This week's PRODUCT LOVE: Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds for Household Cleaning

This product is gluten-free and made without harsh chemicals, yet cleans SO, so very well, and has so many uses!

So, despite the crazy label (and partly because of it), I love this soap for household cleaning. All of Dr. Bronner's soaps spout the philosophy of this passionate soap maker who wanted a soap AND a world that is "All in one!" He uses a blend of Christian and Jewish philosophies, and words of great poets to make up his unique world, and preaches them right on the bottle. My eyes crossed when they first grazed the fine print, but a part of me has always wanted to meet the character behind those passionate words.

I've used the body soaps for decades now, heavily diluted (they are potent), as a body wash. I also use them to clean my tub and shower. If you mix the body soap and a little baking soda, you get the same gentle abrasive cleaning as Soft Scrub. With our without the baking soda, it cleans much better and more safely than any other bathroom cleaner on the market. I mean, why use harsh chemicals on the tub into which you put your gorgeous body?

A friend of mine told me that she adds vinegar for a little more power on soap scum. The vinegar and baking soda will have a little harmless chemical reaction, which is fun, too.

So when I saw Sal Suds on the shelf, a product that claims to clean your whole house with just a few teaspoons in a bucket of water, and also does laundry and the dishes, I had to try it.

According to the label, "It is made with plant-based surfactants and natural fir needle and spruce essential oils (no cheap, harsh pine stump oil), without any synthetic dyes, fragrances or preservatives." It's biodegradable, and has a lovely, subtle pine scent.

Your clothes don't smell like perfume, and your house smells like a lovely home, not a recently disinfected New York City subway.

If you are highly sensitive to chemically based cleaners, this is a wonderful thing to have in the house. When I first did the laundry with it, I added a quarter cup, less than half of what I would add if using other concentrated detergents. Guess what? The suds were several inches deep, so I cut that amount in half, too!  It's price tag is $13.99 for 32 oz., but it will last a very long time if you use it according to the directions.

Read a little history of the soap, Dr. Bronner himself, and some other uses for his products.

http://www.businessinsider.com/14-uses-for-dr-bronners-soaps-2013-11

Comments

[Jessica Twain]

This thing seems magical. Thanks for sharing <3