Here are some recipes we are actually using. We listed where we bought the laundry ingredients and how much. They work great! It has even taken out some old stains. The towels are fluffier. If you accidentally leave clothes in the washer for 24 hours or so, they don't have the sour laundry smell. They also don’t irritate sensitive skin.
Laundry Detergent12 cups Borax (approximately 1 76oz box) =$3.00 (@ Wal-Mart in the laundry section)
8 cups Baking Soda (abt 1/3 of 12lb bag) =$1.85 ($5.50/12lbs @Costco)
8 cups Washing Soda (1 ½ of 55oz. box) =$4.50 ($3/box. Have seen it at Bashas' and Fry's in the laundry section)
8 cups shredded bar soap (Zote or Fels Naptha) =$2.00 ($.97 Zote @ Wal-Mart in the laundry section)
(1 bar of Zote=4 cups shredded)
Mix ingredients really well. Store in a sealed tub. Use 1/8 cup (2 Tbsp) of powder per load. Use 1Tbsp per load in an HE washer.
Total =$11.35 / 288 loads = less than $.04 per load. Less than $.02 in an HE.
A 3.5 gallon bucket will hold a double batch of this recipe (576 loads! 1152 for HE!).
If you would like to buy some of these things in bulk here are some websites that you can go to.
For the Fels Naptha go to: soapsgonebuy.com
If you know someone who is in the pool business or pool cleaning business they can get PH plus (which is the same thing as washing soda) in 50 lb. bags.
Fabric Softener
¼ cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle (or in your Downy ball)
Your towels will actually fluff up. They smell clean. Not like vinegar.
Dishwasher Detergent
Equal Parts Washing Soda, Baking Soda, and Borax. Use 2-3 Tbsp per load. Example:
1 cup borax, 1 cup washing soda, 1 cup baking soda
You can use a 2 gallon bucket for this.
Put white vinegar in the rinse compartment (instead of jet dry) for spot free dishes.
Baby Wipes
½ roll 1-ply sturdy paper towels (literally saw the roll in half with a knife)
2 c. distilled water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 Tbsp baby shampoo or anti-bacterial soap
Cut paper towels in half. Take out cardboard from the middle. Put paper towels in round container. Mix liquids together and pour over paper towels. Pull towels from the middle. Keep container sealed to keep it fresh. Rubbermaid makes some nice round containers for this, or if you can find some of the old-style wipes in the round wipe containers, just re-use the container.
You can always take the paper towels off the roll and carefully fold them so they fit in a wipes container. It’s just more time.
General Cleaner1 part white vinegar to 4 parts water. Put in a spray bottle. A girlfriend uses this in her immaculate house to clean every surface of her bathrooms, mirrors, and windows. She keeps a spray bottle filled with it in each room. She says she does a 3 minute clean of her bathrooms every day and never has to deep clean. She quick sprays the shower (doesn’t wipe), shower door (this she wipes), sink, counters, mirrors, toilet, fixtures, and tub. White vinegar costs less than $2/ gallon at Costco.
Happy Cleaning!
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