Laundry for 2 Cents Per Load

I've been experimenting intermittently with home made laundry detergent and fabric softener for a few years and now that we have been able to purchase a home, I can really see the benefit of doing things on the inexpensive side. 

That being said, I've tried a few different recipes now, and have done a little bit of concocting of my own, and have come to realize that the method matters.

Many of the "recipes" that you will see online are really similar, or exactly the same but with differing steps. So what is it that makes one recipe work extremely well, and another crash and burn? I've decided that it is the way that you go about doing it. There are some timing issues that can arise that will change your results dramatically.

So without any more delay, here are my tried and true recipes for laundry detergent and fabric softener.

What you will need for the Detergent: All of these can usually be found on the laundry aisle in any store.

Sprite and Coke not necessary. Just a perk for my little helper and me.

1 bar of Fels Naptha Soap
1 Cup of Washing Soda (not baking soda)
1 Cup of Borax
4 Cups of Water
2-1 Quart Mason Jars- the normal mouth makes step 8 easier but wide mouth can be used as well.

Step 1 pour the 4 cups of water into a pan on the stove and bring to a boil.

Step 2 combine washing soda and borax in a bowl and set to the side

Step 3 shred the bar of Fels Naptha soap (a food processor works best at this point)

Step 4 once the water has come to a boil, add shredded Fels Naptha and stir until all of the soap has melted. This should take a few minutes, and should be done at a simmer or a slow rolling boil to ensure that all of the soap melts properly.

Step 5 Remove pan from heat and add Borax/Soda mix. Stir until completely dissolved. This will take 3-5 minutes. The mix will feel grainy at first, but will no longer be grainy against the bottom of the pan when this is done.

Step 6 pour the mix equally into 2-1 quart mason jars.

Step 7 add water until the liquid hits the bottom of the shoulders (the curves at the top of the jar). Screw on a lid and turn upside down to rest. Resting will take 4-5 hours. The layers of soap will separate, and become very thick.   **If you are making both the detergent and the softener, this is a good time to work on the softener**

 Step 8 blend the mixture. If you are using the normal mouth lids, it is likely the blender blade will fit directly onto the jar and will make this very easy.

Step 9 Once this is done, the mixture will be sort of fluffy, and is ready to use. It will probably fill both 1 quart jar plus 1 pint. One Tablespoon will do an entire load of laundry. For top loading washers, just dump it in while filling the tub. For front loaders, add in all of the clothes, and then put the TBSP of detergent in the drum with the clothes, and start your load.  :)

What you will need for the Fabric Softener:

1 Cup of Suave Conditioner- Any scent that you prefer
1.5 Cups of White Vinegar
5 Cups of Water
2-1 Quart Jars

Step 1 mix all of the ingredients together. DO NOT SHAKE!! It will foam up and give you problems.

Step 2 After mixing, pour into 2-1 quart jars

Step 3 add 2 Tablespoons to your wash in the softener dispenser.

Yes, this recipe really is that easy!

Enjoy!

Count Your Blessings, and Store Your Food

It may not be a big deal for everyone, but this marks a new success for my little family. Up to this point, food storage for us was what was in our fridge and our cupboards upstairs.

2 years ago when I was pregnant with my second boy, My husband was laid off. We were ill-prepared for the six month job search to come, and ended up relying heavily on the LDS church's welfare program, due to the fact that our money in savings was enough to barely help us scrape by with our bills.

It was a trying time for us.

Fast forward to now. Tonight I started stocking our food storage pantry. No it's not perfect, but it's a start.

Between John's job now and my small business we are able to cover our bills, put money away in savings, pay off some big debts AND build our emergency preparedness supply.

I am so grateful that we are in this position now. The great thing is when we want something, we can have it because when I work, I earn, and I can do as much or as little as I want. What a blessing!

I am excited to announce, that I am putting an extra emphasis on our emergency preparedness, and I'm going to include quite a bit of it here in my blog posts. 

Yay! Right?