DIY Dishwasher & Laundry Cleaners

I am convinced that Pinterest is just about the greatest use of the World Wide Web! Well okay, for the purpose of this post it is.  Just think you can go to this site check out how to do something and then read reviews and comments of others who have tried it and find out their opinions.  I’m talking gardening tips, home schooling experiments, lactose intolerant recipes; I promise it is all there.  In fact Sunday Frankie was getting ready for church and was upset that she couldn’t find the white blouse that she always wears with her blue skirt.  I took her to Pinterest, searched ‘blue skirt’ all kinds of cute photos popped up.  We found a skirt similar to hers with a pattered blue blouse similar to something in her closet, whew, crisis averted thanks to Pinterest!

My latest find on Pinterest is do-it-yourself (DIY) house cleaning supplies.  I do not like that chemical smell of most cleaning supplies.  I am not found of trying to remember what can and can’t be mixed together.  Everyone in our house has allergies of some sort.  I want a healthier, safer, non-toxic and yes cheaper alternative! Where else would I turn but Pinterest? 

Several years ago I experimented with the powdered version of DIY laundry soap.  There was a honeymoon period where it was fabulous, clothes were clean, I was saving money, and all was bliss!  But after a year I noticed that the fabric of our clothes was deteriorating.  Tiny, tiny holes in everyone’s clothes, the fabric was courser, and the towels weren’t really white.   When that batch was up I went back to Tide and was much happier with the results, but disappointed that for whatever reason it be hard water or whatever that the DIY Powdered Laundry Soap did not work for us.   

This time I decided to start with a DIY Cream Laundry Soap, this is not a liquid and not a gel, it is more the consistency of mayonnaise. We have been using this for several months and I am very pleased with the results.  The clothes smell clean but not perfuming, a serious bonus for our allergy challenged family!

Next on my thrifty, eco-friendly DIY list was Liquid Dishwasher Soap.  This is a gel type formula; the instructions on her web-page are pretty simple.  I do use white vinegar in the rinse agent compartment because of our hard water issues.  The verdict is still out on this one, primarily because it did not ‘gel’ the way the author’s tutorial described.  So for now I shake the bottle before each use and my dishes look great.

Next I moved on to an All-Purpose Cleaner, something to wipe down counter tops or a quick spray in the shower between cleanings.  This smells amazing, I need to get a spray bottle, so far I have just tilted it over on my cleaning rag and it has worked beautifully.  This page on her website also has downloadable labels, which make it easy to distinguish between shower cleaner and spray pesticide!

Having conquered laundry, dishes, and countertops, it was now time to move to Toilet Bowl Cleaner. Granted you can pick up toilet bowl cleaner at Big Lots or a dollar store cheap, so saving money isn’t a big deal on this one.  This was more a matter of, ‘hey, I have all those ingredients’ project.  I also waited to mix up the cleaner until I had an empty bottle. 

My last DIY experiment was a DIY Soft Scrub.  I am already on my second batch.  We use this in the sinks, tubs, etc.  With three bathrooms there is always something that needs scrubbed!

Several of these recipes call for castile soap; I used Dr. Bronner’s Citrus Orange with Tea Tree Oil.  I ordered it online at Walgreen’s website.  You can also purchase it at Target, but I found it cheaper on-line even with shipping charges.

Any fabric, woven or knitted material,
or any leather article that has been washed
and is rid of the mold, must be washed again.
Then it will be clean.
Leviticus 13:58