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Hi, I’m Tina.

That’s my co-creator, Birdie. I’m a maker of all things home, whether that’s a quilt to cozy up with or a sweet treat.

Around the Home Essentials

Around the Home Essentials

Tina Peter
All Things Home

Stock up on these environmentally friendly essentials.

Never think twice about the products you use to clean your home.

Always have storage solutions.

Ditch the Dirty Toxins from your life and home!

It’s crazy to think that just a few items can make life that much simpler, healthier and easier to organize and maintain.

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It’s week 3 of quarantine for me and all of this time at home made me think about the home products I’m so grateful I stocked up on before this craziness ever happened. Here are 5 products that I am so grateful to have during this time.

Check them out:

#1 Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap: You can use this soap for just about anything and it comes in a variety of scents. It’s super clean and free of harmful chemicals - check out EWG.org for ratings. My two favroite scents are citrus and rose. I love the citrus scent because it smells so fresh and clean. The rose scents leaves a sparkling elegant floral smell around my home. I use Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap for just about everything - doing my dishes, getting stains out of the couch or laundry, whipping down counter-tops and other hard surfaces, and hand soap. Yes, mix water and Dr. Bronner’s in a foaming hand dispenser and - volia - you have hand soap that is budget friendly! The ways to use Dr. Bronner’s are endless:

  • Hand Soap: In the picture above, I reused a foaming hand soap dispenser I already had. That brand, although the scent was lovely, cost around $7 per bottle. That’s way too expensive for me, especially when compared to my Dr. Bronner’s option. About 20 drops of Dr. Bronner’s mixed with water doesn’t even cost me $1! It is much more budget friendly and I still get a wonderful scent and clean hands! Plus, a reusable soap dispenser is much better for the environment and cuts down on unnecessary waste - check out the glass options below.

  • Dishes: I keep a smaller Dr. Bronner’s bottle by the sink. I add a couple drops to a sponge, scrub, and my dishes come out sparkling clean. Since Dr. Bronner’s is concentrated, a little goes a long way, which also means it lasts longer. A couple drops and my sponge is sudsy with intense grease fighting power.

  • Surface Cleaner, Floor Cleaner & Stain Remover - all in one: I mix Dr. Bronner’s and water in a spray bottle to make my counter-top cleaner. If my couch or piece of clothing has a stain, I use that same spray bottle to spritz the area before scrubbing or throwing in the washing machine. Also, I use it on my hardwood floors for a good mopping. Just add a couple drops to a bucket of warm water and you’re good to go!

    The key to using Dr. Bronner’s is to dilute it. The label details it’s multiple uses and dilution ratios for the perfect cleaning power. Dr. Bronner’s is gentle, yet so powerful - give it a try and you’ll never use anything else!

  • Tough Scrub Surfaces: That’s right, I use Dr. Bronners’s mixed with baking soda to create a paste to scrub my tubs and showers. Well, actually the bathroom cleaning is my husband’s job. He would insist on using scrubbing bubbles, but I was always so sensitive to it’s intense and toxic smell. It also has a scary D rating on EWG.org. I suggested he use the baking soda mixture and now he’s hooked and doesn’t use anything else!

#2 Stasher Bags: When I first purchased my Stasher bags I had never even heard of the company before and I was skeptical. Now they are everywhere and for good reason - they are awesome! I bought my first round of Stasher bags because I was tired of buying plastic bags that I knew - being an Earth Science teacher - end up in a landfill for way too many years before they decompose, all the while adding unhealthy toxins to our planet. I wanted a better solution for our planet and I literally wanted to stop throwing money away. I was hesitant to buy Stasher because of the price, but after researching other options, I decided Stasher was the best option. The feature I love most is you can put them right in the dishwater! No trying to scrub by hand, just open them up, place in your dishwasher, run it, and they will come out sparkling clean - how easy! You can also boil them and use as freezer bags.

I have since stocked up on Stasher bags and probably have twenty of all different sizes. It is an investment, but I know I will have them for a very long time, if not for life because so far they look brand new. The key to stocking up is to get them on sale! Amazon sometimes will have their lighting deal on them, which is a great time to stock up. Add them to your wish list and Amazon will notify you when they go on sale.

#3 Ball Jars: These jars are great for storage! You can store miscellaneous buttons, nails, nuts, stickers, colored pencils, etc. You can prep smoothies for on the go, use them for your summer cocktails, and gift large jars of sangria or cookie mix to a lucky neighbor or friend. You can even use them as vases for your herbs right in your kitchen! They create a cohesive storage look. If you have multiple sizes, you’ll be prepared to store anything, especially if you have the plastic twist lids!

#4 Reusable Bamboo Towels: Remember when I said I hate to throw away money? Well, that’s exactly what you do when you use paper towels! Think about how many paper towels you go through just to wipe down your kitchen counter. No worries - I have an eco-friendly alternative for that you’ll love! These bamboo towels are incredible absorbent, thick, and durable. After each use, I rinse them out in hot water. They dry quickly, but if you want to zap away any bacteria and dry them even quicker - put them in the microwave. One minute in the microwave will completely dry the towel, then I place under the sink so it is out of sight. If they need a good clean, throw them in the washing machine and they’ll come out good as new. Plus, you’ll feel so much better saving the environment from unnecessary waste and over time you’ll save A LOT of money!

 
 

#5 EO Hand Soap: I know I mentioned earlier that Dr. Bronner’s castile soap is amazing - and it is! However, if foaming hand soap is not your thing, but you still want a clean low EWG rating product then EO Soap is for you! This hand soap is packed with essential oils - so immediately feel the relaxing or energizing benefits of whatever scent you choose every time you wash your hands. I get complements and questions about this hand soap when friends are over. Please, don’t be fooled by the popular Mrs. Meyer’s products - their ratings are not good! We want to ditch the dirty toxins in our lives and homes! You might get sticker shock with some of these bulk items, but if you do the math they are so worth buying! A single bottle of hand soap could cost $10. Simply: buy in bulk, never run out, save money and help the environment with less plastic!

I would love to hear all about the home products you are grateful for during this time! Leave a comment below!

Create a happy and healthy home.

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