In Use

I am officially using my homemade laundry detergent! I am very hopeful that it won't affect our sensitive skin. I would love to do laundry for pennies and say good bye forever to expensive store bought detergents. Making the detergent was even easier than I thought it would be. It was nothing to measure and mix the borax and washing soda. The most time consuming part was grating up the blasted bar of soap. I started (key word) with using a hand grater. It did not end that way. I am not a patient person by any means. It was taking FOREVER. I am trying to keep life simple here so, standing at the kitchen counter hand grating a bar of soap all day is not my idea of productive. So, I started thinking about what I could do to speed up the process. A light bulb turned on. I have a blender/chopper that sits up high in a cabinet all by itself collecting dust. The thing claims to be able to break up concrete. So, I thought why not a bar of soap? So I dusted it off and gave it a job. It is no longer useless. In less than 15 seconds I had soap DUST! It was awesome! It made it so fine that it mixes in wonderfuly with the other powders. Making the fabric softener was even easier. All I did was combine the ingredients into a Rubbermaid Shaker bottle. Just remember to shake it up before every use because the baking soda settles to the bottom.

Here are my laundry staples sitting happily together on the shelf over my washer and taking up very little room.

Happy Laundry Day!

~Tabitha~

Laundry Update

So, I have been looking for the Borax and Washing Soda forever. We were at the Urbana Wal-Mart a couple of weeks ago and I thought I'd look again. They actually had the Borax but, no Washing Soda. I went to Meijer this week and they had the Washing Soda. Yea! Now I can actually make the detergent. I spent a total of $6 which I think is great because it will last for several months. Can't beat that!

Cleaning Tips

I thought it might be fun to share cleaning tips with one another. You can include products that you just can't live without, your cleaning routine, or anything that might help us save time on this never ending chore. A house is a living thing after all.

Things I can't live without:
1. The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It is a miracle worker. I use it on walls and even on my stove. I love watching the black marks disappear. It truly is "magic."

2. My Swiffer and Swiffer Vacuum. They truly work better than a broom. My house is 70% wood floors, 20% linoleum, and 10% carpet so, they get used often. The one drawback that I have found is the refills are a bit pricey and they get used quickly here. That and I feel bad to add more to the landfills every time that I throw one away. I have come up with a solution though. I did my own experiment. At the Dollar Tree they have microfiber cloths for a buck. They fit perfectly on the Swiffer and work well. When I'm done I just toss it in the wash.

3. The Microfiber cloths. They are cheap and work great. They are great for dry dusting the house and the car. Just remember not to use fabric softener on them. It lessens their effectiveness. Oh, and I found microfiber at the fabric store so, you could buy a yard of it, cut it, finish the edges, and viola your own creation.

4. My steam mop. Many hugs and kisses to my Dad and Step Mom for this one. It is AWESOME! I am a germ freak. I'm a nurse, what can I say. I am also a mom and worry about everything being clean enough. The mop is wonderful. No bucket to haul through the house. I love listening to the steam hiss when you're cleaning. You can just see the floor getting sanitized. Just like the microfiber cloths the pads for the steam mop are washable. No refills to buy so you can mop your floor.

My Cleaning Routine:
I don't want to spend all my time cleaning. I also, don't want to devote a whole day of the week to cleaning. That's depressing. I have too many other things that I want to be doing. So, what I have come up with for me is to do 1-2 things per day. For example, Monday I dust the whole house. So, then I can check dusting off my list for the whole week! Some people clean room by room and that works for them but, I don't want to drag out the same cleaners every day. I would rather accomplish the task through the whole house. Another great thing about this is I'm only devoting up to 30 minutes a day to cleaning. Then, I have the rest of the day to do whatever I want. There are 2 things that I do routinely every night. 1. I pick up all the toys or anything that is laying around and put it where it belongs. 2. We do the dishes. By doing these 2 things I feel like I start every day fresh. I don't like waking up to a sink full of smelly, dirty dishes. It makes me feel like I have to play catch up from the day before.

Hope you find this helpful and I can't wait to hear your ideas.

~Tabitha~

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I met a family in the hospital a while back that made their own laundry detergent. Their recipe sounded like a lot of work. They told me that it saved them a lot of money. Their clothes looked great so, I decided to check into it. I searched several sites but the one I like the best is http://www.thefrugalshopper.com/. It gave a recipe for a powdered detergent that was less messy and time consuming to make. I haven't tried it out yet. I'm still trying to find the ingredients. If anyone knows where I can find these products please let me know. By using these recipes it will only cost pennies per load.

Powdered Laundry Detergent
1 cup grated bar of Ivory Soap (you may try other types as well)
1/2 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (don't confuse with baking soda. They're different)
1/2 cup Borax
Store in an air tight container like rubbermaid
For a light load use 1 Tbsp
For a heavy load use 2 Tbsp
*There will be no suds when you use this

Homemade Fabric Softener
2 cups White Vinegar
2 cups Baking Soda
4 cups Water
Combine and pour into a plastic bottle.
Use 1/4 cup in the final rinse or put it in a Downy Ball

Homemade Cleaners

It's Spring cleaning time! Have you noticed that cleaning products are expensive? I have been looking for ways to cut back some of our expenses. This is one area that we can definitely save. I have found 2 very helpful websites that give recipes using ingredients that can already be found in your home. They are http://www.mormonchic.com/ and http://www.thefrugalshopper.com/ . These cleaners work just as good and maybe even better than the store bought ones and they only cost cents to make. For most of them you just need a squirt bottle which you can get for a buck at Dollar Tree. Here are the ones that I use. Make sure to test the product in a small area first. Happy Cleaning!

All-Purpose Cleaner: Use for walls, trim, bathroom and kitchen counters, appliances, and furniture and carpet stains.
1/4 cup Baking Soda and 1 quart of Water

Disinfectant: Use on countertops, food prep areas, anywhere the germs live, great for toilet bowls
1Tbsp Chlorine Bleach to 1 quart of Water
(It's not effective after 2-3 days so, always mix fresh and don't put more in the spray bottle then you intend to use).

Window Cleaner/Degreaser: windows, glass, mirrors, stove, oven, and greasy fingerprints
1Tbsp Vinegar to 1 quart of Water

Drain Cleaner- This truly works.
1/2 cup Baking Soda, 1/2 cup White Vinegar, boiling Water
Pour the baking soda down the drain. Add white vinegar and cover the drain if possible. Let set for 5 minutes. Pour the boiling water down the drain. How it works: the vinegar and baking soda break down fatty acids into soap and glycerin, allowing the clog to wash away. You can also use a plunger for additional help with stubborn clogs. Do not use this cleaner if you have used a commercial/store bought drain cleaner and definitely don't use them together!

Wood Furniture Cleaner and Polish
1 cup Olive Oil and 1/3 cup Vinegar. Mix together until well blended. Use a clean, soft cloth to apply to the furniture

Lime and Mineral Deposit Remover- My favorite thing
Soak some paper towels in vinegar. Apply the paper towels to the lime deposits around the faucets. Let them set for about an hour. Then, simply wipe the faucet clean. It will make your faucets look brand new! You can also use vinegar to clean your shower head. Simply fill a sandwich baggy with vinegar, place it over the showerhead and secure it with a rubberband. Let set for an hour and then wipe it clean. I did this last night.

Chrome and Stainless Steel Cleaner
Dip a soft cloth in undiluted white vinegar. Wipe the surface.

Oven Cleaners
1. Use Baking Soda and very fine Steel Wool. Wipe off the scum with a damp sponge. Rinse well and dry.
or
2. While the oven is still warm sprinkle water on the spill, then sprinkle salt on it. When the oven cools, scrape the spill away and wash the area.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Pour 1/2 cup Chlorine Bleach into the bowl. Let stand for 30-45 minutes. Scrub with a toilet brush.

*Not responsible if any damage occurs when using these cleaners. Use at your own discretion.