Making your own laundry detergent

A number of people have asked how I make my laundry detergent. This is the bones of a recipe I’ve seen floating around the Internet, with slight modifications.

Why go to the trouble?

First, it’s hardly any trouble at all. Start to finish, it takes about half an hour to 45 minutes; and I tend to be slow and overly careful, so it may take you a much shorter time.

Second, the time is well worth the money you save. This makes about two gallons of detergent, and it costs a whopping $3.10. And that’s because I use expensive soap.

You will need:
* Borax, found on the laundry aisle of most grocery stores.
* Washing soda. This one's tougher, and do not confuse it with baking soda, even though it is made by Arm & Hammer. I find it on the laundry aisle of my local King Soopers, but that's the only place I can find it. Soapsgonebuy.com carries it, but it's pricey; Google it and see if you can come up with a local source before you order it.
* A bar of soap. I like Dr. Bronner's, which drives the price up but I save overall so I justify it. You can use Fels-Naptha, also on the laundry aisle; Kirk's Castile, which I've used too; or Ivory if you are so inclined. The main thing to avoid is moisturizing soaps (for example, Dove).
* A pot. I have a really mangy soap pot dedicated for the purpose (also for making soap and for keeping a pot of water on the wood stove).
* A cheese grater.
* A bucket or bin with a lid capable of holding as much as three gallons. I got mine at Kmart for three bucks.

Start out by grating your bar of soap. Be careful as you get to the end; I hope I don't need to tell you. Right after we shot this photo, I grated my finger, which I had burned earlier that day. I didn't enjoy that.

Put your fun little soap shavings in the soap pot along with six cups of water. Melt them together on medium to medium-low heat, stirring continuously until the soap is melted. It kind of looks like toenails as it gets to the end. Pretend you're the bad guy in a fairy tale, making something "delectable" for lost children in the woods. Cackle. It will make your kids laugh.



Once the soap and water mix is running clear, pour in a cup of washing soda and a cup of borax. Add essential oils if you like them -- I didn't this time because I was using lavender soap, but feel free.

Keep stirring on medium to medium-low heat until the powders are dissolved and there's no grainy "spoon-feel" at all. You will notice it thickening considerably.



Add four cups of hot water to your bucket (which is what you'll use to store it), pour your cooked mixture in, and stir. I'm not sure what the science behind this is, why you need to pour the hot water in first, but the first directions I got said to do this and so I stick with it. Stir once the soap's in.



Next, you're going to pour in a gallon and a half of cold water -- I'm guessing this is to stop any "cooking" action this mixture is continuing to do. I use a repurposed 1.5 gallon bottle for this purpose, but any way you want to measure it will do.



And ... that's it. You're done. All there is is the waiting. You can use it immediately, or you can let it sit, and in about a day it will have thickened into a rather thick, gloppy, congealed and kind of fun mass. This photo was taken a couple of hours later and, as you can see, it's already starting to look very different.



To use this, I use a coffee cup and measure anywhere from a half to a full cup, depending on the size and filthiness of the load. It works pretty well, although obviously you don't want to let real stains sit too long without washing because it won't be much help there. And I had to rewash a couple of loads after a stomach bug ripped through the house (hence the minimal posting as of late). But, in general, I have been really pleased with this, and I hope you will be too. Enjoy!

Making your own counter cleaner

Why make your own counter cleaner? First, if you make it yourself, you have control over what goes into it, meaning you have control over its toxicity. Second, it’s a WHOLE lot cheaper than buying a chemical concoction at your local grocery store. Third, by making your own, you reduce packaging. I reuse my bottle. And I would probably have the vinegar et.al. on hand.

There are many, many recipes out there on the Interwebs telling you how to do this. This is my humble offering. There are more disinfectant ones out there (and I plan to try some of them and share/report back). Of course, you may tweak at will. But first, why do I use some of the ingredients I do?

Vinegar. Has anti-germ properties.
Peppermint tea. Provides an additional disinfectant.
Liquid soap. Adds a little elbow grease to the mixture.

Here’s what you need:



Vinegar
Liquid soap*
Peppermint tea
Two tea cups
Bottle



First, put water on for tea. When it boils, pour it into your cups.



Let it steep. Resist the urge to stop and have a cup.



While it's steeping, measure out a cup of vinegar and pour into the bottle (this is where the funnel comes in handy). Add 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap (not pictured; the photo didn't come out. These things happen).



When the tea's ready, pour both cups into the funnel. You might splash some. It's OK. The good news is, it's counter cleaner. You can just wipe it up when you're done.

And ... voila!

* This isn't actually Dr. Bronner's liquid Castile soap -- I repurposed a bottle. I made my own. I'll show that off another time.
(All photos are c. 2009 Steven D. Dodds II)

Why? Why? Why?

I’ve long been interested in environmental and health issues – trying to reduce packaging, being concerned about preservatives and other onerous ingredients in my kids’ diets, consumerism, you name it. That’s not new.

What’s been new to us is that, through circumstances not of our making, we have been forced to get by on a shoestring. And we are, to the nation’s collective distress, not alone. Not nearly.

Plus, I know too many people who, even if they are employed (and sadly, I know too many people who are not), work in unhealthy industries and are nervous about how long they’ll be working, or are nervous about the condition of their stock holdings or retirement savings.

There are six of us in my family. There’s my husband and me, and we have four kids, ages 10, 9, 5, and 2. And we have gotten by on $13,000 in the past six months. That includes Christmas. (In the interest of full disclosure, we have incurred some credit-card debt, but it’s in the low four digits.)

Everybody wants to know how we’ve done that. And there are a few ways.

First, we’ve been creative. We’ve researched ways to get the things we want for free or very cheap. We’ve been willing to go to a little more trouble to make these things happen. My husband is the champion in this regard. He will share his findings periodically.
Second, we’ve adopted more of a “back-to-the-land” policy. We’ve made everything from bread to laundry detergent from scratch, we’ve bought almost everything we needed second-hand, and this summer I plan to try to grow as many of our vegetables and fruits as I can. (I’ll let you know how that goes. I’m a notorious brown thumb.)
Third, we’ve been patient and willing to do more work than we used to. It takes more time to get things for less money. But you pay for the convenience of being able to walk into a store and get something you want off the shelves.

So, should you feel inspired by this journey, here’s my first bit of advice: Concentrate on eating healthy foods and reducing your packaging. That’s something we can all do, regardless of our employment status. Also, focus on getting (or staying) out of debt – our lack of debt going into this period is part of what’s really saved us. Live within your means. It’s an old-fashioned concept, but, well, what’s old is new again. Now, will you go to sleep a corporate suit and wake up a bread-baking, vegetable-growing, wood=splitting monster? No. Probably not. And that’s OK. Do what you can, or what you’re willing to do, and you will see that your bottom line will be better – and that your planet is a healthier one in the process.

Now, here’s my second bit of advice: If you are able – you’re working, you can spend a little without incurring debt – go out to eat every once in a while. Buy the occasional gift from a local florist, or a good book. Consumer spending is a huge part of our economy, and if it completely dies, the foundation of our economy is destroyed. Those businesses can’t employ anyone, and they can’t spend money, and so on. So if your bottom line isn’t really hurting, don’t be spooked! Live within your means, with a mind toward your health and the health of your planet. And if your anniversary’s coming up and you want to plan a big date night, enjoy it.