Homemade Laundry Detergent

I got this recipe from my neighbor. I'm not sure how toxic Fels-naptha laundry soap is, so I don't know it this counts as less-toxic. It is cheap, and made with stuff I generally have on hand these days. And it satisfies the part of me that loves doing things myself.

Here's the recipe:

Put four cups very hot tap-water into a large saucepan. Grate 1 bar fels-naptha soap into the water and heat on medium heat until the soap is fully dissolved.

Fill a 5-gal bucket approx. 1/2 full with very hot tap-water. Add 1/2 C borax and 1 C washing soda. Stir to mix.

Pour melted soap mixture into the bucket, stir until combined. Fill the bucket almost to the top with more very hot tap-water. Stir again, cover with a lid, and let sit overnight.

Fill a container (like an old liquid laundry soap container, or a water container with a spigot) 1/2 full with water. Fill the rest of the way with the detergent concentrate from the bucket.

For top loaders, use 5/8 C per load (I use 1/2 C for simplicity. Close enough, right?)

For front loaders, use 1/4 C per load. I imagine that less should be used with soft water, no matter the type of machine you have.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Shelly had the idea to try to make vanilla extract, and since she found a great deal on a big shipment of vanilla beans, she invited me to try it out with her. I used a blend of Tahitian and Madagascar vanilla beans. We bought the cheapest vodka we could find at the liquor store, and it worked just fine. I used this recipe, Shelly tried a different variation.

The results: smell test--this extract smells better than the store bought real vanilla extract (more like vanilla, less like alcohol). It contains about the same quantity of alcohol (35%), but it smells much better.

Taste test--I made cookies using homemade vanilla extract and they tasted great. I should probably try out something where the vanilla has a more prominent flavor, but haven't had the need yet.

Homemade Lotion

First, a warning. Homemade lotion has a much different feel than store bought stuff. When I first started making my own lotion, I was not 100% impressed, but I wanted to give it a good shot before I gave up completely. It seemed really greasy... I discovered is that I need a lot less lotion compared with commercial products. A small dab of homemade stuff is about equivalent to a full pump of commercial stuff. And when I started using less, it was magically less greasy. Anyway, now I am thoroughly addicted to homemade lotion. It just feels so much more natural. It is very softening, and you can customize it to fit your skin type. While Aaron was in the hospital, I ran out of my homemade lotion, and didn't have time to whip up a batch (not that it takes long). I still had a bottle of Curel around, so I just used that for a few days until I had time to make some lotion. I don't think I'll ever run out of homemade lotion again, because I HATED using the Curel. Please keep in mind that I have been using Curel lotion for like 15 years. I loved the stuff before I tried something better. Homemade is better. So you should try it. One batch lasts me about a month, but for other people it may last longer (I'm a bit of a lotion-aholic).

This recipe is a hybrid of a couple of recipes in Better Basics for the Home.

Basic Lotion

2 1/2 ounces almond oil
1 1/2 ounces coconut oil *
1/3 beeswax, grated (if you want really thick lotion, add a little more)
2 ounces aloe vera
2 ounces water
1 Tbsp glycerin
1/3 tsp grapefruit seed extract (GSE)
10 to 25 drops essential oil, if desired (I don't personally desire)

*I like to use deodorized coconut oil for lotion, but only because I love the light beeswax smell. Regular coconut oil covers the beeswax smell up. If you like the coconut scent, or if you are planning to add essential oils for fragrance, it probably won't matter either way.

Melt the oils and beeswax. I don't have a double boiler, so I usually just put my glass measuring cup in a pan of water on the stove. Or I use the microwave. If you use the microwave, do it in 20 second intervals and stir in between. It doesn't take very long.

In another bowl, combine the water, aloe, glycerine, GSE, and essential oils, if using. At this point, I like to let the oils cool a bit before combining. I just find the lotion emulsifies better if the oils aren't piping hot. You can't cool it completely though, or it will solidify. Then you just beat them together with an electric mixer until the mixture is nice and creamy. I doesn't take long, but do make sure it is fully emulsified before you stop beating. If you stop prematurely, your lotion will sweat (i.e. the waters and oils don't stay combined in the jar, and the lotion sort of oozes the waters out). I use jars that hold 1/2 cup, and this recipe fills two jars. Then I do the lotion equivalent of licking out the bowl, which is slathering the leftovers all over my legs. Isn't that a lovely visual in your mind. I bet you wish you had a picture of that...

It took me a couple of tries before I was proficient at this. But don't let me scare you, this is nothing like making cheese, or soap. My first batch or two really sweat a lot. Don't worry if that happens, you can still use it and it is just as effective. It just isn't the perfect consistency. No worries.

In case you are wondering, the GSE is a preservative. You can store this at room temperature. This lotion should have a shelf life of at least four months, but like I say, I go through one batch in about a month. If you think you won't use it that quickly, you can store in the refrigerator to prolong the life.

There are a million variations you can make to customize this, but I think this is a great place to start. I've tried a few different oils, and I really prefer the almond oil for lotion.

Make sure you don't judge homemade lotions prematurely. Get used to it for a while, then I dare you to switch back to store bought stuff. You will hate it!

p.s. What does "manually gifted" mean?