A Penny Saved, is a Penny Earned!?

Ok, so I am a bit of a cheapskate.  However, when you have a family as large as mine you have to learn to be a cheapskate, even if you aren't naturally one.  I am a learned and practiced cheapskate, mostly out of neccesity.  Anyhow, I have decided to experiment in homemade cleaning supplies!!  Most of the recipes I have looked up require the same ingredients (baking soda or washing soda, borax and vinegar).  All of these ingredients are extremely inexpensive so I think it will be VERY beneficial to our budget if these recipes actually CLEAN!!  I am a little worried about the vinegar smell, so I think I'm going to get some essential oils to balance it out.  Let's hope this goes well!! This may even send my kids into a cleaning frenzy if I let them help me make the cleaners?  Hmmmmm?   Below are the recipes I've found on various websites, that I will be trying out.  I will update my results when I am done!!

UPDATE: I HAVE TRIED A FEW OF THE RECIPES AND I AM VERY PLEASED!!  THEY WERE VERY INEXPENSIVE AND SUPER EASY TO MAKE! I MADE EACH RECIPE IN 5 TO 10 MINUTES!

From a fellow blogger... (can't remember which one)
Homemade Bathroom & Tile Cleanser
(ONE OF MY FAVS, WORKED AS GOOD AS THE STORE BOUGHT STUFF, SMELLS CLEAN AND FRESH WITHOUT THE CHEMICAL SMELL)
1 cup Baking Soda

1/4 cup Borax

Mix together and store in a sugar shaker for easier sprinkling.



From ehow.com...
Homemade Multi-Surface Cleaner
(MY LEAST FAV PRODUCT SO FAR, BUT NOT BECAUSE IT DIDN'T WORK, IT DID WORK, BUT I'M NOT A FAN OF THE VINEGAR SMELL.  I THINK I'LL HAVE TO ADD A PUNGENT ESSENTIAL OIL TO BALANCE IT OUT.)
1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

Mix together in a spray bottle, and you'll have your own multi-purpose cleaner. Most useful in the bathroom and kitchen on surfaces.


From thedollarstretcher.com...
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
(LOVED THIS PRODUCT, I HAD SOME LEFTOVER STORE BOUGHT POWDER SO I USED THE SECOND RECIPE AND I LOVED IT!  I ALSO ADDED VINEGAR TO MY RINSE CYCLE AND DIDN'T NOTICE ANY SMELL.)

1 cup Borax
1 cup Baking soda

or (for best results I hear this recipe works better and stretches the store bought stuff further)

1 cup Borax
1 cup bakng soda
2 cups cascade or other brand of dishwasher detergent

Also, If you use 1 cup of white vinegar in your rinse compartment your dishes are supposed to be extra clean and sparkley!!

From the Duggar Family Website...
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value
(BY FAR MY FAV, FAV PRODUCT!! WE USE SOOOO MUCH LAUNDRY SOAP WITH OUR LARGE FAMILY SO I WAS REALLY EXCITED TO TEST THIS ONE OUT!  I MADE THE POWDERED RECIPE SINCE MY LAUNDRY ROOM IS SMALL AND STORING A LARGE BUCKET POSED ISSUES.  I PREFER LIQUID LAUNDRY SOAP BUT AFTER USING THIS RECIPE I WON'T MIND THE POWDER AT ALL!  I DID USE A ZOTE BAR INSTEAD OF THE FELS NAPTHA BAR SINCE MY GROCER DIDN'T CARRY THAT BRAND.  I LIKED THE SMELL, IT WAS FRESH AND NOT TOO "PERFUME-Y".  ALSO, I TESTED IT ON A VERY DIRTY BIB AND WAS REALLY SURPRISED AT HOW WELL IT CAME OUT WITHOUT PRE-TREATING OR USING BLEACH, I WISH I WOULD HAVE TAKEN A BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE!)  

(The hubby helped grate the Zote bar!)

4 Cups - hot tap water

1 Fels-Naptha soap bar (I used Zote)

1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*

½ Cup Borax

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)


Powdered Laundry Detergent - Top load machine

1 Fels-Naptha soap bar (I used Zote)

2 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

1 Cup Borax

Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 6 Cups detergent. (Approx. 80 loads)

Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in stores or may be purchased online.  Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

Inexpensive Fabric Softener Recipes
(I HAVEN'T TRIED THESE RECIPES YET, BUT THEY ARE NEXT ON MY LIST!)
Recipe #1

1 Cup White Vinegar

Add vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too.

Recipe #2

1 Container of Name Brand Fabric Softener

4 Inexpensive sponges, cut in half

Pour entire container of softener into a 5 gallon bucket. Fill empty softener container with water twice. (2 parts water to 1 part softener) Add sponges to softener/water mixture. When ready to use wring out extra mixture from one sponge and add to the dryer as you would a dryer sheet.

I do not have a fancy front load machine so I won't be testing that recipe, however I listed it anyway for you lucky ducks that have them!!


Happy Cleaning!! :)