A Little Dirty Laundry

So if you've been out in the blogosphere lately, or just cruising on Pinterest, I KNOW you've seen all the posts about homemade laundry detergent.  Well, I too made a batch a while ago, and found I quite liked it, yet felt it was missing something.

First, let me say I didn't try this for economy sakes, but rather an interest of "does it really work".  And if so, the economic part is a plus, but I will be especially happy to be rid of the plastic jugs.  I recycle, but still hate seeing those plastic jugs...

So the first batch I made with a bar of Ivory soap and 2 cups each of Borax and Arm & Hammer Washing Soda.  I like it just fine, and is a great virtually unscented option.  But I like fragrance, so after seeing a few pictures on Pinterest, I gathered some new ingredients:

Note the addition of the Oxi-Clean and the Purex Scent Crystals , which is a fragrance additive for laundry (NOTE: if you are sensitive to fragrances, SKIP THIS, as it's quite strong and overpowering, though smells nice on the clean laundry).  I also threw in a box of plain old baking soda, which is supposed to help clean and soften.

Then I grated up 2 bars of Fels-Naptha, to try a different soap:

This also adds some fragrance.  Throw it all in a big container and mix.  Or, if you're like me and realize a partially opened box of Borax gets clumpy, you break out the immersion blender and go to town.

Careful if you do this - it's messy and creates a ton of dust, but it was effective!  I then added all the other items in the picture and mixed and mixed, and voila:

Since I only had about a cup left of my earlier Ivory soap batch, I threw that in here as well.  

To put the quantity into perspective, I mixed this all up in a 2.4 gallon Rubbermaid container.  It's full.  And the best part? You only need 1-2 Tablespoons PER LOAD.  I just kept the Oxi-Clean scooper and use that.  

How does it work? Well, first, I have a High-Efficiency Front Load washer, which are supposed to be finicky when it comes to detergent. So far I haven't had any issues with EITHER version of the soap.  And I almost always wash on the cold cycle.  And so far, my clothes are super soft, very clean, and smell great.  I'm actually really, shockingly, pleased with it.  

How long does it take to make it? Not long.  The longest process is grating the bar soap - maybe 10 minutes of grating by hand, which I could skip if I would just use my Food Processor, but it's a FOOD processor and I can't bring myself to use it on soap.  I would say start to finish, it was MAYBE a 20 minute process. And I estimate I have enough soap to last at least a few months, if not longer (whereas a bottle would last me a couple weeks...).

And finally, cost? Well, here is where you will have to google and see what others tell you.  I'm not a math person, and frankly it was more about the "huh, what's that like?" than anything else.  But I HAVE read others say it works out to just a few cents per load, so assuming their math is spot-on, it's a good deal. :)

Bottom line - it was fun to make something useful, and especially fun once I realized I loved the results.  I honestly think this is the best laundry soap I've used yet. Smells good, cleaned well, and left clothes and towels soft and fluffy, without the Snuggle Bear. :)

Two Months Passed...

Eesh, I can't believe it has been a full two months since my last post! But I suppose that's what happens when life smacks you full on.  So, what has happened during the last 2 months?  Well....

As you know, I'm getting married in August, so crafting and planning and scheming, oh my.  I've truly gone insane with the DIY and details. I'll try to post more this week, and catch you up on some of the latest here.

And there was May...which my fiancé decided to kick-off with a heart attack.  Talk about throwing a wrench into things... ;) Truly we are blessed that he is A-ok now.  But the "event" did culminate with an unplanned trip back east, hanging out bedside in ICU. Always fun. Again, VERY blessed.  You wouldn't know anything was wrong with him now.  Thank you Lord! :)

On top of all that madness, I'm still in school.  That's been a nightmare all on its own... :)

But let's talk projects, because really, that's what it's all about!

Here I am brewing the beer for the wedding - so much fun!!

3 weeks and 3 hours of bottling later, the car is loaded with 12 cases of freshly made beer!

And the final product - complete with custom labels, courtesy of To Make Beer, over on Etsy.  And the super awesome beer carriers, with openers built into the handles, you can find those over on Etsy too!  Check out Cold Creek Brewing for all sorts of awesome wooden goodness! :)

I've also been working on the drink ware...  It all started with this Christmas gift from my friend Becky over at The Barefoot Seamstress.

I wanted to get more for the wine, but they're selling for $12 each...and I just thought, well, surely I can glue a candlestick to the jar?  Turns out, I can.  Quite easily in face. ONCE you have the proper glue.  Do NOT use super glue - it turns cloudy and actually breaks loose after a couple days.  What you want is this stuff:

You can get the E-6000 at Michael's or Joann's, but not at Home Depot (note to self). It dries clear like silicone. Super quick and easy, and now I have 2 dozen of the hillbilly glasses for the wine table. :) Oh and I got the candlesticks at www.save-on-crafts.com - seriously my FAVORITE store.  I've been shopping there for a couple years and always find the best deals and coolest items. Love it!

I also got these super cute arrow signs from Save-on-Crafts.  I stained them with coffee (yes, coffee. In fact, coffee left over from my Saturday morning) and then used my new wood burner to make a bunch of direction signs for the ceremony and reception.

And I will conclude this overly long post with a picture of my ever-expanding jar collection.  A small sampling of my jars all cleaned and ready for wildflowers. :)

So, thanks for sticking with me.  I will try try try to be more timely with my updates! :)