We have made our own detergent for years. We love it, and it doesn't affect sensitive skin (like mine, and apparently Blake's). But we recently got some detergent for free, and I am still not sure why I didn't think about the possible effects on our skin. This also explains why my own skin has begun to react over the past couple weeks, to a lesser degree.
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| Empty hamper to full hamper in less than 5 minutes. |
So I spent yesterday rewashing all of Blake's clothing, bedding, outerwear, towels, etc., in our homemade detergent. So thankful we had enough left for one more gallon! And while the bulk of his clothes were in the wash, I had to put him in something... So I had to get into 'the back of the drawer', the place clothes go to be forgotten. And I found him a pair of pants that had not been washed in the new detergent. And a shirt similarly was found for him. And the finished product, to me, was reminiscent of a train conductor.
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| Looking into his now empty closet. |
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| He thought it was pretty interesting how everything was gone. |
I did a double wash and rinse on each load. The rest of the bedding and clothes in the house should be done by next week. Hopefully my little man will clear up soon! But in the meantime, his big sister will be there to keep him company along the way.
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| Even from the outside, the tub is a favorite. |
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| "You got a friend in me" |
So thankful that even in the itchy spots in life, there are best friends to help us laugh and smile our way through. And with that, my sweet little babies are stirring, and its time to get our morning started.
Blessings on your day!
(P.S. I added our laundry detergent recipe in the comments section for those who are interested.)
What's your favorite laundry detergent recipe? I've made my own in the past, but am not totally sold on my recipe. I'm glad you figured it out! Must be a Doughty thing, my skin hates commercial detergents, too! If I purchase, I get the kind for sensitive skin.
ReplyDeleteHappy laundering, Misty!
Sorry, I meant to include this recipe at the end of the blog. But I have been up since before 4:30, and am not entirely on the ball this morning. :)
ReplyDeleteHomemade Laundry Soap
This laundry detergent saves a huge amount of money. It's a watery gel that produces low suds inside the washer. The ingredients are usually available in the laundry-products aisle of the supermarket — or order online. (Check recipes on the Internet; there's also a dry version of this laundry soap that's good for top-loading machines.) {my comments}
Ingredients:
1 Fels Naptha heavy duty laundry soap bar, grated
1 cup washing soda {I used Arm & Hammer All Natural Super Washing Soda}
1/2 cup borax {I used 20 Mule Team Borax}
Instructions:
Grate the soap bar into a small saucepan. Cover with hot water. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continually, until the soap completely dissolves.
Put washing soda and borax in a 5-gallon bucket. Pour in the hot, melted soap mixture. Stir well, until all the powder is dissolved. Fill the bucket to the top with more hot tap water. Stir, cover securely, and let set overnight {store at room temp}. The next morning, stir the mixture. Mix equal amounts of soap concentrate and water in a smaller laundry-detergent dispenser or container {we use a milk jug}. Shake before using.
For top-loading machines: Use 1 cup of the soap mixture per load.
For front-loading machines: Use 1/2 cup per load.
{-- This is very affordable and makes 10 gallons of laundry detergent! The F.N.Bar is under two dollars. The washing soda and borax are both around 3-6 dollars each, depending on where you go, for big boxes that will make many loads each. And the investment of a 5 gal. bucket and a funnel is a one time expenditure. You can use a few drops of essential oils to scent the detergent, we did not. Do not go overboard though, oil and soap aren't great bedfellows. :)
-- It works just as good as any name brand detergent we have used in the past. I have extremely sensitive skin and have had no issues at all with the switch.
-- All in all, I think its a great product and a fun way to save some money!}