As usual, in my quest to find ways to cut corners (ie; expenses) I've been researching ways to save when it comes to our laundry supplies. I've been reading about several different recipes and Pinterest once again came through for me and provided me with an entire page dedicated to DIY cleaning supplies.
Currently I'm using Purex Baby detergent. With Sawyer still under a year old and my own sensitivity to scents, it's a perfect detergent for us. Plus it averages $2.94 a bottle for a 32 load bottle. Imagine my dismay when we went grocery shopping on Friday and I was unable to find it at our local Meijer! (I REFUSE to buy Dreft...there's no way I'm paying over $15 for laundry detergent!) They seem to have replaced it with a Meijer brand "all natural" dtergent. And the price was raised to over $5.00 a bottle. Now seems like the perfect time to make some changes in my laundry routine!
The first recipe I'll be trying is for DIY fabric softener. I'm starting with this one because I happen to have all the ingredients on hand already and I still have some questions I want to ask about the homemade detergent. The recipe follows:
Homemade Fabric Softener
6 c. water
3 c. white vinegar
2 c. suave hair conditioner (one blog I read suggested using whatever conditioner you had on hand, I actually do have suave)
-Warm vinegar and conditioner in the microwave
-Mix in water
-stir to combine (don not shake--too foamy!)
-Put in squirt bottle
-Spritz on old washcloth and toss in dryer with a load!
That's it! So simple! The blog where I found this recipe said she'd been using this batch for 8-10 months and she still had a ton left over! Think of the savings! I think I will cut the recipe in half to start...I'm running low on vinegar.
The next recipe is one I've already started using and simply put, it is AH-MA-ZING! I have hard water and it tends to leave those white rings in the bathroom sink. I also hate using harsh cleansers in the bathtub where I bathe the boys. I always worry about their sensitive skin. It's listed as a bathroom cleaner, but I've also used in my kitchen with great success!
DIY Bathroom Cleaner
12 oz. Dawn dish detergent
12 oz. white vinegar
-warm the vinegar in the microwave
-combine with Dawn
-put in squirt bottle!
(A few tips--a little bit goes a LONG way. It gets soapy if you use too much! Every blog I read about this recipe stated using Dawn. I don't know if any other dish soap will work or not)
Like I said, this stuff really floats my boat! I have a white porcelin kitchen sink that tends to stain on the side that has the garbage disposal. Often times it took massive amounts of scrubbing to get the stains out. I sprayed this stuff on, let it sit for 15 minutes while I fed the baby, and ta-da! No stains! Call me crazy, but it also seems to be resisting new stains in that sink...but I might just be crazy. :o) I also used it to clean my fridge shelves and it took out all the nasty gunk that had built up. The vinegar also helped deodorize the fridge. Spic and Span!
I have recipes for homemade laundry detergent and oxi-clean as well, but still want to do a little research before I make them. Plus, I need a shopping trip to pick up some supplies. I'm looking forward to seeing how much I can save making my own supplies!
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