Laundry Detergent - Liquid

Note from Sheri: I have tried several different liquid laundry detergent recipes that I’ve found on the internet and never had much luck with them. I decided to stick with the powdered versions – they are less messy and don’t take up so much space to store. I will include some links below to some liquid recipes if you want to give it a try!

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http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/how-to-make-your-own-laundry-detergent-and-save-big-money

http://www.christian-mommies.com/special-features/just-for-moms/homemade-laundry-detergent

http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes


Hopefully this will get you started! Have fun!

Fabric Softner

Add white vinegar (½ cup) to the last rinse cycle when washing your clothes. If you have a place where you are supposed to put your fabric softener (our washer has a little holder right in the middle of the agitator), then fill it with the vinegar like you would fabric softener. It should hold about ½ cup - at least ours does.

The vinegar will not only soften your clothes, but it helps rinse all the detergent out of your clothes. If you want a little fragrance, add 25-30 drops of essential oil to your gallon of vinegar and shake up.

Laundry Detergent - Powder #2

• 2 boxes borax
• 2 boxes washing soda (NOT the same as baking soda)
• 2 bars Fels Naptha (Ivory Soap can be used too)

Dump in your boxes of washing soda and borax into whatever sort of container you're going to use. Grate up the soap. Then put the lid on and shake it up -- or you can stir it if you want.

When you're going to use this, you only need about 1/8th of a cup (or 2 tablespoons) per load.

Laundry Detergent - Powder

• 1 bar grated soap (Fels Naptha or Ivory)
• 1 cup baking soda
• 1 cup borax

Mix everything and store in an airtight container.

Use 1 tablespoon per load. Use 2 tablespoons for heavy soiled loads.

Note: Add powder to empty washing machine and start water. Once the powder is mixed with the water a bit, then add your clothes.

Homemade Swiffer Cloths

I found a cheap alternative to buying the Swiffer cloths to use with my Swiffer! Here is what you do: purchase some cheap washclothes (the kind you can buy at Walmart in a 10-pack). Buy a white or ivory color of washcloth so you can easily keep these "cleaning" cloths separate from your regular washcloths.

Simply use these washcloths instead of the Swiffer cloths, attaching it to the Swiffer mop the same way you would the store-bought ones. The washcloth will be a bit big, so you will have some extra washcloth flopping on the top of the mop, but that is ok.

WET MOP: Run some hot water in a bowl in the sink and add some cleaner (whatever you use to clean your floors). Soak several washcloths at a time so you can rotate. Take one out, wring out most (but not all) the water, and attach to your Swiffer mop. Now mop your floor! When it gets too dry, take it off, throw it in the hot water solution, and get another washcloth out.

DRY MOP: Attach a dry washcloth to your Swiffer mop and dustmop with it "as is" or spray a bit of furniture polish on first (just be careful as this will make SLICK floors...speaking from experience!)

When you are done mopping all your floors, throw these washcloths in with your towels to wash. This works great and is SO much cheaper that buying the store-bought cloths. Give it a try!

Rinse Aid for Dishwasher

Instead of buying the expensive rinse aids to put in your dishwasher....use distilled white vinegar instead! This works great and is so much cheaper. Give it a try!

Dishwasher Detergent

After doing some research on the internet, I decided to try making my own dishwasher detergent. It is very easy to make and very inexpensive! I have found this recipe to work great so far. I know a lot depends on the water you have...whether it is hard water, etc...but this works great for me. Here it is:

Mix the following in a small tupperware container with a lid:

• 1 cup Borax
• 1 cup Baking Soda
• *2 cups dishwasher detergent (cheap powder kind)
  

*This is optional, but I have found it does a bit better if this is added. I think it really depends of your water. Try the borax and baking soda solution first. If it doesn't seem to clean good, then try adding in the store-bought dishwasher detergent.

To use: Put 1 Tablespoon of detergent into your dishwasher's detergent compartment..but DON'T CLOSE IT (or just use the pre-wash compartment)! Run your dishwasher as normal. If you have hard water, you may need to use more detergent..up to 3 Tablespoons. I used 3 Tablespoons at first and it was way to much. It left white film on the dishes. You'll just have to experiment and see what works best for you.

I also fill the rinse aid compartment with white vinegar once a week or so. It leaves the dishes sparkling clean!