Oct 18 2009
Do it Yourself: Kryssy’s Cleaners
I was watching 18 Kids and Counting one day and saw the mom making homemade laundry detergent. I saw her make a 5 gallon bucket worth and said it lasted them 2 months. Of course, that is for 20 people. She said it cost them $3 to make it. I did some figuring and figured that a 5 gallon bucket would last the 3 of us like 10 months.
I have not made the 5 gallon bucket. Here is the recipe for it. Go Here. It just seemed like too much work and I found a dry version that I liked too. The dry version cost around $3-$8 (depending on the type of soap.. ie, smelly or organic soaps cost more although I would not recommend them) and makes about 90-100 loads for us. The other thing is that it is environmentally friendly.
Here is the recipe:
Equal Parts: Borax, Washing Soda, Baking Soda (I make 4 cups of each)
Grated Washing Soap (Fels-Naptha, Ivory soap, Sunlight bar soap, Kirk’s Hardwater Castile, Octagon by Colgate and Zote)
In one tupperware container, mix together the Borax, Washing Soda and Baking Soda. Take the washing soap and grate it up in another container. When using it: use 1/8 of the mixture and 1/8 of graded soap. I ran the water a little before putting the clothes in and put the mixture in and swish it around then put the clothes in. It works really great. Better than anything I’ve ever bought.
After finding that the laundry mixture worked well, I started talking to other folks about it as well as looking for other home cleaners and remedies.
Shower Cleaner: spray rubbing alcohol on shower and sprinkle baking soda over the surface. Use a stiff rubbing brush but you don’t have to rub hard… It works so good. It’s amazing.
Vinegar seems to do everything. Here are some uses.
I have used it for several things but one thing it works really well for and is much cheaper is a substitue for Jet Dry in your dishwasher. It works great. Just fill up your jet dry container in the dishwasher. You glasses will be spot free.
I always love to find ways to save money for our family, have a low impact on our environment and have a better product. These were some ways and I am sure there are plenty more. Maybe you have something to add.. I would love to know and when I get up the courage to try the liquid laundry detergent, I will let you know how it went.
One response so far
Hey Kryssy!
Yep, I’ve been using all of the above for quite some time as I’m super sensitive to commercial stuff. I have found a few commercial products that I do well with, like Simple Green, etc. But, vinegar is awesome!! If you put it in a Downey ball…I fill it about half-way full…it serves as a fabric softener. How? It removes all the soap residue off of your clothes, thus allowing them to feel softer. Besides, it’s a good way to sanitize, too! It’s fun to save money, help the environment (AND your health!!), and find something that works better than the stuff in the stores! I used to make soaps, lotions, etc all the time…but I just don’t have time for it any more.
Have fun!!
Kati