I think that sounds like a great combo. I want to start experimenting with more castille soaps like Dr. Bronner’s in cleaning. I know they work well and they smell great too. I haven’t tried making my own yet, but all those ingredients seem like they would work well to me. Let me know how it works for you.

Amy

I need to figure out if I can get that kind of stuff here, and what it is called.

I made my first batch of homemade laundry detergent. The most difficult part was grating the bar of Fels-Naptha soap, but it’s a small sacrifice for the environment. The laundry came out smelling clean and fresh. Since I opted for the “no cook” method, and since I only wash in cold water, I mixed the tablespoon of detergent mixture with a cup or so of hot water from the tap and then poured it into the machine. Very easy, very green, and very inexpensive. Works out to be about 5 cents per load!

That’s awesome! Can you send us any information on the recipe you used? We’d love to try it out for ourselves.

Here is the recipe I used.

1 bar Fels Naptha Soap, grated (I used an old cheese grater)
1 cup borax
1 c washing soda
1/4 cup Oxy Clean

Mix ingredients together until it resembles a bumpy, granular mix. (I put it in an recycled canning jar.) Use 1 tablespoon for a light load, 2 tablespoons for a large or dirty load.

I wash in strictly cold water, so I dissolve the mixture in 2 cups of hot, hot water before using. If you get distracted and leave it too long, it turns into what looks like “snot” (for lack of a better word), but it still works. The laundry comes out clean and smelling fresh.

I’ve recently found a recipe for homemade fabric softener, which I haven’t tried yet, but will.

1 gallon white vinegar
25-30 drops of essential oil (your favorite)

Use 1/4 cup in the rinse cycle.

If you try it, please let me know. I line dry our clothes and I’m a little apprehensive.

I finally tried using the vinegar in place of the more toxic fabric softener and I have to admit that it worked great! I didn’t have any essential oils, so I simply added about 1/4-1/2 cup white vinegar to the final rinse cycle. The clothes did not smell like pickles and they came out soft even after being line dried. Who knew it would be this easy?