As you probably know, my whole house is off grid. And since I have a composting toilet, all the waste water that leaves my house is gray water. To be able to use this for anything (like watering plants) I want to be sure it does not contain anything toxic. How do I do this? By not using chemicals in my house. ....ok, almost never. I did put some bleach on one thing. Much of what I do, I've been doing for years due to having skin that reacts to lots of things, not just since moving tiny or off grid. Here's a list of what I use on a daily basis that replaces the average 150+ chemicals that are used in the average household.
1) Shampoo - home made soap nut liquid or a homemade Dr. Bronner's combination
2) Conditioner - apple cider vinegar or coconut oil
3) Body Soap - none, it's always irritated my skin and warm water is sufficient
4) Acne Cream - apple cider vinigar
5) Face Wash - pure liquid aloe
6) Body Lotion - olive or coconut oil
7) Toner - apple cider vinigar
8) All Purpose Spray - cleaners, not always sprays, I use vinigar, baking soda, and soap nuts for all cleaning/washing
9) Dishwashing Liquid - soap nut liquid or biodegradable dishwashing liquid from our local health food store
10) Mascara - I use very little, and don't worry about it's contents too much. I've tried making my own and never got one I was very happy with.
11) Laundry - soap nuts and baking soda or borax to freshen and whiten (See my whole post on how I do laundry here.)
12) Toothpaste and deodorant - half and half mix of coconut oil/baking soda
Everything's biodegradable, and mostly edible. And seriously, not only healthier, but way less expensive. If you can save money and improve your health, why not give some of these a try?
