Homemade Dish washing detergent

 What are we up to now?? Do not worry this is not a new fad loose weight clean out your system drink. What this is is my newest found love. I have, more than anyone should admit, enjoyed making and using my homemade laundry soap. Since taking that brave leap of faith, I've ventured on to homemade dish washing detergent. This is what is working for me.

Mix together above ingredients in this order
1 cup baking soda
1 cup borax
2 packet clear sugar free koolaide Or 2 tablespoons citric acid

As a rinse agent use White vinegar

I use 1 heaping tablespoon per load

This is the dishwasher I have. Nothing fancy here! And, It takes three hours for 1 cycle!!!

We all have different dish washers, water softness and water temperatures so my recipe may not work for you, but I encourage you to try some alternative recipes. Other recipes that may work better for you include:

Powder Recipe 1
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax

Powder Recipe 2
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Borax
For the above two recipes:

• Mix thoroughly and store in a plastic container, use approximately 2 TBS per load.
• Use vinegar in the rinse compartment as a rinse agent to help prevent residue
• Try adding 2-3 drops essential oil

Powder Recipe 3
1/4 cup Washing Soda
1 TBS Liquid Dish Detergent
Use the above for each load of dishes.

Liquid Dishwasher Detergent Recipe
1 part baking soda
1 part borax
1 part water
1 drop lemon or orange essential oil per cup of detergent

• Mix the ingredients thoroughly and store in a sealable jug.
• Use 2 to 3 TBS per load.

If you’re having a cloudy dishes problem after using the homemade detergents:

• Try adding a few drops of liquid dish soap to the powder compartment when you add the powder.
• You could also try cutting back on the amount of soap used (if you’re using 2 TBS, try cutting it back to 1 – 1 1/2 TBS).
• Make sure to use vinegar in the rinse cycle

Good luck!! Please let me know what works best for you and your family.

Coconut Oil: And why we love it!

I would love to see everyone use's for coconut oil. Please add what you use it for to the list! I have an "upstairs" coconut oil that's in a wide mouth jar for all beauty/body things and "downstairs" coconut oil in a mason-type jar for cooking. What do you do?

Upstairs- Baby/Beauty/Body/Hair

Eye make up remover- on a Cotton pad, does the trick, PLUS leaves you moisturized.

On rashes- I have super sensitive skin. CO seems to calm it down.

On Ends of Hair: if its seeming dry and damaged (post beach trip?) Ill put a SMALL amount on just the ends before I shampoo.

On Razor Burn: Don't know why this works, but....

Sunburn: I used a little on it yesterday and it healed up nicely. I'm not sure your supposed to put oil on a burn however...
As lotion: face lotion, lotion for legs and arms
Babies bottoms- use in place of your normal butt paste or desitin. I use it even with cloth diapers.
Bruises, Cuts, Scrapes, Rug-burns, etc: lather it on there.

Downstairs- Cooking, etc

-For any type of sauteing that would need a "spray" or butter

-For a change of pace when scrambling/frying eggs. Makes them a little tropical and summer-y.

-Melted in place of oil in some baking (a friend did this in a chocolate cake mix. yum.)

-In Mashed Sweet Potato's- enhances the sweet so you don't really need sugar. Be warned before hand, as the first time I added a bunch of brown sugar and they were too sweet.
-Popcorn- make popcorn then add a little melted butter and coconut oil- toss with Sea Salt
-Pretty much anywhere you would use oil- I added them to muffins instead of oil- even brownies.
-Veggies- a little butter, coconut oil and sea salt
-Ezekiel bread toast- smear it like you would butter
-Even waffles- I put it like you would syrup or butter

What do you use it for?

Product Review Thursday

What is your favorite lotion/moisturizer?

Beth Ann- This is really not my strong point. I had a very lovely allergic reaction to the aveda skin care line (they will tell you pas possible. I tell you tres possible.) I didn't flat out react to ALBA's coconut moisturizer, it just burned my face. Not awesome. This was the point when I caved and went back to my junk filled oil of olay. I do use coconut oil under my eyes, and if I am being good I use the oil cleansing method and don't need much moisturizer. But, none of you should listen to me... I know infants with less sensitive skin than me :/

Leigh Ann- Due to my current pregnant state, I love Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Tummy Butter. I did use it faithfully with baby #1 and did not get stretch marks on my tummy. I do believe that you are probably more predisposed to stretch marks depending on your type of sink, and how fast you needed to "build the base". I use tummy butter on my thighs, legs and hinny too. ;-) Granted, there are stretch marks on some of the previous mentioned areas. But, not on my tummy! (on a side note I know I should be able to hit the unbold button and fix this bold issue, but its not working for me.)


A.K.-  I would have to say right now we are all on a Coconut Oil fix in our house. We use it for everything! I will lather Anna up with it after the bath. If i'm using a cloth diaper, I will rub some on her little rear end. I also use it on my face morning and night. Scott and I both use it in the place of lotion (legs, arms, hands, etc).

Heather-

Adriane-

Kombucha- Honestly!

Is anyone else a little addicted to Kombucha? I had tried some not so great version and some pretty good versions until I stumbled on Honest Tea's version. Bliss. I drank several bottles of this not-so-frugal brew a week and then ...gone. As you can read here, Honest Tea pulled the product because of some controversy over the slightly (.05%) alcoholic product of the fermentation. (Dear FDA: your on my bad list. Again. Not even sure this was your fault.). Devastating.

So fabulous ladies: has anyone made their own home brew? How did it work out? Any tips or tricks? Can I make it peachy and delish? OR Anyone want to shout out their favorite brand of fermented tea? Because ladies: I've got a fever. And the only prescription is MORE Kombucha

*he means fermented black tea.

Farewell, my love:

Preschool

Preschool. You know if you do not send your kid to preschool they will be ill equiped the rest of their lives! They will be socially inapt and probably they will fall into a path that leads to a destructive life of crime.

Well, you know that is how the rest of society looks at preschool. I for one only want my kiddo to love learning. I do not think he is out to be a genius, even tho his diaper claims. I want him to have fun, learn and be challenged but with limits. After much researching this is what I came up with.

http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/

This is a FREE website with curriculum for PreK. My son is 19 months old so we do the activities for 2 year olds. Some of it is over his head, but we just roll with it. She has lesson plans for two days a week. A bible concept, bible verse, craft, math, and story are all incorporate into the session. My only wish is that we had some friends to do this with! I am hoping to get a co-op group together but so far no avail.

Please check out this site and tell me what you think.

Homemade Laundry detergent

I love the Duggars! I love the full quiver idea and I love laundry...OK well I guess I don't love laundry. But, I am a huge fan of making laundry easier and more cost effective for my family. This is probably not an EASIER option but, it is more cost effective and if you are a little goofy, like myself, you will think grating soap with your amazing food processor is fun!

So here is what I've learned over the last few months. Making powdered detergent is easy, it gets clothes clean, and yes I use it on my cloth diapers!! NO fancy pants high price detergent for my kids bum. Just homemade goodness. On a side note, I have a friend that used this recipe on her cloth diapers for over a year. She loved it and said she never had problems with ammonia build up or staining.

I use this recipe:    

Powdered Laundry Detergent - Top load machine

1   Fels-Naptha soap bar
1  Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½  Cup Borax

-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

**** Side note: For my cloth diapers, I have a HE LG front loading washing machine. I used the same amount of detergent recommended in this recipe but, I add extra water to the wash and rinse cycle. Also, I add the extra rinse cycle too.

So, my steps to washing cloth diapers are:

1. Dump all diapers in HE LG  washer, wash on normal cycle, cold/cold, water plus, extra rinse with NO DETERGENT.

2. Second wash 1 or 2 Tbsp detergent, wash on normal cycle hot/cold, water plus, extra rinse. 

3. Dry in dryer..(I know, stop glaring at me, I will be replacing all my Velcro soon) or hang outside on a clothes line. Outside is best because the sun natural bleaches out staining. 

****Side note number two: Guess what! After 2 months, I realized my washer has a rinse and spin cycle option. So, now I use this button instead of washing the diapers on a normal cycle without detergent for Step. 1 

I have not tried this recipe but it looks like a goodie!  

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value

4  Cups - hot tap water
1  Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

TIPS FOR LAUNDRY SOAP: Use Fels-Naptha  bar soap in the homemade soap recipes, but you can use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps. I buy Fels-Naptha from Wegmans. Washing Soda and Borax can often be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2 per batch.

Product Review Thursdays

What's your favorite natural shampoo/conditioner and where do you get it from?

Adriane-

A.K.- haven't yet found my favorite. Nothing to write home about. Am looking at a shampoo bar that someone recommended, will let you know what I think.... (that is once I get to the "big city" and do some shopping in a few weeks!)


Heather-


Leigh Ann- http://www.longlocks.com/hair-care-recipes-cookbook.htm
I found this site after a little research and I can not wait to try the results. I will let you know if I have a favorite recipe or if, like Anne Shirley, my hair turns green.

Beth Ann- Does the Aveda line count? I think it should, except for the fact that a bottle costs as much as a car payment. Rosemary Mint & or Shampure if I have a gift certificate. Currently Avalon Organic's Lemon or Lavender. They sell this at our BX. I have tried Burts Bee's and Whole Foods 365 brand and wasn't thrilled with either of them. My friend swears by cocoa pink, but its also a bit pricey. She also does the baking soda/Apple cider vinegar method. Heres how:http://cavegirleats.com/2011/01/14/no-poo/