Housework

Housework. Not a word that many think fondly of. Myself included, of course. While the fact that housework takes away from one of my all-time favorite activities, crafting, is bad enough, the thought of filling our home with all sorts of chemicals in the name of "cleanliness" is an even tougher pill to swallow. So, I went in search of some potentially less toxic substitutes to try.

I Pinned a bunch of different homemade and seemingly safer cleaners onto my Pinterest board. After much contemplation, I decided to start by making some laundry detergent. When I looked at the ingredients, the recipe looks like it made what would equate to years worth of laundry detergent since it is only my husband and myself in our home. After looking around a bit more, I noticed that the dishwasher detergent recipe also called for full boxes of Borax and washing soda so I decided to split them up and make a half recipe of both the laundry and dishwasher detergents. Here are the recipes that I followed:

Laundry detergent:
http://beingcreativetokeepmysanity.blogspot.com/2010/11/homemade-laundry-soap.html

Dishwasher detergent:
http://beingcreativetokeepmysanity.blogspot.com/2011/01/dishwasher-detergent.html

Using these wonderful recipes, I made 2 smaller batches and this is what it looks like:

Laundry detergent:

1/2 of 4 lb 12 oz box Borax
1/2 of 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
1/2 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz
1 bar of Zote (grate the bar with a cheese grater - this is the most difficult part of the process but really isn't all that hard)
1 small container of Oxy Clean or store brand Oxy Clean (the author said this was optional but I decided to throw it in anyway)

I just put all this stuff into a container with tight fitting lid, shook it all up and voila - laundry detergent! We have a front loading washer so I just use a tablespoon of the powder and add it directly into the washing basin - not the detergent holder. It really does work great!

Here is what the laundry soap mixture looks like:

Dishwasher detergent:

1/2 of 4 lb 12 oz box Borax
1/2 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz
1/2 c. citric acid
1-1/2 cups Epsom Salt
LemiShine rinse aid (the author of the recipe says that the recipe does not work well without this)

Once again, I just dumped all of these ingredients into a container with a tight fitting lid, shook it up and had detergent. A word of caution -  this powder will clump up - I threw in a few of those desiccant packets that you normally throw away and I have not had any clumping.

I use a tablespoon of powder for a load of dishes and while the Lemishine works great, I have also had success with just adding about 1/4 cup of white vinegar to the bottom of the machine. If you buy the bottle of vinegar from Costco, this is a really great deal for a rinse aid. I think it depends on the water in your area though.

All of these items are very inexpensive (I made both recipes for $13 and change) and they work great! I've used both items several times and it looks like they will last us for quite a while.

Can't wait for spring...

I am not a huge fan of cold weather. I much prefer shorts and dresses to long pants and jackets. A week ago, I decided that it was time to start my garden for the year, indoors of course. So we went to the hardware store, picked up a plant starter kit and some seeds, and I started my garden. This is what it looks like after one week:

 

The sight of these little suckers growing makes me happy - means warmer weather is on the way!

I am by no means an expert at caring for plants of any sort. I have sent more than my fair share of plants to an early grave. But, practice makes anything better, right? I think I'm slowly getting the hang of it. Last year I actually made pesto using basil that I had grown. This was a huge accomplishment for me. I am optimistic for this year's garden. Hopefully in a few months I will have basil, green onions, thyme, bell peppers, cilantro, kohlrabi & parsley.

I am especially fond of keeping herbs in my garden. I find that if I buy herbs in the store, I never really need the amount in one whole package. I like that I am able to go into the backyard and clip the exact amount that I need for my dish. I am keeping my fingers crossed that these little sprouts will soon be happy, healthy and ready for picking.