Clean Clothes Dirt-Cheap

For all couponers and noncouponers alike, here are a bunch of great recipes to share so you can have clean clothes for dirt-cheap.J Enjoy!J

 Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap - Front or top load machine - best value
4  Cups - hot tap water
1  Fels-Naptha soap bar (or use ZOTE, which can be found at Big Lots)
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda* (can be found at Publix)
1 Cup Borax (can also be found at Publix)
-
Grate bar of soap and add to pot with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
 
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill the bucket with hot water to the top. Stir, cover it and let sit overnight to thicken.
 
The next day run your hands through the soap so it doesn't gel or turn solid.
 
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser (will gel) so shake it up well.
 
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Note: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

(Thank's Jaclyn! :)

Homemade Stain Remover (Homemade Oxy-Clean that’s natural!)

1 cup hot water
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide
Make this recipe as you need it; as any leftover will lose its potency with time.  Mix all of the ingredients together. Add your clothes and soak for 20 minutes or overnight. In the morning, rinse & wash as usual. The solution makes about 2 cups.
OR……you can do this:
Another great homemade spot remover you can make is by combining equal parts of liquid dish soap, ammonia and water in a spray bottle, shake & spray spot. 

Fabric softener Recipe #1
Ingredients:

2 C Baking Soda

2 C White Vinegar

4 C Water

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together and store in a plastic or glass container in your laundry room. To use, shake the mixture well and add ¼ C to the final rinse of the washing cycle. If you have hard water, use 1/3 C instead.

Here is another recipe to try that is just as fast, easy and cheap as the previous one (especially if you coupon J).

Fabric Softener Recipe #2

Ingredients:

Hair Conditioner

Water

Directions:

Mix together the two ingredients in a 3:1 ratio. (Water-3, conditioner-1) Voila! Use this mixture just as you would store bought softener.

Finally, if you are just not the softener making type, you can take your favorite store bought fabric softener and mix it in a spray bottle with water in a 1:3 ratio (softener-1, water-3). Spray the inside of your dryer before putting in the clean, wet clothes. You *might* go through 2-3 bottles of softener a year.

Washing Machine Cleaner from Scratch

To clean your washing machine, all you need is some white vinegar from your pantry. That’s it! Here’s what to do:

1. Pour 2 C. Vinegar into the machine
2. Run it for 3 minutes on hot 
3. Then stop the machine  
4. Let it sit over night
5. The next morning, let it finish, and then run a rinse cycle on cold