DYI Reusable Fabric Softener Dry Sheets

My last pin for this week of Laundry Fun Pins, was to try out this Pinterest Pin for do-it-yourself reusable fabric softener dry sheets. Found here. This Pin says that this works as good as a dryer sheet, with less waste.

The directions are really simple. You fill up a spray bottle (I reused a Windex Bottle) with one cup of Fabric Softener and the rest with water. Spray about 3 - 4 sprays on a clean rag and throw it in your dryer. And no static and nicer smelling laundry.

I was a little weary that this might not work, so I spritz the rug about 10 times. And I am going to call this a Pinterest half Success, half Fail. I don't think there was much static, but I also don't think that my laundry smelt any more fresh than not using it. The Pinterest Pin never said it was going to smell any nicer, but when I use a dryer sheet, my laundry smells very fresh. I think maybe with a few more spritzes this might be a little more fragrant. So I'll call this one a draw.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

A few weeks ago I stated I am not a granola person. With my new found love of cleaning with vinegar, and now making my own laundry detergent, I feel it's getting a little crunchy up in here. 

I still like to believe it's not because I'm granola, it's because I'm cheap. I mean how can you not at least be a little interested it a laundry detergent recipe that works out to be less than a penny a load? See now I have your attention. 

Since I have started using Pinterest I have seen pin after pin about this laundry detergent recipe. So I figured I would give it a shot. Here is the Pin that I followed, there are many more that all have the same recipe. You can see their recipe post here.

The laundry detergent recipe is good for both top and front loader washing machines. This recipe will yield 10 gallons of detergent, but you will only have to store 5 gallons.

Step By Step Directions for Homemade Laundry Detergent:

Materials you will need to purchase -
- Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (Different than Baking Soda) - $3.24 at Wal-mart
- Borax - $3.38 at Wal-mart
- Fels-Naptha Soap Bar - $0.97 at Wal-mart
- 5 Gallon Bucket with Lid - $4.05 at Lowe's
- [Optional] Essential Oil

The first step is to use a cheese grater and grate the entire bar of Fels-Naptha Soap into a saucepan.

Then add 4 cups of hot tap water into the saucepan, stirring continuously over medium-low heat until the entire bar of soap is melted.

Next, fill the 5 gallon bucket up halfway with hot tap water. Then add in the melted soap, and 1 cup of the Arm & Hammer Washing Soda and 1/2 cup of Borax. Once all the ingredients are in the bucket, mix until all the powders are dissolved. I have this handy tool mixer, but a long stick or mixing spoon would work too.

Once it is thoroughly mixed, fill the rest of the bucket with hot tap water and mix again. Once complete, place the lid on and store somewhere out of the way overnight so the mixture can gel.

The next day or when you are ready to use it, stir up the bucket and then take the detergent and fill up a used laundry detergent container half way (these containers are heavier plastics than say a milk jug, which will break down over time). Then fill up the remaining half with water. [This is also when you would add the essential oil: 5 - 7 drops of oil per gallon.]

Now you are ready to do laundry! You will want to shake the mixture every time before you use it, it will be a gel\slushy mixture when you use it. [Note: the detergent won't suds up when you use it like regular detergent]

The recipe yields 10 gallons.

A Top Load Machine will use about 5/8 cup to 1 cup per load (Approx. 180 loads, about $0.01 a load)

A Front Load Machine will use about 1/4 cup per load (Approx. 640 loads, about $0.0025 a load)

You use such a small amount of the washing soap and borax that you will have enough to make many more batches of this recipe. The biggest expense is the Fels-Naptha Soap Bar for $0.97 that you have to buy each time you make a new batch.

I have to say after doing a few loads of laundry with this detergent I am sold. My whites are whiter, and even though I didn't add essential oil, my clothes smell very clean. This is definitely a Pinterest Success, I would say another life success!

How to Clean Your Washing Machine

Cleaning the washing machine seems a little repetitive, right? I mean every time you run the washing machine, isn't it washing the machine as well? This is what I thought until I tried this Pinterest Pin.

The Pinterest pin leads to this blog here, there is also a tutorial for cleaning a Front-Loader washing machine, found here.

Cleaning the machine is really simple, it just requires a lot of waiting. So do this on a day that you plan to be home for a few hours. All you need to "clean the machine" is bleach, vinegar, something to measure out a quart of each, and like I said, time.

Steps To Clean and Disinfect your Top Loading Washing Machine:

1. Fill the machine up with Hot water. 

2. Add 1 quart of bleach. 

3. Once the machine is full, let it agitate for about a minute or so. 

4. Stop the cycle and let the water sit for 1 hour.

5. Once the hour is up, let the machine run through it's longest cycle. 

6. The minute it is complete, start adding the hot water again.

7. Add 1 quart of vinegar. 

8. Once the machine is full, let it agitate for about a minute or so. 

9. Stop the cycle and let the water sit for 1 hour. (At this time you can dip a rag in the machine and use the vinegar water to wash all the nooks and crannies of the machine)

10. Once the hour is up, let the machine run through it's longest cycle.  

That is all. Easy, but time consuming. The first cycle with the bleach will disinfect the machine, the hose, and the pipes that it runs through. The bleach will also remove any stains in the machine. The vinegar cycle is where you will see all the magic. After the hour is up you will see all the nasty build up your machine has been storing. Pretty gross, but I guess I am glad it showed something or this might have been a bust. Here is a picture of the Chapman family buildup. 

So while I thought this was going to be a Pinterest Fail, especially after the first bleach cycle and my water amazingly clean. After the vinegar cycle the Pinterest Pin proved to be a gross, nasty Success. 

Week 11 Theme...

Now that I have revealed the laundry room renovation, I thought a great segue for this week would be laundry pins.

I am going to try this famous homemade, all natural laundry detergent that everyone and their mother seem to be pinning on Pinterest. The detergent is suppose to work in top loaders and high efficiency washers as well. This detergent will bring the cost of doing laundry to under a penny per load. That just seems ludicrous, but I have high hopes for this recipe.

Another Pinterest Pin I am going to try is DIY reusable fabric softener dryer sheets. I always forget to throw in a dryer sheet, so this Pinterest Pin might not make it past this week.

Lastly,  I have an old fashion top loader washing machine, and I am going to try a laundry Pinterest Pin to get it super clean. I feel like a washer machine is a self cleaner, so I'm not sure how well this will really work. But I guess it's worth a shot to see if my machine is carrying extra build up.

This week is going to be a fun and exciting week of doing laundry! Yay!!!! <-sarcasm :P