0ZPVA\/UejWRcopCvI\/AAAAAAAACWE\/_niEXJFN-Ho\/s1600\/P7084405.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"menstrual cup keeper\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-vdFmgP0ZPVA\/UejWRcopCvI\/AAAAAAAACWE\/_niEXJFN-Ho\/s640\/P7084405.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThere are other brands, by the way, of very similar products, and I don't necessarily think this is better than any of the others. It's just the one I've had experience with. Mine is rubber; there are silicone models for people with latex issues.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EDirections come in the package, and are on the product  website as well, but basically you simply fold the cup up and insert it  into the vaginal canal. This can be easier if you wet it first. Every 3  to 8 hours, depending on how heavy your period is, simply grasp it by  the handy tail while pushing in on one side of the cup to release the  air seal, and pull it out. Dump the contents down the drain, wash in hot  water, and it's ready to insert again.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-V1muphIszYM\/UejWfP5byHI\/AAAAAAAACWM\/Nvi87AHxzhc\/s1600\/P7084410.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"menstrual cup keeper diva cup\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-V1muphIszYM\/UejWfP5byHI\/AAAAAAAACWM\/Nvi87AHxzhc\/s640\/P7084410.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI've used the Keeper during all kinds of exercise and activities, without incident. I regularly do Bikram yoga, and never miss a class because of my period. I go dancing, ride a bicycle, go swimming, and have literally never had the Keeper leak on me.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI find it very liberating to be independent this way, to be able to take care of my periods without having to rely on tampon manufacturers every month.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EUpdate: My original Keeper is still going strong, but if I ever have to replace it, it's heartening to know that there are now much less expensive, silicone models available. The ad link below is the one I would buy if I ever need a replacement. Click on the link to check it out. Every purchase through this affiliate link provides a little income for our family. Thank you in advance!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ac\u0026amp;ref=tf_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=lifeunpro-20\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B00QULC2QI\u0026amp;asins=B00QULC2QI\u0026amp;linkId=W65LPHLCXEJF3XYQ\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5710553947003871325\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2013\/07\/for-ladies-how-to-never-buy-another.html#comment-form","title":"41 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/5710553947003871325"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/5710553947003871325"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2013\/07\/for-ladies-how-to-never-buy-another.html","title":"For The Ladies: How To Never Buy Another Menstrual Product"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-S9_ua6iWvAc\/UejU1d0_88I\/AAAAAAAACVs\/rUKhr5ImASU\/s72-c\/P7084403.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"41"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-8934340559010017576"},"published":{"$t":"2012-09-01T08:27:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-06-22T07:29:35.957-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"DIY"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Urban Farming"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Hang Dry Laundry Year Round- Even In Seattle"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-D5qHsUzk34k\/UEIleO74UPI\/AAAAAAAAB3w\/mQ4nGlzzn0Y\/s1600\/07-15-2012-184704.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"how to dry laundry\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-D5qHsUzk34k\/UEIleO74UPI\/AAAAAAAAB3w\/mQ4nGlzzn0Y\/s640\/07-15-2012-184704.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EDryers use a lot of energy to run, and reduce the life of your clothes. As a teenager I realized that all the lint that the dryer collected was evidence of my clothes gradually falling apart, and I started using a laundry rack to hang dry anything I really cared about. Generic socks,\u0026nbsp;t-shirts,\u0026nbsp;and towels still went in the dryer, but if I wanted something to last a long time I would hang it up instead.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis continued for years, until we bought our house and could set up a larger outdoor drying area, with space to dry a whole load of laundry on two fold-up racks:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-9dyQkniafiE\/UEIlKGObNkI\/AAAAAAAAB3o\/TRkOqIFAezE\/s1600\/07-15-2012-185115.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"how to hang dry laundry\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-9dyQkniafiE\/UEIlKGObNkI\/AAAAAAAAB3o\/TRkOqIFAezE\/s640\/07-15-2012-185115.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe bungee cord keeps a wobbly rack from tipping over.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWhile dryers do suck the life out of your laundry, they also fluff it up nicely, leaving\u0026nbsp;items softer than they might be when they hang dry. I find this is really only a problem with towels, and occasionally with jeans and socks. Most everything else still ends up being pretty soft after haning dry. If the stiffness bothers you, you can always toss a few things in the dryer for about 3 minutes, on an \"air\" cycle, just to fluff them up. For me, I've come to accept of bit of stiffness and no longer expect my towels to be \"downy soft\". Usually after one use, or right after I put the stiff jeans on, they soften up on their own anyway.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWhile we don't live in Seattle proper, we \"benefit\" from their notorious weather patterns. It's wet. The typical clothesline setup would only work for about 3 months a year here, so we have to hang laundry someplace where it's protected from the weather. For a while, our only covered outdoor area was the front porch, and in the wet months I dried our laundry there. Not the most inviting sight for a front porch, but I was committed to this energy-saving method.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ESeeking a solution that was somewhat less visible,\u0026nbsp;Nik built\u0026nbsp;a fiberglass\u0026nbsp;extension to our roof on the back of the house. The light comes through, but not the rain. Now we have a dry area, on the sunny southwest corner of our house, where a whole load of laundry can hang in relative privacy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-tf2Q0qoxNko\/UEImDKUq82I\/AAAAAAAAB34\/FLxGASVGVOU\/s1600\/07-15-2012-185139.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"How to hang dry laundry outside\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-tf2Q0qoxNko\/UEImDKUq82I\/AAAAAAAAB34\/FLxGASVGVOU\/s640\/07-15-2012-185139.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn winter, it can admittedly take a couple days for heavier things to dry, but in summer they will often dry faster than they would in a dryer. When the wind blows the rain sideways, they can still get wet or get blown off the racks, but all in all it's very effective and easy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-pHpia4h1D0o\/UEImO1TJL7I\/AAAAAAAAB4A\/LkIhguXLcdM\/s1600\/07-15-2012-185144.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"covered outdoor area\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-pHpia4h1D0o\/UEImO1TJL7I\/AAAAAAAAB4A\/LkIhguXLcdM\/s640\/07-15-2012-185144.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe roof extension also provides handy dry storage for bikes \u0026amp; trikes, and other outdoor kid toys as well as\u0026nbsp;Nik's motorcycle projects. It's been very handy!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EUpdate: I have upgraded from these flimsy wooden folding racks, to one that I absolutely love. It is so clean and sturdy, can hold an entire large load of laundry, and folds up easily when not in use. I've been using it for over a year now, and am so happy with it. It feels like it will last forever. I'm linking the ad for it below; if you decide to purchase it through my ad link, I will earn a little income. Thanks in advance!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ac\u0026amp;ref=tf_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=lifeunpro-20\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B00KQU1C60\u0026amp;asins=B00KQU1C60\u0026amp;linkId=YBGRNJBIPAP4Z53J\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8934340559010017576\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/09\/hang-dry-laundry-year-round-even-in.html#comment-form","title":"54 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/8934340559010017576"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/8934340559010017576"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/09\/hang-dry-laundry-year-round-even-in.html","title":"Hang Dry Laundry Year Round- Even In Seattle"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-D5qHsUzk34k\/UEIleO74UPI\/AAAAAAAAB3w\/mQ4nGlzzn0Y\/s72-c\/07-15-2012-184704.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"54"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-1333160521460079558"},"published":{"$t":"2012-07-02T07:58:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-01-04T18:43:50.979-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Remedies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Using A Natural Salt Crystal Deodorant"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EMost people think they have to choose between a conventional chemical deodorant, and smelling like a hippie (no offense, hippies). There is, however, a third option: a natural deodorant that really works: \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-gZejI2ztysE\/T_GxKU7B1gI\/AAAAAAAABwY\/ThLriRV8FWM\/s1600\/06-17-2012-143510.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"salt crystal natural deodorant\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-gZejI2ztysE\/T_GxKU7B1gI\/AAAAAAAABwY\/ThLriRV8FWM\/s640\/06-17-2012-143510.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EFor over a decade I've been using a salt crystal after every shower. When you first start using it, it feels like a kind of superstition, like knocking on wood or crossing yourself to ward off evil. How could rubbing salt under your arms help to ward off the stink of sweat?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe magic is in the science of salt. Salt kills bacteria. It's the same reason we use salt water in our neti pots, or a saline solution to flush a wound. In the case of underarm odor, sweat itself has no smell. The stink is caused by bacteria that have proliferated and left their earthly bodies, leaving only their essence behind. Salting right after you shower halts the growth of this bacteria before it can begin.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-isur2muEZJY\/T_GxpCufr4I\/AAAAAAAABwo\/rkZKyA0u6OY\/s1600\/06-17-2012-143424.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"natural deodorants\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-isur2muEZJY\/T_GxpCufr4I\/AAAAAAAABwo\/rkZKyA0u6OY\/s640\/06-17-2012-143424.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWhich brings me to the limitations of this deodorant: It will do nothing to mask already stinky pits. If you try using it once you already stink, you will come to the conclusion that it doesn't work. It cannot cover up any smell, it is a preventative! Nik and I have other natural deodorant sticks that have a nice smell, which we use on our off days... when maybe we really should have gotten a shower in but it just didn't happen, or once in\u0026nbsp;a while I'll forget to use the salt crystal after my shower, and then use the scented one as a last resort. These ones don't work as well to \u003Ci\u003Eprevent\u003C\/i\u003E body odor, but they do hide it with their own scents. But really, I rarely use this type because the salt crystal works \u003Ci\u003Ethat\u003C\/i\u003E well. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-rz0wqhE_iQQ\/T_GxZNc7iXI\/AAAAAAAABwg\/vmwvwoSkpeE\/s1600\/06-17-2012-143540.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"salt crystal deodorant\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-rz0wqhE_iQQ\/T_GxZNc7iXI\/AAAAAAAABwg\/vmwvwoSkpeE\/s640\/06-17-2012-143540.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAnother near magical property of the salt crystal deodorant is that it never gets used up. I'm pretty sure one tube, or whatever form you buy it in, would literally last a lifetime-- as long as you never dropped it. They shatter like glass when they get dropped. I have only ever bought two, which have served me well over the past 15 years. The more recent purchase remains in one piece, like new. The top photo in this article is the one we've been using for 8 years straight. Two shards are all that remain of the original crystal I had... a reminder to be more careful. They do get slippery when wet! The shards are great, however, for travel-sized deodorant. I keep one in my bag for showering at the yoga studio, and we have one in our overnight kit.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI am not advertising this thing, and in fact if anything ever happened to my current salt crystal, I would look into how to make my own. Is that possible? I haven't checked... They only cost a few dollars, and they last for decades, so it's probably a worthy investment to buy a packaged one. I just like to DIY everything I can. ;)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EBelow are Amazon Affiliate Ads. Any purchase made through them helps support our family. Thanks in advance!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1333160521460079558\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/07\/using-natural-salt-crystal-deodorant.html#comment-form","title":"81 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/1333160521460079558"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/1333160521460079558"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/07\/using-natural-salt-crystal-deodorant.html","title":"Using A Natural Salt Crystal Deodorant"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-gZejI2ztysE\/T_GxKU7B1gI\/AAAAAAAABwY\/ThLriRV8FWM\/s72-c\/06-17-2012-143510.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"81"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-3695704891843635328"},"published":{"$t":"2012-05-28T07:34:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-01-11T12:01:47.805-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"DIY"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parenting"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Recipes"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Still Shampoo-Free: the Magic of Baking Soda \u0026 Vinegar"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-GrpwtpcppoY\/T8OFiXSdjMI\/AAAAAAAABpY\/liy4o2kXWcw\/s1600\/05-19-2012-114801.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"baking soda and apple cider vinegar\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-GrpwtpcppoY\/T8OFiXSdjMI\/AAAAAAAABpY\/liy4o2kXWcw\/s640\/05-19-2012-114801.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBaking Soda \u0026amp; Apple Cider Vinegar\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EOur family has been completely shampoo free since mid-2011 (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/02\/how-my-family-went-shampoo-free.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eread here about how we did it\u003C\/a\u003E). Instead, we use a baking soda \u0026amp; water solution for washing, and diluted apple cider vinegar for the conditioning rinse. We are totally happy with the texture and cleanliness of our hair, and I really love having less junk I have to get at the store (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/03\/you-dont-have-to-go-to-store.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewe never go to the store anymore\u003C\/a\u003E!) Also, the chemicals in even the more natural shampoos and conditioners are something we are all better off without.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAs far-fetched as this idea sounds to a lifelong shampoo\/conditioner user, it really works! Our family is composed of several hair types... we all have long hair, mine is very straight and tends to be oily, and Nik's is highly textured and tends toward dandruff. Both of us, as well as our kids, have had a great experience with the switch, and have absolutely no desire to go back to store bought, chemically-loaded products. I was amused, after my original post on our switch, to discover how many people we know that already use one or both of these on their hair. The secret is out! It's great stuff, don't be scared to try it ;)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI do have an update since my original article about ditching shampoo. At the time, I had switched to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/01\/make-your-own-kombucha.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Emy homemade kombucha\u003C\/a\u003E for a conditioning rinse after washing with baking soda. It seemed like a reasonable substitute for apple cider vinegar, and I liked that since I make it myself, it was one less thing to buy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EHowever, I discovered a problem after a while- the baking soda wasn't rinsing out completely, leaving traces of white powder in my hair. This was almost annoying enough to get me considering using regular shampoo again. Why was this happening? I realized it had never been a problem when I used apple cider vinegar rather than kombucha, so I went back to that, and the problem disappeared immediately.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI think the kombucha just doesn't have the same properties as apple cider vinegar. Vinegar, as well as closing hair follicles, giving hair shine and releasing tangles, reacts with any remaining baking soda, rinsing it completely away. Anyway, I'm pleased to report that, now that I'm back to baking soda wash with the ACV rinse, my hair is totally clean, healthy, and free of baking soda debris.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-xcnksQzx6bo\/T8OIKN4zE_I\/AAAAAAAABpk\/u_UH2pdw7dU\/s1600\/04-23-2012-125711.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"shampoo free\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-xcnksQzx6bo\/T8OIKN4zE_I\/AAAAAAAABpk\/u_UH2pdw7dU\/s640\/04-23-2012-125711.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EShampoo free family\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBaking Soda \u0026amp; Vinegar On The Go:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWhen I started doing hot yoga at our local Bikram studio, I briefly thought I may have to switch to shampoo and conditioner just so I could have something that travels easily so I could shower at the studio, but then I came up with this easy, portable solution:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-zop3_gw79-M\/T8OE8OWXszI\/AAAAAAAABpQ\/PfhquRspr84\/s1600\/05-19-2012-114906.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"baking soda and ACV\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-zop3_gw79-M\/T8OE8OWXszI\/AAAAAAAABpQ\/PfhquRspr84\/s640\/05-19-2012-114906.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E8 oz travel jars: All I needed to make this system portable.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI simply put one scoop (I'm down to 1\/2 t) baking soda, and a splash (maybe 1 tb) of vinegar into each jar, respectively. Make sure the jars are sealed tightly, and I'm all set to shower at the gym. In the shower, I add about a 1\/3 cup of water to the baking soda, wash my scalp with it, and then dilute the vinegar in the same way for rinsing my hair and scalp.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAny bottles that you feel comfortable traveling with would also work... just make sure the vinegar container won't leak. I did have this happen, and was worried I'd be stuck with a vinegary backpack forever, but the smell disappeared after about a day. Not too traumatic ;)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EBaking soda and apple cider vinegar can both be purchased in bulk from \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/whole%20raw%20cacao%20beans%20can%20be%20purchased%20in%20bulk%20from%20azure%20standard%2C%20a%20natural%20foods%20distributor.\/\"\u003EAzure Standard\u003C\/a\u003E, a natural foods distributor. Below are Amazon Affiliate Ads. Any purchase made through them helps support our family. Thanks in advance!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3695704891843635328\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/05\/still-shampoo-free-magic-of-baking-soda.html#comment-form","title":"113 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/3695704891843635328"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/3695704891843635328"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/05\/still-shampoo-free-magic-of-baking-soda.html","title":"Still Shampoo-Free: the Magic of Baking Soda \u0026 Vinegar"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-GrpwtpcppoY\/T8OFiXSdjMI\/AAAAAAAABpY\/liy4o2kXWcw\/s72-c\/05-19-2012-114801.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"113"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-4275277656665526328"},"published":{"$t":"2012-04-28T11:47:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-07-21T09:30:15.702-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"DIY"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Remedies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Sustainable Shaving Options"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-f3vrHz1RFcI\/T5wzxGfIlnI\/AAAAAAAABjg\/jTz4osB-2TA\/s1600\/03-05-2012-163710.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"shaving soap and brush\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-f3vrHz1RFcI\/T5wzxGfIlnI\/AAAAAAAABjg\/jTz4osB-2TA\/s640\/03-05-2012-163710.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWhen I was first pregnant I had to nix my partner's use of canned shaving creams- the perfumes they contained made me ill, so we bought him a nice bar of unscented shaving soap and a lather brush. The shaving soap has been great. We love that it lasts forever and has no can to throw away. Another natural option would be to make our own shaving soap, which is definitely on the horizon. However, he continued to use disposable razors for several years until recently, when he researched non-disposable options. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-7xqrE-vU2VU\/T5w0XOJ2YoI\/AAAAAAAABjo\/AIqjGvVO9bo\/s1600\/03-05-2012-163901.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"straight razor shaving\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-7xqrE-vU2VU\/T5w0XOJ2YoI\/AAAAAAAABjo\/AIqjGvVO9bo\/s640\/03-05-2012-163901.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EA few months ago he switched to using straight razors. I think they take a bit of time to maintain, including being honed on a leather strop before each use, but he only shaves every two or three days, so it's not too big of a deal. They also require occasional sharpening with a whetstone.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI love that\u0026nbsp; the sustainable solutions for the future are often to be found in how we used to do things. This is definitely the low-tech shaving option!\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-xGE9Oonkp4E\/T5w4mou8KVI\/AAAAAAAABj8\/aOB7WmHojxk\/s1600\/07-02%7C16:04:59.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"at the lake\" border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-xGE9Oonkp4E\/T5w4mou8KVI\/AAAAAAAABj8\/aOB7WmHojxk\/s640\/07-02%7C16:04:59.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"468\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI don't think this was too much of a learning curve to get started. There is definitely a skill to any blade sharpening, and a razor has to be much more finely honed than a kitchen knife. Razors can be taken in to a knife sharpening service, where they will be professionally sharpened for a small fee. When we first bought Nik's razors, we did have them professionally sharpened.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe shaving itself is pretty straightforward. If I shaved my legs, I would certainly give the straight razor a try. I don't think it would work very well for armpits though, so I'm sticking with disposables for now.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-NNGXFa_FGHw\/T5w0oap2nFI\/AAAAAAAABjw\/h5gjakugwzM\/s1600\/9153.0.8003-02-27-2012-090453.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"straight razor shaving\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-NNGXFa_FGHw\/T5w0oap2nFI\/AAAAAAAABjw\/h5gjakugwzM\/s640\/9153.0.8003-02-27-2012-090453.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ENik's shaving kit includes two razors, a leather strop, and a sharpening stone, as well as the cup with soap \u0026amp; shaving brush, pictured above. The small green dish contains coconut oil, which he used to soften the leather strop when he first bought it. He was able to find both \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003Ethe strop and razors used on ebay.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBelow are Amazon Affiliate Ads. Any purchase made through them helps support our family. Thanks in advance!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4275277656665526328\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/04\/sustainable-shaving-options.html#comment-form","title":"27 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/4275277656665526328"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/4275277656665526328"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/04\/sustainable-shaving-options.html","title":"Sustainable Shaving Options"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-f3vrHz1RFcI\/T5wzxGfIlnI\/AAAAAAAABjg\/jTz4osB-2TA\/s72-c\/03-05-2012-163710.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"27"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-2049496796573106927"},"published":{"$t":"2012-03-08T22:02:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-07-21T09:16:16.445-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"DIY"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Urban Farming"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How We Ditched Our Garbage Service"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWe finally took the plunge and canceled our garbage service several  months ago, and haven't looked back. I was thinking that at best,  ditching this service would be a minor inconvenience, but in  reality it's had a very positive effect on our lives that I didn't  expect.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWe've always produced a small amount of garbage that  hardly warranted the 20 gallon can in our yard and a weekly pickup, but I  kind of thought not having garbage service would be a nuisance, or that  it would be gross. Burning garbage is nasty, and I certainly didn't want to save up enough garbage  until we had a dump-run-worthy load. What would we do with our garbage if  we didn't have a green can to toss it into? And seriously,  what about the recycling? We always produce way more recycling bulk than  trash, but if we canceled garbage service our free recycling service  would be gone...\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI always thought there were really only a few,  undesirable options for people without garbage service: Pile up a bunch  of garbage until you have a truck load to take to the dump; burn it; or  illegally dump your junk in one of our beautiful ravines. I was not fond  of any of these ideas, but we had been discussing the idea of ditching  garbage service since buying our house a few years ago. While we don't  make much actual garbage except during house projects, we've always  created a lot of recyclable waste. If we canceled garbage service, no  one would come to pick up our recycling either.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI will say right away that we haven't  eliminated the garbage and recycling we produce, though we have drastically reduced  it. As long as we are buying produce there will be those twist-ties and  plastic mesh bags, and as long as our kids are young there will be the  kind of junk that kids collect, which is ultimately destined for the  garbage (glue and glitter art projects, cracked and leaking rubber  froggy boots, tiny socks worn through, stickers, and of course all the  random broken plastic things.)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EIt has really helped that we pretty much eliminated trips to the grocery store, instead ordering all our produce from a CSA, and the rest of our bulk foods monthly from a natural foods distributor. Neither of these are a big source of packaging waste, unlike all those boxes and packets from the store. Click here to read about \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/03\/you-dont-have-to-go-to-store.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehow we stopped grocery shopping\u003C\/a\u003E. We also buy anything we need used, from thrift stores, which come free of any packaging waste besides their price tags. Even better, local giveaway groups can be a place to look for anything you need before going to a thrift store. Check out here \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2013\/10\/start-or-join-buy-nothing-facebook-group.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehow to start or join a Buy Nothing group\u003C\/a\u003E. Occasional electronics upgrades are the only thing we nearly always buy new.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EIt took us a while of thinking about it, paying our garbage bill all the while, before we thought of a way of getting \"off the grid\" of garbage service; it had to be convenient and mess-free. My mom, who lives nearby, produces very little waste herself, and doesn't mind disposing of ours along with hers. So now when we see her, we occasionally have an extra little present to send her home with ;)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ENow, not everyone has my mom for a mother, or would want to ask a  family member to take their trash and recycling for them. I can completely understand  this! But what about this idea: Share your garbage service with your  next door neighbor. You will both save money by going in on the service  together, you will have less unsightly collection cans on your street,  and the garbage trucks will be done on your road all the more quickly if  you've consolidated your trash with your neighbor's.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWhat if we only had community bins, or collection bins on every corner instead of every driveway? I know a lot of people really fill their bins right now and that would be a lot of work to haul to a group bin, but I just think it would be good for people to have to deal with their garbage a bit more than we are used to. It's too easy to ignore the problems of over-consumption, the garbage islands, and poisoned landfills, when someone so conveniently slips it away each week.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EEliminating the garbage pickup service saves us $300\/year. Sometimes that doesn't seem like much, but it makes a difference to us. I also like that now those trucks don't have to stop quite as often. But the other real benefit of eliminating garbage service has been a greater consciousness about the waste we're creating. Not being able to toss all your junk in a curbside can and kiss it goodbye makes us much more conscious of the waste we produce. This applies to recycling just as much as it does for garbage. Recycling isn't going to save us; it's better not to produce that waste at all. Not having cans to hide our own waste from ourselves has helped me reduce through awareness.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EFortunately we quit garbage service at the same time that we quit shopping at the grocery store. They definitely went hand in hand, because quite a bit of our produce from the store came packaged in these huge plastic clamshells, and everything else comes in some kind of bag or box. Not yet producing much food on our small urban farm, we rely on our CSA for the majority of our food. We purchase grains, nuts, and seeds from a wholesale natural foods distributor. And, really, we hop in to a grocery store once every 2 or 3 months to stock up on things we still like to buy off the shelf: specifically cheese, yogurt, and peanut butter for the kids; and chicken for our \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/p\/natural-raw-cat-food.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehomemade cat food\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EMost of our utility services and accounts are set up to be paper-free, though we can't seem to stop getting the junkmail circulars, what my son calls \"broken magazines\", that fill our mailbox every week. Not having garbage or recycling service has us looking at the sources for all our waste. We not only want to stop this garbage from getting to our house, we'd prefer to eliminate it's creation at all.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ksO9rNEf1xs\/T1mg3yNsPII\/AAAAAAAABb8\/N3GhH6ezS_8\/s1600\/03-23%7C15:08:19.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"backyard chickens\" border=\"0\" height=\"468\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ksO9rNEf1xs\/T1mg3yNsPII\/AAAAAAAABb8\/N3GhH6ezS_8\/s640\/03-23%7C15:08:19.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003ELoki feeding our hens\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWe compost most of our kitchen waste, either directly in the worm bins or by feeding edible waste to the chickens or rabbits. We've got our own little composting factory set up. We often bury yard waste in a form of composting called hugelkultur, sometimes in holes and sometimes under new raised beds. Check out \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/kerryg.hubpages.com\/hub\/Hugelkultur-Using-Woody-Waste-in-Composting\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehugelkultur\u003C\/a\u003E to explore the benefits of composting your prunings and woody yard waste in your own garden.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-BUmQenTROxw\/T1mfUqDOX7I\/AAAAAAAABb0\/hzwkbgH3pY4\/s1600\/03-04-2012-144930.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"keeping rabbits american chinchilla\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-BUmQenTROxw\/T1mfUqDOX7I\/AAAAAAAABb0\/hzwkbgH3pY4\/s640\/03-04-2012-144930.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EAzula \u0026amp; Katara in a hole dug for hugelkultur\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/zerowastehome.blogspot.com\/p\/tips.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EZero Waste Home\u003C\/a\u003E has a useful list of more detailed tips for reducing your garbage. They're an amazing family that created only a mason jar of trash in a whole year. We've got a long way to go because we're making about that much every week still! What I often do is think about how people lived before there were high-tech options for things, and try to do things the old fashioned way, which ends up being pretty natural and waste free. For example, we never accept bags from the grocery store; we bring our own. It's simple and it works.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EGarbage and recycling trucks have got to use a huge amount of fuel. Let's create less work for them, and work toward a more sustainable future, by sharing the service with a friend or neighbor!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUpdate: While we lived without garbage service for three years, we do have it now- and we share the service with my kids' grandma and her daughter. They bring their recycling and garbage to our house every couple of weeks. I am sure everyone has a family member or neighbor that they could share service with, both to save money and to reduce our impact on the waste stream and raise consciousness about trash production.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBelow are Amazon Affiliate Ads. Any purchase made through them helps support our family. Thanks in advance!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2049496796573106927\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/03\/how-we-ditched-our-garbage-service.html#comment-form","title":"46 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/2049496796573106927"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/2049496796573106927"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/03\/how-we-ditched-our-garbage-service.html","title":"How We Ditched Our Garbage Service"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ksO9rNEf1xs\/T1mg3yNsPII\/AAAAAAAABb8\/N3GhH6ezS_8\/s72-c\/03-23%7C15:08:19.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"46"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-1033154607344836688"},"published":{"$t":"2012-02-02T21:30:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-01-11T12:28:53.351-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"DIY"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parenting"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Recipes"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How My Family Went Shampoo-Free"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EYou don't have to buy shampoo. Or conditioner. These are products that I thought I could never go without until several months ago, when I first heard about this thing called \"no-poo\". Since that is a horrible name, I just call it \"shampoo-free\".\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EIntrigued by the idea of being free from one more product, I did an internet search to find out exactly how this works. I have naturally oily hair and really don't like it feeling or looking dirty, so I was a bit skeptical that this would work for me. However, I read stories from so many people who had successfully ditched shampoo that I had to try it.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-eRdKrB3_wi4\/TytmqTHvZ2I\/AAAAAAAABVE\/COENHTSE-bY\/s1600\/bs.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"baking soda shampoo\" border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-eRdKrB3_wi4\/TytmqTHvZ2I\/AAAAAAAABVE\/COENHTSE-bY\/s640\/bs.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EBaking soda cleans gently, but cleans well. Everyone seems to be skeptical at first, but baking soda will not leave your hair feeling greasy or overly dry.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat I could have done:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EI found that there are two ways of scrapping shampoo: switching to just water washing, or using a dilute baking soda solution in the shower. With the plain water method, you have to deal with the consequences for a while as your hair \u0026amp; scalp adjust to the sudden lack of chemicals. It may be very oily and disgusting for a few weeks, but in the end you will be product-free. While this is an admirable goal, I could not deal with nasty hair for weeks during the transition off shampoo.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat I actually did:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003ETo spare myself weeks of uncomfortable, oily hair, I went with the other option. I started out, to be safe, using two tablespoons of baking soda each time I washed my hair. I simply put it in a shatterproof plastic cup, bring it with me into the shower and fill halfway with warm water when I'm ready to wash my scalp. I mix it together until dissolved, pour it on my scalp, and massage it in. It's different than shampoo, since it's not goopy and won't produce any suds--but you are not dirty laundry, you don't need detergent on your skin. The amazing thing is how clean the baking soda gets my hair and scalp. It rinses away easily, leaving my hair fresh and clear. I was worried baking soda would be too harsh and leave my hair feeling scrubby and brittle, but I haven't had that experience at all.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EI gradually reduced the amount of baking soda I used, and am now down to one teaspoon in a half cup of warm water. Really, that's enough to get clean hair. Nik went cold-turkey right away, because he is a million times braver than I am, and for two months he washed his hair with water alone. He did develop dandruff though, which we were hoping was a temporary condition as his scalp adjusted, but eventually he decided to give the baking soda a try. When he did, his dandruff completely and immediately disappeared. His thick curly hair is amazingly clean and shiny.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-AqC8YY8AyVE\/TytuxEoiv-I\/AAAAAAAABVc\/YxZK45-okf8\/s1600\/hairies.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"clean hair without shampoo\" border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-AqC8YY8AyVE\/TytuxEoiv-I\/AAAAAAAABVc\/YxZK45-okf8\/s640\/hairies.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"468\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETo condition your hair:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EEveryone in my family has long hair, and I had serious doubts about our ability to go without conditioner, without suffering some serious snarls. I was pleasantly surprised here as well. The replacement I discovered for conditioner is very diluted apple cider vinegar. I don't like the smell of vinegar, and certainly didn't want to reek of it, so I was a bit skeptical. Also, I have always relied on special conditioners in order to get tangle-free hair. In fact, while I only buy the most natural products for everything else, I have often made an exception for conditioner because I've found that the natural ones just don't work as well.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-ZWWjUtQwld8\/TytoZawWJhI\/AAAAAAAABVM\/5O-_GQBjf4A\/s1600\/bragg.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"ACV apple cider vinegar for hair\" border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-ZWWjUtQwld8\/TytoZawWJhI\/AAAAAAAABVM\/5O-_GQBjf4A\/s640\/bragg.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EMy concern that vinegar couldn't possibly work as a detangler kept me from trying this method for a while. However, there is something magical about vinegar. It's like duct tape: you can use it for anything. Pouring a diluted solution down my hair in the shower and working it in a bit is all it takes for amazingly tangle-free shiny hair. Also, the vinegar smell completely rinses away.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EA conditioning alternative:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EAfter using apple cider vinegar for a little while, I got experimental  and decided to give \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/01\/make-your-own-kombucha.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Emy homemade kombucha\u003C\/a\u003E a try in its place. It works just as well,  and the advantage is that I can make it myself at a fraction of the cost  of buying vinegar... which is already extremely inexpensive compared to  even cheap conditioners. It's definitely a win. (Update: please \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/05\/still-shampoo-free-magic-of-baking-soda.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eread here my more recent post on kombucha vs. ACV\u003C\/a\u003E for hair.)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E  \u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-JDOpv5_kvJ0\/Tytsq_HubsI\/AAAAAAAABVU\/CwmcMyYlWqM\/s1600\/09-08%7C11:29:13.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"clean hair without shampoo\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-JDOpv5_kvJ0\/Tytsq_HubsI\/AAAAAAAABVU\/CwmcMyYlWqM\/s640\/09-08%7C11:29:13.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003EWe wash our kids' hair with water alone and it works beautifully\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EThis small change feels so much more natural and sustainable to me than being dependent on store-bought shampoo and conditioner. And while there are many recipes and guides to making your own health and beauty products, for me the most liberating thing is finding that we can do without them at all.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EI also figured out how easily to make this system portable, for showering away from home. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/05\/still-shampoo-free-magic-of-baking-soda.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ERead about it in this update\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EWe purchase our apple cider vinegar and baking soda in bulk from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.azurestandard.com\/?a_aid=z10mym6FoA\"\u003EAzure Standard\u003C\/a\u003E, a natural foods distributor. Below are Amazon Affiliate Ads. Any purchase made through them helps support our family. Thanks in advance!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1033154607344836688\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/02\/how-my-family-went-shampoo-free.html#comment-form","title":"85 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/1033154607344836688"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/1033154607344836688"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/02\/how-my-family-went-shampoo-free.html","title":"How My Family Went Shampoo-Free"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-eRdKrB3_wi4\/TytmqTHvZ2I\/AAAAAAAABVE\/COENHTSE-bY\/s72-c\/bs.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"85"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846822951017254806.post-2540991701924928771"},"published":{"$t":"2012-01-08T09:46:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-01-11T12:20:45.355-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cleaning Products"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"DIY"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Recipes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Urban Farming"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Homemade Kitty Litter"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-uDDwsSKPCLI\/TwnyUSMJShI\/AAAAAAAABPw\/Rclo4G4Uocs\/s1600\/cat.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"kitten on raw meat diet\" border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-uDDwsSKPCLI\/TwnyUSMJShI\/AAAAAAAABPw\/Rclo4G4Uocs\/s640\/cat.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EWhen we got our kitten a year ago, my mom very kindly gave us a little starter kit of some toys and a box of Arm\u0026amp;Hammer kitty litter. Nothing on the box said it was scented, but that stuff stank! I think people would rather smell just about anything than poo, but no one is really fooled- if you have a dirty litter box, some nasty perfume does not hide this fact. Perfumes are also composed of molecules that are toxic to humans and the environment and are best avoided.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EAlso, the standard clumping litter can wreak havoc on the internal organs of kittens. No, they should not be eating the litter \u003Ci\u003Eper se\u003C\/i\u003E, but they do lick every inch of themselves as part of their grooming ritual, including between every toe so they\u0026nbsp; can thoroughly remove those pesky clumps of kitty litter. This can cause a toxic amount of litter to get into their little systems: the clumping, dehydrating action of the litter is extremely bad for their health, and can cause death. Additionally, standard cat litters don't biodegrade, so produce more waste for landfills.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EAs handy as I found it to be able to scoop our kitty's pee cleanly away, I did not think it was worth putting up with the smell of perfume or risking the health of our kitten for my convenience, so I began researching more natural cat litters. It turns out there are many varieties, with of course a steeper price range for these alternative litters. There are all kinds of alternatives out there with various clumping abilities, so we went to our local pet store and spent about $16 on a ten pound bag of their wheat can litter. As frugal as we are, I wanted something that worked and something that wouldn't harm the cat.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EImagine my surprise when I dumped it into his freshly washed litter pan to discover that this expensive wheat kitty litter is literally just a bag of coarsely ground wheat. No magic ingredients. It wasn't even organic. Feeling a bit foolish since this expensive litter was nothing we couldn't have made ourselves for a fraction of the cost, I vowed next time to make my own.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-fGcvXzKxs8w\/TwnvMdcEXjI\/AAAAAAAABPY\/EuanmAvTFug\/s1600\/wheat3.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"bulk whole wheat\" border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-fGcvXzKxs8w\/TwnvMdcEXjI\/AAAAAAAABPY\/EuanmAvTFug\/s640\/wheat3.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EBulk whole wheat, available from health food stores, makes a simple, sustainable cat litter\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EDirections:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EYou can \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/01\/grind-your-own-flours-from-whole-grains.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Euse a grain grinder\u003C\/a\u003E on a coarse setting, or simply blend up some wheat berries until it's the consistency you want. I have found that the finer I grind the wheat, the better it clumps, but  you don't want it to be as fine as flour because that would be a bit dusty to have around. I try for a coarse meal, but the exact grind doesn't matter too  much.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EAlso, even though we are not eating it, we still choose to buy  organic wheat because it's important to support sustainable farming  practices whenever we can, and this is a very affordable way to do that. We buy organic animal-grade wheat (animal-grade means it hasn't been cleaned to the standards we expect for human consumption) from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.azurestandard.com\/?a_aid=z10mym6FoA\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAzure Standard\u003C\/a\u003E. It costs us $14.20 for 50 lbs: less than 1\/5 the cost of store-bought wheat cat litter! Any wheat berries will do, they are also available in bulk at your local natural food store. I love that when his litter pan is low, I can simply grind some wheat up and toss it in.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-SbxJ6zQOSDM\/Twnv9IOCiaI\/AAAAAAAABPg\/5k6JLK_B87Y\/s1600\/litter.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"homemade kitty litter\" border=\"0\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-SbxJ6zQOSDM\/Twnv9IOCiaI\/AAAAAAAABPg\/5k6JLK_B87Y\/s400\/litter.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EThis batch also has some whole feed-quality oats mixed in, which works fine too.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EIt's very simple to grind, the cat is just fine with it, and it can be composted or tossed in the yard waste pickup. Flushing even natural cat litter is discouraged because it contributes to toxoplasmosis in aquatic mammals. If you are pregnant, don't handle it or garden with compost made from cat litter. It can also safely be buried several inches below the ground. Your plants will love it. Our cat spends most of his time outdoors, so I only need to remove waste from the litter pan once or twice a week. If you have an indoor cat you would probably need to do it daily.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-371Hx4H2CIg\/TwnyqfSEiiI\/AAAAAAAABP4\/jfP9Xyg8dP4\/s1600\/catty.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"our happy cat\" border=\"0\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-371Hx4H2CIg\/TwnyqfSEiiI\/AAAAAAAABP4\/jfP9Xyg8dP4\/s640\/catty.JPG\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003EBelow I'm linking to some relevant Amazon ads. Any purchases made through them helps support our family. Thanks in advance!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = \"true\"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"lifeunpro-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"auto\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = \"51569011,2617941011,3760911,1000,172282,2238192011,16310101,3760901,1055398,133140011,284507,10272111,2972638011,2619533011,3375251\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"4c83c3c0de7a6fe51a218834f6977e15\"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {\"type\":\"search\",\"value\":\"Organic\"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = \"All\"; amzn_assoc_rows = \"1\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"https:\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2540991701924928771\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/01\/homemade-kitty-litter.html#comment-form","title":"108 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/2540991701924928771"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3846822951017254806\/posts\/default\/2540991701924928771"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com\/2012\/01\/homemade-kitty-litter.html","title":"Homemade Kitty Litter"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mellow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11320881197482295606"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-uDDwsSKPCLI\/TwnyUSMJShI\/AAAAAAAABPw\/Rclo4G4Uocs\/s72-c\/cat.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"108"}}]}});