I am a huge fan of anything that can save, time, money or space. I like doing two things at once or repurposing items that are often thrown away, and I especially love things that I can use for more than one purpose. I was thinking while camping last week that everyone who camps needs to know about my favorite item on the packing list: Shaklee H2. It’s an all-purpose cleaner that has (literally!) 1000 uses. At home I use it as the refill for my foaming handsoap pumps and to make baby wipes. Here is a bit of the conversation inside my head while packing for camping last week:
“Got toilet paper? Check. Got the H2? Check. Where’s the handsoap? Oh…H2. Do I need dishsoap? Oh…H2. Should I bother packing shampoo and soap? Oh, right…H2. Don’t forget the bug spray for the kiddos! …H2 again.”
I am totally tickled that I didn’t have to pack all this:
But only this ONE bottle:
H2 is totally biodegradable and safe for the environment, which is super important while camping, and it’s safe for my family’s skin. I made up a fresh batch of wipes for the trip, not just for diaper changes but for wiping hands and faces and grills and tables. (Brief description of how to make homemade wipes in a green cleaning breakdown.) I try to create as little waste as possible, even while out of my home, so I did use a washcloth as often as possible to wash tables and faces, but sometimes conserving water is most important when you have to haul in your own. (We didn’t even go through the whole box.) I like that H2 is concentrated, so I don’t need to use very much and I don’t have to throw away or recycle many bottles.
Finding an effective bug spray that is natural and safe for little ones can be a tough job. When my friend who sells Shaklee told me that H2 can work as an insect repellent, I was surprised and skeptical. I didn’t believe it worked until I was working in my garden getting pummeled and eaten alive by mosquitoes. I came in within two minutes of going outside and tried the H2, dabbing it on my skin with a paper towel. I was (very pleasantly!) surprised when the skeeters left me alone when I returned to my work!
Now I’m not affiliated in any way with Shaklee. I don’t sell it, and I don’t even use any of their products other than this one (as you’ll find out in 2 weeks, I just use vinegar and baking soda for most of my cleaning). I’m a big fan of the H2 though. If you go looking for it, try to find an independent distributor in your area to purchase from. It’s important to support families and stay-at-home-moms who are trying to earn income this way. (If you’re in the GR, MI area, I’ll connect you with my friend. She’d appreciate it!)
A bottle of H2 costs around $12 or so, which sounds expensive until I tell you that I’ve had my bottle for over two years, and it’s made dozens of refills of foaming soap, countless containers of wipes, come camping and protected our family from pesky mosquitoes through three summers. That’s a bang for your buck!
By the way, did anyone who saw my photos so far of the camping trip notice the winter hats and mittens? That, to me, is the most hilarious part, not just that we captured a fun family vacation. It was August, and we wore winter clothes. When we woke up, it was 42 degrees. Sheesh. We could see our breath by dinnertime! Is anyone else impressed with my kids swimming in Lake Michigan’s 50-degree (or so I hear) water? 
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thanks so much you just saved me time and money as we RV alot and i never had this idea
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What a great, versatile product!
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I wonder if this is similar to Amway’s LOC…
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Katie Reply:
September 4th, 2009 at 1:21 am
Jill, I wonder, too! Amway (it has a different name now which is escaping me) is just down the road here. Is it a natural product?
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You had me at “bug repellent”! I’ve been frantically searching for something that isn’t terribly expensive, that won’t necessarily end up wasted if we don’t care for it, that the cure isn’t worse than the disease so to speak. I’m off to look for a local distributor . . . thanks!!!
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I want to find a shaklee dealer! This sounds great!
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PS – included this on my weekly roundup. Link is under my name. Thanks!
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All Things Eco Blog Carnival Volume Sixty Six | Focus Organic.com // Sep 7, 2009 at 9:11 pm
[...] presents A Must-Have Supply for Camping posted at Kitchen Stewardship. Katie says, “Shaklee H2 is such a versatile product. We use it for [...]
We had a Shaklee rep come and talk to my mom’s group and I loved this stuff but didn’t buy it. I might need to find her again.
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Been looking for something like this for my son’s first Cub Scout camping trip next month. Thanks for posting.
Lisa´s last blog ..Menu Plan Monday
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hey, full disclosure: I DO sell this stuff, but it is amazing and chemical free (my huband and I went chem-free on all our skin and hair and cleaning supplies a little over a year ago).
Young Living’s Thieves products: household cleaner (concentrate that can be made into a number of products), toothpaste, mouthwash, hand sanitizer, essential oil, throat lozenges, floss, and more.
It’s called Thieves because it’s made from an essential oil recipe that was discovered by the thieves of the plague times. They used a combination of anti-viral oils to rob the dead and dying plague victims without getting infected. When they were caught, they were given the ultimatum: tell the recipe or be put to death.
I swear by this stuff, especially during flu season(I wouldn’t think of getting a flu shot)
Honestly, for me, therapeutic grade essential oils (different from what you buy in the local health food store) are truly ‘God’s love made manifest’ for us to heal with.
Jessica Waters´s last blog ..foodiegrrl: @ApothecaryJeri YOU TOTALLY ROCK, girlfriend!!!
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