Incidentally, we got 2 free cans of tuna and free fresh tortellini (1kg) this week thanks to Superstore's lazy price checking. I was tempted to go back today which would have been smart but whatever. I never abuse my free food finds by going back every new shift at customer service/cashier until they catch on, though truly I ought to. Still made my day.
This weekend I did something I have been thinking about but never gotten around to doing: I made laundry detergent. I'll explain.
I love to read about frugal living, with a few of my favourite daily reads being www.thesimpledollar.com, www.getrichslowly.com and various hard core Christian mom blogs, since those ladies know from frugal living. This one especially does tonnes of research and has great recipes for all kinds of natural living.
Making your own laundry detergent is really easy, fast, and cheap as chips. And fun, as it turns out. All you need is a bar of soap, 1 cup laundry soda (arm and hammer makes this) and optional is 1/2 cup borax (some people aren't into the toxicity of this natural product, and you don't have to use it). It takes half an hour and makes 16 litres, using 1 cup of detergent per load. The result is a gelatinous gloop in a bucket, and I've used it on two loads so far. I have found it works fine in cold water washes and the laundry is odourless/unscented though I suppose you cold influence that depending on which bar of soap you use. I'll keep you posted if we notice any issues wearing the clothes (some people report itchy skin, and then remove borax from future loads). We'll see. This is a staple recipe for mega families and frugal peeps and I love having tonnes of laundry soap on the cheap. Solutions like these help me feel like I'm winning at life since it's cheaper, easy, fun and produces way less waste.
I wonder if I could use half as much water and have a concentrated detergent? Hmm.
Next, I'm planning to delve into the world of home-made personal care products. I've found excellent and intriguing recipes for toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner. I'll report back with sources of recipes and results when I get into it all!
Is there anything you do that's frugal or extra healthy because your gramma taught you from the old days or because you are a genius? I'm all ears and I love learning what people do to save bucks and time and whatever we insist on spending. Do tell.
1 comment:
Thank you for this post! I noticed laundry soap bars at bulk barn the other day, so if your recipe works I'm totally in! We use vinegar and baking soda to clean everything in our house. We have a spray bottle with diluted (50/50) vinegar and a big box of baking soda in each bathroom. We only use the baking soda in the tub and the toilet. It works really well! Also, I found the material for those expensive microfiber cloths at fabricland, so we use those too. :)
Post a Comment