I started thinking about my kids. Do they really need exposed to all that crap? No. I had been paying attention to the chemicals, additives, preservatives, etc. in our food but what about everywhere else? So, my first order of business was laundry detergent and fabric softener. A few of my friends used homemade and loved it. What could it hurt? It has to be cheaper!
So I started looking around. Asking questions. Guess what?! They were all a heck of a lot cheaper and work just as well!
Liquid Laundry Detergent
Borax (roughly $3.00 a box)
Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (roughly $3.00 a box)
Ivory soap (less than a $1.00 per bar - can use any type)
5 gallon bucket
Large pot
Cut and melt one bar of soap on medium heat in 5 cups water ... do not let boil. While that is going on add 3 gallons HOT water to the 5 gallon bucket. Once the soap is dissolved pour into bucket. Add 1 cup Borax and 1/2 cup washing soda. Stir and cover. Let sit over night.
My modification
All the same ingredients .... I "double" the recipe and modify for us .... 1 bars of soap in the 5 cups of water .... add 4 gallons HOT water to the 5 gallon bucket. Pouring into the bucket once dissolved. Add 2 cups Borax and 2 cups washing soda. Stir and cover. Letting sit over night. I use a 1/2 cup per load. Love it! Since I've modified ... extreme sweat is not an issue. I love it. You can also add essential oil for a scent if you want at the end. Cheap. Easy. Affordable! Takes about 15 minutes of time melting and mixing. Standing overnight. For roughly $11.00, I can get three 5 gallon buckets. For a few more dollars, we can get three more 5 gallon buckets.
Fabric Softener
Vinegar
Water
Hair conditioner
Mix 2 cups water, 1 cup vinegar, and 2 cups hair conditioner together. Pour into bottle. Use amount specified for your machine.
My modification
Vinegar is a natural softener and cheap. I have modified the recipe to fit my old laundry detergent bottle. I use a gallon jug to mix everything together. I use one bottle of Suave conditioner (99 cents to $1.50), putting 1/2 of the gallon jug of vinegar (tops $2.50 per gallon) and 1/2 of the gallon jug of water (free). Mix up and pour in my bottle. Kids love it because they pick different scents. Works for us. On occasion if there are several fleece blankets or a lot of sweatshirts .. I might have a little static. Another cheap. Easy. Affordable. Takes about 5 minutes to mix up.
Window - Household cleaner
Vinegar
Water
Kills me that Windex and other companies sell Vinegar & Water cleaners for around $3.00 a bottle. Seriously?! Remember a gallon of vinegar in my neck of the woods is tops $2.50 ... I don't pay that.
My modification
Mix 1/2 & 1/2 in a spray bottle and go to town! Can clean forever on the same bottle. I'm cheap. I like to be clean. No my house does not smell like french fries. Cheap. Easy. Affordable.
+++++ Just found and shared a recipe on my facebook page that adds orange peels to the mixture for a orange scent. Needs to sit for over a week. Here is pic of my mixture..........
Hubby asked what I was brewing up. Informed him to NOT DRINK THE BREW! Just thinking that orange peels, vinegar, and water would not taste great!
Furniture Polish
Vinegar
Olive Oil
Water
Lemon
Mix 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 tsp olive oil, water to fill quart jar, and a few drops of lemon juice. Mix. Apply to cloth. Wipe on furniture. Remove excess with clean dry rag.
My modification
Same ingredients. I went to the health and beauty section of our local Walmart and purchased a small spray bottle. I don't measure a thing. I fill the container 1/2 up with vinegar, the add about a 1/4 cup olive oil, a drop or two of lemon juice (optional .. I don't always do this), and then some water. Shake before use. Made sure to write on the bottle what it was. Store in it. Love it! Works great!
Carpet sprinkle
Arm and Hammer crappy stuffy that makes you carpet smell like roses or lilacs.
My modification
Take baking soda. Open the box. Sprinkle on the carpet. Vacuum. If you want scented .. place contents of baking soda box in a gallon bag with some a drop or two of essential oil of your choice. Shake good. Let sit over night to a few days. Sprinkle on the carpets. Vacuum. Easy. Cheap. Affordable. And much better for your pets!
And these two are new to me today .....
Toilet cleaner
I lived by Lysol Toilet Bowl cleaner! Love it! $2.99 a bottle.
Homemade
Sprinkled some baking soda right from the box. Added some vinegar. And watched the bubbles do their magic! I will never purchase toilet bowl cleaner from the store again. EVER! Clean as a whistle! And the kids loved watching it.
Shower cleaner
Take 6 ounces of vinegar and heat in microwave. Place in spray bottle and add equal about of Dawn dish soap. Mix. Spray on tub and shower. Let sit a little wipe down.
My modification
The website did say you could do cold that is what I did. Hot vinegar is gross! Purchased a large spray bottle for $2.37 at our local Walmart with the ounces right on the side of the bottle. Added 12 ounces vinegar and 12 ounces original Dawn dish soap (99 cents). Mixed up by shaking gently. Sprayed on the tub and shower. Went off to get my rag for wiping it down. Used a little warm water on the rag. WONDERFUL! We do have hard water so on the bottom of the tub .. I sprinkled a little baking soda and sprayed with this stuff. Foamed. And scrubbed. WONDERFUL! I'm sure you can use other dish soaps. I went cheap. Highly recommend trying it. Here is a picture of it ....
Best thing about this bottle ... it has some recipes on it for homemade cleaning products!
There you go just a few of the products I use around my house. Give them a shot. You will be surprised!
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