Another thing I'm making today is home made laundry soap. Have you ever tried it? It's super duper easy. Take one bar fels naptha soap, finely shred it. Add one cup borax and one cup Arm and Hammer super washing soda. Mix well and use. My hubby found this recipe on a blog somewhere, which I think is hilarious, because he is NOT a blog reader. He wanted to try it. I was very skeptical. I'll admit, he was right! I LOVE it! I only use a scant quarter cup per load for my washer size, so it goes a long way. It's "h e" friendly, too. I haven't calculated the exact cost per load, but it's very reasonable. We buy all the ingredients at our local Mills Fleet Farm store, which seems so "farm wife-ish". I love it. :)
What are YOU making today?
Happy Monday to you!
41 comments:
I'm making messes in my kitchen. Also know as baking I guess.
TOTAL coincidence, but my daughter and I are making homemade laundry soap today too! It's rainy and nasty outside, so this just seemed like a good day to get some things accomplished. Plus, more organizing in the sewing studio:)
I'm on my first batch of this laundry soap. I love it! It smells so fresh and everything is clean and bright. Wish the Naptha came grated!
I've made this detergent for years! Love it! I have a tutorial on my blog. I don't use Fels Naptha though because we have really sensitive skin! Going now to listen to the show :)
I just bought your beautiful book at my LQS. So glad to see it around - I'm looking forward to reading it!
Lisa
Lalexander733(at)gmail(dot)com
I am going to make a trip to the grocery store to buy food for the week!
I've just tried experiementing with homemade laundry soap. I've used this recipe before and I think it needs a bit more of a punch. I have 3 boys and a hubby that is in oil and grease all day, everyday. In my house we need more, but it's a simple fix with some oxiclean.
My friend worked it out and it's like less than a penny per load. but with the oxi clean, i'm thinking like 5 cents. Still awesome!
I'm interested to know how you like it after a few. Maybe we are just a dirty family, us Waggoner's! LOL
I tried this homemade laundry detergent and it turned our whites a horrible gray. Hope you have been experience that I did!
i forgot to mention in my post that we've been using this detergent for at least a year or more, and we've had good results. :)
I make that soap - we have a family of 9 and I only have to make it every couple of months! I love it too. I've recently started adding some essential oils to it, just because I am silly and like my clean clothes to smell like something, lol. We've used this soap for 2 years and I taught my husband to make it so now he does it for me (great guy)
I make our soap too, but I use an Ivory bar instead of Fels Naptha because my daughter has really sensitve skin. I always feel good about myself when I make it and use it, like I'm some kind of pioneer woman! haha!
Totally coincidence, but I made the exact soap today, too! I used the last of my (oh-so-smelling good)Tide and put my foot down on spending that much to wash clothes! I usually use a Costco detergent, but I have been wanting to try this, so with the Tide all gone, and the ingredients on hand, I did it today. Funny how I was dreading it, thinking it was going to be "so hard". I do that to myself a lot!
I made english muffins & burger buns today. I make a liquid version of homemade laundry soap. I was a little afraid to use it with my new HE front-loading washer, but found when we switched to the store-bought it made me itchy. We switched back to the home-made quickly!
I started making my own laundry soap about 6-9 months ago. I can't tell any difference except that I had some towels that had a sort of sour smell that I couldn't get rid of and they don't have that smell any more. Also you can't smell any fabric softener on anything any more. It's wayyy cheaper, I know that much and I'm definitely ok with that part of it. I also started making my own dishwasher detergent. Similar ingredients. Minus the water and the shredded soap and adding a rinse agent.
I've been using the same detergent for about 6 months and love it!
I'll have to listen to the podcast tonight. I'll bet you were brilliant:)
great pod cast Amanda Jean! You two are naturals! can't wait to get my book!
ok so I've found other soap receipes online and never tried them. So I guess from reading above this doesnt really have a "scent' but if you wanted one - could you add something? Also - what do you use to grade the felsnapa? and does someone know how that compares to using ivory (bar) soap? thanks in advance...maybe if I keep reading and hearing the comments I'll give it a try.
Congratulations!
I have been having "Monday Makings" on my blog for about a month now. I post recipes for food. Check it out sometime. You might find something you like!
I have been making this soap for awhile now. I have a husband and 3 teenage boys and I am always amazed that 1 rounded tbsp of this soap gets their dirty, stinky clothes so clean!!! I chunk the fels naptha and then throw it in the food processor. It grinds it up nicely. I will be making raspberry filled sugar cookies tomorrow. :-) Can't wait to get a copy of your book!!!
My son has been making books - and I've been making him pick up after himself. (I wrote about it here: http://amd-freelancer.blogspot.com/2012/03/handmade-books-for-literacy-development.html)
The soap is on my to-do list. After a trip to the store.
LOVE making my own laundry soap. It is so much more affordable than many other options. You can use vinegar as a softener too for many items. :-) I use Ivory soap, very reasonable as I can get (this was a couple years ago) a 12 pack for $3 at Target...Currently, though, I use the Ecos brand of liquid detergent. My mom found it in a big container at Costco for roughly $12. I've had my container since August and have only used about a third of it...softener is included in it, and the smell dissipates in the wash, which is wonderful for those of us who are super sensitive to things like that.
How fun! I can't wait to listen to you and Cheryl.
I admit I am intrigued about the laundry soap. I can't believe how pricey it is at the store!
Hope you enjoyed your soup and bread.
I am so going to make that laundry soap. The cost of the even the store brands has doubled in a short period of time. I will have to look for the dish soap too.
With all the $$$ I save I am buying that new bookj.
I made won-ton soup at home. One 32 ounce carton of low sodium chicken broth, one bag of chicken cilantro won-tons, a little bit of fresh spinach minced up, a shredded carrot, some sliced green onion...
Put all but the won-tons into a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer till carrots are just tender. Add the won-tons and boil for about 3 more minutes. Garnish with more green onion.
Yummy!
All ingredients from Trader Joe market.
not making much today but your plans sure sound great!! i might have to give that bread a try....maybe while i wait for the mailman to deliver your new book to me. i can not wait!!
I make it and use it also. Except I use a box of borax, box of washing soda, box of baking soda, and grate 3 bars of fels-naphtha. The ivory started building up a film after a while. Adding oxi-clean really boosts the whitening power.
Could you please share the recipe for this soap laundry soap?
I've used that laundry soap recipe for years, except I simmer it on the stove with water until it has all disolved, then put it in a 3 gallon bucket, fill it with warm water, stir and let it sit overnight. Ta da! Liquid detergent. I use 1 cup per load.
What a coincidence! Just 10 minutes I finished reading this post http://www.southernplate.com/2009/06/household-recipes-homemade-laundry-detergent.html on making laundry soap! I'm thinking about trying it, too. Glad to hear that you like it.
I've been using homemade laundry soap for over a year now and couldn't be happier!
I use this recipe too with my he washer. I like the detergent but I boost the borax to 1 cup and fels naptha to 1 1/4 cup and add a scoop of oxi clean.
The mother of a couple of friends of mine ( sisters) used to use a dedicated box grater to grate Fels-Naptha and she used it for washing dishes. This was in the late Sixties. Fels Naptha can also be used to soap ( dry) the bottoms of cookpots for camping. It prevents the black soot from sticking to the pot. It's getting hard to find in some areas, but has a myriad of uses.
Hello Amanda Jean!
I've followed your blog for a while now and I must say I love it! I bought your book from Amazon, and it arrived yesterday. It was not easy to fell asleep, I worked out at least 10 projects in my mind... I am so inspired! I just had to tell you: I totally love your book! And thank you for brighten up my days with your blog :)
Kjersti from Norway
I;ve made this bread, it is so yummy, a bit time consuming but oh so worth it.
I'm making sun tan....sitting out by the pool in Cocoa Beach...
It's so funny that I found this post. I had lost my recipe for laundry soap and this one is exactly it! Thanks!
Also, we make sausage corn chowder here too but we serve it with English Muffin Bread (my mother-in-laws recipe). It's wonderful on a cold and rainy day.
And I just have to say, I love your new book! I have already worn some pages out looking at all the beautiful eye candy.
Gorgeous to hear you chatting away with Cherly and match a voice to a face to a quilt! One click and you were chatting in my sitting room in Switerland. Magic. Thank you for the inspiration.
Blogger seems to think I am a robot, so I seem to have to post this anonymously rather than through my wordpress blog. Who knows, maybe I am a robot? Having doubts now...
http://pragmaticpatchwork.wordpress.com/
Juliet
funny, I've been looking around and gathering all sorts of home made recipes for cleaning and I am using them
I've been making our own soap for about a year now, like your recipes only I boil the soap curls in water, dissolve the washing soda and borax in hot water, mix them all up, and wait 12 hours for it to gel. It cost about $.03 a load. Yes, for real. I do about 22 loads of laundry a week (we are a family of 9) so this is a way I save on our budget.
Your green and blue slab quit is looking gorgeous! I love green and blue together!!
We live a few hours north of you, in Crandon (40 east of Rhinelander, 2 hours due north of Green Bay). I'd like to have our 60 degree weather back, thank you! :)
That's sounds really fun although I really wish I know how to bake.
I finally have all the ingredients needed to make the laundry soap. I normally use liquid detergent so this should be interesting.
I love my homemade laundry soap. I recently tried ivory instead of FelsNaptha and I really like the smell better.
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