How I Pinch A Penny

The time has come to make more laundry detergent in my house.  It is actually one of my kids favorite things to help me with.  They love using the food processor to grate the bar soap, stirring the detergent and then watching it ooze back into the  detergent jug I have used over and over again. (Reduce , Reuse, Recycle! ~ Bob the Builder)  

I am  still using the first purchase of laundry ingredients that I purchased back in October.  I love pinching pennies!

HERE is the link to my original post.  Let me know what you think and how it worked for you.  I know you are going to LOVE it!

** A note ~ This time around I ’skimmed the scum” once it has cooled enough for the bubbles to congeal.  You will recognize it when you see it!  I am thinking this will make the detergent more pourable.  These chunks of scum have made my detergent just that, chunky in the past.  Also this time I got my hands into the whole batch and really mixed it up.  Not just with a whisk as I have done in the past but I used my fingers to really squeeze the clumps apart.  I am hoping this will help make it more fluid coming out of the pour spout.  But I have also come to grips with the fact that it is either going to be chunky coming out of the spout or I am going to have to tip it out of the fill hole.

Speaking of fill hole her is how I got my latest batch into my container.  This is the 16.9 oz Mt. Dew bottle with the bottom cut off.  Perfect fit!  

I just made another batch of homemade laundry soap. My last batch lasted since the end of October. Not bad for .94! But when I made this batch it turned out a lot more gelatinous than the first batch. The only thing I can figure I did different was I brought the mixture to a simmer in attempts to be sure everything was equally dissolved. The end result was a big pot of congealed soap. Picture a large runny jello mold. There was no way this was going to easily pour out of my container.

So my daughter and I used my food processor to puree the gelatinous mass. Bit by bit we got the whole thing pureed. I would have liked to have had a immersion blender. But mine had broken a long time ago from over use making baby food.

So if you have the same results this is how I have resolved this problem. My only hope is that it doesn’t re-congeal!

When I was pregnant with my first child I was given a roll of paper towels, baby oil, baby lotion, a plastic bowl with a lid and a recipe card. I was a little perplexed as to what I was to do with all of these items but this was the foundation for home made baby wipes. Here is something that is NEEDED and the baby wipes companies KNOW IT! So they charge your for it. Simple laws of supply and demand. So here is my way around buying lots of baby wipes. Make them. Here is a recipe for you. It can be found HERE.

Ingredients
1 package cloth-like paper towels (not the cheapest papery type)
2 cups hot water, boiled
1 tablespoon baby bath soap or baby shampoo
1 tablespoon oil (baby oil, mineral oil, massage oil)
1 tablespoon lotion (baby lotion or regular)
1 tablespoon white vinegar (to inhibit mold)
** the oil, soap and lotion is an excellent opportunity for you to control what items touch your babies bum. Go organic or use a product that is kind to your baby’s skin

Directions
1. Saw the paper towels in half lengthwise with a serrated kitchen knife (not your best one … this can’t be “good” for it). Mix the hot water and following ingredients.
2. Put the half roll in a plastic container that has a lid, Tupperware-type, empty roll-type baby wipe container, etc.
3. Shredded side down — I pick as much of the shredded paper off as I can — otherwise you leave “lint balls” on your baby’s bum.
**another option is to tear the paper towels apart and stack them pre-folded in a container.
4. Pour the water solution over the roll.(Don’t worry about the cardboard tube.)
5. Let sit about 5 minutes, then turn upside down for 5 more minutes to saturate the roll.
6. Now the cardboard tube will pull out easily.
7. Pull a “wipe” from the center.
8. Wash the container well between uses. (Note: Mold can be an issue. Suggestions include using Johnson & Johnson soap or 4 drops of tea tree oil to inhibit mold.)

I haven’t bought supplies recently so I don’t have a cost breakdown for you but it has to be cheaper than buying packages of wipes. But the true pay off is you know for sure what ingredients are touching your baby’s bum.

For a more environmental option use small cotton face cloths or pieces of flannel. Stack them in a plastic container and our your solution over the stack. After each use these can be tossed in a bucket of water with a touch of vinegar and laundry soap in it and then washed and reused.

I am just about out of laundry detergent and my penny pinching fingers hit the Internet. Was it possible to MAKE laundry detergent? To my excitement I found a few recipes. Here is the one that I used. You can find the original HERE.

Ingredients
1 bar bath soap, grated (I used Ivory)
1 cup arm & hammer super washing soda laundry detergent (a laundry booster)
1/2 cup borax
hot water
Essential Oil (optional 2 drops per gallon)

Directions
1 Place grated soap in a pot. (I used my food processor with the grater attachment)

2 Cover with water and simmer over medium heat until all soap is melted, stirring occasionally.
3 Pour into 5 gallon bucket. (I just used the same tall stock pot I used to melt the bar soap)
4 Add washing soda and borax.
5 Add enough hot water to fill the bucket.

6 Stir (I used a whisk)
7 Let sit overnight to gel.
8 Use 1 cup per load.
9 You can pour this into old detergent containers or leave it in the bucket and scoop out as you need it.

** Please cover with a lid if leaving in the bucket to protect children and pets.

Now let’s look at the cost breakdown.

Borax $3.59
A&H Washing Soda $2.59
Ivory bar soap (3) $.99
tax $.43
Total $7.60

Total Cost for one recipe
Borax $.18
A&H Washing Soda $.43
Ivory bar soap (3) $.33
Total $.94

Did you see that!? $.94 for that whole big bucket of laundry soap!!! I am floored. I could sing more praises but please go to the website at the top of this post and read the reviews.

So now you have these 2 boxes of Washing Soap and Borax. What can you do with it before it is time to make more laundry soap!?

BORAX
Garbage Disposals
Sprinkle 2-3 Tablespoons in the drain, let it stand for at least 15 minutes, then flush with water for the few seconds with the disposal on. This treatment can also be used in your regular sink drains.
Mattress Odors (can you say “potty training toddler”?)
Dampen the spot and sprinkle Borax over the area. Rub into the area and allow to dry. Brush or vacuum to remove the dry borax.

WASHING SODA
General Household
Dissolve 1/2 C in a bucket of warm water.
Wash surface wearing rubber gloves; then rinse.
**Not recommended for aluminum surfaces; may cause discoloration. Not recommended for no-wax floors.

My husband was out of his spray starch.  It was on my grocery list when I had a brainstorm.  I wonder if I can MAKE starch.  We had the trigger spray bottle left over so why not try and fill it up with a home made concoction?  Here is what I found: