May- A Challenge for myself.

I decided to challenge myself this month. I have gotten into the trap of easy and convenient lately. Of course, I have a new baby, but feeling back into the groove of things and honestly, when you stop doing something (like sticking to a cleaning schedule, or cooking from scratch) its easy to fall into new habits. Unfortunately for me, those haven't been GOOD habits. So I decided to challenge myself. Each day in May, except Sundays, post something (which in my case since I am posting, I must "do" something) that is going to be money saving or healthy for my family. For me, those two things go hand in hand.


So for today's post...

Use Homemade Detergent.

I made some last week after not using it for at least a year and its working great.  Here's the recipe I used: (Its powdered, I prefer it to the gel kind):

Powdered Laundry Detergent (adapted from this recipe)

Use 1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup per load (I use 2 TBSPs usually).

Equipment:
Food processor (optional — you can use a cheese grater)
Large plastic tub or bucket (preferably with a lid — you could also recycle an old cardboard box of detergent)

Ingredients:
2 cups Borax
2 cups washing soda
1 cup baking soda
1 bar soap (I used an Oatmeal soap that smells yummy!)
Essential oil (optional — if the soap is scented, you may not want to add this)

1. Cut the soap up into large chunks with a knife.

2. Throw the chunks into the food processor and blend into a powder (or as close to a powder as possible).

3. In a large plastic tub or bucket, stir together the Borax, washing soda, and baking soda. Be careful not to breathe in the powder while you mix. Let it settle first and then continue stirring.

4. Stir in the grated soap.

5. Stir in drops of essential oil if you like.


I have been using this on our clothes and the baby's cloth diapers(prefolds). I do an extra rinse with vinegar on my diapers, so not worried about build up or anything. I am going to experiment a bit with this recipe and use a different soap such as Dr Bronners and if you have allergies to soaps you can definitely use something better like a homemade soap.

Have a blessed Sunday!