The Natural Bathroom: Money Saving and Good for You

The Natural Bathroom: Money Saving and Good for You

I’ve got four simple recipes for the bathroom that are easy, help save you some money and are a sure-fired way to help you from putting un-necessary chemicals into your body and the bodies of your family.  And these are all recipes that can be mixed up in minutes.

First on the agenda is toothpaste.  With three simple ingredients, you can have a whitening, cleansing toothpaste that helps to balance the pH in your mouth while tackling plaque.  It includes baking soda, which the American Dental Association considers safe to use every day to keep teeth clean.  You’ll also be using some coconut oil, and there’s limited evidence that this helps reduce cavity-causing bacteria. 

Homemade Toothpaste

½ cup gently melted coconut oil

½ cup baking soda

Stevia drops

Peppermint essential oil (or another to taste like lemon or orange)

Whisk together and add a few drops of stevia (sweet to taste) and a few drops of peppermint essential oil (flavors the mix).  Mix it all well.  Find a clean, small glass jar or small jelly jar with tight-fitting lid to add it to.  Store it close by your toothbrush in a cool, darkened place like your medicine cabinet.  When ready to brush your teeth, take a clean popsicle stick and dip it in and put a small amount on your toothbrush.

Homemade Mouthwash

This recipe comes from DIYNatural @ Homemade Mouthwash: A Natural Antibacterial Recipe for Fresh Breath (diynatural.com)

Mix the following and when using shake each time to make sure it is well-mixed.

• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ cup filtered water (or distilled)
• 2 drops tea tree essential oil
• 2 drops peppermint essential oil

Put it in a 4-ounce mason jar.  They even give you amounts for how much money you’ll save making your own versus purchasing mouthwash.

Shower Spray

I use daily shower spray in between scrubbings to keep mold, mildew, spots and soap scum at bay.  But the commercial blends were costing me a fortune, not to mention having chemicals added.   I came up with an easy solution---my own shower spray.  I invested in a nice spray bottle.  To the bottle I added 1 ½ cups distilled water, ½ cup isopropyl alcohol 70% or stronger and 10 drops of essential oil, plus a drop or two of Dawn dishwashing detergent.  Mix well and spray daily.  Essential oils to use include Tea Tree, Lemon, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Rosemary or any of the scents you prefer.

Wet Wipes

*Note: these are NOT flushable

This recipe comes from DIY mama @ How to Make Wet Wipes from Paper Towels | The Kitchn

How To Make Wet Wipes from Paper Towels & Soap

What You Need

Supplies
Paper towel roll
1 1/2 cups distilled water
1 tablespoon baby castile soap or baby wash (keep this gentle to avoid skin irritation, especially if regularly using on faces and bums)
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
1 teaspoon of a light oil like grapeseed or sweet almond
5 drops tea tree essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil

Equipment
Plastic container with lid
Pencil or marker
Serrated knife
Measuring cups and spoons
Whisk

Instructions

1. Mark where to cut the paper towel roll so it fits in the container: Put the paper towel roll in the storage container you plan to use for the wipes. Mark where to cut the roll so that it will fit inside. It should be about 1/3 to 1/2 of the size of the paper towel roll.
2. Cut the paper towel in half: Cut the paper towel roll in half along the width. Be prepared that this is going to be harder than you think it will be! A serrated bread knife seems to cut the best, but there will still be plenty of sawing.
3. Whisk together the cleaning solution ingredients: Pour all of the liquid ingredients in a measuring cup and whisk together until combined. Note: You can skip the soap altogether if you or your baby has really sensitive skin.
4. Position the paper towels in the storage container: With the cut side down, put the paper towels in the storage container.
5. Pour in the solution: Pour the solution over the wipes, circling around to get the liquid on all of the paper towels.
6. Soak the paper towels in the solution: Close the container and let the solution soak into the wipes for a couple of hours. You can flip the container over to help disperse the liquid.
7. Remove the cardboard roll to pull out wipes: Remove the center cardboard piece. This will pull out the first wipe. Continue to pull the wipes from the center.

To use: Replace the lid after each use to keep the wipes from drying out. If they do dry out you can add a bit more water to remoisten.

I’ll add two tips:  You can use Dawn for the soap, and a glass mason jar as the container if you cut the paper towels to fit your jar.

Have fun experimenting and going natural!