i did it -- DIY LAUNDRY!

hi all! RECORD TIME! i actually did something i said i was going to DIY! :) in like a day - BAM.

so, for the laundry detergent, i used THIS recipe!

the only difference is i did not use 'ivory soap', i used 'fels-naptha'.

and everything i needed was right there in the laundry detergent aisle! YAY!

borax...$3.38

super washing soda...$3.24

baking soda...$2.12

fels-naptha...$.97

basically, i poured 1 cup of each powder in per graded bar of fels-naptha.

that's it! :)

and i even got cute little containers to put 'em in, SEE! they were the most expensive part! :)

i 'justified' it by thinking they'll look cute in a laundry room (in a house) someday!

the grading was not the funnest thing i've ever done... bar 1 was definitely not fun, but after that it was alright... i did 5 bars...

here's what it looked like 1 bar done... isn't it purdy? i think i'm just excited about saving money!

THIS is FELS-NAPTHA. i've talked to older ladies who say their moms always use to use that! it's been around for over 100 years, so they must be doing something right... there's something about doing things 'the old-fashioned way' that's just charming to me... :)

ALMOST DONE...!

this is it... my laundry detergent all done in it's new cute-container home!

easy-peasy!

NOW FOR THE FABRIC SOFTENER!

i used THIS recipe!

i ended up adding about 8 cups of water instead of 6... i bought a bigger thing of conditioner, so i thought a bit more water wouldn't hurt!

suave conditioner...$1.46

vinegar...$2.38 (only use 3 cups, though)

water...FREE (well, kinda...)

use about 1/2 CUP each load... :)

so...everything's going GREAT! until i go back to the computer to make sure i have it all correct... then i come across another recipie that says, 'oh! you can even add baking soda!' so... forgetting my jr. high science, i add baking soda to the mixture that already includes vinegar...

AND I GET THIS. 

these pictures do NOT do it justice.

it was EVERYWHERE. 

i cleaned out EVERY.SINGLE.DRAWER because it had leaked into them...ALL.

i guess now they smell like strawberry!

by the end, there's about 5 towels & a soaked rug.

FINALLY got smart & put it in the sink to continue foaming.

eventually it stopped... so, i don't really know what 'exact measurements' are in it anymore...

HERE'S THE FINISHED PRODUCTS... 

snazzy, eh? 

i am SO proud of myself! feels good to save money, honey! 

you better believe i've done 2 loads of laundry already... i put them in the dryer together though, so i'll keep you posted on the results!

NOW FOR THE DISHWASHING DETERGENT!

i got the recipe HERESIES!

the only thing i changed was i did not buy $27.00 citric acid... no way, i went the 'lemi-shine' route instead! this means you just get to do some stirring... it's not that bad, i promise...

BORAX...$3.38

SUPER WASHING SODA...$3.24

KOSHER SALT...$1.68

LEMI-SHINE...$3.47 (-$.50 coupon...BAM!)

that's it! just make sure when you're running a load you put the vinegar (bought for fabric softener), in the 'rinse' part of your dishwasher... helpful hint!

an FYI, between the laundry detergent & the dishwashing detergent, i still have yet to crack open my second box of BORAX! :)

you only use 1 TB of this in each load! woah!

(i have yet to get a cutesy container...sad face!)

all in all, it was a very productive day! my family wants to know if i like it so they can try it! AWESOME! saving everyone money, honey! 

and seriously, check out WWW.DIYNATURAL.COM; one of the coolest things they do is give an exact breakdown of how much other cleaners, detergents, etc cost compared to the homemade stuff... that way you really know how much you are saving! :)

HAPPY DIY-ING,
little miss jacie homemaker