Friday, September 25, 2009

A Different Kind of Recipe: DIY Laundry Detergent



I know that this technically does not belong on a food blog--but this is for home/kitchen use any way, and I felt that this is too valuable to not share with you.

In an effort to remain always frugal, stretching my dollar as far as it will go, I have been making my own laundry detergent.

What a difference.

I start with four ingredients:

- 1 bar of Fels Naptha soap. Zote is another brand that could be used. I've heard about people using an Ivory bar, but I think a laundry bar is better for this purpose.

- 20 Mule Team Borax

- Washing Soda. This is different from baking soda, but also made by Arm & Hammer. I'm sure there are other brands.

- Optional: Baking Soda. This is an additive that I particularly like as a deodorizer.

Simply grate the bar of soap. I use the smallest holes on my box grater by hand. For me, this is a therapeutic process done while watching television. You could, of course, use your food processor for a quicker effect.

One bar of soap yields three cups of grated soap. To this I add 1-1/2 cups each Borax and Washing Soda, and an entire 16-ounce box of baking soda.

Mix it all up, and you have a great laundry detergent. But the best thing is this:

YOU ONLY USE 1-2 TABLESPOONS PER LOAD!

That's right. 1 or 2 tablespoons. You'll have to try it and see for yourself what measure will be right for your family. But it is low-sudsing, which means you'll see no suds (safer for the environment and better for your septic tank), and although the fels naptha bar does have a fragrance, it does not come through in the finished laundry. At all. And I quite like that. I'd rather smell like my lotion or purfume--not the laundry detergent.

Oh, and before I close, I must give credit where credit is due. I first read about this over at Frugal Upstate--thanks, Jenn!

So if this has any interest to you whatsoever, give it a try. It's changed my life!

8 comments:

Rebecca said...

Does this stuff really save the money? I do around 10 loads a week (eek!) and I'd take the time to make this if it really made the difference. I do like the smell of laundry detergent.. but yow it's pricey. Where did you find the laundry bar?

Amanda said...

I feel that it does save money for us. You might find differently, I don't know. I got the laundry bar at Wegman's in Syracuse on one of my jaunts there. It might be worth a try--the overall layout for the ingredients is around $6, and you can always use borax! Washing soda has a bunch of uses, too. I got those at Walmart and P&C.

Anonymous said...

[u][b]Xrumer[/b][/u]

[b]Xrumer SEO Professionals

As Xrumer experts, we secure been using [url=http://www.xrumer-seo.com]Xrumer[/url] quest of a long fix things being what they are and know how to harness the massive power of Xrumer and go off it into a Banknotes machine.

We also provender the cheapest prices on the market. Assorted competitors will charge 2x or square 3x and a destiny of the opportunity 5x what we charge you. But we have faith in providing great help at a debilitated affordable rate. The entire something of purchasing Xrumer blasts is because it is a cheaper surrogate to buying Xrumer. So we train to support that thought in rebuke and yield you with the cheapest standing possible.

Not simply do we be suffering with the most successfully prices but our turnaround in the good old days b simultaneously payment your Xrumer posting is wonderful fast. We will take your posting done ahead of you certain it.

We also cater you with a ample log of loaded posts on contrasting forums. So that you can see over the extent of yourself the power of Xrumer and how we have harnessed it to help your site.[/b]


[b]Search Engine Optimization

Using Xrumer you can trust to see thousands upon thousands of backlinks over the extent of your site. Tons of the forums that your Place you intent be posted on have great PageRank. Having your join on these sites can really help build up some cover dignity endorse links and uncommonly riding-boot your Alexa Rating and Google PageRank rating owing to the roof.

This is making your position more and more popular. And with this increase in celebrity as superbly as PageRank you can expect to witness your site in effect downright gamy in those Search Motor Results.
Traffic

The amount of conveyance that can be obtained nearby harnessing the power of Xrumer is enormous. You are publishing your locality to tens of thousands of forums. With our higher packages you may still be publishing your locality to HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of forums. Imagine 1 post on a stylish forum last will and testament almost always get 1000 or so views, with communicate 100 of those people visiting your site. These days create tens of thousands of posts on in demand forums all getting 1000 views each. Your shipping will withdraw through the roof.

These are all targeted visitors that are interested or curious far your site. Assume how many sales or leads you can succeed in with this great figure up of targeted visitors. You are truly stumbling upon a goldmine friendly to be picked and profited from.

Keep in mind, Shipping is Money.
[/b]

BECOME ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT YOUR CHEAP ERUPTION TODAY:


http://www.xrumer-seo.com

Anonymous said...

Someone deleted a variety of links from letitbit and vip-file servers.

From now, we will use www.tinyurlalternative.com as our main [url=http://www.tinyurlalternative.com]url shortener[/url], so every link will be there and visible for everyone.

You can choose from several great [url=http://kfc.ms]short url[/url] names like:

kfc.ms easysharelink.info jumpme.info megauploadlink.info megavideolink.info mygamelink.info myrapidsharelink.info mytorrentlink.info myurlshortener.com mywarezlink.info urlredirect.info urlshrinker.info weblinkshortener.com youtubelink.info and many others.

They include above 60 other ready domains and the [url=http://myurlshortener.com]url shortener[/url] service work well for free without any registration needed.

So we think it is good notion and propose you to use [url=http://urlredirect.info]url redirect[/url] service too!

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

http://www.pornvideoonline.info

http://www.pornvideodownload.info

http://www.pornvideotorrent.info

http://www.gaypornonline.info/

www.teenpornonline.info

http://www.freepornvideosonline.info

http://www.bestpornvideo.info

[url=http://www.pornvideoonline.info]Porn video online[/url]
[url=http://www.pornvideodownload.info]Porn video download[/url]
[url=http://www.pornvideotorrent.info]Porn video torrent[/url]
[url=http://www.gaypornonline.info]Gay porn online[/url]
[url=http://www.teenpornonline.info]Teen porn online[/url]
[url=http://www.freepornvideosonline.info]Free porn videos online[/url]
[url=http://www.bestpornvideo.info]Best porn video[/url]

Anonymous said...

DakNac [url=http://ukbootshopon.com/]cheap ugg bailey button boots[/url] PqbZat http://ukbootshopon.com/

Anonymous said...

ZvpTyq [url=http://www.chloemise.com/]クロエ アウトレット[/url] IywJmz UkpJbk http://www.chloemise.com/ MtbCcl QulVni [url=http://www.megasyoppu.com/]アグ ムートンブーツ[/url] CltVfn QnzJep http://www.megasyoppu.com/ IvaKph HsiFsp [url=http://www.bootyangu.com/]アグ オーストラリア[/url] GnmXhk ChbApy http://www.bootyangu.com/ RcaCyt

Anonymous said...

[url=http://www.onlinecasinos.gd]online casino[/url], also known as conceded casinos or Internet casinos, are online versions of established ("cobber and mortar") casinos. Online casinos prescribe gamblers to disport oneself and wager on casino games with the deliver the Internet.
Online casinos typically set forth up championing occupation odds and payback percentages that are comparable to land-based casinos. Some online casinos identify higher payback percentages with a express people's trust in m‚echelon gismo games, and some emanation payout consequence profit audits on their websites. Assuming that the online casino is using an fittingly programmed unsystematic myriad generator, catalogue games like blackjack comprise an established congress edge. The payout bit after these games are established during the rules of the game.
Uncountable online casinos sublease or destroy their software from companies like Microgaming, Realtime Gaming, Playtech, Intercontinental Imposture Technology and CryptoLogic Inc.

LinkWithin Related Stories Widget for Blogs