DIY: Laundry Detergent!

Back when I first got an account on Pinterest, I pinned this recipe for making homemade laundry detergent  from Being Creative to Keep My Sanity for a fraction of the price of buying it from the store every month. I made this quite a while ago and also recently made dishwasher detergent! I love this because it's cheap, easy, lasts forever, and I actually know what's in my detergent, not just random chemicals! 

Ingredients: 

• 1 4lb 12oz box of Borax (found in the detergent isle)
• 1 4lb box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (found in the baking isle)
• 1 3lb 7oz box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (found in the detergent isle)
• 3 bars of Octagon soap OR 2 bars of Zote soap  OR 3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap (all found in the detergent isle)
• 3 lb container of Oxy Clean 

You'll also need:

• A large bucket, such as a 5 gallon one
• Large trash bag or multiple plastic grocery bags
• Large spoon to mix with
• Cheese grater

All you need is 1-2 Tablespoons per load! Save your Oxy Clean scoop and measure it that way, which is what I do! It doesn't sound like much but it's all you need, trust me! 

Directions: 

Grate the bar soap in your cheese grater. I used the regular size holes. Actually, I put my husband to work for this step ;-) It will dissolve in the water, so no worries! I only wash laundry in cold water and I've never had a problem with it not dissolving. 

Now dump everything into the trash bag-lined bucket and mix! I tried to pour each ingredient in layers so it was easier to mix. 

Do I pick the easy projects or what?

My absolutely adorable jar I found at a local thrift store for about $5! I had been wanting to do this project for ages but hadn't found the right jar for it yet. I was ecstatic when I did! It's a little cracked and definitely not perfect but I think it adds to the charm!  

And here it is, all done and ready to go! I had a grocery bag FULL of extra but this was all that would fit into the jar. The little fabric bits are dryer sheets I made with flax seed and dried lavender! They smell amazing and save tons of money also. Keep reading for why I decided to make my own! 

I took this screen shot while I was watching the show My Strange Addiction about a lady who ate dryer sheets. So weird! What's worse is that the chemicals in dryer sheets have been proven to cause cancer and nervous system disorders! Why on earth would I want to put that on my clothing and linens? No thanks! Did you know that many brands of dryer sheets also contain animal fat? Heads up, vegan friends! Now you understand why I either use my own or don't use any at all! 

 Here are a couple more shots of the jar I gave as part of a bridal shower gift to a sweet friend. My husband designed the label for me...what a good graphic designer husband! I had him put the ingredients on the label so if she wanted to make more she had the recipe right there!

On the other side I listed Directions to Use and then Directions to Make. At the bottom I put a little note  saying congratulations, etc. 

What a simple gift, right? I combined this with a homemade flax seed/lavender dryer sheet and a laundry basket from her registry. I think I added more laundry related items but now for the life of me I can't remember! 

I've also given several jar-fulls to my mom and my mother-in-law and guess what...I've still got tons left! I don't remember exactly when I made it but it's getting close to the year mark I think. This stuff is great! 

Helpful hints:

• I had a hard time finding Super Washing Soda. My local Food Lion, Target and CVS didn't have it but Kroger did. 
• My local Food Lion didn't have Fels-Naptha soap or Zote so I bought Octagon brand. They're all basically the same. Zote can be found at Home Depot.
• The Oxy Clean is optional but definitely can't hurt, especially if you have kids or work a messy job!
• Remember, you only need 1-2 Tablespoons per load! This stuff will last you FOREVER! 
• The recipe makes about 2 gallons so be prepared! 

Have you ever made your own detergent? What's your favorite detergent to use?

Don't forget to go HERE and enter my very first giveaway!! It's an amazing prize!

Till next time,
Catherine

DIY: Dish Detergent!

Are you tired of spending way too much money on dishwasher detergent/tabs/liquid? Fortunately for me, just before I got married and my husband was living the final bachelor days in our townhouse, I found a big box of 85 dishwasher tabs for about $12. We only just now ran out so it lasted us about a year, which is great! I found this great recipe on Being Creative to Keep My Sanity on Pinterest and it was actually one of the first things I had pinned on my DIY pinboard. I wanted to wait till we ran out of our existing tabs before making more dishwasher detergent. 

Today was that day! Well, it was a few days ago but I knew it could wait. Even better, my awesome husband hand washed all the dishes that had piled up last night! Gave me some extra time which was great because I was having a hard time finding the Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda. Note: I couldn't find it at Food Lion, CVS, or even Target but they had it at Kroger. 

All you need is: 

• 1 box of Borax (4lb 12oz - Found in the detergent isle)
• 1 box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (3lb 7oz - Found in the detergent isle) 
• 0.5lb/24 Tbs citric acid (Found in the canning isle but I got mine at a local farm Auburnlea Farm)
• 3 cups Epsom Salt (Found in the health isle near hydrogen peroxide and such)
• LemiShine Rinse Aid or Distilled White Vinegar (Especially important if you get hard water spots)

Directions: 

Are you ready for how easy this is?

Mix everything together in a huge bowl. Or even a big bucket. My bowl was just barely big enough. 

Now pour it into your jar/container. I saved this Oxi-Clean container and the dishwasher tab container from before. Everything fit into these two containers and I counted about 16 cups of detergent. And get this...all you need is 1 Tablespoon per load!! Can you imagine how long this will last? My guess is a VERY long time. For my husband and I, we run a load of dishes at least once a week but sometimes twice so this should last us forever!

If you have a problem with hard water you'll definitely want to use the rinse aid, whether it's vinegar or LemiShine. With either one, just sprinkle a little bit in the bottom of the dishwasher before running it. Don't worry, your dishes won't smell like vinegar! 

Price breakdown:

Borax                 $4.80

Washing Soda    $3.29

Citric Acid         $2.65

Epsom Salt         $3.00 (Estimate)

Vinegar              $2.35

Total:                 $16.09

Now that comes to 256 Tablespoons in 16 cups...that's a lot of dishes!!

If you buy LemiShine instead of Vinegar, it's about $4 for a small container. Not sure how long it lasts.

Verdict: Well, not sure yet! I just made it today so I haven't had a chance to use it yet but I will update as soon as I do! I'll do one load without the vinegar as a rinse aid and one with it so I can let you all know how it does.

Oh and here's a fun story for you all. Last week I used a sample detergent that I had. I just assumed it was dishwashER liquid...until the next morning when we got up. My husband was the first one into the kitchen and he called to me to let me know our kitchen floor was FULL of suds. Uh oh. Ok so it wasn't that bad, just a quick clean up with some towels. But, moral of the story...read the label. I felt like such a dummy but it helped us start the day with a good laugh!

UPDATE: I have since washed dishes several times and have not used LemiShine or vinegar as a rinse aid and I haven't gotten any spots on my glassware. I guess we don't have hard water! Just keep in mind if you do have hard water you'll need a rinse aid. Otherwise, the dishes are coming out sparking clean! 

How much do you spend on dishwasher detergent every month? It adds up quick! Or do you wash all your dishes by hand?

Till next time,
Catherine