keeperofthehome
Senior Member
"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her...She will do him good & not evil..."
Posts: 840
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Post by keeperofthehome on Dec 5, 2007 9:56:28 GMT -5
When you do laundry, do you use mainly cold water or hot water?
I had always been a warm water washer but the past year and a half I have used only cold water. My initial thought was to save on the electric bill by not having the water heater use energy to heat the water. I'm not sure how much I have saved by going this route but I have remained a cold water washer. It seems to be gentler on the clothes in my opinion, but I could be wrong.
So what's everyone else's take on laundry?
What is your favorite laundry detergent to use?
What is your favorite laundry softener?
What is your favorite bleach alternative for whiter and brighter clothes?
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tbhas6
Senior Member
Posts: 1,146
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Post by tbhas6 on Dec 5, 2007 10:28:41 GMT -5
Since I use homemade laundry products, I still wash my linens and whites in hot wash/cold rinse, colors in warm wash/cold rinse and darks in cold wash/cold rinse. In hour home the real energy saver has been eliminating a clothes dryer. We've estimated a savings of approximately $1.50 per load since converting to a clothes line.
Laundry Soap Powder for Hard Water 1 c. soap flakes 1 c. washing soda 1/2 c. borax
Combine the soap, washing soda, and borax in a heavy plastic container. Use 1/2 c. mixture per load of laundry.
Fabric Softener 1 gal. white vinegar 20 drops lavender essential oil
Add the lavender essential oil to the vinegar right in the container. Shake well before using. large load = 1 c. during rinse cycle; small load = 1/2 c. during rinse cycle.
Bleach Alternative for Whites (1 load formula) 1/2 c. above laundry soap 1/4 c. borax 1/4 c. lemon juice 6 drops lavender essential oil
Combine all ingredients, hang wash in the sun to dry.
All-Purpose Stain Remover 1/4 c. vegetable oil-based soap 1/4 c. glycerin 2 tbls. borax 10 drops peppermint or tea tree essential oil 1 3/4 c. water
Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well. Spray generously onto stain. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. Launder as usual.
All laundry recipes are from The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier ... tb
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Post by mustxstitch on Dec 5, 2007 11:54:06 GMT -5
Wow thanks! With my fibro I am eliminating all chemicals I can and these recipies are so simple and so basic!
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tbhas6
Senior Member
Posts: 1,146
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Post by tbhas6 on Dec 5, 2007 13:46:59 GMT -5
Hey Mustxstitch,
The book, The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Seigel-Maier has homemade cleaning recipes for absolutely EVERYTHING - furniture polish, stove cleaners, bathroom/toilet cleaners, dish soap, paint removers - I do mean everything. All the recipes are all natural and do not contain toxic chemicals. Most are made from baking soda, vinegar, and essential oils. She even has a chapter that explains the properties of various essential oils, ie. anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, etc. It is one of the best book purchases I've ever made .. tb
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keeperofthehome
Senior Member
"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her...She will do him good & not evil..."
Posts: 840
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Post by keeperofthehome on Dec 5, 2007 23:02:16 GMT -5
TB~ thanks for these wonderful recipes. I am certainly going to print them out and put them in my Home Management Binder for handy reference.
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Post by pursuer on Dec 6, 2007 19:21:22 GMT -5
I am almost always a cold water, but of late, been using warm water. I love this site so much!! I am going to be making these and selling them at Farmer's Market next season. I use all of these recipes with the exception of the fabric softener (can't sell what I really use - white vinegar - seems so wrong! LOL). The fabric softener recipe here works okay, however! Just more expensive than white vinegar. Homemade Laundry Soap 1/3 bar Fels Naptha or 4.5 oz. Ivory soap, grated ½ cup washing soda ½ cup borax powder 30 drops essential oil(s) of your choice, optional ~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size~ Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Add essential oil, if desired. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. Gently shake before each use. You use ½ cup per load. Homemade Fabric Softener 1 cup glycerin 1 gallon water 20 drops essential oil(s) of your choice, optional Mix together in a large bottle. Add 1/2 cup to washing machine rinse cycle. Clothing Dewrinkler 1 Tablesthingy fabric softener 2 cups water Add ingredients to a spray bottle. Shake well to mix before each use. Homemade Spray 'n' Wash 2 parts water 1 part ammonia 1 part Dawn dishwashing liquid Add in spray bottle, shake lightly. Use as you would spray 'n' wash. *Has gotten out stuck-in pit-stains and even blood!*
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keeperofthehome
Senior Member
"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her...She will do him good & not evil..."
Posts: 840
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Post by keeperofthehome on Dec 7, 2007 9:27:10 GMT -5
Pursuer~ Thank you for the recipes, especially the wrinkle relaxer. I used to buy one called "Revive" from Melaleuca (you had to be a member to order from them and then they made you order so much monthly to stay active...good products but costly) so I was looking for a great wrinkle relaxer. We do iron if we have to but we don't like to in the house I will admit. So this is a great recipe for me.
I do want to ask though...how do you use it? Just shake it up before spraying the clothing item and then shake the item out a bit (lightly) and hang to let the wrinkle spray to dry? That's what I did with the other one so I assume its the same with the homemade one. Thanks for the help.
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Post by keflavik on Dec 7, 2007 9:46:48 GMT -5
I'm with Tb on the water temps and I also use only homemade laundry soap. I wash only twice a week (one additional day if I'm doing bedding) and use the clothesline almost exclusively. (not when its rainy for a week straight) I did a class for the younger women in the church on how to do laundry and mentioned how the clothesline will save them a lot of money and just last night, I got some feed back on it. A lady said she has saved over $200 on her electric bill just by hanging out clothes instead of using the dryer! I still just love the way my laundry smells fresh off the line. The smell will fill the closet too, and to climb into a clean bed with that smell on the sheets is just heavenly! The last time I went shopping, I actually stopped to look at the price of laundry detergent and was shocked! Making it is so much cheaper and better for the septic system.
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tbhas6
Senior Member
Posts: 1,146
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Post by tbhas6 on Dec 7, 2007 10:05:06 GMT -5
Keflavik is certainly right on the outrageously wonderful smell of line dried laundry - especially the bedding. I hate when we have a week of rain and I have to use the dryer - in my opinion, there isn't a dryer sheet out there that makes clothing smell as good as line dried ... tb
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Post by joannaehughes on Dec 7, 2007 10:59:02 GMT -5
I am going to try making the laundry soap and softener. We still, however have to use the dryer. Our landlords have asked that we do not use the line in the backyard because they do not like the look for the neighborhood. They are talking about taking it down next year. I use mostly cold water wash, warm/hot for white loads. For a spray and wash alternative until I start making my own, I use era approx 1/3 of a spray bottle and the rest water. Then treat with spray. I use other detergent to wash. I do thank God for washing machines! Used to have to scrub with a brush in a tub, then on a board... jeans were the hardest! I do thank God every time I hear the machine running in the background.;o) Joanna
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tbhas6
Senior Member
Posts: 1,146
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Post by tbhas6 on Dec 7, 2007 12:58:44 GMT -5
I have an acquaintance who had a similar problem as Joanna with line-drying her clothing. Well, the family ended up in with a serious financial situation and just absolutely could not afford to use a clothes dryer. She and her husband became determined that a homeowners association was not going to dictate how and where they spent the financial blessings God bestowed upon them. All this motivated her husband to come up with a an alternative to a clothes line pitched in the back yard ...
He cleaned out an area in the garage, attached eye bolts about 6ft. high to the garage wall studs and ran clothes line wire through the bolts. Now, on laundry day they hang the wash in the garage with the large garage door, which faces the neighborhood street, only 1/3 to 1/2 way up. They also open the back door of the garage, which opens to their back yard, creating a cross breeze to dry the laundry. Also, with the large front garage door only half open, none of the neighbors have to be subjected to the "eye sore" (hee hee) of clothes hanging on a line to dry.
tb
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Post by mountaingirl on Dec 7, 2007 13:45:59 GMT -5
What a great idea - I never thought of using the garage.
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Post by samsgram on Dec 7, 2007 17:31:40 GMT -5
Didn't like the "look" of a clothesline? What on earth is happening to this world???
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Post by pursuer on Dec 7, 2007 20:46:17 GMT -5
Pursuer~ I do want to ask though...how do you use it? Just shake it up before spraying the clothing item and then shake the item out a bit (lightly) and hang to let the wrinkle spray to dry? That's what I did with the other one so I assume its the same with the homemade one. Thanks for the help. Yes, just as you mentioned.
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Post by joannaehughes on Dec 8, 2007 0:47:54 GMT -5
Yes, Thank You! I will relate this to Hubby and see what can be done. There is a deer hanging in our garage right now, but hunting season is over for big game here and that would leave it a definate maybe...!! Some folks seem to think seeing laundry on a line is unseemly, perhaps poor..? Never mind that it is healthier than a dryer, cheaper than the dryer, and smells wonderful. In Europe they often hang out sheets and blankets between washings to freshen up the linen (the sun sterilizes too..!) That way they say things stay fresher longer, and last longer. Well, that's what they say.. ) Joanna
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