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I had heard that the September Homegrown Collective box was a great one, so I was totally waiting on mine to appear! The Homegrown Collective includes seasonally appropriate, professionally curated products that deliver the satisfaction of living a more self-sufficient & sustainable lifestyle to your doorstep each month.
The Homegrown Collective ships via USPS Priority Mail and it arrived in two days, which I love. Some lady at the Post Office (well the gas station that has a post office in it) was complaining about how she ships things using Priority Mail and it doesn’t really come in two days, blah, blah, blah. But I still think that USPS Priority Mail is where it’s at!
The Homegrown Collective always takes great care to pack their boxes neat and secure to avoid any breakage and they really do a great job. They include glass and / or liquid in almost every shipment and it’s amazing that they ship out so many boxes without issue!
The September Homegrown Collective theme is “Back-To-School: Sustainable Laundry 101” and includes sustainable laundry products which are not only good for the environment, but are also good for you, your family and your budget. Here’s what was included:
Soap Nuts: I have never heard of washing your clothes with soap nuts (which contain saponin) before, but I have a pile of laundry to do so I figured why not give it a go? I made sure that the muslin bag was closed tight so that the soap nuts were secure. I usually use Honest Co. pods and didn’t notice much of a difference. Which I am guessing is good!! Soap nuts are suppose to be the ideal answer for sensitive skin and also naturally soften and add body to your clothes. I’m not too sure how long (i.e. how many washes) these will last, but they really do seem like they’d be a money saver!
Wool Dyer Balls: I actually use wool dryer balls (I use 4 at a time though) and they really do work. But adding a little essential oil is a genius idea to give your clothes a fresh scent when they come out of the dyer. I am using this on all the dryer balls I already have!
Olive Oil Castle Soap: You can use this soap, which is non-drying, as directly on the skin and / or as a shampoo bar! I have always wants to try a shampoo bar and this is my lucky day! I will for sure report back on how this goes! I washed my hands with it and they really did feel nice and soft after.
~Laundry Soap: You can “make” your own laundry soap by grating the olive oil castile soap with the washing soda + salt. I didn’t use this yet because I have been using the soap nuts! You only need to use one tablespoon of this per load though, which is awesome. Does anyone know where you can buy washing soda + salt? This is an online item? Something you pick up from a local store? I’d love to continue this once mine runs out!
~Bleach Alternative: The final item in the box is a bleach alternative. I’m not exactly sure what this is, but I am guessing google could tell me?? Wait, I just googled and its’ a “oxygen-based compound” while bleach is a “chlorine-based compound”! I love me some bleach and while I don’t love this quite as much, I do love that it is much safer for my family and for the environment!
As usual, I didn’t do a value calculation for the September Homegrown Collective box since it would have been too difficult. But like always, I feel like it’s worth the price tag if working towards being “green” is something you are interested in. I always learn something new with each The Homegrown Collective box, which I love!. Boxes are $48 /month and, of course, are even cheaper if you buy a 6-month ($39/month) or 12-month ($35.75/month) subscription! If you are interested in subscribing, or just want to learn more, click here.
You can buy washing soda in the same aisle as laundry detergent in Walmart (we don’t have target but they should also have it). It is actually very inexpensive for a big box. I have always thought about making laundry detergent but I am using honest company right now, I also wanted to try soap nuts. This is on my list of must try boxes eventually!
You can find washing soda in the laundry isle at larger grocery stores. It is usually by the borax. I think arm and hammer makes one. Just make sure it says washing SODA because there are some that look the same. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it with salt added though.
My laundry soap recipe is equal parts grated fels naphtha or castille soap, borax, washing soda and half oxiclean. I’ve probably used it for 10 years and have super sensitive skin.
I saw soap nuts on shark tank during shark tank week they are pretty cool. They will last up to 10 washes before you need new nuts. I especially liked the demonstration they did where they put one soap nut in a container of water shook it a couple times and bam soapy water from a nut.