It was a hot hot day here in the woods. After our morning of outdoor chores, I retreated indoors to my air conditioning. There is hardly ever a shortage of things that need to be cleaned or otherwise set in order, so I stayed busy. Or at least occupied. It was a good time to refill my trusty all purpose spray cleaner and laundry soap supplies.
These two handy products are my favorite things in my arsenal of weapons against grime. I have nothing against buying laundry detergent or spray cleaner in the store. I make my own because they are gentler on our clothes and skin, more earth friendly and very importantly, cheaper. I didn't just wake up one morning and decide to make some kind of statement by "going green". Making my some of own cleaning supplies was a way to trim some off our household expenses. All the rest was just a bonus.
Now, I make no claim of having invented these concoctions. I found them on the Internet. Somebody else invented them. I use them faithfully though and felt they were worth mentioning. Because I have that kind of time on my hands today and there must be a need for one more blog with a post about homemade cleaning supplies, right?
To make the spray, you will need a glass 2 cup measuring cup, measuring spoons, a clean spray bottle, white vinegar, borax and some nice smelling dish detergent. I usually use natural liquid dish soap, so I substitute this in for the castile soap that the original recipe calls for. I have nothing against castile soap. It is not as hard to find as it once was. However, for the price of a small bottle of castile soap, I could just go buy ready made all purpose spray cleaner. A little bit of dish soap works nicely and is a fraction of the price.
Put 1 1/2 cups hot water in the measuring cup.
Add 3 Tbsp. vinegar & 1 1/2 tsp. borax.
Mix well to dissolve borax.
Pour into spray bottle.
Add 1/4 cup liquid dish soap.
Gently shake to mix. Then add a bit more water to top off the spray bottle.
I use this on my dining room table, counters and stove top. Works like a charm. And it is pretty darn cheap to make, which is the main reason I started going this route anyway.
For the laundry soap you will need a big bowl, a fairly fine cheese grater, 1 cup measuring cup, baking soda, washing soda, borax, Zote (or Fels-Naptha or Kirk's castile soap), and oxy clean (optional), a long handled spoon and a big jar or bucket to store your soap in.
Start by mixing 2 cups each baking soda, washing soda and oxy clean (if using).
Add 3 cups borax and stir to combine.
Then you will grate what is about 2 cups of soap flakes. This is approximately 1/2 bar of Zote. The finer you grate your soap, the easier it dissolves in the washer. It should look something roughly like the texture of shredded coconut. Add this to your powders and stir well to combine. Then just scoop it into a big jar with a lid. Use 2 Tbsp. per wash load.
*Safe for HE machines as it does not bubble at all. In case you don't have and HE machine, do not be alarmed when you see that it produces no bubbles. It's not supposed to.
**The oxy clean is totally optional, but I like to add it in for summer time laundry. Our clothes just get dirtier in the summer and I'm all for a little boost in the laundry.
Yes, I know the lid is off my jar. I put it on after I took the picture.
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