Improved H.E Laundry Soap

Powdered Laundry Soap

3 bars Fels Naptha - grate fine - scroll down for some great tips!
1 box (76 oz) Borax
1 box (55 oz) Washing Soda
2 C. Baking Soda
2 containers OxyClean (I of course use dye free ALL now also makes a Oxy soap which I adore!)
1-2 containers of Purex Fabric Softener Crystal (1 for large, 2 for small)

1 large container. I bought a 10 lb pet tub. This way it opens easily but has a better seal than most.

Mix all ingredients together and store in a cool dry place.

To use 2 Tbsp. per load. 1 Tbps for a small load.


To grate the Fels Naptha the easy way, cut the bar with a knife into smaller chunks and add to a food processor. Add a cup of washing soda, or borax or oxyclean and pulse until grated.
I only have a tiny processor so it took a bit to do all three bars.

Note: this makes almost 10 lbs of soap that is safe for any High Energy washer. (will work in regular as well)
The place I found this claimed that it lasts a family of four a full year and costs roughly 30.00.
I don't think it will last us a year. Instead I am banking on 6 months. However 6 months of laundry soap for 30.00 is still amazing!

*****UPDATE*****

4-11-14
I was down to my last 1 inch of soap so I went and made another full batch. Not only did it last 13 months in a house of 4 people (2 very dirty children) we still weren't all the way done!
I LOVED this soap!

Also I did the Fels Naptha differently this time and would highly recommend it. Using my processor I shredded all three blocks, then I poured it out into another bowl, added the large spinning blade, re-added the shredded and then chopped it up for a few minutes splitting the batch in half and using 1 cup of baking soda with each half. MUCH finer!

The price this time was closer to 35.00 dollars but for a great laundry soap that will last more than a year that is pennies per load! (we average 4-5 loads a week)

HandCream

Hand Cream

16 oz Baby Lotion

8 oz Vaseline

8 oz Vitamin E Cream

5-7 ml fragrance (your choice I choose Autumn Harvest)

Mix until it resembles frosting - my recipe is a double of the above.

it filled 19, 4 oz with at least 10 oz to spare

I made a big batch for a party I am hosting in a month and yes I have been prepping for this party for three months now.

Things like this though whether I have a big turn out or not are great - they can also be used for Christmas gifts as well as teacher/neighbor gifts.

Maggies Cough Remedy

Maggies Cough Remedy

1/4 tsp Cayene
1/4 tsp Ginger
1 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Water
1 Tbsp Honey

Dissolve cayenne and  ginger in vinegar and water. Add honey and shake well.
Take 1 tbsp. as needed.
Always shake before using - if making this small amount no need to refrigerate. If you double then add to fridge.
Now this really helped me and quick too - however, if you can't handle spicy this isn't for you.


Original Recipe post found HERE

Home Made Face Cleanse

I would call it a face wash - save the fact that its not really washing, not in the usual sense that is. I found this on pinterest, titled The Oil Cleansing Method, her post is amazing and very detailed. Check it out.

For my first batch (seen above) I used

1 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 oz. Castor Oil
5 drops of Tea Tree Oil

Gently rub it onto wet face. Next wet a wash cloth with HOT water (not boiling but as hot as you can stand it) wring and place on face - steaming your pores - until the cloth has reached room temp. (average 1 min)
Rinse cloth and gently remove oil.

Best ratio batches are

Normal skin 1-1 ratio of *EVOO & Castor Oil
Acne Prone Skin 1-3 ratio of *EVOO & Castor Oil
Drier Skin  1-3 ratio of Castor Oil to *EVOO

Other good oils for very oily skin are jojoba oil, grapeseed oil & flaxseed oil.
For very dry skin almond oil & evening primrose oil are good.

Add tea tree oil if you have issues with acne - or for your first batch to help your body transition without breaking out.

I have been using this for two days (early stages I know) my acne is clearing up and my skin is softer and healthier!
Already I love it!

As everyone is different you need to tweak your oils until you find the right combo - the one listed at the top is working well enough for me, but I will add any changes that I make back to this post!

9/27/12 ~ Update ~

 My face two days before I started using this

 Close up - trying to show all the many many tiny bumps 

Two weeks later

No oils that I can't wash away - no matter how many times I wash

No gunky feelings

No tiny thousands of dirt bumps on my face

Two weeks later

this is what the same patch of skin looks like!

I feel so much better!

I don't know about you - I however, am sold!

I will be using this for years to come!

***UPDATE***
3-22-15

I've been using this for 2 1/2 years now. Will never go back!
Any time I run out and put off making a new batch - reusing my old expensive face washes - my face immediately gets oily, greasy and bumpy!
This is the best stuff ever!
Not only does it make your skin feel clean and amazing but after a month of using it regularly you will notice you don't need to use it every night.
Instead I rinse my face with hot water, dry off and use the cleanse once to twice a week.
More during that "time of the month" for women.
I highly recommend this.
Cheap, easy and lasts forever!

Tub & Tile Cleaner (Tub Magic)

Tub Magic
A pinterest recipe

12 oz. White Vinegar
12 oz. Dawn Dish Soap
1 - Empty spray bottle

Heat vinegar until hot - add to bottle, add dish soap, cover & shake.

Spray, scrub, rinse & voila done!

Tough stains spray on & allow to soak in as long as overnight.

This has been stained for a year!

No amount of soaking or products have made a difference

This is after only 5 minutes!

I am so happy!

Also as a side note, the recipe for this that I found on pinterest (the many) all called for BLUE Dawn.

As I am fully against DYE's of any sort and am working them out of our life I used Dawn Pure, their one and only dye free dish soap.

It worked like a charm!

Also I try not to buy bottles, especially not if I have an old one that I can clean out and re-use.

But if you are going to buy a spray bottle - make sure it can handle a thicker stream - this is not something that will flow through a small spray bottle for water.

Home Made Laundry Soap (High Efficiancy)

If you have a front load washer - I'm sure you've heard the words "High Efficiency" soap.
Why?
Because the vast majority of laundry soaps both powdered and non-powder on the market today are filled with fillers - perfumes, dyes & extra junk that make it extra sudsy or even slimy.
With a front load washer - this is a major no-no.
Front load washers are amazing - mine is energy efficient, water efficient and has so many wonderful extra cool buttons and features.

However, due to not wasting water or power - you need to be careful what type of soap you use/buy.
This can get expensive or very very cheap.

This is my Home-Made Powdered High Efficiency Laundry Soap

2 Cups finely grated Fels Naptha --- can use regular soap but this work amazing and is only around 1.00     found in the laundry aisle
1 Cup Washing soda (found in laundry aisle)
1 Cup Borax (20 mule team borax easiest to find also in laundry aisle)

mix together and store in an air tight container.
use 1-2 tbls per load.

I made this batch twice and then liked it so much I just made a HUGE triple batch (2 bars made 6 Cups grated) this will last me quite a while!

Home Made Cold & Cough

For a sore throat and cough

Home Made "Tea"

One glass hot water
2 tbls. Honey
1 tbls. lemon juice
1 Cinnamon stick or 1 tsp cinnamon

Stir and drink - relieves pain and helps to kill off any bacteria or viruses.
Not to bad tasting, even if it is a little thin.


For Home Made Cold and Flu make up the following salve

Home Made Cold & Flu Salve

1/4 C. Olive oil
1/4 C. Coconut oil
3-5 crushed garlic cloves

Blend all three together to make the salve - store in glass container in fridge.
Rub on chest if you are having cough and congestion.
In nose if stuffy, ear if infected.
For all around cold and flu - apply to the bottom or your feet - cover with socks.

Both of these work well - not as great as modern medicine - however - if you are pregnant or nursing and need something natural to get you through - these do make a big difference!

Home-Made Dishwasher Detergent

I have been using this for the last few weeks - and I LOVE it!
In all honestly I was hoping for a cheaper alternative with chemicals I trust and can pronounce.
I wasn't really expecting any difference between this and my cheap end store bought brand. (Yes I am a confirmed penny pincher)
That said - noticeable difference. No scum, no dots, bright shiny dishes.
Down side - will not get off the caked on stuff - rinse your dishes, don't allow stuff to get all hard, nasty and caked on.

Home-Made Dishwasher Detergent Recipe

1 C. Borax (recommended brand 20 mule team borax)
1 C. Washing Soda
1/2 C. Kosher Salt (I didn't have any on hand so I split between rock salt and table salt)
3/4 C. Citric Acid (I subbed for Lemony Shine as finding local Citric Acid has not been easy for me)

Mix it all together and store in an Air Tight container. Moisture will make it clump. You can add the left over, do not eat, pill pillows in to help stop the clumping.
Shake it up - mix it up - fill up the cup or use 1 tbls. (heaping)

Also instead of paying for an expensive rinse aid - use white or distilled vinegar.

To store I used a washed out (large) creamer bottle. This (pictured) is a double batch. Now that I know I will want to continue making my own I went ahead and made a second batch to fill up the bottle.

Dye Free Note - For families out there like mine that need to watch every single ingredient that is digested or used on/next to the skin. Making your own cleaners is more than just being economical and eco friendly, its something that you can tick off your list with a deep sigh of relief knowing that one more thing is safe for your family.
One more thing will not add or worsen any allergies.
One more way to sleep better at night. I know I am. ;)

Home Made Window & Mirror Cleaner

I know, I get it, I am not one of those amazing pretty photo, gorgeous labels and neat house blogs.
I am however, thrifty, resourceful and am compiling a HUGE recipe collection, easy to browse through of home-made recipes.

Glass & Mirror Cleaner

1/2 C. Rubbing Alchol
1/2 C. Vinegar
2    C. Water
1    Tbls. Lemon Juice

Mix in empty spray bottle - shake before each use.

(again my recipe is dye free - I have never looked at my windows and mirrors and thought to myself, Oh it really needs a light blue tint.)

Works amazing!
Cleans, shines and doesn't leave a strong smell behind. The smell of vinegar quickly disappears.

Die Dye!

Surely I am not the only one out there as a consumer in our large and vast retail world wondering why we are constantly being treated like 2 & 3 years olds!
In a time of companies trying to save money where ever they can, you would think that they might lay off or lower the amounts of dye added to food & consumable products.
Wrong!
Since all the studies "prove" that intelligent adults are just as magpieish as toddlers the world of dye seems to be only growing stronger.

This may not seem like a big thing to you, after all not everyone (like my two children) are allergic to dye's, so what harm do they cause?
Well here is a little known fact, the average American eats up to 4 pds of dye a year.
Here is a second little known fact, the human digestive system does not just get rid of the dye.
Many times you need to "flush" your system by detoxing or fasting to remove all the toxins and dyes from your system.
The photo with the numbers is showing all the different added chemicals in the puffed wheat - dyed cereal.

But really people I don't need something "shiney" or "bright" to want to buy it! In fact I go out of my way (obviously) to find products with little, no or natural dye.

What I have found even more surprising is, during my "Home-Made" recipe campaign, people actually add dye into their home made products to make them look more like the "real" thing!
I don't know about you, but when I wash my windows and mirrors I don't say to myself, "hmm,? I should really add a blue tint to this - it would look better!"
Or
"My cloths really could use an light pink tint."
Or
"I really miss the slight green/yellow/orange shade to my dishes."

So when you read through this recipe blog you will never find me or any of my recipes adding in dye.
Now with Easter coming up I have been searching far and wide for recipes, home made healthy dyes & candy that I can make for the kids without aggravating their allergies.
Over the next few weeks I will be adding my "going to try" recipes for Easter - on Easter I will post all my photos of how they all came out along with what I might do differently next time.

Now my kids can have small amounts of dye - however, their allergies are increasing and each time they have dye it makes it worse - meaning I need to cut as much out of their diet as possible.
My son the other day proved to me that I also need to cut it out of anything that also comes into contact with their skin as well!
Oh the joy!