Tuesday, September 18, 2012

DIY Laundry Soap plus a few extra!

Ok! So it all started when I gave up on regular detergents because of my son Alex.. Alex since a baby was diagnosed with severe Eczema.. So I've always had to buy for him the special laundry soaps with no dyes or harsh chemicals added which, I'm sure if you ever look down that isle in the department store, you can see they are not cheap!! So when I found out I could make my own laundry soap with natural ingredients for pretty much 1/8 of the cost I was ecstatic!!
So here is how I make my own laundry soap!
 
First here are the ingredients you'll need!
 
Take the Fels-Naptha Soap Bar
and grade about 1/3 of it
 
 
On the stove in a large saucer add 6 cups of hot water and the grated soap..
Let the mixture simmer until the soap is dissolved.
 
 
Then take 1/2 cup of washing soda and 1/2 cup of Borax
 
 
Add it to the pot and stir frequently until everything is dissolved!
It will be quite foamy!
 
 
Next in a large bowl add 4 cups of water
 
 
Then take the pot from the stove and add it to the bowl of water!
 
Then I took an old 2 gallon jug of laundry soap that was used up..(rinse it first0
and I added 1 gallon of water... (use a funnel) the soap mixture in the bowl and then another 4 cups of water!
 
 
Then to add some scent I added about 20 drops of Orange Essential oil!
(Now something I just learned over this last weekend was that different essential oils have different Beneficial properties.. like Orange is a natural Antibacterial agent... While Lavender is an antibiotic,anti fungal,antiviral, and an antibacterial agent.. You can find a list on line of what each scent has to offer as far as benefits!)
 
 
Then I put the lid on the jug and just shook it a few times!
Then let it sit overnight and it'll become like a soupy gel!
 
 
You can make a lot of house cleaners from borax, lemon juice and vinegar!
Here are a few recipes I got this weekend that I all ready tried and liked!
 
Fresh Bathroom Disinfectant
2 cups water
1 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons borax
1/4 cup of lemon juice
 
combine/shake in spray bottle then use!
 
 
 
Toilet Bowl cleaner!
1/2 cup baking soda
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup of lemon juice
 
add directly to the bowl.. let it foam up a few minutes.. then scrub with brush and flush
 
 
All purpose cleaner
1 teaspoon castile soap
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups water
6 drop orange essential oil
1 teaspoon borax
 
combine is spray bottle.. shake.. use!
 
Also Murphy's oil with some water and essential oil makes a great degreaser/wood cleaner!
 
Hope these were helpful!!!
 
 
 
 
 

 
 


Monday, September 10, 2012

Update: Family Pictures!

I am so in love with how our family pictures turned out!!
We've never had them done as a family untill now and they turned out exactly how I imagined!!
Thanks to my awesome friend Nikki fromNikki's Portrait Photography for taking them!
So here's my family! :)