Going...Green?

To be honest, the phrase "going green" bothers me. For one, there is no definition of what that means. For example, a bill I received from Kaiser yesterday had this line on it: Go green! Pay your bill online at (website).

The only problem with this, Kaiser already sent all the papers and by paying my bill online I am not doing anything to be "green." No more paper is generated, I simply tear off a portion of what they already sent and send it back to them, in the envelope provided. On the contrary, I am actually supporting the USPS by mailing in my payment.

In the architecture/design industry, the phrase "green" is thrown around a lot. Clients want a green building without really knowing what that means. Often times it can cost more to implement "green" products or building systems, and the cost savings doesn't show up until years down the road.

Now, I know I sound rather negative so far. Let me say this, I am in favor of being environmentally conscious. God has given us this earth to live on, enjoy and care for. We ought to be good stewards. That being said, I struggle with the balance of living out that conviction while also maintaining a budget. We do little things around the house, like using cloth napkins (sometimes), taking reusable bags to the grocery store, and recycling paper, cardboard and plastic. Here are some other small steps I've taken so far, what's working and what's not.

Homemade Laundry Detergent
This is extremely cheap to make. I've tried two versions, one liquid and one powder. I did not like the liquid version. For one, the recipe I used made a 5-gallon bucket of detergent which is difficult to store. And it just didn't seem to do the job on the kids clothes. They play hard and get a lot of stains. We have very hard water, so I don't know if that affected how well it worked.
This powdered version from Joyful Thrifty Home is what I use. It's easy to make, especially if you have a food processor. The only negative, it doesn't work well for washing in cold water. It doesn't seem to fully dissolve. So for my cold loads I use liquid Tide. I also add a little Oxiclean to my warm water loads. And I spot treat the tough stains. Here's what my laundry cabinet looks like:

Super Washing Soda, Baking Soda, Borax, Tide cold water, my homemade detergent, and spot treatment

Homemade Glass Cleaner
 I can't remember where I got this recipe from, but there are tons out there.

1 clean 32 ounce spray bottle

1/3 cup white vinegar

¼ cup rubbing alcohol

3 ½ cups water.

 Mix all the ingredients in the spray bottle and shake gently before using. Spray on dirty windowpane or other glass surface and dry with a crumpled newspaper. (I use a paper towel)

Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner
I made this Multi-Purpose Citrus Cleaner a while back and have been happy with it so far. My only complaint, I did not put enough orange peels in the jar to completely mask the vinegar smell. She recommends adding essential oils, which I do not have, so that would probably take care of the vinegar smell issue. Also, I have a very strong sense of smell that in this case works against me.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
I like the idea of this and really wish it worked better for us. I do keep some on hand in case I run out of the regular stuff. This is the recipe I made from Stacy Makes Cents.
As I mentioned before, we have very hard water so that may have played a factor in how well this worked. Even when I use regular, Target brand dishwashing powder I have to fill the main compartment with half Lemi-Shine. And by the way, if you have hard water and have not discovered Lemi-Shine, it's time to be enlightened. It's made a huge difference in how well our dishwasher works. The cheapest place I've found it is at Wal-Mart.

 The main thing I like about using these homemade cleaners is that if Caleb accidentally gets a hold of one it will not hurt him. Because he has in the past made his way under the kitchen sink and sprayed a spray bottle on himself. 

To be honest, my main motivation for trying all these natural, homemade cleaning recipes was cost savings. Since we are a one-income family I try very hard to be as good of a steward as I can with our money. Which, even if I was still working, I would want to try and do anyways. The added benefit of not having chemicals around the kids is a plus, and also knowing that maybe, in a small way, I am doing my part to be more environmentally conscious.

Do you have any favorite homemade cleaning recipes? If so, let me know! I'm open to trying more.