Lindaland
  Lindaland Central 2.0
  How to Make Simple and Cheap Detergents

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search

UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone! next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   How to Make Simple and Cheap Detergents
Dee
Moderator

Posts: 1191
From:
Registered: Apr 2009

posted June 12, 2011 02:46 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Dee     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
According to the latest government data, Americans spend an average of $659 a year on housekeeping supplies. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which provides that figure, also says the average American earns about $787/week -- which means many people are spending most of (if not more than) a week's pay every year on dish soap, laundry detergent, and other cleaning products.

If that sounds crazy, here's a better idea: Make your own.

Recipes for cleaning products are as numerous as recipes for dinner. Here are just a few to help with dishes, clothes and more.

Dishwasher Detergent

Here's a simple recipe for dishwasher soap:

• 1 cup of borax
• 1 cup of baking soda
• ¼ cup of table salt
• 2 packets (half an ounce) of unsweetened lemon Kool-Aid

You can try to save even more by buying ingredients in bulk, but another idea is to find smaller and much cheaper boxes at your local dollar store: a good idea to since you'll want to try a small amount at first to see if you like the results. The amounts listed above are good for 16 loads -- one tablespoon each -- so even small batches will last a while.

Other recipes online vary: For example, we found one that suggested combining only borax and baking soda, 1 tablespoon each per load. Another suggested adding a little citrus essential oil to make it smell nice: We didn't try that one, however, because we had difficulty finding inexpensive citrus oil online. Then there's this recipe, which goes in a different direction altogether:

• 2 bars of shredded Octagon soap
• 1 cup of baking sod
• ¼ cup of washing soda
• ¼ cup of lemon juice

This one calls for melting the shredded soap in five quarts of water and then mixing in the other ingredients. If that sounds a little like the recipe for laundry detergent we wrote about last year, that's because it is.

Laundry Detergent

Speaking of laundry detergent, that's easy, too. You'll need:

• 4 cups of water
• ⅓ bar of cheap soap, grated
• ½ cup washing soda (not baking soda)
• ½ cup of Borax (20 Mule Team)
• 5-gallon bucket for mixing
• 3 gallons of water

First, mix the grated soap in a saucepan with 4 cups of water, and heat on low until the soap is completely dissolved. Add hot water/soap mixture to 3 gallons of water in the 5-gallon bucket, stir in the washing soda and Borax, and continue stirring until thickened. Let the mix sit for 24 hours, and voila! Homemade laundry detergent.

Other Cleaning Products

If you like the results of your homemade concoctions on clothes and dishes, why stop there? The next time you're at the store, instead of picking up a bottle of some expensive cleanser, grab these six items and make your own cleaning supplies:

• Vinegar. It may smell a little weird, but vinegar can handle everything from dishes to laundry and even weeds. We've written about the wonders of vinegar before.

• Baking soda. Eliminates odors and helps with stains, and also works as a natural method of pest control -- ants hate it.

• Borax. This mineral salt beats bleach as a toilet cleaner and is also useful for scrubbing walls. And as you see in the recipes above, works with laundry, too.

• Fels-Naptha soap. This one's actually made by one of those big cleaning companies: Dial. They recommend it for "pre-treating" stains. In other words, "use this in addition to a bunch of our other expensive products, like Purex!" But you can turn the tables by using it as part of a recipe for your own laundry detergent, and they can keep the Purex.

• Rubbing alcohol. Works as a disinfectant and is also a great glass cleaner. It also gets grime off plastic and metal surfaces like patio furniture or bathroom fixtures.

• Lemon juice. This cuts through dish grease and is an ingredient for homemade furniture polish -- but it's not the easiest thing to preserve long-term.

If making your own cleaning products sounds a little extreme, there are still simple ways to save. The best? Buying generics. And if you insist on using name brands, at least clip those coupons -- but only the ones worth your time.
http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112897/make-simple-cheap-detergents-moneytalks

IP: Logged

GypseeWind
Moderator

Posts: 5294
From: Dayton,Ohio USA
Registered: May 2009

posted June 13, 2011 11:54 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for GypseeWind     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks Dee, definetly worth a try.
About the ants one? Well, my trailer is infested with sugar ants, also called Pharoah Ants.
I looked online for cures, and they said sprays and bombs don't work.

They are harmless, but they track the smell of food back to its source, and then they come in DROVES. It's freaky!

One time I fell asleep on the couch with a cup of hot tea on my coffee table.
I slept about an hour, and when i woke up, the sugar ants were COVERING my cup.
My cup was moving, it was totally creepy.

Anyway, baking soda you say? Or baking powder.. What do you do, lay a line of it all around the perimeter of the inside of your home?

Someone else told me to spray vinegar on the inside, and lay boric acid on the outside, but I am afraid my dog will get into it accidently. Or some of the stray cats.

IP: Logged

Lonake
Moderator

Posts: 4194
From: U.S.
Registered: Apr 2009

posted June 13, 2011 07:37 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lonake     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I don't make my own all purpose cleaner, but I do buy the cleaning solution in bulk (the concentrated form) and then dilute it in a small spray bottle, about 5-1. I have saved a lot that way and would never go back to buying it in non-concentrated form in that medium spray bottle, I just use the same bottle over and over until it stops working, then I buy a new one and recycle the old. It's the same with fruit juice, dilute all of them with water 1-1 or 1-2 if I want to cut down on the sugar and have saved money on that as well. It makes me feel stupid for all the money I used to waste on that, but at least it's better now. A new thing I'm doing with window cleaner is to buy it in bulk the big jug, generic brand, and then fill into a small spray bottle and use a squeegee to wipe it off instead of paper towels, I just need one rag to wipe off the excess before the next swipe and that's it, and they look really good. I tried all the vinegar mixes for glass and they never worked for me

IP: Logged

sunshine9
Moderator

Posts: 345
From: Durham, NC, US
Registered: Apr 2009

posted June 13, 2011 09:26 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for sunshine9     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
AWESOME - Thank you for the information; this is all probably healthier for us than the commercial ones that are full of chemicals with unknown side effects!

Sunshine

IP: Logged

sunshine9
Moderator

Posts: 345
From: Durham, NC, US
Registered: Apr 2009

posted June 13, 2011 09:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for sunshine9     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Lonake, I also dilute - I add water to my window cleaning liquid from time to time so it gets less concentrated over time but still works well. I feel better about being exposed to less of the harsh chemical.

Sunshine

IP: Logged

Randall
Webmaster

Posts: 9201
From: The Goober Galaxy
Registered: Apr 2009

posted June 14, 2011 04:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Randall     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Wow, it sounds simple.

IP: Logged

All times are Eastern Standard Time

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | Linda-Goodman.com

Copyright © 2011

Powered by Infopop www.infopop.com © 2000
Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46a