Cleaning

HOME MADE DISINFECTING WIPES

Disinfecting wipes are SO cheap to make homemade., I wait until I can get a GREAT deal on brawny paper towels (I otherwise don't use brand name, but you need something sturdy for the wipes). I've had the same 12 pack for about a year and still have 4 rolls. You'll need tea tree oil from Mama Jean's and a bottle of PineSol (I actually get the generic brand here - Fabuloso - and love it). I just reuse my old Clorox wipe containers for this. Cut a roll of the paper towels in half, fold in on itself a bit and squeeze into the container. Mix 1/2 cup PineSol with 1/2 cup water and about 10-15 drops tea tree oil. Pour over paper towels and let sit overnight. Next day, pull the cardboard roll out of the middle, find the end of the roll from the center and feed that through the top of the container. Vuala!

HOME MADE HAND SOAP

Shave a bar of soap of your choice, add it to one gallon boiling water and 2 tbsp of glycerin (Walmart pharmacy section) for soft hands and 1 tbsp Washing Soda to thicken a bit. Stir until soap shaving dissolve and then let it sit overnight. It won't lather much, but it certainly works. It does tend to thicken up a bit after sitting, so I have to shake it occasionally, but at approximately $1.50 a gallon, it's well worth it!

HOME MADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT

Here are the ingredients you'll need to pick up:

Borax ($2.99 at Walmart or Target--in the laundry aisle, or here)

Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT Baking Soda--$2.99 at local grocery store in laundry aisle, or here)

Fels-Naptha Soap Bar ($1.56 at local grocery store in laundry aisle, or here)

5-gallon bucket with lid (around $4 at Home Depot)

OPTIONAL: Essential Oil Drops for fragrance (we did not add this, so I am not sure how much it costs)

*I could not find the washing soda OR the Fels-Naptha soap at either Walmart or Target. Look at your local grocery store IN THE LAUNDRY AISLE.

Grand Total: $11.54 for 640 loads (180 loads in a top-loading machine). That's a little more than 1 cent a load! And the savings are even greater the next time you make this because the only thing you'll have to buy is the Fels-Naptha soap bar!

1. Grate the entire bar of the Fels-Naptha soap.

2. Put in a pot with 4 cups of hot water. Stir continuously over medium-low heat until all of the soap flakes have dissolved and melted (about 10 minutes). It should be slightly foamy with no "chunks" or flakes to be found.

3. Fill a 5-gallon bucket half-full of hot water.

4. Pour in the soap mixture. Add 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda and 1/2 cup Borax. Stir. My husband happened to have a paint stirrer that goes on his drill, so that helped. But if you don't have one of these, just use the end of your mop (or something that can reach to the bottom of the 5-gallon bucket).

5. Fill the rest of the 5-gallon bucket with water until it is full. Stir again.

6. Cover and let it sit overnight.

7. When you open the top up the next day, it should have gelled and thickened slightly. Stir again.

8. Use a funnel to pour the mixture in a used/clean laundry detergent container only HALF full. Fill the rest of the way with water and shake.

Once you're ready to use the laundry soap, shake it in the container first. Then add:

-5/8 cups for a regular top-loading machine

-1/4 cup for a front-loading (HE) machine