We live on the North Shore, in the woods (well, not
in the woods...we actually live in town, but the woods are like 5 steps away. And so is the lake.). Up here it feels very self-sufficient...wood-burning stoves and laundry on the lines and home-schooling and a teeny-tiny community farmer's market in the summer. We have a community composting site that we take advantage of in all the months that don't have snow. We also have our own composting bin in the back yard (it came with the house, we didn't have to build it, I just benefit from the soil it produces), and we recycle what we can. If we could have chickens in town, I'd probably convince Uriah to let me raise a few of those, too. I try to repurpose things as much as I can and my insides (and wallet) get happy when I'm thrifting or junking or antiquing.
For awhile now I've wanted to try making home-made laundry soap. Over the weekend, I took that to the next level, making fabric softener, oxy-clean, and dishwasher detergent, as well. It was as if one of the Kilcher's came and homesteaded right in my very own kitchen (except my kitchen is not in the Alaskan wilderness and I don't have to kill a bear, a moose, a deer and catch a couple hundred pounds of salmon to make it through the winter - I just head on over to the Super One when I run out of meat). I spent an afternoon grating and boiling and mixing and stirring and was amazed at how much got done in a relatively short amount of time.
I utilized my
Home-Wifery Bible (aka:
Pinterest) for the best and most sought after cleaning recipes. I used
this recipe for the laundry detergent - I am not a fan of powdered laundry detergent, so I went with a liquid form. I found that I have to shake it up really well before I use it because it kind of congeals and settles a bit, but I cannot even tell you how soft our towels felt when I pulled them out of the dryer today. I also used
this recipe for the fabric softener, I just used some conditioner that I had on hand to try it out, but I think I'll try to find a more natural (read: less stuff in it) conditioner next time I make fabric softener. I also didn't add any essential oils to my softener because I like my laundry to be mostly un-scented. I like soft stuff and this fabric softener will mostly be used when I hang things outside to dry in a few
months weeks. I think line drying can make jeans and towels stiff and scratchy without a little softening boost, but I am loath to use the dryer in the summer time and sheets smell so much better after hanging outside in the sunshine all day long, anyway.
I usually buy Cascade in bulk at Sam's Club, and actually just ran out over the weekend, so...perfect timing! Everything I read about home made dishwasher detergent touted how it made clear glasses sparkle and shine, and it is true. Sometimes when I used Cascade I felt that my glasses came out feeling a little filmy - clean, but not quite clear. Well, consider me converted. Everything came out extra clean and sparkly and non-filmy.
This is the recipe I used. I think it's the vinegar in the rinse cycle that made everything so clean, but nothing smelled vinegary after it had cycled through.
Speaking of vinegar, I also used it to clean my dishwasher this weekend, because the last time we did that was never. (Truthfully, I was a little disgusted by how much crust I wiped out of there.) And I used vinegar to clean out the microwave and I ran it through my coffee maker to clean that out, too. I feel like this is a public service announcement for vinegar, but seriously. No random cleaning chemicals, just plain, old vinegar. My Grandma would be so proud (she swore by vinegar for everything.
Everything. Sore muscles? Rub some vinegar on it. Hard to clean pot? Use some vinegar. Mosquito bite? You guessed it...vinegar.)
After I had everything done and cleaned up in the kitchen yesterday, I left for the gym for an hour of alone time (yes, I go the gym for quiet time) and my husband took care of feeding the small humans (nitrate-filled hot dogs, biscuits from a can, sodium laced potato chips and apple sauce that I didn't make. Baby steps to a granola lifestyle, I guess). Turns out Uriah had a bit of an adverse reaction to all of the cleaning fumes in the kitchen and took to his bed shortly after I got home. For 12 hours straight. So...keep this in mind if you're going to make your own soaps and stuff: making your own crap is thrifty and awesome, but crack a window or two.
Quick Reference:
Laundry Soap
Fabric Softener
Oxy-Clean
Dishwasher detergent
We live on the North Shore, in the woods (well, not
in the woods...we actually live in town, but the woods are like 5 steps away. And so is the lake.). Up here it feels very self-sufficient...wood-burning stoves and laundry on the lines and home-schooling and a teeny-tiny community farmer's market in the summer. We have a community composting site that we take advantage of in all the months that don't have snow. We also have our own composting bin in the back yard (it came with the house, we didn't have to build it, I just benefit from the soil it produces), and we recycle what we can. If we could have chickens in town, I'd probably convince Uriah to let me raise a few of those, too. I try to repurpose things as much as I can and my insides (and wallet) get happy when I'm thrifting or junking or antiquing.
For awhile now I've wanted to try making home-made laundry soap. Over the weekend, I took that to the next level, making fabric softener, oxy-clean, and dishwasher detergent, as well. It was as if one of the Kilcher's came and homesteaded right in my very own kitchen (except my kitchen is not in the Alaskan wilderness and I don't have to kill a bear, a moose, a deer and catch a couple hundred pounds of salmon to make it through the winter - I just head on over to the Super One when I run out of meat). I spent an afternoon grating and boiling and mixing and stirring and was amazed at how much got done in a relatively short amount of time.
I utilized my
Home-Wifery Bible (aka:
Pinterest) for the best and most sought after cleaning recipes. I used
this recipe for the laundry detergent - I am not a fan of powdered laundry detergent, so I went with a liquid form. I found that I have to shake it up really well before I use it because it kind of congeals and settles a bit, but I cannot even tell you how soft our towels felt when I pulled them out of the dryer today. I also used
this recipe for the fabric softener, I just used some conditioner that I had on hand to try it out, but I think I'll try to find a more natural (read: less stuff in it) conditioner next time I make fabric softener. I also didn't add any essential oils to my softener because I like my laundry to be mostly un-scented. I like soft stuff and this fabric softener will mostly be used when I hang things outside to dry in a few
months weeks. I think line drying can make jeans and towels stiff and scratchy without a little softening boost, but I am loath to use the dryer in the summer time and sheets smell so much better after hanging outside in the sunshine all day long, anyway.
I usually buy Cascade in bulk at Sam's Club, and actually just ran out over the weekend, so...perfect timing! Everything I read about home made dishwasher detergent touted how it made clear glasses sparkle and shine, and it is true. Sometimes when I used Cascade I felt that my glasses came out feeling a little filmy - clean, but not quite clear. Well, consider me converted. Everything came out extra clean and sparkly and non-filmy.
This is the recipe I used. I think it's the vinegar in the rinse cycle that made everything so clean, but nothing smelled vinegary after it had cycled through.
Speaking of vinegar, I also used it to clean my dishwasher this weekend, because the last time we did that was never. (Truthfully, I was a little disgusted by how much crust I wiped out of there.) And I used vinegar to clean out the microwave and I ran it through my coffee maker to clean that out, too. I feel like this is a public service announcement for vinegar, but seriously. No random cleaning chemicals, just plain, old vinegar. My Grandma would be so proud (she swore by vinegar for everything.
Everything. Sore muscles? Rub some vinegar on it. Hard to clean pot? Use some vinegar. Mosquito bite? You guessed it...vinegar.)
After I had everything done and cleaned up in the kitchen yesterday, I left for the gym for an hour of alone time (yes, I go the gym for quiet time) and my husband took care of feeding the small humans (nitrate-filled hot dogs, biscuits from a can, sodium laced potato chips and apple sauce that I didn't make. Baby steps to a granola lifestyle, I guess). Turns out Uriah had a bit of an adverse reaction to all of the cleaning fumes in the kitchen and took to his bed shortly after I got home. For 12 hours straight. So...keep this in mind if you're going to make your own soaps and stuff: making your own crap is thrifty and awesome, but crack a window or two.
Quick Reference:
Laundry Soap
Fabric Softener
Oxy-Clean
Dishwasher detergent
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