Aunt Honey would you please post the household cleaner you make. Do you make any body soap? If so would you please post that also. Going to have to search out all those frugel web sites, looks like I may loosing my job. Worked for my best friend for 10 years, since she opened the shop and now she has had enough. I don't blame her its hard work having your own business. Or any other idea's you have on how to stretch a buck. If anyone else has any idea's please pass them on. With the economy being as it is, not many jobs out there. With only a high school education its tuff.

bonniek: Tonight I am just plain beat, but tomorrow morning I'll post a few recipes for household cleaners that are cheap, easy and "green". Also, you can email me at aunthoney(at)frontiernet(dot)net anytime. I know what it's like to suddenly be out of work. Three years ago I left a very lucrative job as City Clerk in our town to stay at home and care for our adult daughter and raise her 5-year-old son. Stretching a buck is certainly a challenge, but I LOVE a challenge! I'll tell you all I know....
Aunthoney (Helen)

Aunt Honey - Bump....I'd love to see your recipes for cleaning products (sorry if you've posted elsewhere and I just haven't seen it yet!

Diane,
What do you think about the soap? I found all the ingredients but I haven't bought them yet.

Diane Carol:
Email me at aunthoney(at)frontiernet(dot)net and I'll give you a whole bunch. There are too many to post here. I sent Bonniek a whole bunch of them a week or so ago. Looking forward to hearing from you.....

ericah - I've completed my second batch - I've shared with Mom & Dad (Mom remembers this soap and loves it) and our 4 daughters. We love it! I went shopping yesterday, and loved skipping the soap isle. Seriously, I am more than pleased with the results. It cleans very well, smells great! Someone mentioned the Fels Naptha as being a petroleum product - which is in fact true....not thrilled with that idea...but I've also considered the fact that petroleum is in a lot of areas of our life...and I'm using a minute (small...very small) amount in this soap. You can use Ivory, or other soap scrapings...and I am NOT opposed to that...but it does work as is. I am careful in all areas of my life. Fels naptha has been around for years, so i am trying to not beat myself up for using it. I'd love to hear your comments!

The site is www.makingbysaving.com

I recognized the recipe. I do not add mine to water. I just use one tablespoon of the powder. Someone else on that particular thread uses one tablespoon of the powder in the dishwasher.

I'm really intrigued by the idea of homemade laundry soap.

I found the Fels Naptha bar of soap at my grocery store but what is "washing soda". Is this just baking soda or is there another kind of soda?

Thanks for the info. I'm thinking I want to try this. Laundry soap is a major expense these days. It seems like they are making it more "concentrated", raising the price, and I'm still spending a fortune!

Thanks.

Jeanna

jeanna,

It's a laundry additive - Arm & Hammer is one brand.

I'm going to try this too. Thanks all for great information.

Just an update....our family has had a "load" of fun with this! Its been several months now, and we have (4 daughters, 4 grans...several friends and neighbors) have NOT purchased laundry soap! I love skipping the laundry soap isle in the grocery store, plus, I've really had fun with my DD's making the silly stuff! It has worked VERY well...we are all very pleased with the outcome. Seriously, I don't think you could pay me to buy the commercial brand anymore! It takes so little time, and works so very well....I hope that you join in am make some soap!

I tried this and WOW! We are ranchers, actually organic, although we didn't plan that, it's just how we ranch. I have two boys and one husband that get seriously dirty, ground in dirt, greasy dirt, baked in and sweated on. I used to have to wash their jeans twice on a bad wash day. Wow... this homemade soap gets things clean!!! And no one has complained of itchyness or anything, their is very little scent, which is also a plus. I am impressed. Mrs. K

Diane and Mrs. K, Could you post the recipe you used?

I used the one posted.
1/3 bar Fels Naptha
3 pints of water
* grate the bar (I did the whole thing and saved the rest for later batches)
Cook in the water til the bar is dissolved, add 1/2 c washing soda, and 1/2 c borax and stir till thickened.

To a two gallon bucket, Add 1 qt hot water and the soap mixture, stir well, and add water to equal 2 gallons. Let cure for 24 hours. I stored mine in 2 gallon glass jars. Use 1/2 c per load of wash.

My "boys"(really men) came home from helping my in laws with the harvest, and their jeans were...whew....one load later, spotless. This really works.

Also try a mixing in a little of the washing soda when cleaning the kitchen cupboards, cuts that grease mess. Mrs. K

I find this post so fun! I just found it again and re-read....simple stuff, fun to make, great cost savings and it works well. Our grandmothers would be proud! I actually look forward to making this with the girls! But, when I do laundry, I'm so pleased with the results, and knowing it was so darn cheap (on the website that I found this..they said it was a penny a load)it made me happy! Spread the word!

I've been looking everywhere for washing soda and I can't find it. Where did all of you buy it?