De-Clutter Your Life (Day Four, Week One)
Green, natural cleaning can save you money!
I think that it’s been a general misconception that to be “green” it’ll cost an arm and a leg. I find that we often forget there are natural, common household items that can get the job done well AND on the cheap. Some of these remedies (listed in the article below as well as on the REAL SIMPLE interactive cleaning site tool) are ones that I recall my grandmother using. Others I have never even considered a healthful, environmentally friendly option…. I’m really excited to put these alternatives to the test!
If you have other natural and frugal tips & tricks about cleaning green please save them to share with us later today in an upcoming give-away!
Safer and Cheaper Cleaning With Natural Cleaning Products
Article By Markus SkupeikaGenerally, natural cleaning products are effective cleaning solutions. They can produce very good cleaning results without putting the human health and the environment at risk. Another plus is that they can get all these done with less financial requirement.
Though it’s true that some commercially available green cleaning products can be a bit expensive, there is still a way of acquiring them that requires little to zero money at all. But even if you have to purchase them, they are still of greater advantage over chemical based solutions. What you will spend with them will be all worth it as these products can do multiple works of cleaning while protecting your family from hazardous chemical ingredients. In other words, commercial green cleaning products can be described as very cost effective.
To address the above statement that they can be inexpensive, it is because that they can also be personally produced using only common household ingredients. These ingredients may already be in your kitchen cupboards and if not, they sure can be found in a local grocery store at a very low cost. Even the processes of how to make them are not at all too hard to execute. With sufficient knowledge and a hand for mixing, you can already produce your very own green cleaning products.
However, some people are thinking that natural cleaning products are less effective just because they are friendlier to the environment. But of course, this is nothing but a false claim. Though mild and inexpensive, green cleaning products are actually tough to dirt’s and messes.
Know what easy-to-get ingredients you can use to get started producing your own cleaning solutions:
Vinegar
Vinegar is a cooking ingredient that can be used to clean almost anything. It can also be used as a deodorizer and disinfectant. As a natural cleaner, vinegar can be applied on items, furniture and equipments on bathroom, kitchen, laundry room and other house areas. One thing you should remember though is to never apply vinegar to a marble surface.
If you are concerned of the smell vinegar can give to your items, you should not worry about that. Its smell will eventually disappear once the cleaning solution dries.
Baking Soda
Baking soda can absorb undesirable odors in your home. It can also replace your commercially available abrasive cleaning products. As a deodorizer, simply place a box of baking soda in your refrigerator or in any foul smelling house area. You may also sprinkle it on carpets to get rid of the not-so-good smell and later clean it with the use of a vacuum cleaner. As an abrasive cleaner, it is often mixed with water.
Lemon Juice
Lemon, with its acid component can also be used as a natural home cleaner. You can mix it with vinegar and baking soda to produce all-around cleaning paste. It also works well in cleaning and shining brass and copper items.
Salt and toothpaste
This two are ingredients that can be primarily used as abrasive. Salt, if combined with lemon juice or vinegar can also work as an effective rust remover.
Cornstarch
Used to clean windows and to polish furniture. Also it works as a deodorizer to carpets and rugs.
**Be sure to check the article on Real Simple, 66 All-Natural Cleaning Solutions— Tackle countless chores with common household items. The first all natural item listed is my favorite! 😉
READER RECIPE – Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap
Thanks Angie and Leslie W. from Lafayette
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap
1-bar Fels-Naptha soap
1 cup Borax
1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT BAKING SODA!)
Hot tap water
5 gallon bucket with lid
2 gallon plastic beverage dispenser
Light colored essential oils (optional)
Grate bar of soap with a cheese grater. Fill the 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full with hot tap water. Melt the grated soap slowly over med-low heat in a large saucepan with 2.5 cups of water. Once the soap is completely melted, add this to the water in the five gallon bucket. Now add the Borax and the Super Washing Soda and stir. Now top the bucket off with more hot tap water. Loosely put the lid on the bucket and leave over night to thicken.
Fill beverage dispenser half full with soap and top off with water.
You can add 15 – 20 drops of essential oils to this if you like. (Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, etc.)
This makes 10 gallons of detergent!!
This soap has no suds but suds are not what cleans our clothes anyway!
High efficiency use 1/8 cup per load. One batch does about 640 loads!!
Top load machines use 3/4 cup per load. One batch does about 180 loads!!
Remember to shake the detergent well before each use as it tends to settle.
To Make Your Fabric Softener Stretch
Dilute the fabric softener 2 parts to 1 part water!
It is soooo concentrated anyway you will never know it!
I also put this into a beverage dispenser but a smaller one.
I have made this recipe for laundry soap. You can literally do wash after wash at little to no cost. I like the container you have yours in – very smart!
M>
I love the container idea too! I make mine in an 8 gallon bucket, but this would be so convenient and take up much less space, thanks!
I like the container idea too even if I don’t make my own detergent I can put my Ecos detergent in there and make it much simpler to dispense.
This is great….I am going to try it. Thanks
I would love to try this mix, but have not seen any of these items around. Any suggestions where they would sell these items???
Check your stores laundry aisle. I’ve found them at Meijer, Walmart, Kroger, etc. Not all of those stores carry everything, but I’ve found them all pretty easily.
Alice.com carries the washing soda at a good price, and the Borax should be easy to find at one of your local stores. I have never seen Fels Naptha in real life, but I use Ivory (free with coupons!), and it works fine.
They have Fels-Naptha at Publix…..It is on the top shelf at my store down where the stain removers are….It is only 99 cents!!!
You can find all of these ingredients at a Rural King- if you have one of those in your areas, Borax is also found at Dollar Generals, Fels Naptha online at soapsgoneby.com and amazon.
I cannot tell you how much I needed this de-clutter your life challenge.
So thank you
Does anyone know the price of these items?
The soap sells for around $1. The borax and washing soda are around $3 each. At least those are prices in FL!
I use this recipe all the time . . . it works, and I love it! You can find Borax and Fells Naptha soap at CVS, Winco, or in hispanic supermarkets in the laundry section. I find this recipe works even better than commercial brands for removing dirt and grass stains.
I also stretch my dishwasher powder by mixing equal parts of cascade (or other dry dishwasher soap), baking soda and borax. You can use vinegar in your little dispenser for water spot removal.
Wow thanks for all those tips… didnt even think about doing the vinegar in the dispensar!
I was hoping someone had mentioned grass stains! My husband does landscaping part time and he gets grass stains that can be tough to get out. If this detergent works I will be thrilled! Hope I can find the ingredients around here!
The laundry recipe makes 180 loads for $5. Awesome!!
SMART SMART SMART! SO eager to try this!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU! Very nice dispenser!! Going to recycle old laundry soap jugs until I find the neat one like yours! You can google Fels-Naptha soap and buy online. BORAX is at Wal MArt…love the stuff for bugs and crrepy crawlers. THANKS again!! Great post!!
The container she uses is at Walmart and such in with the cereal containers/plastic ware. My husband has one in the fridge for his sweet tea.
Thanks Ashley!
Borax? Really? I’ll just hop a trolley down to the five and dime and pick some up so my dame can wash my clothes while I work to support the family.
*weird look* Oooooookay. Not interested? Move along.
lol
lol
Mike, I get it. LOL It was a joke, people – kinda “Welcome to the 1950’s!”
That’s cute! LOL Mike!
How about the bucket and the dispenser? (I love the dispenser, btw – perfect!) Where would one buy those and for approx how much??
I would suspect they would be at Target, maybe Wal Mart, or some place like that. Just guessing. Target is good to have fun containers.
I use an old Tidy Cats cat litter bucket.
Thanks for this series. There is way more to living well on less than coupons and free stuff. I hope I see more frugal lifestyle posts. I am determined to have a minimal Christmas this year. More is not better. I will be trying this recipe for laundry detergent. I will be reusing one of my dispenser bottles from a very expensive laundry detergent. Right now, I am enjoying my peonies from my garden. (Free) No ants this year….Yeah
hubby is mechanic and often smells of hydrolic fluid/grease/diesel, etc… i pour about 1c of vinegar into my washing machine (along with soaps) and let it soak for a bit and wash as normal and the smell is gone!
Oh wow, I’m going to try this tip…my dh is an hvac technician and he always reeks coming home. Thanks!
You can use the 5 gallon bucket to mix your detergent and let it sit and then just recycle milk jugs that have been washed out and you are ready to pour without spending money on a container (although I do like that idea!)
I was watching some videos on youtube on how to make laundry soap and some of them turned out with a slimmy consistency… does this one?
Yes it is slimy as it gels. I have been using this since September, and it works great! Also, I didn’t use felsnaptha. I used a couple bars of grated Irish Spring, since that’s the soap my dh loves the most, and it’s awesome. Plus, you get the smell. I also make my own fabric softener with hair conditioner (since we get some cheap with coupons) and white vinegar and water. So easy. For dryer sheets, I take a couple of sponges and cut them in halves or 1/4s depending on size, and stick them in an old clean margarine tub and dilute a capful of softener with water. Just wring out the sponge and throw in the dryer. Works just as well, and it’s reusable. 🙂 When the sponge gets too ratty, I just throw it out. Lasts a LONG time.
thank you for all the great tips
Vinegar is a natural fabric softener also! I just pour about 1/2-1 cup in with my detergent or into the softener section and I LOVE it! I’ve been using the homemade detergent for a year and love it! I use Ivory soap and love it! It works great on my husbands grease and gasoline stains!
I use vinegar in my laundry all of the time. It is great for getting odors out of clothes, whitens and softens. And it is SO cheap.
Vinegar will also keep your dark clothes from fading, if you put vinegar in the first washing of the new articles of clothing. No vinegar on hand, soak new clothes in washer with a cup of salt. That also prevents dark clothes from fading. 🙂
I have never bought oils, so where might I find those to buy and approx. prices?? Thanks!!
You can find essential oils at any natural/health food store. Prices will depend on how hard it is to make the particular essential oil. It’s anywhere from $3.00 to $25.00 + for a .5 fl oz bottle.
Essential oils can be purchased online and at many natural food stores. Pure, essential oil is on the pricey side. However a small bottle has a few hundred drops in it – so while it looks like a tiny bottle for a 5-20 bucks … it does last a long time.
There are many essential oils that you can get on the cheap – usually the reason they are cheaper than other brands is because they are not pure oils. They have synthetic material like petroleum in them. A pure essential oil will completely evaporate and not leave an oily residue behind. Which is why pure essentials are great to clean with (like lavender – it is a natural antiseptic and can be rubbed onto door handles and the such to disinfect – without worry about staining or the handle remaining oily).
So – while not always – price often, with essential oils, indicated if it is pure or synthetic. I make most of all of my household cleaners (saves a lot of money and cleans/disinfects/sanitizes just as well without being harmful to the eco system or the humans/pets).
Aura Cacia (sp) sells oils on their site and often has coupons to use in stores.
i’ve seen this recipe several times and it seems it works great on all clothes. The first time I saw it was on the Duggar family web-site; this is what they use to was all the families clothes. Could you imagine how much money they’d spend if they didn’t make their own doing laundry for all those kids!!
I have been using this recipe for the past 6 mths and I love it! I have estimated that we will save approx. $120/yr x the 20 yrs. we will have our kids at home = $2400 in laundry savings! Love it!
Fels can be a bit harsh on sesative skin. My hubs has really sensative skin so I use a bar of ivory instead with pretty much the same recipe and it works just as well. I also use vinegar for fabric softner especially on towels. It makes them much more absorbent. The Tightwad Gazette book also has the best stain recipe I’ve ever found. It took out chocolate milk from a t-shirt after I’d tried practically every stain remover on the market.
Thanks! My daughter has eczema and I was just going to ask about this for sensitive skin! 🙂 I use the all-free detergent currently!
I also have hypersensitive skin and was wondering about the soap. I will try Ivory instead! Thanks for the tip!
Okay, so what if you are allergic to Ivory soap? What do you recommend using?
My daugher and I both have very sensitive skin and I use the fels naptha, borax and washing soda in my soap. It has a light scent, but doesn’t cause any ezcema or outbreaks for us. I used to use only Kirkland Free and Clear or All Free and Clear.
use Dr Bronner’s Castille soap you can find it at a place like whole foods it has the essential oils already in it ( lavender, almond, eucalyptus, citrus, and many others) it is VERY gentle and great for people with sensitive skin! Check it out!!!
Have you ever used Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps ( http://www.drbronner.com ) or Kirk’s Original Coco Castile (www.kirksnatural.com ) soaps? If you know what ingredient you’re allergic/sensitive to you can check their sites for ingredients. I’ve use both of these soaps for laundry soap recipes and have been pleased. You don’t really need and essential oils if you use Dr. Bonner’s scented soaps (they have lavender, tea tree oil, etc.) HTH.
Faster typers than me! 😀
Use whatever soap you use for washing your body. I have issues with ivory, but irish spring, I’m fine with,so I use that. Plus, I love the smell. 🙂
My doctor said all Ivory products are good for the skin except the bar soap. The stuff they put in to make it float is hard on your skin.
Thanks for the ideas. I have no idea what I am actually allergic to in the soap, and don’t want to try and figure it out, LoL. I was just wondering if the soap being made with different ingredients would alter the laundry soap. I am so going to try this, and save my family a ton of money. I can’t wait. We wash for 8 here, so this is going to save a ton!
I dilute my fabric softner and put it in a bucket, but I bought sponges at wal-mart and I leave them in the bucket and use them as dryer sheets.. I love it….It makes your laundry smell great and one softner lasts at least 3 months….
I just have a question…does this accelerate the fading process? Or does color hold fast with this detergent? Just curious!
Clothes often fad because of incorrect washing/drying processes not necessarily due to the great marketing ploys that detergent companies tell you (they would like you to believe that using their detergent is what prevents fading but that isn’t the case). Here are some tips to prevent colors from fading:
– make sure to actually read the care label for your clothing (and how it suggests to be washed and dried),
– don’t over-dry your clothing (the heat will accelerate the fading/worn process) – in fact, if you use dryer sheets to prevent static – you could save a lot of money by just stopping the dryer before the clothing is over-dried (you know the really hot fabric feel) – static will be greatly reduced if you don’t over-dry your clothing,
– turn clothing inside/out … the washing/drying process is hard on the outer layer of fabric,
– don’t over-fill your washer/dryer
– wash by color – lights/darks/whites etc (so many people don’t actually take time to routinely separate out their colors)
– keep harsher materials away from softer materials (such as rough towels/jeans with light weight material tops/shirts)
– using warm/hot water on colored clothing will of course speed up the discoloration
– vinegar not only is a natural fabric softener but it also helps prevent colors from fading (the scent of vinegar will dissipate and so you won’t walk around smelling like vinegar)
THANK YOU!! Good info!
I have heard that this makes your whites a bit grey…But you can just use a bit of the old fashioned bluing to fix that.
My Mom makes her own laundry detergent! She also makes her own shower spray (they have a clear, glass shower in my parent’s master bath) instead of buying it. I think she got those on here: https://www.tidytightwads.com/index.php/category/saving-at-home/homemeade-cleaning-supplies/
🙂
Another good cleaner for the floor is vinegar with a few drops of essential oil added…..
Anyone here go to this from Tide? It’s one of my rare brand-must-haves after every Consumer Reports issue always has it on top (and they aren’t paid for reviews).
Also, anyone have lots of experience doing this in high end front-loaders? Breaking an expensive washer is not high on my list of saving money!
I used Tide Free for years. I’m the only one of 5 in the family without eczema! I’ve been using the powder version of this laundry detergent for the past 6 months. It’s doing a great job except it leaves the whites rather dingy. I’ve started to add 1/4 OxiClean to the white loads to see if that helps. I’m using a front load machine.
if it helps to ease your mind on switching, the reason that tide is “such a great cleaner” is because it is made with fiberglass(among others I dont recall) I dont recall the details of what makes it clean better, but really, fiberglass in laundry soap???
i haven’t tried this yet because I cant find the fels-naptha anywhere, but maybe i will try with ivory or dove
Yes, I am a tide girl. I do miss the smell, although there is some place online that sell an oil that supposedly smells like tide, but haven’t tried it yet. My mother has front loaders and she uses this detergent. You can really use any detergent and dilute it with water. All the he stuff is waterer down detergent. This homemade detergent does not make suds, and you’ll be surprised how well it works. 🙂
Has anyone used this in their HE machines? Just curious…I know that the recipe says that you can. Just a bit worried about harming my new machine. Also 5 gallons is a whole lot to keep around my house so I think I will try making half a batch.
I was interested too in knowing if it is safe to use in HE washers. With a brand new machine it wouldn’t be good to break it!
i’ve been using the same recipe in my HE for 2 weeks now, no problems. use 1/4 cup for HE machines.
The repair man told me that he couldn’t believe how long my washer lasted and that the parts that usually go out first were in great condition. He said it must have been due to my homemade laundry soap. He said that HE washers need LOW suds and that is why homemade detergent is so effective. I had my front loader for over 10 years!!!
have you heard of the duggar family? they use this recipe in their HE units several times a day!
1-800-524-1328 call this number and ask where you can find washing soda.It is arm and hammer super washing soda.I also make my own laundry soap but don’t like doing it in huge bucket then having to stir or shake it every time so I a make powdered version and disolve it in the washer with each washing,
Here is the recipe.
Powdered laundry soap
-1 Bar soap(Ivory,Sunlight,Zote,Fels naptha, or Kirks)
-1 cup washing soda
-1/2 cup borax
* break soap into small pieces & process in food processer util powdered.Mix remaining ingrdiants in with the soap and process a little more to get everything mixed together well.Then store in a container.Use 1 talespoon for light load 2 tablespoons for heavy load.Yeild 3 cups and.
I find this easier to store.Especially if you have kids that may get into the five gallon bucket like myself.
thanks for this, it seems alot safer when you have small kids
The repair man told me that he couldn’t believe how long my washer lasted and that the parts that usually go out first were in great condition. He said it must have been due to my homemade laundry soap. He said that HE washers need LOW suds and that is why homemade detergent is so effective.
If you have hard water add these ingredients:
2 cups epsom salt
4 cups baking soda
(i add it to: 1 box borax, 1 box washing soda, 2 bars of Fels Naptha or Dr. Bronner’s Castille Soap)
If you also add Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing (found in the laundry section) to your wash every month it will make your whites bright and white again. The “whitest-white to the human eyes has a slight blue hue and intensify the whiteness. By adding a tiny tiny drop to your wash it will make your whites bright again. Check out her website for all the information http://www.mrsstewart.com Ask your grandma or mothers about this….they all used it when they had the old fashion types of washers and no bleach back then!!!
We have very hard water, although we have a softner, but last summer we watered the yard and it hit the windows…they were so water stained I was not able to clean them with any cleaner so I put vinegar and lemon juice in a spray bottle and it came off like a charm…(No water)
I’ve found that often for touch up jobs I don’t even need “products” – just use a microfiber cloth and water. (and instead of buying them in the cleaning aisle I buy them cheeper in automotive) Then on my cleaning day I may disinfect, but it really works. I love it so much I posted a video about it 🙂
Mirrors come clean with just water and a microfiber cloth. I buy my cloths which last a really long time at the dollar store.
I guess I’ve been green all along… I have used all those products(except the detergent) to clean ever since my first one was born… Safe cheap easy… Can’t beat that! I love vinegar the best I even mop with it…
i love this! i use vinegar to clean the floors and i also use it on my prego floors! as far as baking soda,i use it to clean rust stains ….i had a mirror on my bathroom vanity and with the water from dalily use it created a rust ring… well i just made a paste of baking soda and water and scrubbed it for a few and it was gone. Also it you mix baking soda and vinegar together, it will unclog sinks or drains .watch out it will fizzle big time. I love borax and use it to clean my toilets…Just sprinkle and use a brush and voila…. Also, use it on the bottom of my trash cans to absorb smells….
Where do you get the great container? I’ve been making my own detergent for the past year and LOVE the container!
Thanks for the Green tips.I will try some mostly the vinegar in the laundry.I had no clkue!!
I’ve been using this recipe for about a year now and LOVE it!!! It is so cheap to make!!
I use vinegar to clean EVERYTHING! I just use 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water in a spray bottle and the smell isn’t horrible. If you want to use and essiential oil to help with the fragrance. My sister makes her own laundry soap and I might be doing it too (if I like the sample she gave me to try)! I love using green products to have a safer home for less $$!
I make a powder detergent with the Fels, Borax and Washing Soda. I’ve been using it in my HE machine for over a year, no problems at all. I LOVE it.
I was looking forward to reading about green cleaning. However, this article was very poorly written. The quality of the writing was not what I’m used to seeing on this website. It’s a great topic, just not well-done.
It’s a very well written article, from a very busy mom of 3. 🙂
Please don’t be so petty! Life is too short! Appreciate the fact that someone took the time out of their day to share this with us!
I think that people often forget that we come to this site free of charge. That it, like most of the money saving and home-care sites/articles, are written and maintained by moms. I imagine much of the writing and researching occurs when babies are sleeping and thus, some pretty late evenings.
I think you should be grateful for the information or not bother to read it. If we all had unending hours free in the day to make everything perfect then we probably wouldn’t seek out the information that is provided on blogs such as this.
Reality check.
what else was it you were looking to read here? i think it was a great article, and the advice given, recipes used, and extra tips provide very useful! if you came here to edit and pick at each sentence, i would suggest you move into a scool district and grade papers.
Actually, the author of this article (the main portion, anyway) is Markus Skupeika, a young guy who writes articles for EzineArticles. From his sentence construction I’m thinking that English might not be his first language, because his writing is very formal and slightly old-fashioned. However according to his bio he has written hundreds of short articles for Ezine, so he’s pretty motivated!
I used this detergent for quite a while, and it does work well (although I wish I had known the tip about the bluing for my whites). But I really missed the pretty color & scent of the store bought detergents . . . I just had a much happier feeling inside when I didn’t have to stir the goo first. However my husband’s a farmer & gets really dirty, and the homemade stuff works great!
This is a great recipe..just a warning for that plastic container…I’m not sure if whoever uses that beverage dispenser in the picture has ever had any issues..but my Mom used a similar one for sweet tea in the fridge she purchased from Wal-Mart and the dispenser on the front didn’t hold its seal and leaked.
I’m not sure if it was the hotness of the tea going directly into the dispenser or not..just a word of warning to be careful putting hot liquids into it if any of you buy those!
safeway carries the washing soda for around 2.59! I use the washing soda to declog my drains. Draino is expensive and has WAY too many harsh chemicals!
Shop ‘n Save also carries the Arm & Hammer Washing Soda for around the same price.
I use the same recipe, without the water, to make a powdered laundry soap. I use about a tablespoon and a half in my front loader and it works great. Often I use Zote instead of felsnaptha, and I haven’t noticed a difference at all. I also use a couple of tbsp of vinegar for my fabric softener. I love it for everything except towels. Jeans, sheets, etc all do great with just the vinegar. Added bonus, the vinegar keeps my machine nice and clean!
I’ve been making this for about a year now, except that I prefer Zote brand bar soap. I’ve found it is more powerful, also I more hot water and make 5 gallons. It works perfect. For my family of 4 we spend about $5 a year on laundry soap.
This is non-susdsing (sp?) so it is safe for front loading machines. My mother has a front loader and has been using this recipe for about 1 1/2 years.
Wish I could do this but I can’t with an He washer.
Read above comments and recommendations, you’ll see that it can be used in HE.
He washers need a speacial low sudsing soap. this will clog the washer parts up and hurt the washer over time. You may not see problems now but you could later. I had to wash my washer with a water and amonia solution several times to get the gunk out of my washer from using regular laundry soaps.
This is a low sudsing soap. In fact, there is little to no suds at all. My mother has been using this for over a year in her he machines, and has never been a problem. All he detergent is is watered down regular detergent. You are paying the same amount of money for more water and a nifty he label.
Washing soda = Sodium carbonate. Check a pool and spa store to buy in quantity cheap.
I recently stopped buying cleaning supplies (expect for toilet bowl cleaner) as I was given two Sharks as birthday gifts (one for the floor and the other is the hand held one for everything else. I love them and they clean so well!
I have the Shark too for my floors and it’s awsome since I can’t breathe in many chemicals I hope to get the handheld one too. they make cleaning so easy with just water and steam!!
I use most of these “green” and inexpensive cleaning ideas, but Fels Naptha is NOT green! You can use a variety of other bar soaps with similar results. I use a dry recipe: ! cup washing soda, 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup borax, 1 bar grated soap. I sometimes add a tablespoon of conventional laundry detergent (free and clear) for extra heavy stains and sometimes add vinegar as a fabric/water softener. I pre-treat with free and clear dish soap (works great!).
Run your dishwasher at night and don’t select the drying option. By the time you are ready to unload in the morning, the dishes should already be dry.
Here is a great way to clean glass, too:
Combine 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 quart warm water in a spray bottle. Shake vigorously.
Spray liberally onto a glass surface, such as a mirror or window.
Wipe the glass dry with crumpled newspaper for lint-free results and buff to a shine.
Wow! Thanks for all the cool tips.. I didn’t know that its so easy to make a detergent. Put it on my ToDo list. 🙂
One qtn: Does anyone have any idea how to clean the mold(a light black substance) on the side of the bath tub, underneath the tap? I tried to scrub it, but its not coming off.. I’ve never had such a problem before.
Great recipe. I’ve never heard of or seen Fels-Naptha soap though. I see from many of the comments people have had success using dove bar soap too, so I might have to try to make my own laundry detergent soon. This would save a lot of money I’m sure!! And for it to do that many loads from one batch, that’s awesome!!
I know that they have fels naptha soap at winco if you have one of those stores near!
I used to work for Stater Brothers and we carried that soap (Fels Naptha or whatever it’s called). HTH anyone in Southern California!
You can find Fels-Naptha at Publix for $.99!
You can use ivory soap instead of fels naptha. It’s what I used when making mine. It lasts forever and the washing soda and borax can be added to a wash that is very soiled to help remove stains.