Saving The Budget

Several of my friends have asked me repeatedly for some of the recipes and tricks that I use to save our budget. I keep promising to get them written down and out to everyone but then I get busy and forget. So before bed tonight I will get them down before I forget again.

I do make our own laundry detergent and here is why; it cleans better and saves a lot of money. Most detergents, no matter how much you pay for them are half to three quarters water and then you have to buy a pre-treater anyway because the detergent doesn't get out all of the stains.

Here is the recipe that I use. It ends up costing $0.02 per load and cleans better than anything else I have used.
1 Cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1 Cup Borax
1/2 Cup OxyClean (generic works just as well)
1 Bar Fels Naptha Soap (in the laundry isle) OR 1 Bar Ivory bath soap

I have a Ninja blender so I cut the bar soap into small pieces, add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until the mixture looks like sand. If you do not have a blender or food processor, you can use a cheese grater to grate the soap and mix everything well.
You only need to use 1 Tablespoon per load or if the clothes are particularly dirty, I use the oxyclean scoop. Put it in the washer first so it will dissolve under the load rather than clump on top of the load. It is no sudsing so you can use it in your HE washer.

If you prefer liquid laundry detergent, add this entire mixture to a five gallon bucket of HOT water and stir to dissolve. Keep the lid on tight between uses. NOTE: The problem with turning this into liquid detergent is that the longer it sits, the more gelatinous it gets and you have to stir before every use. But if you do want to use it this way, use 1/3 Cup per load.

Fabric Softener:
I no longer use this because I have found that the Dollar store brand is just as cheap and works just as well but in a pinch when you don't want to run to the store, here is the recipe.
1 Cup of your favorite hair conditioner
1 Cup of Vinegar.
1 Cup of HOT water
Mix all three ingredients until the conditioner is fully dissolved and use like you would any other fabric softener. The vinegar does a good job of softening the clothes and the smell does rinse out in the wash.

Dryer Sheets:
Dampen a wash rag. Pour a quarter size amount of fabric softener on the rag. Fold in half and rub together to get it into the rag and toss it in the dryer with the rest of your load. Works like a charm!
Some people prefer to do this with vinegar only. I am not one of those people because I do not like the smell.

No detergent for the dishwasher? Use a scoop of oxyclean. It cleans the dishes and the dishwasher at the same time!

I do love saving money but not at the expense of cleanliness. I will post the things that I use for my own family in future posts and if you have tips or recipes, feel free to share them. For now, I am taking my tired self to bed.