School's Out!

Well, my school is :-D  After taking a week to get sick (like I always do when the semester ends) and recuperate, I'm back at it today!

I've got beans snapped (I did that while wallowing on the couch watching tv while I was sick) and ready to go into the pressure canner.  I have a box of Vidalia onions that are about to get sliced and dehydrated once the beans are in the canner.  Other than that I really need to focus on cleaning up this house from where I did nothing but sit on the couch all day for several days.

The one thing I did get accomplished while sick besides snapping beans was laundry.  I would put in a load, watch a tv show, put it in dryer, watch a tv show, get it out and fold it while watching a tv show, then put away and hang up items during the commercials of a tv show ... just round and round and round and round we go - until I have like two loads left to do in the whole house.

Included in focusing on cleaning is making some cleaners ... I'm either out or nearly out of almost everything.  This past month has been brutal on me between the end of the semester projects and finals to focus on, spring planting, kids end of the year activities, visiting the hospital every spare minute (my best friend, BestBean - since kindergarten - had an aneurysm), and just normal daily "have-to's" (like providing food to the masses) - I've let just about everything else go.  So making these cleaners that keep me sane is a must ... the only store bought cleaner I allowed in the house and was generally okay with was some petroleum-free laundry detergent - everything else has been stretched to its limit!

Alright, back to work!

Laundry Soap

Last Tuesday I had to make some more laundry soap as we finally used up the last batch.

Most of what you'll need ... the only thing missing is a medium pot & grater (shown in next picture), a 5-gallon bucket, and hot water ---- optional is storage containers for your finished detergent rather than storing in the 5-gallon bucket

1) Grate half of a bar of soap (I used Castille soap ... Fels Naptha and Ivory can also be used) into a pot of water - heat on medium until it is completely dissolved

 

 

2) Fill a 5-gallon bucket half way with hot water and add 1/2 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda and 1/4 cup of Borax ---- Dissolve and add the Castille water solution ---- Finish filling the bucket with hot water

 

3) Divide among your varied containers (mine are old detergent and vinegar bottles)

 

4) I also use a drink dispenser to actually dispense the detergent - this makes it easier for the younger ones who can't pour a Tablespoon of detergent into the little measuring cups - I got the idea off pintrest ;-)

 

A) Inside the detergent dispenser was an area where ice would normally be kept to keep the drink cool - so I put in a few cut up old towels and some vinegar with essential oils to use in the dryer - they are similar to dryer sheets but I can't quite call them that.  They do help with static cling but they do not give off a thick smell since the vinegar and the oils "evaporate" off in the heat of the dryer.

B) My fabric softener is vinegar - I soak orange peels in vinegar (see my next batch in the mason jar on #3) and I fill the fabric softener portion of my washer with the vinegar solution rather than petroleum-based chemical-laden fabric softeners sold in stores.  I also use this same mixture for various cleaning around the house.  I started using the orange vinegar because it makes it appealing to the kids.

C) The smaller container over on the dryer is Disinfecting Wipes --- cut up old towels and wash cloths soaking in a solution of water, castille soap, and tea tree (melaleuca) oil.  I do have to say I can't wait to finish this batch up cause there is too much soap in it for my liking as they get too soapy in use.  I'm sure I'll live though.

D) The yellow bucket is the 5-gallon bucket I use to make the detergent in - while not in use for making detergent it is used to put all of the dryer lint into. I empty it every six months or so when I make a new batch of detergent.  With that I make little fire starters using toilet paper/paper towel rolls and wax.

E) The bottle of green liquid is an experiment that I'm not fond of.  It is a vinegar, Dawn dishwashing liquid, and baking soda mixture to clean bath tubs and showers.  While it certainly does that! - the rinsing is *I~n*S~a*N~e*.  I am going to try this mixture again but with a little tweaking - or maybe a lot tweaking - using less Dawn or no Dawn.

F) The other two containers are a homemade orange vinegar and water solution for general all-purpose cleaning and the other is actually Bac-Out.