Thursday, May 26, 2011

Laundry Love

I made the homemade soap. I also needed a new laundry bag and sewed one. Aren't you impressed with me?
                     Isn't this the coolest laundry bag ever? You know I am kidding right?

This is from an email that I received from my friend. I did not take these pictures. I don't know who to give the credit too. 
But I think this sweet woman would like you to try making soap so I am passing her work on.


Here are the ingredients...

  • Borax ($2.89) 1 box = 10 batches (use 1/2 cup)
  • Arm & Hammer Super Washing Powder ($2.77) 1 box= 7 batches (use just 1 cup)
  • 1 bar of Fels-Naptha soap ($0.97) (you can use different brands of soap but this one is good on stains!)
  • a 5 gal bucket (if you don't have one, you can get one at Lowe's or Wal-mart for $3.50, but PLEASE ask around 1st!)
Amber got these items at Wal-mart. I had NEVER heard of these items before!

$1.78 for 10 gallons or 640 loads! That's enough for 1 load of laundry a day for almost 2 years!! WOW! And that is the price WITHOUT coupons!

Here's what you do!
1.     Grate the bar of soap into a pan
2.     Fill the pan with water and cook the soap until it melts
3.     Fill the bucket half way with hot tap water
4.     Mix in melted soap, 1/2 cup Borax, and 1 cup Arm & Hammer and stir until dissolved ( for me with asthma this was to much fumes, be very careful)
5.     Add water til the bucket is full. Let the bucket sit overnight so it can "gel."
This recipe makes enough liquid detergent for  640 loads in a front loading machine using 1/4 cup. Check the Duggar site for top loading recipes and powder recipes! They suggest saving your old detergent bottles for easier use. You fill your bottle half full, then fill the rest of the bottle with water. That is how you get 10 gals from your 5 gallon bucket!

We were really wanting to wash clothes immediately to see how well it worked! Amber used it first and said it cleaned well and her clothes smelled fine. Awesome.

I suggest you split the cost with friends! Everyone can buy their favorite soap and then up to 7 friends can split the borax and Arm &Hammer! OR you could make a practical gift for friends and family!
We also made fabric softener!

Ingredients....
  • 1 bottle of your favorite liquid softener (we used snuggle) (4.89) *buy on sale or with coupon!
  • a sponge (.84)
  • water
Here's what you do!
1.     Pour the entire bottle of softener into a bucket
2.     Fill the bottle with water twice and pour into bucket (slowly bc it bubbles up)
3.     Cut the sponge in half and put in bucket
4.     Wring out 1 sponge and throw in the dryer with your clothes!
I used the softener because I actually had a load ready to go in the dryer! It smelled really good as clothes were drying and perfumed the house a little as well! It wasn't overpowering, just a nice fresh scent! AND....NO STATIC! Not sure on how long it will last because you wring out the sponge...seems like at least a year!

Back to me--this is KD talking.
I added lavender essential oils to my soap even though it smelled clean already. You know that my hubbins makes a mess out of his clothes working in the yard and doing construction. My first test run was on muddy jeans and it worked great. I think these products are old and true ones from our granny's era.
I"m not sure what the bar of soap is made out of. I wondered if it was like lye, but whatever it is it works very well.

If your budget is getting tighter all the time this is well worth the short amount of time it takes to make! 

13 comments:

Unknown said...

You are such a trooper! I really love doing my laundry, and since I live alone it's always caught up.
But, I don't know if I'll ever be any greener than the screw on top of my Tide bottle. I envy your commitment!

Mental P Mama said...

Do I smell a business opportunity????

Karen Deborah said...

I am not committed my wallet stays on the empty side.
However! I am cheerful and grateful for getting better and I think saving money any way can is the order of the day!

The Quintessential Magpie said...

I have recently switched over to something that Mr. Magpie finds at Whole Foods. Not sure what the name is, but this sounds like something he would like as well. Thanks for the info, KD.

And thank you for your prayers and your sweet comments on my blog. I'm going to allow myself a chance to heal, so my presence might be a bit scarce for a bit. But I'm carrying you and my other bloggy buddies in my heart as always.

XO,

Sheila

Life In a Little House said...

awesome!! Fels Naptha soap is the best stain remover I wouldn't be caught dead without it lol...well that and my old fashioned scrub board It is a wonderful feeling when you are succesful removing a tough stain hehehe ~Have a blessed day Love Heather

Life In a Little House said...

awesome!! Fels Naptha soap is the best stain remover I wouldn't be caught dead without it lol...well that and my old fashioned scrub board It is a wonderful feeling when you are succesful removing a tough stain hehehe ~Have a blessed day Love Heather

Bluebird49 said...

Well, Girlfriend--you are something else! I do believe I will try this, cause detergent is EXPENSIVE! And although it's just the 2 of us, well, you still have to wash clothes. Thanks for the list-I've seen several on the Net--and I saw the idea for the softener, too, so I think we should try to save where we can. I thnk one day, we're going to have to go back to these things, perhaps, and it's not a bad idea to get some things in our minds ahead of time.
Thanks so much for giving the list and the directions. Are you doing pretty well? And Jenn and the grandkids?

Angela said...

I'm SO enjoying learning more ways on how to save money, or actually for us, get the debt down first and than start saving (you totally relate, right girl,lol)...

I've started making my own croutons and also garlic spread. I will be sharing the recipe for that when I get my butt in gear.

I even made my own bread crumbs a few weeks back..lol.

Thanks for sharing the recipe. I scored HUGE at Walmart this week..

10 bottles of fabric softner....5 dollars!!! Yepper,,50 cents a piece for 40 load bottle. Great Value brand.

A customer came in on the weekend and as I was ringing her through I noticed the price and freaked. 50 cents! Well I purchased the last two bottles later.

This week I went back to check and bought 10, leaving 2 for someone else to purchase.

I'm so loving this...Was here the other day and reading. You sound awesome girl..loved the mother's day pics. Your daughter has lost weight. Also, that street sale you went to..ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..can you hear me scream..lol.

I'm going to my mom's street sale tomorrow..yahooooooooooooooooo...

Grandma Tillie's Bakery said...

I wish I could make this, but we don't have those ingredients here!

Chris H said...

I don't think I will try it...it might be something I get addicted to... and have to try all sorts of variations!
And put shells in... lol!

Bluebird49 said...

rre you still liking this stuff? I haven't bought the ingredients yet, and I was wondering.
PLUS, lady-it's time for you to write a little post here--I MISS you! Get one of those grandchildren to type it for you if your shoulder hurts. Oh--and if you're in Cali--be havin a good time!

LDF said...

You are indeed enterprising! I'd try making soap too, but in a very small apartment, I don't want to store that size/quantity of anything. Fortunately, living alone I don't do much laundry! I never dry anything anymore ... I hang everything up to dry. What doesn't hang on clothes hangers gets draped on a drying rack. I haven't bought fabric softener in years! Laundry aside and over in the kitchen, I do make a lot of my own mixes, sauces, etc and buy very little pre-made food stuff. I like knowing exactly what's in my food! Cheers!

Unknown said...

ahhh....the memories of scrubbing woodwork and the smell of orange XD How I cherish them so.