*this is a post from October 2011 that did not transfer when I switched to wordpress, so I thought I would republish it for you!
I just received a nice comment from a reader on my Get Clean post, and I wanted to reply, but thought it may be something you might all be interested in. She said, “Hun, all you really need is vinegar and water with some tea tree oil and that will clean anything and everything. And you can make your own natural laundry detergent and dishwashing detergent all for very cheap.” Before Switching to Shaklee, I too was using a lot of vinegar, baking soda, tea tree oil, and lavender oil. I was never happy with the end results, and essentially hated the smell! And it kept corroding my shower drain, and rusted the screws on my toilet seat.
But, it was “natural” and cheaper than conventional cleaners which is why I used it.You can even see these things in the front left of my “cleaners before” pictures.
When I switched to Shaklee’s Basic H I also started saving money. Tea Tree Oil is at least $6 for a couple of ounces and Vinegar is at least $3 a bottle. 16oz of Basic H is $10.35 and is the equivalent to over 3,400 bottles of Windex! I’ve been using it for 3 months now and haven’t gone through 1/8 of a bottle. So for less than 25 CENTS, I’m able to make an entire bottle of all purpose cleaner, an entire bottle of window cleaner, AND an entire bottle of degreaser! Now, I keep my vinegar in my pantry solely for cooking! And I keep my tea tree oil in the medicine cabinet for its antiseptic qualities and for treating spiders and other critters. And as far as the laundry detergent and dish soap, I would spend a ton on organic soaps to have enough to make my own detergents. And who has time for that?
Yes, vinegar is almost natural (provided it is in its natural form), as it does not pollute the environment. But, is Vinegar safe? Perhaps it might be safe for us, but we have to remember one thing about Vinegar: It is an acid. That it is not necessarily good for all plant life. Also, Baking Soda mixed with Vinegar will produce a gas (which can be harmless to a certain degree.) Almost every living thing has a certain acid-base balance (pH level). If you take something that is of a higher pH level, it most likely will break up proteins and more. And it makes its way back to the earth as an acid in the end.
Another thing to consider is that when you put vinegar on your skin, you’re introducing a change in your skin’s acid chemistry. Our skin and blood is not the same pH balance as vinegar. Should Vinegar get into your bloodstream, it can do some wonders for purifying, but it can also work against your digestive tract. People experience things like heartburn or other uncomfortable things with a different acid mix. In the long run, Vinegar may end up becoming a carcinogen if mixed with the wrong chemical elements.
One of the beautiful thing about Bacic H is that it is pH balanced for the human body and unlike Vinegar, is Organic, has living vegetable enzymes to do the hard work and is Non-Toxic. I know women who bathe their kids in Basic H (why not, it’s organic and you don’t have to clean your tub?), but I would NEVER fathom bathing my daughter in Vinegar. Gag. Also, unlike Vinegar, Basic H biodegrades quickly and will not harm a water’s ecosystem. In fact, it helps it by becoming plant food. AND, it has no smell! And, it cleans way better with less effort than Vinegar and/or baking soda ever did for me.
And what about the packaging? How long do you think it takes that plastic jug to break down? Basic H’s bottle is completely recycled and biodegradable, and is shipped in a recycled boxes. Through the sale of Shaklee’s Basic H, in the last year alone, Shaklee has eliminated 2.7 billion bottles of conventional, ready-to-use 26-ounce window cleaner — if placed end-to-end, these bottles would wrap around the earth more than 18 times! For every Get Clean Kit Shaklee sells, Shaklee plants five trees as part of our Million Trees Million Dreams Campaign. And the consumer eliminates 108 pounds of waste from landfills and 248 pounds of greenhouse gases – in just one kit!
Make the switch for your family today!
I hope that helps you all!
Thoughts?
