#3 Eliminating Toxins from Your Home- Dish Soap

As I've told you before, eliminating toxins is a step-by-step process. You can't possibly do it all in one day. I hope that by now you might have had time to make the laundry detergent and/or the dishwasher tabs. If you have not, that's ok, too. This is your journey and I am merely providing you some tools that I have found helpful. 

Today's post will revolve around dishes- again. I am sharing my dish soap recipe with you. Please note, this is for hand-washing your dishes, NOT for the dishwasher (see the post on dishwasher tabs for that). 

(Note: this detergent won't create suds like you're probably used to. It is fine for regular dishes, but may not cut it for super oily stuff)

What you need: 

An empty pump or squeeze bottle of some sort (20 oz capacity)

2 cups hot water

1 TBSP Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

1/2 cup liquid Castille Soap

1 TBSP white vinegar

optional: essential oil-  I use 8 drops Thieves and 8 drops Lemon (for more on essential oils, contact me via email: Finnyfarm1@gmail.com)

Dissolve washing soda in hot water, then add the other ingredients to your container. Please make sure the soda is completely dissolved before you add other ingredients, otherwise it will NOT work. 

# 2 Eliminating Toxins from your home- Dishwasher Detergent

It's time for another recipe from your's truly! 

A couple weeks ago, I shared my recipe for laundry detergent concentrate- let me know how it went and how you like it! Today I will share with you another very cost-effective hack for your home that is also a healthier option for you and your family. 

1 Cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (you should already have this in your cup board from making the laundry detergent, but if not, you can buy it here)

1 Cup Sea Salt (don't just use kosher salt, it won't work right...)

1/2 Cup Baking Soda

1/2 Cup Citric Acid ( I buy this kind)

Now, please DON'T STOP HERE!!! Keep reading!

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and then use an empty egg carton or an ice cube tray and spoon 1 TBS of the blend into each compartment. If you skip this step, you will end up with a huge clump of detergent in your container. There is a dry reaction that occurs between the ingredients that turns the powder into a solid clump. Just make sure the size of the tabs you're making will fit into the compartment in your dishwasher. 

I also use a 50/50 solution of white vinegar in the rinse aid compartment of my machine. Alternatively, you can place a cup with vinegar in the top rack. As the washing cycle happens, the vinegar will slowly flow out and distribute. 

A note: This is a Borax-free recipe. I have found that adding Borax makes my dishes more clean than without. Borax gets a bad rep for being "toxic." Here is a nice reference that explains it nicely: 

"Is Borax Toxic?

After thorough research, I have concluded borax is only as toxic as baking soda or table salt; if you ingest it in high quantities, it may make you sick. If you use it as described in our recipes, it poses no toxic threat.

Just make sure you don’t confuse borax with boric acid, the two are NOT the same. Use borax (I recommend 20 Mule Team brand), and steer clear of boric acid" (source provided).

So here is a second recipe that includes Borax:

1 Cup Borax, 1 Cup Washing Soda, 1/2 Cup Citric Acid, 1/2 Cup Kosher Salt. 

Either way, your cost-savings will be immense. Let me know what you think!

Until the next recipe...

~Yvonne

Source: http://www.diynatural.com/homemade-laundry...

All the buzz...

Marketing food has become some-what of an art these days. Tags and catch phrases like "organic," "local," "raw," "natural," "cage -free," "free-ranged," and "home-made" seem to give folks more comfort in what they buy. However, without knowing what each of those things mean, it really gets confusing.  One tag that recently caught my eye is “raw honey”. What does that mean anyway? Well, with all the buzz words……it depends.

source: goo.gl/oe7s6  

source: goo.gl/oe7s6

 

 

Most store bought honey is pasteurized to reduce the moisture content and avoid any possibility of spoilage, appear clearer, and more appealing on the shelf. When heated, the taste, as well as the yeast and enzymes which activate vitamins and minerals in the body, are destroyed. It’s also filtered to the point that it actually loses other health benefits like microscopic particles of pollen. This makes it no longer "raw."

Further, most store bought honey is of mixed origins, including USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and others. That makes them not "local," and therefore greatly reduces the benefits that honey can have on reducing seasonal allergies.

Lastly, "organic" honey pretty must doesn’t exist. Since bees can forage up to 5 miles from their hive, one would have to certify all that land, for 5 miles in all directions, as also organic.  I’ve seen honey labeled as organic that was from Brazil, but it was commercial honey that was certainly not local and more than likely pasteurized.

So, where does Finny Farm honey fall?

Finny Farm honey is raw honey. That translates to unpasteurized (unheated), local (Coweta County) minimally filtered (only enough to remove small bit of wax) honey. Basically it goes from the hive, into the extractor, through a sieve, and then into bottles. That’s it!

The good Lord gave us these amazing creatures that make for us an amazing product. Why then do we think that we can improved upon it?

~ Bobby

A small side note: Our chickens are cage-free, meaning we let them roam within a generous enclosure. They are not free to roam our property as they please, meaning they are not "free-ranged"- we simply were tired of providing easy prey to the hawks. 

#1 Eliminating toxins from your home-Laundry Detergent

If you are on social media, or anywhere on the web, for that matter, chances are you have seen this image, or one like it at some point in the recent past:

http://www.drkarenslee.com/10-common-toxic-chemicals-to-avoid-part-1/

http://www.drkarenslee.com/10-common-toxic-chemicals-to-avoid-part-1/

If you have read our website and know what we are about, then you know that toxin-free living is our passion and goal. It can be overwhelming, and the internet is a vortex that steals your time. Here is a simple rule to follow: 1 STEP AT A TIME!!!

That's right- don't try to do it all at once. It is utterly overwhelming! 

We started simple- many, many years ago- with laundry detergent. Not only is it a first step in eliminating unwanted chemicals from your home, it is also a very affordable option!

 

Chances are, you have found a liquid laundry detergent recipe online:

1/2 bar of Fels Naptha soap

1/2 cup washing soda (from the laundry aisle)

1/2 cup borax (also in the laundry aisle)

2 Gallons of water

grate your soap, melt it on the stove top, add washing soda and borax, add more water... let sit for 24 hours, stir... Sound familiar? yep- that's the one we used for years. For  full step by step instructions go to http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm

This detergent works very nicely, but I didn't like storing 2 gallons worth of detergent AND then there was also that other half bar of soap... If you double the batch, which is easily done, you now have to store 4 gallons... you get the point. 

I have modified this recipe slightly;

1 bar of Fels Naptha soap, grated in my food processor

1 cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda

1 cup of Mule Team Borax 

2 quarts of water

optional: 40 drops of Lemongrass essential oil (this is totally optional, but it does wonders for stinky athletic clothes!)

Step 1: grate your bar soap, either with a hand grater or in your food processor. The smaller the pieces, the easier it will melt. 

Step 2: Heat 2 cups of water in a large pot on your stove. Add soap and stir until dissolved. 

Step 3: Add 6 more cups of water, washing soda, and borax. Stir while bringing to a slow boil. 

Step 4: Let this concoction sit covered overnight (~24 hrs). you will find that the top is fairly thick and almost solid and most of the liquid will be separated underneath. 

Step 5: using an immersion blender, carefully mix until you get a nice, smooth and creamy result. It will almost be the consistency of lotion or mayonnaise. Now you can add your essential oils if wanted. 

Step 6: Store in 2 quart sized Mason Jars (or any other empty jar you can find) I use between 1-2 tsp (yes, teaspoon) per load. If you average 1.5 tsp per load, that's 242 loads!!! (and it costs less than $4 to make)

Try it out...let me know what you think!

~Yvonne

If you prefer a powdered laundry detergent option, try this one from diy natural:

http://www.diynatural.com/homemade-laundry-detergent-soap/

A stinky matter...

Do you know what’s in your deodorant?

 

There has been quite a bit of talk and news about deodorant in the past several years. Is Aluminum in your deodorant toxic to you? Does it cause cancer? What about perfume additives? Preservatives?

 

Should we just make our own concoction? I have boys. Busy, active, athletic, stinky boys. One of them a teen. Enough said.

 

My point is, I’ve been looking into several different options and types, have spent countless dollars on different products, and have experimented with a few “home remedies” -from straight up baking soda, to essential oils, deodorant crystals, aluminum-free deodorants, unscented ones…you name it. Here is a (incomplete) summary of my “research”:

 

1)      Aluminum Crystal

I have to admit, this type works the best for me:

…but it’s straight up aluminum crystal. Yep, the stuff that causes such controversy about cancer and Alzheimer. I have NOT done extensive research on this and don’t have an opinion on safety either way. It has worked, quite well, actually. The benefits? No perfumes, scents, irritants and it keeps sweat in check and I honestly DON’T SMELL when I use it.

 

2)      Baking Soda-based unscented deodorant:

This one is free from Aluminum, the major active ingredient is baking soda, and it does not have any scent to it. Result? It appears to be working fine for regular day-to-day activities and doesn’t really have a smell to it. But is fails the “Teenager-test”!!! Sadly, this does not hold up to the busy, active, athletic teenage boy smell. It just doesn’t. Plain and simple.

 

3)      Straight up Baking Soda:

This is messy, people! The other downside is , that many people can be sensitive to too much baking soda straight on their skin.  You basically keep a box of baking soda on your counter and after your shower you dip your fingers into the powder and apply it to your damp pits. I can’t even honestly tell you, how well this did or didn’t work, as I hated the application process and didn’t even stick with it long enough to give you a proper review.

 

4)      Natural, toxin-free deodorant brand:

The ingredient list is somewhat impressive. I feel good about using this product on my skin and also purchased one for my 10-year-old, as it does not contain aluminum. The lavender scent is also very nice. The price was decent- a little more than other store brands, and difficult to find a coupon, but still within “reasonable.” But… after considerable time (more than 6 months) I have to conclude that it just does not do the job! It’s too bad, really, because this was an easy option for me…

 

5)      Home-made options:

I’ve been experimenting some with different ingredients, such as coconut oil and essential oils, but again am still hung up on the consistency. I’ve added bentonite clay, baking soda, bees wax, and other fun ingredients to play with consistency and effectiveness. I am not super crazy about applying the deodorant with my hands. I prefer a stick. I found a recipe that works great, and have finally figured out how to make it firm enough to hold up as a stick.  This is the one you will find in our shop. It’s not that difficult to make, but it is messy and the essential oils make it pricey. But, alas, I am happy to have found an option that works very well.

 

Here are some links to some recipes if you want to give it a shot yourself. If you want an option that works, head on over to our shop!

~Yvonne

 

 

Just the facts...

“If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live”.- Albert Einstein.

I thought I would share a few honey bee facts that help folks realize how amazing these little critters really are….

JUST THE FACTS

 

1.     Honey Bees are the only insect that produces food eaten by humans.

2.     Honey is the original “super-food”. It’s the only food that includes enzymes, vitamins, minerals, water, and pinocembrin (an antioxidant associated with improved brain function).

3.     Honey Bees’ wings beat 200 times per second and they can fly at 15 miles per hour.

4.     Each worker produces approximately 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in their lifetime.

xhow-do-bees-make-honey.jpg.pagespeed.ic.eaP1mFR_U4.jpg

5.     Foraging bees fly 55,000 miles to product one pound of honey.

6.     They are fuel efficient. It would take approximately 1 ounce of honey to fuel a bee’s flight around the world one time.

7.     A single honey bee visits 50-100 flowers on each trip out.

8.      A colony of bees consists of 15,000 to 70,000 bees.

This little lady with the yellow dot is the queen!

This little lady with the yellow dot is the queen!

9.     Worker bees live for only 6 weeks in the summer months as they literally work themselves to death.

10.                        Queen bees can live 4-5 years, but are most productive in their first 1-2 years.

11.                         A queen bee can lay up to 1500 eggs per day and she determines if she lays a fertilized egg (female worker bees) or an unfertilized egg (male done bee).

12.                        Drones (male bees) die after mating. L

13.                        Honey bees are not aggressive by nature, but getting stung does hurt. But, it would take 1100 stings to be fatal.

I don't suggest you try this, but this guy was not harmed by these gentle creatures!

I don't suggest you try this, but this guy was not harmed by these gentle creatures!

14.                        Honey bee account for over 70% of all crop pollination.

 ~ Bobby