Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

I have been using the following recipe for laundry detergent now for about 2-3 months. This detergent really works and saves me lots of money. If you don't like this detergent recipe you can find lots of others online. A good website for these recipes is www.recipezaar.com. That is where I found this recipe.

Homemade Liquid Detergent

Makes 1 gallon

3 pints water
1/3 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated (Ivory Snow, Deodorant soap, and beauty bars can be substituted for the Fels Naptha soap)
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup Borax laundry detergent
1 quart hot water
Essential oils (optional for fragrance)

1. Mix Fels Naptha soap in a saucepan with 3 pints of water, and heat on low until dissolved. I found Fels Naptha in my local supermarket.
2. Stir in washing soda and Borax.
3. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat.
4. Add 1 quart of hot water to 2 gallon bucket.
5. Add soap mixture, and mix well.
6. Fill bucket with hot water, and mix well.
7. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens.
8. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.
9. Essential oils can be added to soap for fragrance. Washing soda can be found on the laundry detergent aisle of your supermarket. It comes in a yellow box.
**Baking soda should NOT be used in place of washing soda. They are completely different products.

Save $5 -Friday & Saturday Only

Today and tomorrow you can save $5 with a purchase of $20 or more at Walgreens. If you would like to print a coupon for it you can go to www.walgreens.com. This is a good time for you to purchase the monthly freebies. If you sign up for Walgreens newsletters you can get advanced notices of specials like this $5 savings.

Walgreens- A Great Place for Freebies

For a few years now I have been taking advantage of monthly freebies at Walgreens. Just in the last month I have gotten Almay mascara and other makeup totally free; in fact, because I get the rebate on a Walgreens gift card I get an additional 10% back. So since our sales tax is 7% here, I am getting free items plus earning 3% more. If you prefer not to get a gift card you may request a check. To make this offer sweeter, you can request your rebates online saving you a postage stamp. Walgreens is very quick in mailing you the checks or gift cards (within 2-3 weeks). In the past I have gotten razors, light bulbs, shampoo, conditioner, etc. absolutely free. Last Saturday I purchased my very first digital camera at Walgreens. It was on sale for $99 with a $30 rebate. The camera was listed on the Wal-Mart website for about $119.00. With rebate I have paid only $69.99 for a Poloroid i835 (8 pixel)camera. Now I have to learn to use it. My 14 year old figured it out in a few minutes.

If you want to see if your favorite items are on sale at Walgreens and also view the current rebates and freebies go to www.walgreens.com. By the way, if you need a camera the rebate is still good for the month of November. I am not sure if the camera is still on sale though.

Homemade Fabric Softener

I am always looking for more ways to save money. Making my own fabric softener is one of those ways. Personally, I prefer lavender fragranced fabric softener, but most of these are costly. So now I can get the fragranced softener that I want at a lower cost. The quality of the homemade softener is good also. Using vinegar and baking soda does not leave a residue in your clothes as does commercial softeners. The following recipe can be made in about 5 minutes and yields about 15 cups:

1 cup baking soda
6 cups distilled white vinegar
8 cups water
10-15 drops of essential oil of your choice (optional)

*You will need a one gallon container (open container is best because of chemical reaction of baking soda and vinegar).

*First add the baking soda to the plastic container.

*Add 1 cup of water to start with.

*Slowly add the vinegar to the bottle as the vinegar and baking soda will start to fizz.

*Then, add the rest of the water.

*Last, add the essential oil.

*Pour the softener in a clean gallon size container with a lid.

Directions for use:
Always shake the bottle before using if essential oil was added. Add 1 cup in your final rinse cycle for each load.