Homemade Laundry Detergent [Soap]

Four Homemade Cleaners This was easier than I thought it would be. One of Betsy’s goals for the year was to ditch some of our standard cleaners that we use around the house and make them! Honestly, I was a bit skeptical about this project mainly because I wasn’t sure that homemade cleaners would really get the job done. And my lovely wife is a bit of a neat freak so there’s no way she would use something that didn’t perform well. So a couple of weekends ago she went out and bought a few staple ingredients and some empty spray bottles and we spent a few minutes mixing up four different homemade cleaners that have since replaced 90% of the cleaners we use around the house. For the last few weeks we’ve been using them now and I’ve been so impressed by how well they are working, I thought I’d share them all with you in case any of you are interested in ditching the chemicals. The Cost of Cleaning. Basic stuff. Really Clean Cleaning. The Basics. - Homemade: How to Make 100′s of Everyday Products Mixing the Solutions.

At Home Hair Treatments Natural help for damaged hair and dandruff One thing most of us have in common is hair. Women in general are more prone to dry damaged hair due to over processing, chemical treatments and so on. While I’m one of those women I like to consider myself a hair survivor of the 80’s. If you too were a teen in the 80’s you know exactly what I mean. We couldn’t survive a day without our Aqua Net, LA Looks hair gel, blow dryers or crimping irons. If you have dry damaged hair, split ends, dandruff or dry scalp you can benefit from this excellent all natural way to heal your hair. All Natural Hair Wrap Ingredients If you have very long or thick hair double or even triple these measurements until you find what works for you. Directions Mix ingredients together and apply to damp hair. Take the mixture rub it down into your scalp and toward the ends of your hair. Help for dry and damaged hair I noticed a difference on my fine hair immediately. Help for dandruff and dry scalp

OxyClean What a great inexpensive laundry fix! This came from The Grocery Cart Challenge and I was so excited to give it a try. I feel like I go through gallons of Shout at a time, so I needed to step up my spot removal a notch. *Updated 9/28/11* I've been using this concoction for over two years and I've had ALOT of questions about this Homemade Oxyclean, so I thought I'd show everyone exactly how I use it. Here is my plastic dishpan that I have stashed in my laundry room and a batch of the Oxyclean mixed up and ready to go. As for baking soda vs. washing soda: I use baking soda and have found it to work really well. Here is one of my son's jumpers that I want to get some weird funk out of. So I pour some directly on the stain (probably a 1/4 of the whole amount in the jar depending on how many items I need to soak), fold the item on top of itself, put another clothing item on top, and repeat. I also have a free download for a Laundry Stain Cheat Sheet, and this recipe is included on it!

About Me Hi, I’m Amanda! Here on The Eco-Friendly Family I discuss my life alongside topics that are important to me and my family, like getting fit , composting , cloth diapers , safe products , and tips on reducing chemical exposure to name a few. I like to approach green living from a practical, modern perspective. Living a healthy life is something that is important to everyone and for me that’s what it’s all about. Part of changing your lifestyle is about trying new things that will replace old habits. Maybe making your own cleaners or detergents or choosing to use reusable products to replace disposables. I have always enjoyed teaching, sharing and writing, so when I stumbled into blogging it felt right and natural. Be sure to sign up for an email subscription so that you never miss a post, and you can get real time updates by fanning on Facebook and Twitter ! Thank you for visiting. Best wishes, from my family to yours, Amanda

Make Your Own Laundry Detergent! It's Easy! Save BIG & Have Fresh, Clean Laundry! | Well, I did it! I have pinned various recipes for homemade laundry detergent for months, now, thinking that soon I would gather the exotic ingredients and muster the courage to make some. I should have paid a lot more attention to those recipes I was pinning. There is nothing exotic about the ingredients, nor is it difficult. I’m actually mourning a little bit, for all the money I have wasted over the years, just not realizing I could do this quickly and simply. Once I actually stopped to look at the details, I was shocked. My own DIY brand! The one thing that they all had in common was that they make gigantic batches – 10 to 12 gallons, at a time. Why would I bother to make laundry detergent when I could just conveniently grab a bottle off the shelf at the store? These ingredients are easy to find and very inexpensive! Still need a list of reasons to try this? 20¼¢!! Well, if you’re convinced, now; here’s the recipe that I used to make mine. Ingredients Instructions Notes:

Homemade Natural Mouthwash Ever watched the clock hoping you could endure the burn of your mouthwash for a full minute? I have never been able to stand the harsh burn of commercial mouthwash, so after reading about beneficial properties of peppermint essential oil I did what any creative DIY’er would do… set out to make my own. Antibacterial natural mouthwash We strive to create recipes that are easy to make, inexpensive, and effective – this mouthwash is all that and even has antibacterial and antifungal properties to help keep bad breath at bay. Here’s all you need to make mouthwash: Baking soda will settle to the bottom of the jar when not in use, so be sure to shake mouthwash before each use. Feel free to double this recipe for a larger batch. Save money and get better mouthwash A few years ago we paid $3.50 for a liter (nearly 34 ounces) of generic Listerine, and that’s about the lowest price you’ll find. Homemade mouthwash delivers us a savings of approximately 250%.

DIY Laundry Detergent Today, our sweet friend Jen, from Blissful 55 is guest posting on Dirty Laundry. No, I am not talking about the problems and dirty little secrets of our lives….we are talking legit, dirty, smelly, laundry; or more importantly, how we get that dirty laundry clean. It took me a while to come around to the idea of making my own laundry soap. I tend to be very particular about my laundry detergent. I need it to not fade my colors, smell good, and most importantly clean well. I do not have children at home who like to get their clothes extremely dirty but I do have a husband who insist on coming home from softball games each week looking like the Dirt Monster (he enjoys sliding…and is usually always safe). It met my every need, with the exception of the price tag. You will need… 1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax- Found in the detergent aisle 1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda- Found in the detergent aisle 1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean- Found in the detergent aisle. [print_this] 1.

Homestead Wannabes How to Make Natural Shampoo [Easy Recipe] I’ve made natural alternatives to most of our household products and toiletry product, but shampoo was by far the toughest. I tried the “no-poo” method, which has great results for some, but did not work on me at all (and I have some terrible Christmas pictures to prove it!). If you have coarse hair that isn’t naturally oily, this method may be great for you! I have baby-fine hair and it didn’t work for me. I also missed the foaming aspect of shampoo (I know… the “foam” in regular shampoo is made by chemicals and detergents…) I tried plain liquid castille soap, which left a tangled mess, and I tried a bunch of homemade recipes that didn’t work well at all. Finally, at the inspiration of a natural coconut milk (scented) shampoo that I love, I’ve finally found a recipe that I’m happy with and that doesn’t leave my hair tangled, oily or both. It works on kids hair too (that’s a picture of my daughter’s newly washed hair) though it isn’t tear free, so watch the eyes! How to Make Natural Shampoo:

Natural Deodorant – It’s Homemade It’s Easy and It Works! Making your own personal products is a blast, and you can control the ingredients. Today we share yet another way to help you live a healthy, more sustainable and self-sufficient life. diyNatural reader Samantha said, “I was extremely, extremely skeptical. Why Homemade? I like to address this up front to displace the common assumption that homemade products are made simply for the savings… savings is just one handsome benefit. In reality, the benefits of making your own stuff go far beyond saving a few bucks. It’s Sustainable If you are a frequent follower of our homemade endeavors you should know that I require homemade products to be easy to make. For us, difficult recipes requiring a lot of uncommon ingredients is simply not sustainable. The Recipe To make your own natural homemade deodorant, follow these simple steps: FAQs Does it work? Does it sting/hurt? Does it smell? Will I stink? Will I still sweat? How long does it last? Will it stain or bleach my clothes? Is it safe?

Fabric Softener You may already be making Homemade Laundry Detergent and other DIY Cleaners… but if you’ve been wanting to cut costs on Fabric Softener… you’re going to love this Homemade Fabric Softener! What You’ll Need: What You’ll Do: Mix conditioner & hot water well, until conditioner is dissolved completely.Add the vinegar, and mix well.Store in a large container {empty fabric softener container, empty large vinegar bottle, etc}Pour into a downy ball… or use approx. 2 tbsp. in the fabric softener spot in your laundry machine… then wash! Thanks to frugal friend Holly for sharing this great recipe on The Frugal Girls Facebook page! I’ve been using it for awhile now, and absolutely love it!! Got a Thrifty Tip or Favorite Homemade Cleaner Recipe?? Leave a comment & share! See Also: