I make no secret of my love of kombucha. Not even necessarily drinking it, as I really only drink kombucha once or twice a week, despite brewing gallons of it at a time.
So, what am I using so much kombucha on in my home?
My hair, my countertops, my carpet, my animals, my skin, and I'm still exploring more options!
My hair routine is one of my favorite topics on this page, and it's always evolving, but I have stuck with this routine for a record amount of time now. And it's the easiest, cheapest, healthiest method I've found thus far. I brew kombucha as outlined in a previous post but allow to brew until all of the sugar is gone and it takes on a vinegar quality, then I mix one part kombucha vinegar to about 6-8 parts water, then massage into my wet scalp in the shower, rinse out, and dry off my hair with a t shirt. I follow up with a few drops of argan oil at the root and the ends. A once monthly conditioner mask with my favorite Alaffia Coconut conditioner, and my routine has given me flawless curls that are lasting up to 4 days!
That same kombucha vinegar can also clean your act up. About a quarter cup kombucha to a cup or so of water, a few drops of essential oils, and you've got a whole home cleanser. That beast deodorizes, brings up most stains (if needed, some baking soda can be added for an extra boost), and is a natural degreaser. The best part? It's damn near free.
I have a cat and a dog and a roommate who lives in her boots, so my carpets get wrecked pretty quickly. I love to shampoo my carpets weekly, and will do spot cleaning as needed. A little watered down kombucha brings up most stains, all odors (when it dries it won't smell like kombucha), and if my carpet is particularly messy I use dish soap in my shampooer, then a run with kombucha water, which negates any soap residue from my floors.
With myself and my animals, I use kombucha for any skin irritations. It has anti inflammatory properties and the acidity helps clean. It's gentle enough to use on my pets if they get a minor cut or scratch, and I also use it on my own sun burns, bug bites, scratches, etc. for the same healing properties.
So there you have it, my little not so secret!
Get going, get green, and get clean!
Friday, June 5, 2015
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Life Since Clearing Out My Shower
In an earlier post I spoke about removing pretty much all of my personal care items. Some time has passed and I wanted to give an update as to what is sitting in my shower now.
My only hair care products are now a super simple, coconut oil based conditioner that helps define my curls, it's by Alaffia and I ADORE it. I slick that on my hair, rinse it out, then do a rinse with 1 part apple cider vinegar and about 10 parts water. My hair is fully curling now, has notable length, is stronger and softer than before, and has very little frizz.
My facial care had to revert back to a natural face soap and its matching face lotion, my skin had become a red, pimply mess. And I'm not willing to relive that teenager time of my life!
My soap is still replaced by my dry brush that I use wet. I give my entire body a good scrub using long, even strokes up my legs and down my arms, always moving towards my heart. My skin has never looked so good and felt so healthy. I'm softer and get fewer skin irritations (which have plagued me my entire life). I still use soap on my hands, but even that feels gross :( though I don't plan to stop that part.
My armpits are still graced by absolutely nothing, I get zero complaints and have never gotten a complaint (even during my transition period), so I see no reason to change it. I still anxiously sniff test though, I'm not sure when that will stop. I'm always wondering if anyone smells me, and I ask those around me often. What a conversation starter, right? "Hey, do I smell? Also, nice to meet you."
That's it. That's all the check in you get!
My only hair care products are now a super simple, coconut oil based conditioner that helps define my curls, it's by Alaffia and I ADORE it. I slick that on my hair, rinse it out, then do a rinse with 1 part apple cider vinegar and about 10 parts water. My hair is fully curling now, has notable length, is stronger and softer than before, and has very little frizz.
My facial care had to revert back to a natural face soap and its matching face lotion, my skin had become a red, pimply mess. And I'm not willing to relive that teenager time of my life!
My soap is still replaced by my dry brush that I use wet. I give my entire body a good scrub using long, even strokes up my legs and down my arms, always moving towards my heart. My skin has never looked so good and felt so healthy. I'm softer and get fewer skin irritations (which have plagued me my entire life). I still use soap on my hands, but even that feels gross :( though I don't plan to stop that part.
My armpits are still graced by absolutely nothing, I get zero complaints and have never gotten a complaint (even during my transition period), so I see no reason to change it. I still anxiously sniff test though, I'm not sure when that will stop. I'm always wondering if anyone smells me, and I ask those around me often. What a conversation starter, right? "Hey, do I smell? Also, nice to meet you."
That's it. That's all the check in you get!
Household Cleaning Without Feeling Gross as Hell
CLEANING WIPES
I loved commercial cleaning wipes. Loved. Past tense. The incredible amount of harmful chemicals that compromise your immune system and the water supply are terrifying, and not allowed in my home any longer. But I missed the convenience of the counter top wipe, until about 2 weeks ago. I had saved one of those contraband plastic containers and put a quarter of a cup of vinegar, about 10 drops tea tree oil, and a half teaspoon Dr Bronner's soap into it, along with about a half cup of water. I added to that some old (though clean) socks that I had cut from the heel to toe to make flat. I shook the whole experiment up and have been using them for the past couple of weeks. The have disinfecting properties, and soak up messes better than those store bought wipes ever did. I only use them from the container once, then they get set aside. Once I have a nice little stack, I boil water on the stove top and let the sock wipes boil for about 5-10 minutes, strain the hot water and allow to dry, then hang dry and reuse! I love this method.
TOILET CLEANING 101
I hate cleaning the toilet, so I just put a few drops of tea tree oil and lavender oil in the back tank about once or twice a week, give a brief scrub of the inside, and the bowl is clean, mold free (living in apartments, I've moved in and found many a moldy toilet), and smells nice the remainder of the week.
CARPET SHAMPOO THAT REVIVES EVEN THE GROSSEST CARPETS
Apartment living means moving in to find some nasty floors (and countertops, and sinks, and walls), and having pets means even the best owner/renter may come home to the occasional mess. When I bought a carpet shampooer I bought the cleaning specifically made for the machine, but it sucked. Didn't work well enough for me. So I've been playing with different mixtures for optimal cleaning both of new messes and oil stains, and for deodorizing. Now I'm going to give you the best 2 ingredient combo EVER. Washing soda and degreasing dish soap. I have a tiny tanked shampooer, so I put in a half teaspoon dish soap and about a tablespoon of washing soda, fill with hot water, and watch the magic happen. If you've got a some heavy duty deodorizing to do, sprinkling baking soda on the floors first, vacuuming, then shampooing works best. Then, I allow the carpets to dry and vacuum again. Because I'm like that.
Now someone help me figure out the best way to clean my shower! Nothing natural has worked for me thus far and my elbow doesn't seem to be nearly greasy enough.
I loved commercial cleaning wipes. Loved. Past tense. The incredible amount of harmful chemicals that compromise your immune system and the water supply are terrifying, and not allowed in my home any longer. But I missed the convenience of the counter top wipe, until about 2 weeks ago. I had saved one of those contraband plastic containers and put a quarter of a cup of vinegar, about 10 drops tea tree oil, and a half teaspoon Dr Bronner's soap into it, along with about a half cup of water. I added to that some old (though clean) socks that I had cut from the heel to toe to make flat. I shook the whole experiment up and have been using them for the past couple of weeks. The have disinfecting properties, and soak up messes better than those store bought wipes ever did. I only use them from the container once, then they get set aside. Once I have a nice little stack, I boil water on the stove top and let the sock wipes boil for about 5-10 minutes, strain the hot water and allow to dry, then hang dry and reuse! I love this method.
TOILET CLEANING 101
I hate cleaning the toilet, so I just put a few drops of tea tree oil and lavender oil in the back tank about once or twice a week, give a brief scrub of the inside, and the bowl is clean, mold free (living in apartments, I've moved in and found many a moldy toilet), and smells nice the remainder of the week.
CARPET SHAMPOO THAT REVIVES EVEN THE GROSSEST CARPETS
Apartment living means moving in to find some nasty floors (and countertops, and sinks, and walls), and having pets means even the best owner/renter may come home to the occasional mess. When I bought a carpet shampooer I bought the cleaning specifically made for the machine, but it sucked. Didn't work well enough for me. So I've been playing with different mixtures for optimal cleaning both of new messes and oil stains, and for deodorizing. Now I'm going to give you the best 2 ingredient combo EVER. Washing soda and degreasing dish soap. I have a tiny tanked shampooer, so I put in a half teaspoon dish soap and about a tablespoon of washing soda, fill with hot water, and watch the magic happen. If you've got a some heavy duty deodorizing to do, sprinkling baking soda on the floors first, vacuuming, then shampooing works best. Then, I allow the carpets to dry and vacuum again. Because I'm like that.
Now someone help me figure out the best way to clean my shower! Nothing natural has worked for me thus far and my elbow doesn't seem to be nearly greasy enough.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Bucha Brewin Part 3: Fermentation Station
So, you've been given a SCOBY or grew a new one from store bought kombucha, now what? You've got this giant booger in a jar and want to coax it into making a tasty, probiotic rich treat. Well, easier done than said, unlike usual. SCOBYs really want (NEED) caffeine and sugar. So, how I like to do it, and encourage others, is to brew up some of your favorite, high quality black or green tea, while it's still hot add sugar, and allow to cool to room temperature. The measurements don't seem to matter. If you brew stronger tea, it'll taste stronger, if you brew weaker tea, it'll taste weaker. Generally, if you intend to do a second ferment with another liquid (like juice) a stronger tea brew would make sense, so the flavor doesn't become too diluted when you add the secondary liquid. The amount of sugar dictates how long the ferment will take to pucker up. If I add a ton of sugar, it remains sweet for longer, by days or sometimes weeks. If I add less sugar, the ferment get perfect in much less time. And temperature of the fermentation area plays a role, as well. The warmer, the quicker. In the summer, my ferments only take about a week or so before they start puckering up. In the winter, it can take a month before completion.
How can you tell when it's 'right'? It tastes like something you can drink. Some people like it lighter and sweeter, some like it deeply flavored with fermentation. There's no right or wrong. It's about personal preference.
However, be sure to brew with unflavored teas and don't second ferment with your SCOBY. A second ferment is when you add flavor and effervescence. If you expose your SCOBY to flavoring, it can sometimes weaken your SCOBY, and will generally flavor and color your SCOBY, meaning future kombucha brews may end up tasting like pomegranate, cranberry, lavender, or whatever else you like to flavor with. Keep it simple for first ferment: tea, water, and sugar (date sugar, coconut sugar, molasses, etc). Once the kombucha is the flavor you enjoy, remove your SCOBY into another cooled batch of sugared tea to start that process again. With your plain kombucha, you can bottle it and place directly into the fridge and just drink that, or you can get all sorts of fancy with it. I know a guy who pureed watermelon and added that to the kombucha, lidded the bottle loosely, and allowed it to 'second ferment' for a week. The second ferment gives it flavor and allows it to build bubbles. For people intending to go off of soda, this may be the perfect cure. Flavoring can be added and you can immediately refrigerate to slow fermentation though, if you aren't a bubble fan. That's me. I ferment a lighter kombucha, add herbal tea packets, and put into the fridge until I'm ready to drink it.
But be careful! If you leave you bucha out...it'll grow a new SCOBY! Oh, wait. That's a good thing. Your SCOBY will continue to grow and get stronger will you continue to feed her sugar. That opaque booger forming above your existing SCOBY? That's baby SCOBY. They may turn a brownish or tanish or remain clear, but that's a new baby. Hell, if you are drinking your homemade bucha and leave the glass out overnight with a little kombucha still in it, you'll start growing a new baby. Give them away. They proliferate quickly and readily. Spread the SCOBY love.
How can you tell when it's 'right'? It tastes like something you can drink. Some people like it lighter and sweeter, some like it deeply flavored with fermentation. There's no right or wrong. It's about personal preference.
However, be sure to brew with unflavored teas and don't second ferment with your SCOBY. A second ferment is when you add flavor and effervescence. If you expose your SCOBY to flavoring, it can sometimes weaken your SCOBY, and will generally flavor and color your SCOBY, meaning future kombucha brews may end up tasting like pomegranate, cranberry, lavender, or whatever else you like to flavor with. Keep it simple for first ferment: tea, water, and sugar (date sugar, coconut sugar, molasses, etc). Once the kombucha is the flavor you enjoy, remove your SCOBY into another cooled batch of sugared tea to start that process again. With your plain kombucha, you can bottle it and place directly into the fridge and just drink that, or you can get all sorts of fancy with it. I know a guy who pureed watermelon and added that to the kombucha, lidded the bottle loosely, and allowed it to 'second ferment' for a week. The second ferment gives it flavor and allows it to build bubbles. For people intending to go off of soda, this may be the perfect cure. Flavoring can be added and you can immediately refrigerate to slow fermentation though, if you aren't a bubble fan. That's me. I ferment a lighter kombucha, add herbal tea packets, and put into the fridge until I'm ready to drink it.
But be careful! If you leave you bucha out...it'll grow a new SCOBY! Oh, wait. That's a good thing. Your SCOBY will continue to grow and get stronger will you continue to feed her sugar. That opaque booger forming above your existing SCOBY? That's baby SCOBY. They may turn a brownish or tanish or remain clear, but that's a new baby. Hell, if you are drinking your homemade bucha and leave the glass out overnight with a little kombucha still in it, you'll start growing a new baby. Give them away. They proliferate quickly and readily. Spread the SCOBY love.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Bucha Brewin Part 2: The Imprecise Art of Fermentation
Fermenting has been a necessary form of food preservation for a very, very, very long time. Before there were measuring utensils, before there were crocks, before temperature controlling, there was STILL fermentation. I subscribe to that method of fermentation. What feels right? What tastes right? What smells edible? This article will discuss how fermentation is meant to be primal, and not precise.
I ferment constantly in my own home. Right now I have 2 jars of halved grape tomatoes with basil fermenting with assistance from whey and salt, I have 2 jars of dill sauerkraut fermenting in my kitchen cabinet with no assistance but from salt and purified water, and kombucha in a forever ferment on my counter. In my fridge is yet more sauerkraut (I love sauerkraut), homemade fermented ketchup, and yogurt cheese. Living, loving buggies are my best friends, and I love cultivating them. But I don't use measurements. In all of my jars, are a handful of this, a dash of that, a splash of whatsits. I figure that if our ancestors relied on this method for maintaining life, then I can roll in that same fashion.
Keeping check on your foods is the biggest key to the food safety, making sure your ferments are submerged in clean water at all times, checking for the presence of mold, doing sniff checks for rotting, all of these methods have always kept my foods safe. If the foods fermenting are exposed to air, bad bacteria start to form, and mold can start growing. Early stages of mold are very light in color and density and can be simply removed, then you either press the foods below the water line or add more water, but in both instances I suggest adding a weight. Once the mold starts becoming dark; a brown, black, or grey, then it is widely advised to dispose of the whole ferment. Hence why I check in on my ferments often, catching this early can save your batch. I also smell for tartness versus spoilage. A good ferment will be tart and tangy, make you wrinkle your nose without gasping. A bad ferment will make your stomach churn, you brown crease, and if the ferment is somewhere in the middle, my unprofessional opinion is to toss it. That's a risk I don't encourage taking.
Food fermentation can be intimidating, but once you gain exposure and confidence, you can reap the benefits of fermenting.
I ferment constantly in my own home. Right now I have 2 jars of halved grape tomatoes with basil fermenting with assistance from whey and salt, I have 2 jars of dill sauerkraut fermenting in my kitchen cabinet with no assistance but from salt and purified water, and kombucha in a forever ferment on my counter. In my fridge is yet more sauerkraut (I love sauerkraut), homemade fermented ketchup, and yogurt cheese. Living, loving buggies are my best friends, and I love cultivating them. But I don't use measurements. In all of my jars, are a handful of this, a dash of that, a splash of whatsits. I figure that if our ancestors relied on this method for maintaining life, then I can roll in that same fashion.
Keeping check on your foods is the biggest key to the food safety, making sure your ferments are submerged in clean water at all times, checking for the presence of mold, doing sniff checks for rotting, all of these methods have always kept my foods safe. If the foods fermenting are exposed to air, bad bacteria start to form, and mold can start growing. Early stages of mold are very light in color and density and can be simply removed, then you either press the foods below the water line or add more water, but in both instances I suggest adding a weight. Once the mold starts becoming dark; a brown, black, or grey, then it is widely advised to dispose of the whole ferment. Hence why I check in on my ferments often, catching this early can save your batch. I also smell for tartness versus spoilage. A good ferment will be tart and tangy, make you wrinkle your nose without gasping. A bad ferment will make your stomach churn, you brown crease, and if the ferment is somewhere in the middle, my unprofessional opinion is to toss it. That's a risk I don't encourage taking.
Food fermentation can be intimidating, but once you gain exposure and confidence, you can reap the benefits of fermenting.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Bucha Brewin Part One: Growing a ne SCOBY
So, in an earlier post I spoke about how beneficial Kombucha is for your immune system, today I speak about how to take the bacteria by the horns and ride it all the way into fizzy greatness. Kombucha is only Kombucha when it possesses the magic of the SCOBY, which is actually a bunch of bacteria that is super healthy for you, the brewing process is culturing or fermenting, and it's instilling in caffeinated, sugared tea the goodness of live, active bacteria that boost your health and well being. It's also naturally effervescent due to the bacterial load, and can help stave people off of soda, which is essentially the devil. 'Bucha Brewin' is easy once you have the confidence to see the SCOBY as a living creature and can work with her to see what works best for her. Every SCOBY tend to be different, even the reports I've gotten from the split offs from my own Mama SCOBY.
Kombucha brewing requires a SCOBY (Symbiotic Combination Of Bacteria and Yeast), which you can grow for yourself at home, using a store bought Kombucha, or by finding a nice person to split off some of theirs for you to start your own, or (and it's a big or) you happen to have a store by you that carries SCOBYs, like the ones from Oregon Kombucha Company. For those of you unable to obtain a SCOBY, I can give you the intel on how to grow your own, though it's not fool proof, nothing living ever is.
Buy living Kombucha from the refrigerated section of your local health food store. GT's, High Country, Reeds, and Celestial Seasonings are just a few. They will be in liquid form and in the refrigerated section, the dried kombucha teas will do you no good here. Only buy Original Flavor, or unflavored Kombucha when preparing to grow a SCOBY, because if you get a flavored 'Bucha, you'll generally get a weaker SCOBY and the flavoring stick with the future brews. I've known of many who had good luck with the Originals, though. Now, when selecting, get one with the most amount of grossness in the bottom of the bottle. That grossness is actually yeast that can help to create the culture we're aiming for. Now, bring that bottle home (maybe a couple of extra to sip on while you wait to brew your own, and an extra if the first try doesn't pan out), drink a little out of that bottle, pour the remaining 'Bucha into a wide mouthed container, add a little bit of sugar, cover loosely, and wait. A note about sugar: white, cane, brown, and molasses seem to all work, but honey has natural anti bacterial properties, which will damage and generally kill the SCOBY, which consists of a ton of bacteria. Amount of sugar doesn't matter, just have a gentle hand with it. The sugar feeds the yeast and helps it start growing again, but don't drown it out.
Now, this waiting game may take a week, or it may take a month. In warmer months it takes less time than in colder months, but if the yeast is weak from temperature fluctuations, handling, or time, then it'll take longer no matter what month you start this adventure in. A healthy SCOBY starts growing bigger and stronger within a few hours, a weak one may never take off. You'll know if it is working because a very thin, viscous, almost booger like mass will start taking form on top of the 'Bucha, it will be even in color (generally colorless, but sometimes a light tan color) and width. Over time, it will get thicker and less boogertastic, but for its awkward baby and adolescent years, deal with it. Once this Baby SCOBY is about a quarter inch thick, move her into a pint jar or larger, always with a wide mouth. Now, you can make first round of Kombucha, though it might be a little rough. Teenagers are not known to be reliable.
Kombucha brewing requires a SCOBY (Symbiotic Combination Of Bacteria and Yeast), which you can grow for yourself at home, using a store bought Kombucha, or by finding a nice person to split off some of theirs for you to start your own, or (and it's a big or) you happen to have a store by you that carries SCOBYs, like the ones from Oregon Kombucha Company. For those of you unable to obtain a SCOBY, I can give you the intel on how to grow your own, though it's not fool proof, nothing living ever is.
My SCOBY a few weeks ago, a week after splitting her off 4 times for my coworkers and taking her down to about 4 inches by 4 inches by a half inch. She grows fast.
Now, this waiting game may take a week, or it may take a month. In warmer months it takes less time than in colder months, but if the yeast is weak from temperature fluctuations, handling, or time, then it'll take longer no matter what month you start this adventure in. A healthy SCOBY starts growing bigger and stronger within a few hours, a weak one may never take off. You'll know if it is working because a very thin, viscous, almost booger like mass will start taking form on top of the 'Bucha, it will be even in color (generally colorless, but sometimes a light tan color) and width. Over time, it will get thicker and less boogertastic, but for its awkward baby and adolescent years, deal with it. Once this Baby SCOBY is about a quarter inch thick, move her into a pint jar or larger, always with a wide mouth. Now, you can make first round of Kombucha, though it might be a little rough. Teenagers are not known to be reliable.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Smelly Bitch - Going Deodorant Free
I stopped using deodorant about 2 weeks ago. I know, weird move. But about 6 months ago I tried to read the ingredients on my commercial antiperspirant and completely regretted it. So I started using mineral stones for my under arm odor, and loved them. While it was a different feeling to get used to, I enjoyed knowing my pits were a little safer, and I liked that I never smelled bad. But why stop there? If I am to be a super hippie, I can't settle with second best.
I apparently smell like Indian food. When I first went antiperspirant free, it was scary for me. I was diagnosed with hyperhidrosis during puberty and was such a sweaty bastard, that's why I used the hardest core sweat killer ever, and have been since. But when I stopped, it only took about a month or so before my sweat production slowed to not very much at all. I'm not embarrassed at all anymore. Then when I decided to try deodorant free, I smelled very slightly the first few days, but so long as I ensure a scrub my underarms well every day, I don't have any issues. I use a dry brush in the shower and run the brush over my under arms a few times to make sure any bacteria that causes scent is gone.
In the first week I went out and had a drink, one. And the next day I reeked of hockey player. The day after, the smell was much less, and the days after I was back to not smelling. I can sometimes smell myself, but not often, and after two weeks I finally asked my boyfriend if he had noticed any scent from me. If anyone can tell, it'd be him. And, nothing. Surprisingly, he stopped wearing deodorant about 2 weeks before me and I hadn't been able to tell either. When I asked a woman I work with, she said she had noticed a few days prior that I smelled like Indian food. Spicy. It had been a day I had been working hard physically, so I guess that's a good thing.
So, I don't see a reason to start smearing myself with chemicals again. I mean, I still have the mineral stone in case I hit a rough patch of smelliness, but overall I feel like this is the safest, most natural method, and with my sexy pheromones now flowing free, I've noticed all the difference, if you know what I mean..
I apparently smell like Indian food. When I first went antiperspirant free, it was scary for me. I was diagnosed with hyperhidrosis during puberty and was such a sweaty bastard, that's why I used the hardest core sweat killer ever, and have been since. But when I stopped, it only took about a month or so before my sweat production slowed to not very much at all. I'm not embarrassed at all anymore. Then when I decided to try deodorant free, I smelled very slightly the first few days, but so long as I ensure a scrub my underarms well every day, I don't have any issues. I use a dry brush in the shower and run the brush over my under arms a few times to make sure any bacteria that causes scent is gone.
In the first week I went out and had a drink, one. And the next day I reeked of hockey player. The day after, the smell was much less, and the days after I was back to not smelling. I can sometimes smell myself, but not often, and after two weeks I finally asked my boyfriend if he had noticed any scent from me. If anyone can tell, it'd be him. And, nothing. Surprisingly, he stopped wearing deodorant about 2 weeks before me and I hadn't been able to tell either. When I asked a woman I work with, she said she had noticed a few days prior that I smelled like Indian food. Spicy. It had been a day I had been working hard physically, so I guess that's a good thing.
So, I don't see a reason to start smearing myself with chemicals again. I mean, I still have the mineral stone in case I hit a rough patch of smelliness, but overall I feel like this is the safest, most natural method, and with my sexy pheromones now flowing free, I've noticed all the difference, if you know what I mean..
So fresh and so clean clean
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)