Homemade {Powdered} Laundry Detergent

Since September, I have been kicking chemicals out of our life here in the casa de Voorhees. It has been an adventure, and a heck of a lot of fun, and surprisingly, not very much work! And it has cost very little, which is what really matters to me in the long run. Oh, and no more migraines, far fewer pesky skin irritations...

Last month, I had a bit of a nightmare scenario on my hands. The dreaded skin itching began again. I have had several go-rounds with this unpleasant skin irritation since I was about 20. The first one happened at Disney World after being in a whole bunch of pools and water parks. The second came after going in a hot tub. The others all came after...well...who knows what? I would say about once a year, I have this really itchy, bumpy irritation that takes about a month to clear up, and it can be completely hellacious to deal with. I have determined that at least one of the factors that can set this off are harsh skin irritants, such as cleaning products and most definitely, heavily scented laundry detergent/softeners/dryer sheets. Since we have been using homemade, unscented detergent for 6 months without any issues, I had to really rack my brain for the source of the latest outbreak. Then, I discovered the evil of all earthly evils, stuck up on the inside of my dryer. A Bounce Dryer Bar. While my sweet husband was trying to rid us of static, I was left feeling like a giant ball of itchy frustration. After a few weeks and treatments with a white vinegar dilution, I am doing a lot better. But I am more determined than ever to keep laundry associated chemicals far, far away from my skin. Ugh.

Creating Your Cleaning Arsenal-You Can Do It!

When I first embarked on my journey of becoming a natural frugalista, I was terrified of the amount of time, effort and money that it would take. Going organic and green is pricey! Political proclivities aside (and mine don't so much line up with most greenies), my transition was based in economics. That's right, the bottom line for me is the wallet. We are a single-income couple, and this adventure had to save us money for it to be worthwhile and feasible. I was also fearful that making my own green cleaning products would make me become a crazy recluse that cooked up potions on my stove while my friends and family secretly whispered that I was going batty. While the whispers and rumors may be flowing, I am happy to report that my experiences have been cheap and not very time consuming. I can whip up most of my things in 5 minutes or less. So rest assured, you can make the transition as well, even if you work full-time, or have kids clinging to your ankles, or are on a tight budget. I still spend less on my cleaning supplies than I did when I was couponing for them, and far less time than when I was dragging my coupon binder out daily to scour the internet/flyers/stores for deals. So today, you get my photo essay of the basic things you need to start, and a price point for all of these items. And the best part? This stuff makes ALL of the following: Laundry detergent, all-purpose spray, toilet cleanser, shower cleanser, soft scrub, floor wash, oven cleaner, microwave cleaner, window/glass cleaner, shampoo and body wash. Amazing, right? Don't believe me? I'll post all of these recipes over the next few weeks.