Natural Year Challenge Progress

I've used a lot of vinegar in the last several months, but I've saved a lot of money!

Vinegar costs a lot less than all those cleaning products that I haven't bought lately.

How are you doing with the natural year challenge?  I'm not sure where I should be in the schedule of the challenge, but I'm moving along from one step to the next! 

I'm now enjoying homemade laundry soap, homemade hand soap, and homemade dishwasher detergent.  I didn't like my homemade dish soap, but I want to try again and see if I can modify the recipe.

 

Here's our slightly modified recipe for

Liquid Hand Soap:

1 c. water

3 Tbsp. liquid castile soap

8 drops lemon essential oil
8 drops orange essential oil

3 drops Grapefruit seed extract

4 Tbsp. glycerin

It works great in a foaming soap dispenser!

If you read my earlier post about homemade laundry soap, I have an update to give you.  I tried it again and had better results.  Instead of adding liquid castile soap to the boiling water, I added grated castile bar soap to the water.  The consistency was closer to the gel I was hoping for.  Also, instead of pouring it into my purchased detergent dispenser, I put it in a clear plastic gallon container.  I shake it each time I wash a load of laundry, thus preventing the ingredients from separating and sticking to the sides of the container. 

Are you making your own soaps?

Please share your recipes and experiences with us!

We love to hear from you!

Earlier posts:

 

 Natural Year Challenge: Household Edition
 

Step 1: Buy Five

 

I Bought Five
 

Step 2: Make Laundry Soap

 

Step 3:  Make Household Soaps

Step Three: Make Household Soaps

Are you taking the Natural Year Challenge with me?

I hope you're having as much fun as I am!

 

I love my homemade laundry soap, and now I'm looking forward to

making dish soap, hand soap and automatic dishwashing powder.

Click here for recipes and helpful information from Andrea Fabry of Moms Aware, Inc.

In this video, Andrea shares her tips for making

all-natural liquid castile soap, dish soap, hand soap, and "rebatched" bar soap.

She's so encouraging! When I watch her do it, I feel like I can do it, too! J

Are you making your own products, too?

Please comment or email and tell me how it's going.  I love to hear from you! 

 

If you're just joining me, click here to read the earlier posts.  It's not too late to get started!

 

Natural Year Challenge: Household Edition



Step 1: Buy Five

 

Step 2:  Make Laundry Soap 

Step Two: Making Laundry Soap

I finally took Step Two!  Tuesday afternoon, my son and I made homemade liquid laundry soap! 

We followed the Moms Aware recipe...

• First, we boiled 3 cups of water and dissolved 1 oz. of liquid castile soap in it.
• Then we added ¼ cup of washing soda--at which point the water bubbled up and over the side of the pot.  This was unexpected, and we actually got a great laugh out of it.  We even laughed while we cleaned up the mess.  J
• Next we added ¼ cup of borax.
• We stirred until all was dissolved in the water.

Andrea Fabry suggested putting it in a 1-gallon glass jar.  I had saved a liquid detergent plastic container, the size that washes 96 loads.  We put 10 cups of water into that container and then poured in our soap mixture.  We shook it up and let it sit for 24 hours, waiting for it to form a liquid gel.

After 24 hours, it still hadn't formed a liquid gel, so I waited until this morning to wash clothes with the new detergent. 

After 36 hours, when it still hadn't gelled, I decided to try it anyway.  I washed a load of whites in which there were some noticeably dirty white napkins.  They came clean!  And the whole load smelled fresh!  Success!

 

I then washed a colored load with some smelly shirts, and those also came clean and smelled great!

 

I calculate that I used less than $2 worth of cleaning supplies to make this batch of detergent.  It half-fills my 96-load container, so I assume I'll be able to wash at least 48 loads of laundry.  All it cost was a little effort and time, and it was so much fun to do it with my son!  It was definitely worth it!


(I updated our progress on making liquid laundry soap here.  We tweaked the recipe just a bit, so check it out!)

 

Now for Step Three...

 

Natural Year Challenge: Household Edition



 Step 1: Buy Five

I Bought Five...

Natural Year Challenge:  Household Edition

 

Step 1:  Buy Five

 

Well, here they are! My five cleaning supplies plus the recommended bonus items. 

 

 

I already had the Borax.

 

I bought the Washing Soda at Publix.

I bought a big box at Publix.

Publix again!

I bought the Castile Soap at Organic Harvest.  The Liquid Soap was $15.99, comparable to the Amazon price.  The Bar Soap was $4.29.  I could have saved a little by ordering the bar soap from Moms Aware for $3.50 (free shipping), but I was eager to have it in hand. 

I already had these Beeyoutiful Essential Oils on hand.  Andrea recommends Tea Tree Oil for its medicinal properties.  I've chosen Lemon and Lavender for good-smelling cleaning!  These and other oils are available from Smith Family Resources.  Click here for more information.

 

All total, I spent about $30.  I could have spent less if I hadn't been in such a hurry! 

 

I'd love to hear about your shopping.  Please tell us if you're able to find any good deals on any of these products!

 

If you're just joining us, click here to read the earlier posts:

 

Natural Year Challenge: Household Edition

 

Step 1: Buy Five

Starting Today...

I'm on my way to cleaning without chemicals!

I'm taking the Moms Aware Natural Year Challenge:  Household Edition, which you can read for yourself by clicking here.

Step 1:  Buy Five
These five supplies will be used to make my own all-purpose cleaners.

• Borax
• Washing Soda
• Baking Soda
• White Vinegar
• Castile Soap (liquid and bar)

There are also some recommended bonus items:

• Essential Oils
• Designated grater or inexpensive food processor for grating the castile soap bars.

I'm going to start gathering and shopping today.  Are you taking the challenge with me? Watch this video for a little encouragement from Andrea Fabry...

Switch to Chemical-Free Cleaning Products

"Would you like to switch to using chemical-free cleaning products in your home, but don't know where to begin?" - Andrea Fabry of Moms Aware, Inc.

Natural Year Challenge: 10 Steps to a Naturally Clean Home!  

"For the next 10 months we'll lead you step by step through the process of incorporating natural cleaning products into every room in your house. Before you know it you'll be enjoying that smell of 'natural' every day, with no worries of hazardous substances compromising the safe environment of your home.  ...You're allowed one full month for each step. If you need a month to catch up, no problem! Feel free to follow along at your own pace." - Andrea Fabry

I'm going to try it.

Anybody want to try it with me?

 

I'll blog about my progress, and I would love to hear from you if you're taking the challenge, too.  If you've already made the switch to natural cleaners, please share what you've learned.  I look forward to hearing from you!