Homemade recipes link
Curious? Here's the shopping list:
Lemi Shine (I've used this in the closed compartment of the dishwasher for years. We have hard water):
Kosher Salt
White Vinegar
Cider Vinegar
compare that with a shopping list of what you are replacing:
Dishwasher Detergent: $4-$12
Laundry Detergent: $4-$20
Shampoo $1-$8
Conditioner $1-$8
When I used the homemade laundry detergent, I washed my whites in Tide every few loads to whiten. Now I'd recommend throwing Borax in now and then. I do that anyway.
The other day I had to clean the grime off the dishwasher door to stop a leak, and I can honestly say the following load was the cleanest dish load we have had in years. I cannot wait to try the Dishwasher Detergent.
Add in a bar of Ivory Soap and you have the ingredients for laundry soap. But, if you would like a simple laundry soap, how about trying Soap Nuts. My neighbor told me about Soap Nuts.
They sound fun. Today she brought me a baggy of the nuts and I can't wait to try them. They are the meat around a seed of the Sapindus Mukorossi berry. They peel the meat off and replant the seeds. You can use each nut 4 times, then squeeze it to see if the white soap is still coming out. If so, you can use it some more. 4-5 nuts does 4 loads of laundry and they really cost very little. My friend said they come out costing less than Tide. But they don't have any chemicals other than the saponius, which is a natural extract of the fruit. Once you use all the saponius, they are safe to put in your compost heap.
More excitement? You can use the Soap Nuts to make shampoo, dish soap and cleanser (although once liquified they only last a few days). You can boil and soak the nuts, then use one batch for all these uses. I've ordered my Soap Nuts. Can't wait to try them.
My neighbor is at her house right now testing how to make her Soap Nuts form a gel by adding Knox Gel. I have high hopes because I'm a little leery of using a pure liquid to wash my hair.
Here is a way to cinch the belt in a little tighter which is fun. Making your own detergents and household cleaners is empowering. Products we thought nothing of buying all our lives are things we can create ourselves in minutes. The results are healthier cheaper and work just as well. Let me know what you think.
