Believe it or not I am always looking for ways to "simplify" things around my house. Also, saving money and doing our bit to protect our environment are added bonuses too...
I decided to
change 3 things, Dishwasher Detergent, Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener. These are all things we use often on a daily basis. I looked around for recipes and was astonished as to how simple these were to make! The fact that it had the potential to save me a lot of money and is Eco-Friendly influenced my choice even more. Also, a few of us in this household have sensitive skin (Bella for example has Eczema and we have to be careful of what detergent we use or she will break out in a rash).
First you will need to gather some key ingredients to make all this stuff, most of this stuff I already had hiding in the pantry of my house.
- White Vinegar
- Canning Salt (or Salt with no additives, normally table salt has iodine in it)
- Citric Acid (again can be found with canning supplies in most stores)
- Ivory Bar Soap
- Borax
- Super Washing Soda
I actually only needed to get Borax, Super Washing Soda and Ivory Bar Soap, but those three items didn't cost me much at all, not sure what happened to my receipt, but definitely less than $10!
1. Dishwasher Detergent
You will need the following ingredients.
1 Cup Washing Soda
1 Cup Borax
1/2 Cup Salt
1/2 Cup Citric Acid
All you do is measure all these out into a container, mix well or if you are anything like me just put a lid on the thing and give it a good shake!
The detergent will clump, due to moisture, but this is normal, nothing that a good old fork will not fix!
You will use 1-2 tablespoons per load. Fill the rinse dispenser with white vinegar.
I tried this last night and I loved how clean my dishes came out, not to mention that there are no water stains on my glasses at all and I didn't even have to set to "dry".
2. Laundry Detergent
There are two types of Laundry Detergent you can make, liquid and powder. I choose to make the liquid because it is more versatile.
1 Quart of Water (4cups)
2 Cups of finely grated Ivory Bar Soap (you can use any soap you like, but make sure it is not heavily weighed down by moisturizers or scents).
2 Cups of Borax
2 Cups of Super Washing Soda
- You are going to boil the water on the stove, add the finely grated soap, stir until all the soap is melted.
- Pour the soap water mixture into a large clean pail, then add the Borax and Washing Soda, stir until all is dissolved.
- Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
- You are then going to let it cool, once it is cool you can add 5-7 drops of essential oil per gallon to give it a scent (this is OPTIONAL). The soap will gel, so you will need to stir it every time before you use it. However I used a funnel and put mine in an old Tide container, so I just shake it up a little before each use. You will use 1/4 cup per load of laundry.
We have 3 kids here, under the age of 5 so I choose a recipe that was a little more concentrated and figured that I could just use less than a 1/4 of a cup if needed.
3. Fabric Softener
6 Cups Hot Water
3 Cups White Vinegar
2 Cups of hair Conditioner
Mix the conditioner and hot water until the conditioner is well dissolved. Then add in the 3 cups of White Vinegar. Pour into an old Fabric Softener container and VOILA, your very own homemade fabric softener!
You will use the same amount you use previously into your fabric softener dispenser in your washing machine or downy ball...
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. ;-)
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