Very Pinteresting: Laundry Day!

I love Pinterest, and I've actually used several ideas I've found there.  Some of them worked out great, some notsomuch.  In my "Very Pinteresting" series, I'm going to share the good, the bad, and the ugly.  

I've been making my own laundry detergent for a couple of years, actually since before I got on Pinterest.  Well, to clarify, I made detergent once.  A LOT of detergent, for very little money.  I believe it was a triple batch, and it's still around!  It's a very basic powder recipe, and I keep it in these lovely glass jars from Hobby Lobby.  I love using it, and especially love that I haven't had to pay out the nose for store-bought detergent.  I reckon we've saved about $100 just in laundry detergent alone!

 

I use: 

2 bars of Ivory soap, grated

1C Borax  (in the laundry aisle)

1C Washing Soda (NOT baking soda... find this in the laundry aisle, too)

Grate the Ivory with the grater attachment of your food processor, if you have one.  If not, do it with a cheese grater. Toss it in the food processor, pour in the Borax and Washing Soda, and let it go for a nice, long spin.  Make as many full batches as you can with the materials on hand, pour the powder (it will be a little clumpy, no big deal) into a jar of some sort and toss in a tablespoon.  Use one TBS per load.  

The slight downside to this detergent is that it doesn't make your laundry smell (not bad... not good... not at ALL).  I was fine with this, but compensated with fabulous-smelling fabric softener and dryer sheets.  Until recently, when I started making my own fabric softener!!  

I got this recipe from a pin... and so far, I'm pleased with it. I keep it in a beverage thingy that I found on end-of-summer clearance at Walmart, the kind that has the little spout thing.  

6C water

3C white vinegar

2C hair conditioner (use something cheap, but awesome-smelling).  

I used V05 conditioner, I think it cost less than $1 per bottle, and I needed a whole bottle and a smidge from another.  Gently stir all of the ingredients in the bottle or tub you'll be using.  Fill the softener spot in your washer to the line - this isn't concentrated.  Your laundry will smell quite a bit better than just using the homemade detergent, but I still kinda love my wonderful dryer sheets. :-)  

These recipes are wonderful money-savers, and they do a great job.  I don't feel like I'm cutting corners, and I'm also proud to have made them myself.  I highly recommend these projects!

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One Pinterest project that that did NOT work out so well for us is the gnat-trap on this page.  I don't know where these stupid little things came from, but I left this gnat trap out for well over 24 hours and it didn't catch a single.little.gnat.  :-(

Always,

Katie