Handmade Goods & Whatnot
All things DIY. This is where you can find the back stories to the DIY tutorials.
“Why would you want to make your own butter, when you can go to the store and buy it?” My brother-in-law Owen asks me this question. (Not just about this, but about almost everything I make.)
My answer, why not. I know what goes into it. It tastes better, and have you ever had freshly made butter on a saltine cracker? It is great.
Continue reading “Why I Make Butter”A few years back I started making our own laundry soap. I did not like all the chemicals in store bought laundry detergents and the smell of them. Even the unscented had a smell to me. So, I decided that I would make my own. Using Google searched, I found that most of the DIY laundry soaps have essential oils in them. Trying to get away form any smells. I took the best of all of them and come up with my own. I used Fels-Naptha, Arm and Hammer Super Wash Soda, Borax 20 Mule Team. We buy ours at Farm and Fleet. https://www.farmandfleet.com/. Baking Soda and Oxi Clean. We get ours at Costco, https://www.costco.com/. To see how much of each, head over to our DIY page. There you will find how much of each you need and how to put it together.
At first, I made liquid laundry soap which was a lot of work and a lot of hot water. You had to let it set for 24 hours and then stir it. I used a paint stirrer hooked to a drill that Eric had. It became quite the task. One day I thought, “what the heck are you doing, this takes forever.” (I hate time sucks) That is when I decided to make powdered laundry soap. It is the same ingredients minus the water and way less time. So, I did it, I started making powdered laundry soap and have done ever since. If I make a single batch, it last about 4 months. If I make a double batch, it lasts about 9 months. Also stopped using fabric softener and started using white vinegar. Any white vinegar will work. This is just what I use.
It is cheap, it does not leave a smell, and our clothes are soft, even when I hang them on the line. I do not store mine in anything fancy, I use a container meant for animal food, because it was inexpensive and who is going to see it but Eric and I? This is what our laundry soap and fabric softener looks like. Nothing fancy, but it works for us.
You can store yours in whatever you want.
I hope you enjoy making and using this laundry soap as much as we do. It is an inexpensive alternative to store bought laundry soap.
Here is a link to my DIY: Laundry Soap