A Mild Shade of Green

After reading this post, I decided to make my own laundry detergent. Now, I am not really one of those people who is totally obsessed with renewable sources and protecting the environment. Mainly I don't buy organic produce or products that are better for the environment because they're too expensive. This laundry detergent, though? Cheap. Muy cheap. Cheap enough for me. it was actually very easy to make and smells great. Tomorrow, I'll give it a whirl and let you all know how well it cleans. And hey, I like the earth just as much as the next person! The recipe can be found here, but I'll put it right here for you guys, too. for reference, I found all this stuff in the laundry aisle at my local Smith's (Kroger) grocery store. 1 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated on the small side of a grater 1 cup Borax 1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (This is NOT the same as baking soda. I promise.) Just mix it all together, store in an airtight container, and it's ready to go! I added about 10-15 drops of tangerine essential oil, to make it smell extra nice. When your ready to do some laundry, just scoop one tablespoon (two for big or extra dirty loads) into the washer, and run enough hot water to dissolve the soap. Switch it over to cold water (or whatever your preference is), throw in your clothes, and your done! (I'll let you know how this goes tomorrow.) Here is the "fabric softener", which is supposed to help get everything extra clean and nice. 2 cups white vinegar 10 drops essential oil Add 1/4 cup to each load of laundry, the same way you would fabric softener. If you have one of those fancy washing machines with the special cup for softener, your extra lucky! Just pour it in there. I also found a recipe for dish detergent, which uses a lot of the same stuff. Once I run out of my little tabs, I'll give that a try, too! It's kind of nice doing something "green", even if the Hubbster looks at me like I'm crazy.