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Thursday, September 30, 2010

laundry detergent + A NEW BABY BOY :)

I know this is a cooking blog but I came across this recipe for homemade, "green" laundry detergent and I just had to try it.
Did you know that laundry detergents at the store run somewhere around $0.60+ per load?
This one?
About $0.02 per load.

Can't beat that :)

Well, okay.
I can beat that.

The cutest thing on this earth just made his appearance in our lives.
The cost for that?
= 28 hours of hard labor + a few extra pounds of "cravings" + one loving and Godly husband that made it home just in time from his deployment to witness the birth of his first son.

*sigh*

Laundry Detergent
Makes 2 1/2ish gallons
4 cups water, boiling
2 cups grated soap (I used organic soap...about one large bar plus one travel sized bar)
2 cups borax
2 cups washing soda (not baking soda)
2 gallons water

Bring your water to a boil, add grated soap (I used my food processor to make this easier), and reduce to low until melted.  *This might take a bit of time depending on what soap you use.  It took me about 15 minutes to get it completely melted*
Pour into a large 5 gallon bucket.  Add borax and washing soda and stir until dissolved.  Add the water and stir.  Pour into an old laundry detergent container and use 1/4 cup for a load.  Shake well before using because the detergent might gel.

*And sorry for the terrible pictures.  I used organic soap...but it was brown.  Makes for some ugly detergent.*

Use on itty bitty baby clothes and big, strong Marine cammis :)

3 comments:

  1. OMG! You just gave birth and you have posted already! Pretty amazing. Congrats again to you and Mike. I know you are beaming.

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  2. Hey Katie....how does the detergent do on stains? My toddlers are super active and i haven't found a green detergent that does well with stains..I might have to give this a try?

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  3. It works great for us most of the time! But, yes, sometimes, I do pre-treat with a "green" stain remover and then wash as normal. I've noticed it depends on the soap I use in the recipe as well. I've made a few batches and noticed a difference. The best batch so far is with a plain, old fashioned soap. Nothing fancy...just heavy duty.

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