Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Psalm 51:7
Saturday is laundry day at our house. After a week of work and school, there is something relaxing to me about washing all the clothes, then sitting down to fold them and hang them up while Kevin and I watch TV. Whatever came to pass while wearing these clothes is now in the past--all the dirt and sweat, splattered food and kitty cat hair. It's a mental "moving on" to a new day, a new week.
Others may find laundry a chore, but I actually enjoy it. Since Kevin retired, he's done a lot of the housework. I have to give him props for cleaning the refrigerator. (Ugh! I did not want to touch that with a ten foot pole!) I tell he'll be my hero forever for that one. But, laundry is mine and mine alone for the simple fact that it brings me pleasure.
What does not bring me pleasure is paying astronomical prices for gallons of detergent and fabric softener. Some months ago, upon finding out that those "stain lifters" in said detergent are actually petroleum based, I set out to do laundry for less cost and without feeding our country's dependence on oil. I found a recipe for laundry detergent online and bought the corresponding book on Amazon. It's a simple 4-ingredient formula. The only downside is that I have to order a couple of the ingredients. Here it is:
1 c. baking soda
1 c. washing soda (or soda ash)
1 c. pure soap flakes
about 20 drops of essential oil (I use lavender or sweet orange)
I usually make a double batch when I make this. I buy 1 lb. boxes of baking soda for $0.54 at Wal-mart. I order the washing soda from Amazon. I can get 15 lbs. for $20. That's about $1.33 per pound. Then, MSO Distributing is the only place in the US to buy pure soap flakes. I just bought 4 - 1 lb. bags for $50.63 (about $12.65 per pound). Given all that, I estimate that I spend about $0.35 per load on detergent. We have a front loading washing machine, so I only have to use 1/4 c. of detergent per load.
What about fabric softener? Vinegar. A gallon of white vinegar (for about $2.39) plus about 25 drops of essential oil will last several months. No more expensive fabric softener. This is about $0.03 per ounce as compared to $0.06 (or more) for traditional fabric softeners. And, the best part is it's all natural!
I rarely buy dryer sheets because I try to use the dryer as little as possible. If we have a generally sunny Saturday, I can get 2-3 loads of clothes out on our little umbrella-style clothes line. We had a traditional clothesline in our backyard when we bought this house. When we put up a fence it had to come down. We tried to put it up in another location; however, the cement didn't set correctly and the posts wouldn't stay up. It is our plan to try to get it back up again, which will greatly increase the amount of laundry I can dry and decrease the amount of drying time. Our weather has been unseasonably cool and wet lately, so this is hampering those plans. For now, we'll make do with the "umbrella."
Cleaning your clothes should not also clean out your wallet. I felt like I was constantly having to buy detergent and fabric softener. Even coupons weren't helping make much of a dent. If you aren't committed to making your own detergent, a simple switch to vinegar for fabric softener can save a lot of money.
I am also evaluating other cleaning products we use in our home. "The Naturally Clean Home" by Karyn Siegel-Maier has recipes for cleaning just about everything. Once Kevin and I use up our stash of cleaners under the kitchen counter, I'll be experimenting with replacing them with natural alternatives. I want our home to be clean, but I want to be kind to this planet we call home, too.
Psalm 51:7
Saturday is laundry day at our house. After a week of work and school, there is something relaxing to me about washing all the clothes, then sitting down to fold them and hang them up while Kevin and I watch TV. Whatever came to pass while wearing these clothes is now in the past--all the dirt and sweat, splattered food and kitty cat hair. It's a mental "moving on" to a new day, a new week.
Others may find laundry a chore, but I actually enjoy it. Since Kevin retired, he's done a lot of the housework. I have to give him props for cleaning the refrigerator. (Ugh! I did not want to touch that with a ten foot pole!) I tell he'll be my hero forever for that one. But, laundry is mine and mine alone for the simple fact that it brings me pleasure.
What does not bring me pleasure is paying astronomical prices for gallons of detergent and fabric softener. Some months ago, upon finding out that those "stain lifters" in said detergent are actually petroleum based, I set out to do laundry for less cost and without feeding our country's dependence on oil. I found a recipe for laundry detergent online and bought the corresponding book on Amazon. It's a simple 4-ingredient formula. The only downside is that I have to order a couple of the ingredients. Here it is:
1 c. baking soda
1 c. washing soda (or soda ash)
1 c. pure soap flakes
about 20 drops of essential oil (I use lavender or sweet orange)
I usually make a double batch when I make this. I buy 1 lb. boxes of baking soda for $0.54 at Wal-mart. I order the washing soda from Amazon. I can get 15 lbs. for $20. That's about $1.33 per pound. Then, MSO Distributing is the only place in the US to buy pure soap flakes. I just bought 4 - 1 lb. bags for $50.63 (about $12.65 per pound). Given all that, I estimate that I spend about $0.35 per load on detergent. We have a front loading washing machine, so I only have to use 1/4 c. of detergent per load.
What about fabric softener? Vinegar. A gallon of white vinegar (for about $2.39) plus about 25 drops of essential oil will last several months. No more expensive fabric softener. This is about $0.03 per ounce as compared to $0.06 (or more) for traditional fabric softeners. And, the best part is it's all natural!
I rarely buy dryer sheets because I try to use the dryer as little as possible. If we have a generally sunny Saturday, I can get 2-3 loads of clothes out on our little umbrella-style clothes line. We had a traditional clothesline in our backyard when we bought this house. When we put up a fence it had to come down. We tried to put it up in another location; however, the cement didn't set correctly and the posts wouldn't stay up. It is our plan to try to get it back up again, which will greatly increase the amount of laundry I can dry and decrease the amount of drying time. Our weather has been unseasonably cool and wet lately, so this is hampering those plans. For now, we'll make do with the "umbrella."
Cleaning your clothes should not also clean out your wallet. I felt like I was constantly having to buy detergent and fabric softener. Even coupons weren't helping make much of a dent. If you aren't committed to making your own detergent, a simple switch to vinegar for fabric softener can save a lot of money.
I am also evaluating other cleaning products we use in our home. "The Naturally Clean Home" by Karyn Siegel-Maier has recipes for cleaning just about everything. Once Kevin and I use up our stash of cleaners under the kitchen counter, I'll be experimenting with replacing them with natural alternatives. I want our home to be clean, but I want to be kind to this planet we call home, too.