Homemade Wash Soap

A recipe for homemade laundry soap! My sister made some of this for us, we loved it, and I made some more last week. It cleans wonderfully and your clothes smell heavenly after using it!

2 Cups Wahsing Soda
2 Cups Borax
1 Cup Color Safe Bleach
1 Bar Fels Naptha Soap Grated

Grate the bar of Fels Naptha Soap and mix with rest of ingredients, I dump everything into a two gallon ziploc and use. Grating the bar of soap makes your whole laundry area smell clean and fresh!

I use about 1.5 Tablespoons per load of Laundry! Yep thats all! For really soiled laundry use a little more. It was fun to make but my hubby was questioning if it really was cheaper. So I did the math.

2 Cups Washing Soda - $3.09 (I used .90 cents worth)
2 Cups Borax- $3.36 (I used .71 cents worth)
1 Cup Color Safe Bleach- $1.97 (I used .54 cents worth)
1 Bar Fels Naptha Soap - 1.45

$3.60 - about 53 loads comapared to Tide which is $18+ for approx. 50 loads*.

Or 7 cents a load compared to 36 cents a load.

 Or $48.91 a year compared to $262.80

 For a mom like me who is trying to save money where I can, it is worth it. Plus I like it better!

The best part of making my own soap, no more ugly orange bottles on my laundry room shelf! :)

*The first time I figured the cost savings I used 90 loads per bottle of Tide but then I read the fine print which said 90 loads to the first fill line, since I do mostly large loads I use it to the second fill line. REALLY changes the math!

Linked Up to Alicia's Homemaking Here!

A Q&A with my sister the chicken whisperer!

(Baby Chickens that were hatched in my sister's incubator)



There is a ton of information online about chickens, raising them, buying them, getting their eggs. I have found that sometimes too much information is exactly that, too much. Luckily for me my sister jumped into raising chickens a few years ago and I don't need to sift through all that info. I just ask her my questions and since her chickens produce lots of eggs and are happy I trust that she gives me good info!

(Little Fuzzy Butts)

I thought that someone might be able to use the info too, after all raising chickens is a rising trend. There are huge benefits too, the most obvious benefit of course is fresh eggs at a lower cost,  I won't say free because you have to feed them and buy shavings for their coop and of course build them a run and a coop, all of which costs money. However if you get enough chickens you can sell extra eggs and recoop some of that money. I got 7 to start with and maybe adding a few more later.I also have a goal to "pay back" my husband the money that the coop and run cost within the first year. No I don't need to "pay back" anything but I think it will be a fun goal anyways!

(Oh My! Look at those still wet baby chicks! Too Precious!)

Question 1: How much room do chickens need?

Chickens will need 4 square feet in the coop and about 8 square feet in the run. More is always better especially in the run. Babies just need a big box until about 3 weeks old.

Question 2: What do chickens eat?

Layer pellets after about 2 months and scraps of food from your kitchen. They love scraps but be sure to read up on the food they can't eat. Babies do best on medicated chick starter. Get the medicated kind it will save you lots of problems!

Question 3: What all do I need for my baby chicks?

Shavings, Chicken Feeder, Waterer, Reflector Heat Light, 100 wattt Lightbulb, and Chick Starter.

Question 4: How old are they when they start laying eggs?

About 3 months, give or take!

Question 5: What breeds are best?

Buff Orpington, Barred Rock, Ameraucana, Cochin, Turkin, are my favorite and then probably Austrolop, Brahmas, Wyandotte, Sussex.

My sister (the chicken whisperer) blogs at http://amandajwheeler.blogspot.com/ and  if you have more chicken questions one of our favorite chicken sites is http://www.backyardchickens.com/

(Sweet Little Yellow Peeps :)