DIY Shaving Cream

Hives...they were everywhere.  They were itchy and soooo annoying!

I could not figure out what I was allergic to.  I tried my body wash, laundry soap and then a thought...I should check my shaving cream.  Tada...I am allergic to shaving cream....really!

How annoying is that!

So I perused Pinterest in search of a DIY shaving cream.  Found it...and it is awesome!

You should have everything in your house or just go buy some cheap shampoo, conditioner and lotion/hand cream that all has similar scent.

Shampoo, conditioner, lotion/hand cream and baby oil.   Mix them all together and put in a container.  

I put it in my empty conditioner container that has a pump on top.  One of the things I have found with this shaving cream is how smooth my legs are after shaving with it.  I also don't have to shave as often, which is another added plus.  Hopefully, you won't have to make your own shaving cream because you are allergic to it, but it really is cheaper and I think it is better than the store shaving cream.  Enjoy!

DIY Shaving Cream

1 Cup Shampoo

1 Cup Conditioner

5 Tbsp Lotion/Hand Cream

5 Tbsp Baby Oil

Mix together and store in container.

Made By Me: DIY Cleaning

Are you excited?

I know I am.

So you know how you can make your own laundry soap here.

My next thought was - what do I do about those annoying dryer sheets and fabric softener.

Well...I found it and I am going to share.  YAY!!!

Here is what you do.  Buy some Fabric Softener (your choice of brand and scent) 

and you need a hand towel.  SOAK the hand towel in the fabric softener and then SQUEEZE out all remaining drops.  Hang it over a chair or on a clothesline until COMPLETELY dry.  It takes about three days (yes...three days!)  Once you know it is completely dry, you will then be able to throw it in the dryer and use it just like a dryer sheet.  Use it for about 40-50 loads or a month.  

Then soak it again and do it over again.  And the best thing is that it works!!!

I have another one for you today too!  Make your own bathroom cleaner.  

This was amazing!  I just used it in my bathtub and it works!

What you need: White Distilled Vinegar and blue Dawn (it has to be the blue kind and I used Great Value) and a spray bottle.  You use equal amounts of vinegar and soap.  For my bathtub I used half a cup of each.  You heat up the vinegar in the microwave for about two minutes, place it and the soap in the spray bottle and mix gently.  You then spray the mixture all over, let it sit for a half hour or an hour and then wipe down.  AMAZING!  My faucets haven't shined like this for a very long time.  

I really do love do it yourself projects...and I hope you do too!

Laundry Soap...again

So you remember a while back when dearest Amy shared the making of your own Laundry soap (click here).

Well, I had to make mine again and I thought I would share it again...because it is just too cool!

I made this about six months ago and now am making it again.  I call that a bargain.

Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

Borax

Fels-Naptha Soap Bar

5 gallon bucket

&

Previously used Laundry Soap container

You will need to fill your 5 gallon bucket half full with HOT water.

Now you will grate your Fels-Naptha Soap bar

With your cheese grater (yes...I said cheese grater) into a pot that has 4 Cups Water in it.

It will look like this.

Boil that on your stove top on medium high heat until your soap has melted.

It will be a little foamy.

Pour this soap concoction into your 5 gallon bucket and stir.

Now, pour in your 1 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup borax...stir again.

Finish filling up your bucket to the top with water.

Put your lid on, stick it in a corner and forget about it for 24 hours.

Give it a good stir the next day and then take a funnel and fill up your previously used laundry soap container half full of this lovely stuff and then fill the rest with water.  Shake. 

IMPORTANT:  you will need to shake your container every time you use it because the soap settles!

There you go...your own laundry soap.

Made By Me: Dishwasher Soap

I have been dying to do this...

Ever since my dear sister posted about making your own laundry soap (click here) we have been in a frenzy to do more of this make your own stuff.  So I have been searching online and I found some info about making your own dishwasher soap.  I was so super excited but had some dishwasher soap left...so I had to wait but I made this just the other day. 

If you have already made your own laundry soap, then you already have two of the main ingredients so you will probably need to spend maybe about $3.00 to make your own dishwasher soap.

At first I thought that it was coming out about even, but you will be saving money doing this.

Ingredients:

 1 Cup Borax

1 Cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

1/2 Cup Kosher Salt

1/2 Cup Citric Acid (kind of hard to find...so you can use Sugar free Lemonade in its place)

I found these packets at Walmart and they were .12 each.  I needed about 15 packets to make 1/2 cup.

Ice Cube Trays?!?!  I'll tell you in a minute :)

Place everything in a can.  You can use a coffee can, I used a food storage can.  

Put the lid on and shake.

Do you love those handy little blocks that you just pop in the dishwasher.  This is where you will use the ice cube trays.  Pack your mixture into the ice cube trays and...little blocks.

NOTE: I found out shortly after putting these in the trays that they don't pack down when using the sugar free lemonade.  I guess that is something in the citric acid that makes them clump and pack.  So...sad news this won't work if you are using lemonade instead of citric acid. :(  

So instead...I placed my dishwasher soap in this cute jar and have my handy scoop ready.

My next favorite trick.  I have avoided buying Jet Dry at the store because it is so pricey.

Did you know that you can use White Vinegar or Lemon Juice instead?

Well...now you do and it is much easier on the wallet.

Made By Me: Dishwasher Soap

1 Cup Borax

1 Cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

1/2 Cup Kosher Salt

1/2 Cup Citric Acid or Sugar Free Lemonade

Place ingredients in container, shake well and place in a jar.  Use on Tablespoon per dishwasher load.

You can also pack soap into ice cube trays to make blocks.

A Non-Edible Addition

Alright, time for a break from the lemmings, ladies and gents. It is time for some penny-pinching, miserly, money-saving, home-made, DIY goodness!!!
This week's adventure; LAUNDRY DETERGENT!
Anybody else get sticker shock looking at laundry soap? I do! I hate shelling out large amounts of hard-earned dinero to wash the grunge out of my clothes. The solution?
Borax.
Arm and Hammer Washing Soda.
Fels Naptha Soap Bar.
And that is it. I swear to you.
The clincher???
For less than twelve dollars, you can do 640 loads of laundry.
Yes. yes, I know. Please stop crying. There there...
Ten gallons of laundry detergent at about one cent a load. And it gets even cheaper the next time you need to make it because all you need is the Fels Naptha bar...there is enough Borax and Washing Soda to make roughly five or six batches of this ten-gallon wonder.
Alright. Really. Please stop sobbing. Its okay. I didn't know until recently, either.
I'll give you a moment to compose yourself.
....
....
....
Better? Alright. Hold on to your britches...it gets even better...
IT'S EASY!!!
Twenty minutes of stirring and mixing is IT.
Are you ready to save money?
Are you REALLY ready???
Then lets get to it!

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent;

First of all, I recommend you get yourself five gallon bucket from walmart if you don't have one already. Make sure it is clean and has a lid. If you do not have your leftover expensive-brand laundry detergent bottles or gallon milk jugs then I suggest you buy a second five gallon bucket with lid. I have been hoarding my laundry detergent bottles for a few years for water storage. My husband shook his head at me thinking they would never come in handy but HA HA! Now I have another use for them.

Silly husband.

Anyway???

Get yourself a sturdy one quart pot and put four cups of water in it.

Take your Fels Naptha soap bar and grate it into the water. (Yes, use your cheese grater.) On medium-high heat, melt the soap shavings in the water until there are NO clumps or flakes. It will be a little foamy but you want it lump-free.

It takes around ten to fifteen minutes.

While you are watching the soap-water, fill your 5-gallon bucket half full with HOT water.

When the soap mixture is done, pour it into the bucket with the hot water.

Now add 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda and 1/2 cup Borax.

Stir well to distribute evenly.

Fill the rest of the bucket with water and stir again.

Snap on your lid and let it sit overnight.

It will gel and thicken. The next day, give it a good stir.

Using a funnel, fill your old detergent jugs or milk jugs HALF full of the detergent. Dilute with water to fill the rest.

If you are using another five gallon bucket, just use the 1:1 ratio and dilute with water.

Before using the detergent, give the jug a good shake. If taking directly from the bucket, stir before use. The contents will settle over time so this is necessary.

Good looking stuff, huh?

Still not convinced it is a worthy detergent? A test was done with white shirts and mustard. Against the most expensive Tide super-duper stain remover, this simple, CHEAP detergent cleaned the stain exactly the same!
Here's a little nugget about how soap works; it isn't the soap that does the cleaning. It is WATER that cleans your clothes. The detergents break the barrier on the fabric to allow water through so it can clean. Water is, after all, the world's best solvent. So next time you are at the laundry soap aisle, you have my permission to laugh at all those expensive brands. They all use the same ingredients, every brand, even cheap brands, and it is your water that does the cleaning anyhow.
Worried about an allergic reaction? Afraid these cheap ingredients will be harsh?
WRONG!
100% allergen, dye, fragrance free. You can add fragrance oil if you desire, but this recipe is extremely gentle on skin. My neighbor used it for her infants as well as for herself who has severe skin allergies.
If you aren't going to make this for yourself/family...then I have to say you are a SAP. You have money to throw away, obviously.
So anyway, happy laundry-soap making, my friends.
-A.S.
(Oh, and Borax and the washing soda have excellent household cleaning uses...lots of suggestions on the boxes. YAY!!!)