Eco-friendly baby/family products MADE in USA

WARNING: this post discusses menstruation & reusable options. I’ve had some people react negatively to this in the past. I understand this may not be an option all of you are interested in. If you are not, turn back, keep scrolling. If you are, read on please!

My “green” journey never ends. I continue to make changes I want, slowly but surely, as my budget allows. There is ALWAYS something on my list. I always look to what disposable items I’m using, and seek reusable alternatives for them. I used cloth diapers & wipes on my 2 kids. I use cloth napkins, “kleenex”, wash cloths. I did use a menstrual cup for awhile, The Keeper, but I just never fell in love with it. I liked that it was reusable, but that was about all I liked. I had been using organic cotton tampons & pads for the last couple of years. I liked that they were organic, had minimal plastic packaging, but they are quite pricey, and still disposable!

Then suddenly I realized it was time to move to cloth pads! I had seen Party in my Pants recommended in the past when this topic has come up. I clicked around their website a bit and when I learned they were based in my state of Wisco I was extra excited! They offer a huge assortment of shapes, sizes & patterns, organic & non.

My advice: definitely try at least 2 different options! I started with the Shebang Kit. It offers one of every size, I split it up between organic cotton & organic flannel. And I’m glad I did because I learned I like the flannel a bit more. It’s a bit softer. 1 month of using this kit & I knew what I needed to have on hand to make it through an entire cycle. I place another $120 order a week later & had enough for my 2nd cycle, with 2 to spare!

Pic: Shebang Kit, you pick the pattern & fabric.

So, here it is, my collection! I looooove the options for patterns! I was looking at Glad Rags previously, they are solid beige in color. Seriously. No patterns, just solid beige. What a terrible option for a reusable pad! You will find that most of the options from Party in my Pants are dark, bold, heavily patterned, PERFECT for this product! This stash is very new indeed & I will be happy to snap a pic a year from now to compare! Also, want to make sure you know you can fold them up like I did in the bottom center, perfect for your purse, etc.

Here’s what I have, all organic cotton or flannel, with a leak-proof nylon backing:

1 small, 1 mini-liner, 1 Luxe Liner, 4 medium, 3 large, 1 overnight, 2 super overnight.

CARE: They have a lot of info about this on their website! You can totally wash them with other laundry, but you should dry them on low. For that reason, I’ve kept them separate, as I’m not good at picking things out before tossing them in the dryer together. https://partypantspads.com/pages/faq

I have heard from several of you who have used these for months, or years, and love them! I’ve also heard from some who prefer another brand for a variety of reasons. These DO have a nylon backing, so if you aren’t okay with that you’ll want to choose a different option. Everything that comes in contact with your skin is organic, so that’s what matters to me. The nylon backing helps ensure they are leak-proof.  Like with every other product recommendation I give, I do not expect 100% of you to love this as much as I do. But for me, it is working, I’m loving the product, the company, the feeling I’m voting with my dollars…

Website: https://partypantspads.com/

Nothing gets me more excited than people who think outside of the conventional “box”, or plastic jug maybe I should say! I know many of you, like myself, are on a mission to use the least amount of plastic you possibly can. And that can be very hard to get away from, especially in products such as laundry detergent. Our options: liquid in a big plastic jug, or powder in a plastic bag. That’s why I was so, so excited when I learned about Tangie laundry soap. What is it? A traditional-looking bar of soap that you dissolve in your own container to make your own liquid! 1 bar makes 1 gallon of liquid which can get you 132-264 loads, depending how much you use/load obviously. This comment from Angie, the FL entrepreneur behind this product, solidified that I’d found a great new line. It is so, so refreshing to find others who accept environmental responsibility while getting their products out there, it’s not always easy to find! “I feel the packaging issue must be addressed from my side, as the manufacturer. Natural ingredients are great but if we’re still poisoning our water supply and our soil with plastic waste…. we’re not doing the best job we can.”

Of course, it’s all about the ingredients, and I’m happy with this list of minimal, yet proven laundry aids: handmade plant based soaps (coconut & olive oil), soap nuts liquid (extracted using solar ovens), yucca powder (washing), baking soda (freshening), oxalic acid (stain lifting & whitening), sodium percarbonate (stain lifting), salt (fabric softening), & LOVE!It is very rare for me to have a plastic jug on hand, just when I have some of my friend’s organic apple cider on hand, and I didn’t necessarily want to mix up enough for 200 loads if I didn’t love it, so started with ¼ of the bar & a 1 quart glass jar: 

I’m very happy with this product as a natural laundry option, and even happier with the lack of plastic involved! I LOVE people that think outside of the norm, I learned about this product from Sarah of salonsolids, it’s a very similar concept but for shampoo/conditioner! I use 3T of liquid per load, it has been 3 weeks since I began using it & I haven’t even finished the qt yet. I do ~1 load/day. I use only cold water, and have hard well water. I was previously using Molly’s Suds, and think Tangie works as well, if not slightly better than Molly’s! I need to play around with the amount I’m using a bit, as it’s likely I could even be using less! I went with the middle ground recommendation on the packaging, not the smallest recommendation, not the largest.

Photo after 3 weeks of usage:

I was also sent a sample of the stain remover bar. Ingredients: coconut oil, grapeseed oil, soap nuts liquid, oxalic acid, sea salt, citric acid, lemon essential oil & LOVE. I was curious to try it as the 1st ingredient is coconut oil, which is one of the main stains I deal with in our clothing as I use & make coconut oil based deodorant & toothpaste. I put the Tangie stain remover to test on my kiddos wild grape stained shirt: Top= Poofy, middle=no pre-treat, bottom= Tangie’s stain removing bar:

I let it sit 8 hrs, then washed using the Tangie liquid soap, below is the after. I felt the Poofy spray & the Tangie performed very simalrily. I did not treat the stain on the lower left of the Tangie area, and that’s the only one I saw come through in the areas I treated. Both did better than no treatment for sure:

Update March 2021: I’ve been using Tangie laundry soap exclusively for 6 months now after floating around between different options. And I’m sticking with Tangie going forward! It truly is working well for my needs, and I love that it’s 0 waste. What I reallllllllly love is the dispenser lid that I picked up from Angie, it makes the whole process super user-friendly. I use 2 capfuls/load.

Please do, and please share your feedback with me! I do not expect 100% of you who try this to find it to be the  perfect solution for your laundry needs. We all have different water types, machines, and expectations. But I hope you’ll give it a try & that many of you will find it to be a great option for your family!

WEBSITE: https://wastefreeproducts.com/

FB PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/ilovetangie

Angie’s email (use to request your $1 sample): Gratefulred78@gmail.com