Laundry Detergent Challenge: Recipe

Alrighty folks, here is the promised recipe for the dry laundry detergent (click here to read more about this challenge). I just finished making a batch myself and it was super easy. Except for the cramped hand from all the grating!!

Gather your ingredients:

Fels Naptha soap

Borax

Washing Soda

Grate the soap using a fine grater

Ugh, taking a break... 

Done!

Then pour it into your container.

(the recipe will yield about 4 cups, so choose one large enough)

Add one cup washing soda...

And one cup borax...

Then shake it up!

My borax was a bit clumpy, so I had to stir it with a fork.

For a front-loading washer, you would want to use about 1 Tablespoon per load, and for a top-loader you would use 2 Tablespoons. I tried to make a little measuring cup to put inside, but couldn't find my sharpie!

So I wrote the instructions on the lid, and also added the recipe. Since these donations will go to struggling families, maybe knowing how to make more of this inexpensive homemade detergent can benefit them in the future.

Ok, simple as that!! I've only made this one batch so far, but have lots of my borax and washing soda left, so I just need to go pick up a few more bars of Fels Naptha to make more. Then I will be taking it to My Father's House! Can't wait. 

Sooo, about that giveaway...

Here are the details:

Comment on this post once you've made your detergent and donated it. (I'll link to it on my sidebar so you can find it again later)

Become a Sleepless in Sandy follower for an extra entry, just leave another comment telling me you've done so

Be sure to leave an email address where I can reach you if you win!

Contest will close on Thanksgiving, November 25th, at 6pm (that gives you almost 2 weeks, you can do it!)

Winner will be chosen at random on Friday, November 26th 

I'll email the winner and post it here that afternoon!

Winner receives:

4 movie tickets to Regal Cinemas 

and a reusable sandwich wrap

and a coffee cozy!

Not to mention that warm fuzzy feeling and the know-how to make your own detergent!

A fun challenge, and a GIVEAWAY!!!

Ok, I have a super fun thing to share today!

Let's call it a 'giving back' challenge:

I like to come up with ways to help those less fortunate, but usually can't afford to make big donations to the causes dear to my heart. So I have to get a bit creative. I used to be really on top of couponing, and got a lot of free and very cheap groceries and household items that I could donate, but I've been really slacking lately. Recently my husband mentioned a local organization called My Father's House, which is a family homeless shelter in Gresham, and apparently they are in great need of food and household product donations.
 They also need laundry detergent.
This got the wheels turning... I asked him to verify if they could accept homemade detergent and they can!!
That I can do!!
So, here is my plan:

Several of my friends, some of Mike's co-workers and I are purchasing the ingredients for the dry laundry detergent recipe I originally found on My Frugal Lifestyle. I've only made the liquid myself, but have wanted to try the dry- and I think it would be easier for this purpose. Then in the next week or so, we all will be making the detergent (as few or as many batches as we can!) and taking it to the donation center at this local charity.

Here is my challenge to you:
Let's all do it!!
Go pick up these three ingredients at your local grocery store, plus a container with a lid to put it in (like a food storage container):
20 Mule Team Borax (one box is enough for about 9 batches)
Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda (1 box is enough for about 6 batches)
Fels Naptha soap (1 bar per batch, so buy extra if you want to make more)

I've found these at both Winco and Fred Meyer (Kroger), so hopefully most grocery stores will carry them also.

The great thing about this is it is soooo cheap! One batch costs under $2, and will yield around 64 loads, or even more in a front-loading machine. That's around 3 cents (or less) per load. So much cheaper than store-bought! I can donate a lot more homemade detergent than I could if I had to go buy it.

So, get your ingredients ready, and I'll be reposting the recipe in the next couple days. Then make up a few batches and bring them to a shelter or organization near you (but be sure they can accept homemade).

Here's the fun part: come back here (I'll add a link to my sidebar) and comment to let me know you participated, and you'll be entered to win my first ever giveaway!!! 4 Premier Movie Tickets for Regal Cinemas, PLUS a crafty creation of my choosing!

I'm super excited about this! Let's do a small thing to help these families and have a bit of fun at the same time.

I'll post more details about the giveaway when I post the recipe, so be sure to check back soon!

Edit: Click here for giveaway details and detergent recipe!

Ten Tasks Challenge: day 10!

Well, here it is... the 10th day of this challenge. 

I did pretty good! Completed nine of my ten tasks... That darn sign was my problem. It's an overwhelming project. And I really need hubby's help with it, which pretty much means the weekend. But I will try to get on it, really soon! And I promise to post a photo of one so you can see what I'm talking about.

Here's the rundown:

1. Sign (see lame excuse above)

2. Plant lettuce- did that last week, it's looking great! And still slug-free!

3. Paint $1 garage sale bookshelf

This was coming apart in the back, dusty, and a very unattractive oak-like laminate. I nailed it back together, cleaned it off and did a somewhat lazy job painting it, then spraying with varnish.

But for $1 it looks great! And gives us more shelf space for toys and books in Beckham's closet.

4. Reorganize boy's books

Now that I have another shelf in Beckham's closet, I was finally able to sort through some of Ty's books and pull out all the baby ones that are just to young for him. 

So now Beckham has a few more books to "read", and Ty has a tiny bit more room in his shelves. 

Oh, gosh. Never mind. That still looks terrible. But it's actually better than it was! I'll keep working on it...

5. Get fabric to finish Ty's quilt

YES! Got it! And actually finished the whole thing!! I'm so happy to have that project done. 

We had a set of orange sheets for our queen bed that we never used (funny how orange seemed practical once), so I cut them up and turned them into a twin set for Ty's bed. There was enough fabric left over to use as squares in the quilt and for the little throw pillow. 

I love the guitar fabric. Perfect for my little music lover.

6. Sew coffee cozy

I love how these turned out!! And especially how easy they are!

7. Make a few batches of baby food

Done... at the last second. Just finished this up about an hour ago! And it was actually only one big batch of brown rice and veggies. But Becks is eating a lot more grown-up food these days, so we aren't needing as much puree'd food. 

8. Update Beckham's baby book/ work on scrapbook

SO relieved to have this done/started! I have the baby book completely up to date, which I have been putting off for way too long. And I finished ten (yes TEN!) pages in his scrapbook!! That's a ton! It occurred to me the other day that I had Ty's entire first year documented in two scrapbooks by his first birthday party. We brought them to display. So... I was having a lot of guilt that I'd barely started Beckham's and his first birthday party is in a month and a half! I still have a long way to go on this, but just having started makes it easier to keep progressing. 

9. Clean cushions on patio furniture

Yeah... this didn't go so well. We tried a borax/dish detergent/water mixture on them, and I don't really think it made much difference. Thanks to some great comments on my last post, I now have a few other options to try!

10. Come up with a system for Ty's chores

I'm so excited about this! I put it off until literally this morning! And look how cute it turned out!

It's an old cookie sheet! I just cut a piece of scrapbook paper to fit and decorated it a bit, then added Ty's daily and weekly chores. We are going to hang it somewhere, then he can use the magnets (which I need to make cuter) to mark off his chores as they are completed. 

Thanks to The Shabby Chic Cottage for hosting this challenge that really helped motivate me! 

Ten tasks- progress

Ok, I'm a tiny bit disappointed in my lack of progress so far. 

Should I make excuses? I could... I have a few good ones. But who doesn't, right? I think I'll focus on the positive instead. 

I've purchased fabric to finish Ty's quilt, but of course I bought the last of what they had and it isn't enough. I'm hoping they will either get more in soon, or I can find the same fabric at a different store. But at least I decided what to buy, and I have some of it! So I checked that off my list. 

This is what I have so far. The border and backing is what I still need... I went for a black flannel since it's for his bed. 

Today my husband made the cleaning solution for our patio cushions. I would share the recipe but it didn't work. So you probably don't want it. I'm really sad about this! We have some great lounge chairs that I really like, but the cushions just look terrible. 

Here's the before:

And the after:

Hmm, I guess it's a tiny bit less green. 

I'll keep doing research and see what else I could try. Any suggestions would be great!

I planted my new lettuce. It's looking a bit wilted but it's in the (slug-free!) garden and I'm sure it will perk up!

I've found a free online pattern for my coffee cozy... and it's gonna be CUTE! I also have the fabric and all the supplies... just need to sit down and get to sewing!

I'm really wishing I would have added canning to my list! Yesterday we made our own pickles and canned them! 

And today, we went berry picking and made strawberry jam. 

Both of these projects were a bit time-consuming, and I would have loved to cross them off my list! Oh well, I'll call them a bonus. :)

I also made another buttercup bag as a gift, and I love this one!

Really need to work on one for myself, they are just so cute!

Yeah, I know this wasn't on my list either, but it makes me feel like I accomplished something, so I'm just going with it. 

Check back soon for another update! I'm going to show off the inspiration for my mysterious sign!

Ten Tasks

Ok, here it is:
My List

1. Work on sign (this is hard to describe... but as I work on it I will post pics. It's such a cool thing, can't wait to share it!)
2. Plant new lettuce in garden (to replace my 'slug lettuce')
3. Paint bookshelf that I got at a garage sale for $1
4. Reorganize books in boys' closets (using "new" bookshelf)
5. Get fabric to finish Ty's quilt (and make some progress on it)
6. Sew coffee cozy (I had the cutest one from an Etsy seller but lost it! I'm sure I could make one...)
7. Make a whole bunch of baby food to restock our freezer
8. Update Beckham's baby book/ make some progress on his scrapbook that I've barely started
9. Clean cushions on patio furniture using a homemade cleaning solution recipe I found
10. Create a system for summer chores for Ty (and be consistent!)

I sure hope this is a reasonable list. I really want to accomplish all of it, but it's kind of a lot!

I'll update with posts over the next ten days so keep checking back! And be sure to check out the other bloggers participating at The Shabby Chic Cottage!

All-Purpose Cleaner

There are so many benefits to making your own household cleaning supplies:
1. Saves MONEY!
2. Environmentally friendly
3. Less chemicals
4. Less packaging
5. Safe around children

I just think each small step we take really adds up. Start with something easy, like bringing reusable bags to the grocery store, or making your own all-purpose cleaner. Piece of cake.

All-Purpose Cleaner

Here's what you need:

Distilled white vinegar
Ivory dish soap (or other dish soap)
Rubbing alcohol (optional- if you leave this out, your kids could basically drink this stuff with no harm done. I add it so it evaporates faster when I clean glass)






Mix one part vinegar to one part water. Add a splash (just a tiny bit!) of ivory soap and a tablespoon or two of alcohol. Use a funnel to fill up a spray bottle and you're ready to get cleaning!

I reused my empty Windex bottles for a long time until they stopped spraying well. Then I found these great ones at the dollar store! Green is for downstairs, yellow is for upstairs. I love color-coding. :)

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

I was so excited to stumble upon this recipe while reading one of my favorite blogs, New Nostalgia. I've been meaning to look for a dishwasher detergent recipe, after having success with my homemade laundry detergent. Why buy it if I can make it? And this is ridiculously easy. Two ingredients. Both of which I had on hand from making my laundry detergent. Took me about 30 seconds to make. I love stuff like that.

You will need:

20 Mule Team Borax
Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda

Mix equal parts borax and washing soda. That's it!

This container has a little pour spout (found it at Ikea-- love it!) so I just eyeball about 4 teaspoons.

The important thing is to use a rinse aid to prevent a film. I've been using vinegar; so cheap and works great!

I haven't had any spots on my glasses and all my dishes come out clean and fresh smelling.

Reducing waste

My latest (small) step in attempting to live more environmentally conscious: Using less paper towels!


I'm Genelle, and I'm addicted to paper towels.

I'm ashamed to admit I use them for everything. Cleaning bathrooms. Cleaning counters. Cleaning the kitchen table. Cleaning glass. Wiping up spills. Wiping the boy's faces. Dinner napkins. I even like to use one when I am chopping produce to catch seeds/stems/etc.

I feel guilty for how many rolls of paper towels our family goes through. I've never actually kept track, but it's quite a bit. And more importantly, it's more than we need to be using. Environmentally and financially.

It's taken me a while to come up with a good solution to this problem, but I've finally solved it!

Here's my plan:

1. Put paper towel holder in pantry, out of easy reach.

2. Buy inexpensive paper napkins for meals (thinner, smaller and cheaper than paper towels.) My goal is to eventually switch to cloth napkins, but one thing at a time.

3. Keep a stack of baby wipes (we use cloth) in the kitchen for after meal kid clean-up.

4. Buy some kind of rags to keep handy for cleaning and wiping. These needed to be cheap so I could have a big stack of them. I wanted to be able to use several each day and only have to do kitchen towel laundry once or maybe twice a week.

I actually found these at Winco; they are flour sack cloths (towels, really), and cost under $2 for a two pack. But they are enormous! So I brought them home and cut them up into 16 nice sized little rags. Probably about 4" by 8". My original plan was to hem the edges to keep them from fraying, but let's just say I decided my $2 investment wasn't quite worth the time involved in that project. They will eventually fray, but I'll see how long they last. My mom's fancy new sewing machine is supposed to be able to serge, so maybe I'll try that out sometime.

I wanted to see if I liked using them before going back to buy more.  So I put this little stack in my most centrally located kitchen drawer and have been using them for several days now. 

The verdict? I really like them! I love that they are nice and thin; somehow that works best for me for doing these "paper towel chores". The only negative I've discovered is they feel so much like paper towels that I keep almost throwing them away!

But the best part is that I feel so much better since starting this! And I think I've used 2 paper towels in the last 3 days. To clean up cat vomit. A true "paper towel chore". 

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Ok, I know it sounds a little crazy, but I got to thinking about how much laundry I do, and how much detergent I go through... which is expensive! Even when I get coupon deals. And I love the idea of making stuff myself; I already make a bunch of my own homemade cleaning products. So when I saw a link on Frugal Living (my fav couponing website) about making your own laundry detergent, I had to check it out.

It's actually really easy! And smells great! And so far seems to work well; the only downfall IMO is that it separates, so I have to shake up the bottle really well each time I use it. Not a big deal for the money I'm saving. It costs about $2 per 5 gallon bucket-full. You need three ingredients, which I found at Winco, plus the bucket.

After I use up my 5 gallons, I plan to try the recipe for the powder detergent. I really prefer liquid, but the dry might be simpler; less stirring at the beginning and then I don't have to shake, shake, shake it so much.

Anyway, the recipe is from My Frugal Lifestyle, a great blog with tons of money-saving ideas! I didn't take any photos while I made mine, so here is the original post. Enjoy!