For almost a year now, I’ve been personally testing eco-friendly dish soaps in search of one that is just as concentrated as conventional brands.  Then a conversation in the comments section of Eileen’s Eco-Pet Peeves post made me wonder if eco-friendly soap was any better than conventional soap.  Was my whole mission in vain?

During this conversation, Gina made the intriguing point that all dish soaps are bad for the environment, whether they’re advertised as “eco-friendly” or not.  Soap biodegrades in rivers and streams, algae feasts on it, and algae bloom results.  This lowers the oxygen levels in the water, which is detrimental to fish and wildlife.  Gina concludes, “The only way that soap can be slightly less bad for the environment is to come in more recyclable packaging and to be more highly concentrated so the bottles are smaller.”

Gina linked to this article, which claims that there’s no environmental advantage to either plant-based or petroleum-based soaps.  The article is written by the Soap and Detergent Association, “Home of the U.S. Cleaning Product and Oleochemical Industries^SM.”  As oleochemicals are derived from biological oils or fats (as opposed to petrochemicals, derived from petroleum), this appears to be a reputable source.

So what, exactly, is so “eco-friendly” about eco-friendly dish soap?  They usually advertise that they are plant-based rather than petroleum based, and they also claim to be phosphate free.  In addition, eco-friendly soaps contain natural fragrances.  Here are the issues we need to look at when seeking out soap:

Phosphates.  Here’s an article talking about the “phosphate problem.”  Phosphates are mainly to blame for the algae bloom mentioned above.  The article also contains a handy chart for figuring out which dish soap ingredients are desirable and undesirable.  I noticed that most brands of dish soap on store shelves advertised that they used no phosphates.

Plant-based vs. petroleum-based soaps.  I thought plant-based soaps must be better for the environment than oil-based ones–and I figured they’d be safer on aquatic life once they went down the drain.  However, my sister pointed out that coconut-based soaps come from . . . well, coconuts.  They do not grow those locally in Portland, Oregon, so where are they coming from?  Who knows how many coconuts have to be harvested and if they’re harvested in a sustainable manner.  Then they have to travel thousands of miles to be turned into soap.  Is this really eco-friendlier than using oil?

Biodegradability. Here’s another article that made me question the eco-friendliness of “biodegradable” soap: Even Biodegradable Soap Can Pollute Water Sources.

Plastic Bottles! The one thing that’s indisputably greener about conventional dish soap is the packaging.  If I used the generic $1.50 bottle of dish soap from Safeway, I’d go through just 2.7 bottles of the stuff in a year.  Plus, they often make refill bottles of the cheap conventional soap, so even fewer plastic bottles would head off to the recycling bin.  Compare that to eco-friendly soaps.  The most concentrated one I found did not last nearly as long as the conventional kind–so I’d go through at least five bottles of “eco-friendly” soap a year.

On Tuesday evening, I will finally post my much-awaited review of the eco-friendly soaps I tried.  I figured out how long they last, how much they cost, and how many plastic bottles they’d waste.  I’ll also reveal my solutions to the dish soap dilemma, so stay tuned!  In the meantime, please add to our conversation about soap and the environment by posting a comment.

For years I knew that baking soda had a huge variety of household applications.  We use it to make a soft scrub for the sink, we deodorize the fridge, it helps our muffins rise and can even be used as an antacid. 

But, thanks to a tip from Frugal Babe I tried baking soda as a shampoo.  When I first worked it into my hair the lack of suds and lather seemed a little strange.  Surprisingly, my hair was actually very soft and clean after the wash—as was my skin.   Since then I’ve heard that really oily hair can benefit from a quick “dry wash” with baking soda if there isn’t time for a full shampoo.  Just sprinkle the baking soda onto oily hair without wetting it, work into the roots, and brush out.

Frugal Babe also recommends storing vinegar in a spray bottle and spraying it on as a conditioner after a wet baking soda wash.  I gave this a try and felt like I was wearing “ode de pickle” all day.  Rebecca tried adding a bit of lemon essential oils to her apple cider vinegar spray and found that it worked well and smelled quite nice.

I have to admit that I haven’t tried this next idea, but it sounds rather intriguing. According to How Stuff Works.com, you can make your own toothpaste by mixing 3 parts baking soda with 1 part salt. You’ll need 3 teaspoons of glycerin (which can also be used to make homemade bubble solution) and 10 to 20 drops of flavoring (peppermint, wintergreen, anise, or cinnamon). It can all be mixed into a paste and then stored in a refillable squeeze bottle.  Although I haven’t tried baking soda toothpaste recipe, I know that just using baking soda on a wet brush works wonders. 

Bolstered by my success with baking soda shampoo, I tried using baking soda as a deodorant and found it works better than anything I’ve ever used before—including traditional brands with aluminum-based antiperspirants! I put a bit of lotion on my skin and then sprinkle on a little baking soda.   If you use too much baking soda, or put it directly on your skin, it can cause a rash so you have to experiment a bit with it.  Baking soda utterly wipes out the smell, so that even though I might sweat a bit there is no scent. 

Although there is no direct link between deodorant and breast cancer, spreading aluminum-based antiperspirant on skin that is located near several lymph nodes isn’t appealing to me—especially when breastfeeding.  Since high school I have been trying different versions of natural deodorants, only to find that none of them worked.  I had switched back to traditional brands but was trying to use them less frequently. It seemed like a difficult choice: do I want to expose my body to toxins, or feel smelly most of the time?   Thanks to baking soda, there is solution that works for my budget, my body, and the environment.

What a thrill to get to replace shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste and deodorant with more natural, eco-friendly, and thrifty alternatives!   It means saving over a dozen plastic containers a year costing around fifty dollars (on the cheap end) with one big cardboard box of ultra-cheap sodium bicarbonate.  My baking soda fervor continues next week as we explore how to use baking soda with baby.  

Click here if you’d like to join us for Thrifty Green Thursday and please check out the links below!

Diaper cream is something some babies never need.  Other babies, though, get it slathered on at every diaper change in order to avoid diaper rash.  Audrey was somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.  We used Burt’s Bees diaper cream and preferred it over other brands we tried.  I got a tube of Desitin for free and hated it.  Sure, it worked, but it also left terrible stains on our cloth diapers.  The Burt’s Bees cream seemed to go on more smoothly, soothe the skin, and protect from moisture without leaving residues on the diapers.  It also smells much better than petroleum-based Desitin.

There are two things I dislike about Burt’s Bees diaper cream: 1, the price.  At $7 a tube, it’s more expensive than mainstream brands.  But since I hardly buy any baby-care products for my daughter, I decided the splurge was worth it.  2. Burt’s Bees is actually owned by Clorox, so I guess it’s also a “mainstream brand” disguised by cute packaging.  The ingredients are still pure and natural, but if you choose to support only eco-conscious companies, you may want to look elsewhere.  Still, I can vouch for the great smell and performance of this product.  For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas, check out Rocks in My Dryer.

Do you have to use diaper cream to prevent or treat diaper rash?  Which brands do you recommend–or anti-recommend?  Did you seek out a non-toxic, “natural” diaper cream?  Let us know!

Several months ago I shared that my dark diapering secret online.  Even though we only used disposables at night, I hated having to toss the waste into the trash. Since my son out-wet our cloth diapers, it seemed there was no other option. 

Thanks to our wise readers’ comments, I tried pocket diapers with him a few months later and was thrilled.  No more wetting in the night!  This also meant no more trips to the grocery store to haul home disposables.  The sky was brighter, the birds sang more sweetly, and our garbage was delightfully emptier. 

Then Roscoe started to develop yeast infections on a regular basis.  We tried creams, giving him “naked time,” and sunlight, but the infections persisted.  Finally, in desperation, we switched back to disposables at night and Roscoe’s redness completely cleared up. 

I then tried switching back to pocket diapers, only to have the yeast infections return.  Intermittently I experimented with prefolds, all-in-ones and again with pocket diapers, only to find that he got yeast infections with every single option.  He bathes just before bedtime, so it can’t be a hygiene issue.  What would people do years ago before disposables were invented?  There must be a solution.

For now, we’re sad to say that Roscoe’s back in disposables at night.  Does anyone else struggle with yeast infections at night?  If so, have you found anything that works on a long term basis?  Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us!

Organic Baby Resource is holding an Organic Baby Contest.  Submit your reviews of organic baby products you’ve tried and you’ll be entered to win several great prizes, including a one-month supply of Plum Organics Baby Food, an organic baby t-shirt, a gift certificate from Wild Dill, Green to Grow bottles,  and a diaper cake from Grow In Style.  All this is worth over $350!

Baby Cheapskate posts about a 33% off sale on bumGenius cloth diapers!

Mindful Momma shares her homemade cracker recipe so you can avoid the excess packaging and the high price of the grocery store varieties.

Haute Nature links to several creative Halloween costumes and favor ideas.  My favorite: dressing your baby as a car air freshener!

Eco Child’s Play wrote about what may very well be the strangest baby gear I have ever seen: high heeled shoes for baby.   Wow.  I don’t even know what to say about those!

We’ve written a bit about breastfeeding and introducing cow’s milk, but what about infant formulas?  If you chose to feed your baby formula, how did you pick the brand?  Did you go with conventional formula or decide on an organic formula?

With so many organic products on store shelves, I was surprised to find very few organic formulas on the market:

Nature’s One Baby’s Only Organic Formula ($8.99 for 12.7 oz container–$.71/oz.) Note: This product claims to be a “toddler formula” and is not recommended for babies under twelve months old.

Earth’s Best Organic Formula ($14.95 for 13.2 oz container–$1.13/oz.)

Similac Organic Formula ($29.99 for 25.7 oz container–$1.17/oz.)

Bright Beginnings Organic Formula($149.95 for six 25.7 oz containers–$.97/oz.) Note: This brand appears to be available only online by the case.

There’s no doubt organic formula costs more than conventional formula.  A 12.9 oz. can of regular Similac costs $14.99 at Walgreens ($.86/oz.), and if you buy generic brands, it’s even cheaper.  Is it worth it to pay more for  formula that isn’t made with pesticides, hormones, and other chemicals?  If you, our readers, have had any experience with these or other organic formulas, please post a comment and let us know what you think!

Is it possible to have a wickedly wonderful Halloween without disposable costumes, expensive candy, and ultra sugar highs? Yes! You could …

A. Move to another country
B. Hibernate
C. Join a commune

Kidding—but seriously, there are a few ways to limit the cost and eco-impact of this year.

Tricks:

Throw a Halloween party: Our friends are going to celebrate the holiday with a party, allowing them to skip late night trick-or-treating with their children and manage the sugar factor a bit. I’ll have to pass along Rebecca’s recipe for wholesome pumpkin bars so they’ll have an easy treat that the kids can enjoy.

Manage the candy: We are planning on going trick-or-treating this year, but we’re just going to a few houses and limiting my son’s candy. We haven’t yet decided whether to let him gorge for one night and then give the rest of the candy to our co-workers, or provide a piece of candy to him daily for awhile. Option number one lets him enjoy and then get back to healthy habits but option number two might entail a huge stomachache and a late bedtime. What do you do about this?

Make the costumes: Using Rebecca’s clever costume ideas, your child can be a trend setter hobo baby this year! Hit the thrift shops and think outside the box!  Roscoe posed for this picture in his $4 resale shop pumpkin suit when he was just two months old. 

Treats:

Pennies: I still remember the woman in my neighborhood who gave out a small bag of pennies each year at Halloween. It was my favorite house! We might do this for little ones this year, but just hand them a few so that we don’t have to package them up. The older kids might not be thrilled with this option but I don’t think they’ll refuse free money.  Foreign coins would be especially cool but I’m not sure if I want to exchange money just for trick or treaters!

Stickers: It’s fun to know that children can have something to play with instead of eat in their Halloween bags. While this isn’t a perfect eco-option, it’s better than plastic wrappers that often can’t be recycled.

What are you doing this Halloween to keep the holiday healthy and green? I still haven’t decided what to pass out on Halloween night so I’d love to keep the ideas coming!

Thanks for joining us this week for Thrifty Green Thursday!  Want to jump in?  Read here to see where to start.

You could spend hundreds of dollars on an organic free-trade toxin-free biodegradable Halloween costume–or you could just make one yourself.  Do-it-yourself Halloween costumes (formerly called “last-minute Halloween costumes” or “lazy parents’ Halloween costumes”) may seem like the latest thing in green parenting, but really they’ve been around for years. 

Keep in mind that I’m not talking about a lovingly handmade Halloween costume that takes hours hunkered over the sewing machine.   I’m talking about ransacking the house for interesting odds and ends, putting them all on your child, and winding up with a one-of-a-kind Halloween costume that requires no raw materials.

Here are some ideas that I may or may not have tried on myself or my child:

1. Hobo.  This is a DIY classic, and easy to pull off using Dad’s  beloved pilled sweaters and garish ties from 7^th grade.  With a little ingenuity, “hobo baby” could also be accomplished with the contents of his or her own wardrobe.
2. Ragamuffin.  Variation of hobo, above.
3. Hippie.  Another classic.  “Hippie baby” would be especially funny if you could find some miniature John Lennon glasses to complete the look.  Try tie-dying some baby’s old white onesies using grape juice.  (Note: I have not actually tried this, but I am only partially kidding.)
4. Swimming bear.  All you need for this ensemble is a bear hat and swimming suit, which can be pulled over several layers of warm clothing.  My cousin thought this one up herself in her younger years.
5. Cold-weather bandit.  As you can see from the photo, you will need a parka, some patterned pants, a Zorro mask, and a cape.
6. Robot.  Dress your child in gray clothes and affix a metal colander or sieve on his head.  Voila!
7. Glad bag.  This same ingenious cousin who invented the “swimming bear” decided to masquerade as a garbage bag one year.   In this day and age, it may be better to go as a canvas bag instead.

More ideas: “George Washington” and . . . a big pumpkin with a small head?

As for Audrey, she’s thinking of being “Baby of the Eighties” or perhaps “Punk Rock Baby.”  I hope this list has inspired everyone to create a green Halloween costume that will be gentle on the planet and the pocketbook.   For more inspiring Works for Me Wednesday tips, head on over to Rocks in My Dryer. 

Please let us know if you have any creative DIY Halloween costume ideas to add to our list, and don’t forget to join us tomorrow evening for Thrifty Green Thursday!

I remember stumbling into the kitchen at 2am, staring into my vacant refrigerator and wanting to cry with hunger.  Whether you’ve been able to breastfeed or not, caring for baby in those early weeks is incredibly physically demanding—and requires a bit of chocolate now and then. 

 “Quick Energy Pick-ups” are the perfect solution for a starving momma.  The recipe has been tweaked a bit from its original form, but it’s still pretty marvelous, easy to make, and long-lasting.   It’ll take you about ten minutes to prepare, won’t require baking, and can easily accommodate vegans if you use graham crackers.    Since these keep well in the fridge, you might want to double the recipe and munch on them for as long as they’ll last.

No-Bake Quick Energy Pick-Ups

• 2/3 Cup flaked coconut
• 1 Cup powdered sugar (you can substitute ½ C. honey for this and then add some wheat germ to thicken up the dough)
• 1 Cup peanut butter (or almond butter, or sunflower seed butter if you’re trying to avoid peanuts)
• 1 Cup chocolate chips or raisins
• ½ Cup nonfat dry milk or crushed graham crackers
• 3 Tablespoons water

 Mix all ingredients except coconut in a medium bowl.

 Roll dough into balls and then roll in coconut mixture to coat.

 Refrigerate until you pop them into your mouth at 2am!  

Green and Clean Mom reveals that baby carrots are dipped in bleach to prevent those pesky white spots.  It looks like switching over to full-size carrots might be the way to go.

Also at Green and Clean Mom, I found a discussion about paying for trash: how do you pay for it?  If trash pick-up is paid by taxpayers, there is not much incentive for people to recycle or reduce the amount they toss each week.   Some people have to pay extra for recycling–yet pay very little for up to four bags of trash a week!   I guess I am a bit of a stickler about this issue.  I think the system should be set up so that recycling and community composting is mandatory and people have to pay for how much heads to a landfill.

This whole garbage discussion originated over at Enviromom, who issued a One Can a Month challenge last July.   Even if your city offers no incentives for reducing the amount of trash throw away, you can still find ways to reduce the amount you consume.  Enviromom has several ideas for cutting down  the amount of garbage you generate, room by room.

And speaking of Enviromom, The Green Baby Guide was proud to be featured along with this great Portland-based website in the special baby issue of Metro Parent.  You can read it online–we’re in the article called “Growing a ‘Green’ Baby.”

Despite my claim to hate buying in bulk, I was intrigued by Call Her Blessed’s post about making a HUGE vat of salsa.  She divides it up into dozens of jars and keeps it in her fridge for months.   You could also can the salsa, but she says this changes the flavor a bit.  I am now inspired to whip up a cauldron of salsa of my own!

Maybe Joy’s Thrifty Green Thursday “Using a Pantry to Save Time, Money, and the Planet” post has influenced me just a bit, because I found myself reading Happy to Be at Home‘s Freezer Cooking 101 tutorial with interest.  Very strange, considering my twin dislikes of bulk buying and thawed out food.  (I discussed this a bit in my Eco-friendly and Budget-friendly Alternatives to Takeout post.)

Please let me know what you think about any one of these issues by posting a comment!