Change of Pace: DIY Laundry Soap

Since I have been spending time getting ready for and demonstrating at the Threshing Bee (see Aug 21 post) I have not had time lately to dye any new wool. I am getting a little short on white wool, too. A shame because my copper mordant is ready and I have three plants (Mullein, Tansy and Goldenrod) waiting to be boiled up. I will hopefully be able to do them yet this summer.

I decided that since I have no new yarn or wool at this time I would share some of my favorite DIY Cleaning Recipes. I want to emphasize that these are things that I have found elsewhere on the web and have tried myself and found them to be a delightful and effective change from all the chemical cleaners I was using.

I will start with my laundry soap. This mixture cleans very well. It smells delightful and the clothes are soft coming off the line or in the dryer. I have been using this for almost a year, exclusively. I love the way it works and the $$ savings that it gives me! I only use one to two tablespoons per washload. I always wash a full load and have a large washing machine. If I have some particularly dirty laundry.....I add another tablespoon! 

Laundry Soap (Powdered)
    ( only the first five ingredients are required in
      each batch. Try a few different things to find
      what you like the best):

• Borax (4 lbs 12oz box)
• Washing Soda (3 lb 7oz box)
• Baking Soda (4 lbs)
• Soap (grated) choose from Zote, Castile,Felz Naptha, or other bar laundry soap. (roughly 16 oz)
• Essential Oils (15 drops) Lemon oil for sure and then whatever you like to make things smell good to you.

• Powdered Sun Bleach or powdered Oxyclean
• Softener Crystals
• Purex or Sun or some other brand you can find easily).

Some people don't like using Fels Naptha soap or prefer Zote. It doesn't matter which you use and the amounts are the same. This needs to be grated before it is added. A cheese grater or food processor works great. If you have soft water, you may not want to add the softener crystals. They do have an odor that gets on your clothes and that may not appeal to everyone. I add either the Sun or Oxyclean to assist in cleaning. The indredients listed are all easily available in drug stores, grocery stores, or Walmart. This makes about a years' worth of laundry soap and costs only about 4 cents per load. You can make smaller batches (just like cooking) by reducing the ingredients. It is important to find waterproof storage for this soap so it does not clump. I use ice cream buckets and they work well. You can of course put some into a pretty container by the washing machine if you like...It doesn't have to be that big as a little of this goes a loooong way

A Word about Essential Oils
When using Essential Oils for things you will be cleaning with, washing, or using on your skin, it is important to purchase pure Essential Oils, not fragrance oils. The difference is in the purity. If you are going to be 'wearing' the oil or using it to clean surfaces, you want it to be as pure as possible, both for safety and health reasons, and also because the antibacterial properties you are looking for are found in the pure essential oils from the plants. There are several sources on-line to purchase oils. Remember, they are powerful, you are only using drops at a time! They are more expensive than the fragrance oils, but the difference is apples and oranges. Some links are listed at the end of this post. You can also look for them at health food stores and natural food outlets in your area.

Drying clothes and saving a few dollars:
You have all seen my Solar Clothes Dehydrator (see July 2 post). That is, of course, the biggest money saver! If you find that the weather isn't cooperating, or you don't have a Solar Clothes Dehydrator, you can still save money drying clothes by using felted dryer balls.

These remarkable little balls, about the size of tennis balls, remove static, soften clothes and will even impart a scent if you like! To make these balls, simply start with a bit of roving. and needle felt it into a ball and keep adding wool until you have the size you want. Then, run them through the washing machine in hot water (you can do this while washing a load or two of clothes) until they are felted tightly. Remember, they will shrink conciderably when felted. I started with softball sized balls and the finished products are the size of tennis balls. Put a few drops of essential oil  on the balls before putting them in the dryer, (again, it will be in contact with your skin, so be sure it is a pure essential oil).

If you want to make these and you do not needle felt, you can also use roving and make a balls, put them into a nylon stocking and throw it in the washing machine in hot soapy water and let the machine do the work. Knot the nylon between each ball.

Put these into the dryer with a load a clothes and they will beat the static cling and wrinkles out of your laundry! They do not leave fuzz; they do not leave dye, be sure to use a color fast wool;  and they actually shorten the drying time.  While these little lovelies are going around in the dryer they will absorb moisture from the clothes and redistribute it for faster drying. They also leave clothes much less wrinkled, if at all, due to the motion of them bouncing around. If you choose to use them to scent the clothes you will have to reapply the essential oil every so often.

Hope you will give these a try. I was leary in the beginning. but am sold and saving money! Next time...Cleaning the Kitchen with DIY cleaners (get that mess of chemical stuff out from under your sink and save money at the same time!

Links to sites selling Essential Oils:
Young Living
doTerra
Mountain Rose Herbs
This is a short list, but it will give you a starting point. Again, I have to stress that where every you get your oils, you look for pure essential oils. There really is a difference!