Don't Buy It, Make It!!

Homemade Baby Wipes

Opt for homemade wipes. You can make them by cutting a roll of heavy-duty paper towels in half and adding 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of baby oil and baby wash. Not into paper towel wipes? Make your own from Sherpa fleece or bamboo velour on one side and cotton knit or flannel on the other. Cut them to approximately 8-inch-by-8-inch square and serge together. The same concept can be used to make household cleaning wipes.

Homemade Shampoo

You will only need 2 ingredients and one of them is free.  Never mistake simplicity for ineffectiveness.  

1. 1 Tbsp baking soda
.
2. 1 cup water 

Homemade Conditioner 

Here are the ingredients I used:

• Just under 1 liter of hot water (about 4 cups)
• 3/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 sprig of rosemary, for fragrance
• 1 bag of chamomile apple tea, for fragrance

Homemade Deep Conditioning

The recipe:

• Organic banana flavored baby food
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Honey

Homemade BodyWash

 1/3rd bar soap grated to 6 cups water" and let it dissolve

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Hot water
1 bar (4.5 oz) Ivory Soap – grated
1 cup Washing Soda

• In a large saucepan add grated soap and enough hot water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until soap is melted.
• Fill a large pail with 2.5 gallons of hot water, add hot soap mixture. Stir until well mixed.
• Then add the washing soda, again stirring until well mixed.
• Set aside to cool.
• Use 1/2 cup per full load, stirring well before each use (will gel)

Homemade Dish Washer Detergent

Ingredients:

Baking Soda (frugal favorite!)

Borax (all-natural household cleaner, available at many stores in the laundry aisle)

Mix together equal parts of each ingredient, store in a labeled container

Use just like a commercial powdered detergent, approximately 2 TBS per load.

That’s it! Each load will cost you mere pennies.

A few observations about this method:

Practice good rinsing before loading, or use the “rinse and hold” feature on your dishwasher. This is not a problem in our home, since my husband is a stickler about rinsing well. Since this detergent is lacking many of the chemicals found in commercial cleaners, it may not be quite as effective. There is no fragrance left behind on your clean dishes. I did notice that stainless steel items looked streaky after washing, so consider doing those by hand.

With that said, this recipe makes a great “back up” in a pinch if you are out of detergent, and if you are not quite ready to give up your Cascade. There are many natural detergent alternatives on the market, but they tend to be quite pricey.

Using a rinse aid is helpful as well. Instead of Jet-Dry, try another frugal favorite – plain white distilled vinegar.

Homemade Acne Remedy

Apply some cooked oatmeal to the face for 15 minutes and wash off.
   Oatmeal is an astringent,which can help draw impurities out of the skin.
   It usually takes a week or two for results to be seen.

DIY Dryer Sheet

It really doesn’t get much easier than this! Per load, use one coffee filter and 1/2 or 1 teaspoon of liquid softener (depending on the size of the load) and rub the liquid softener into the filter and throw into your dryer. Save money? Check. Easy? Check.  WORKS? Double Check!! Enjoy!!

Homemade Fabric Softner

Materials

1 cup water

1 cup baking soda

2 cups white vinegar

20 drops of essential oil of your choice

Choose a container with ample room to ensure that there’s enough room for the chemical reaction that will occur. Combine the above ingredients, beginning with the water, essential oil and baking soda and then very slowly adding the vinegar to avoid the volcano effect. 

Use 1/2 cup in the rinse cycle of your washer or wet a washcloth and throw it in the dryer with your clothes.

Want to save even more on doing your laundry? Hang the clothes on a clothes line to dry halfway and then put them in the dryer with a washcloth with fabric softener on it.