These are difficult times we live in, yes?
And I, for one, am looking for ways I can cut back, cut down, or cut out.
I have been looking for a way to wash my dishes without using store bought liquid dishwashing soap, and I think I have finally found one.
I saw this on another blog somewhere,(can't remember where, sorry) and they used a bar of "laundry" soap. Laundry soap, I believe, is soap without a lot of extra fat in it. Fels Naptha is considered a laundry soap and it is what I use to make my homemade laundry soap. "ZOTE" is also considered a laundry soap and since that is what I have on hand that is what I am using for my dish washing experiment.
My bar of ZOTE was bought at our little town's Mexican grocery store for a mere 99 cents.
It is a huge bar of soap.
What you do is put your rinsed off dishes in your dish pan, add hot, hot water and let sit for a couple of minutes. If you are anything like Joy, you put on your rubber gloves to protect your hands, and you get your dishcloth wet. Soap it up, like you would if you were washing your wriggling 7 year old grandson while he is fighting his bath...oh sorry....got carried away...
anyway...soap it up real good, and pull your dishes out one by one, wash them, set your rag down, but NOT in the hot water, rinse your dish, then proceed to the next dish, re-soaping when necessary.
Set your soap on a pretty ironstone dish and let dry till the next time.
I still have a bottle of the store bought stuff, tho I must say the dollar store dish soap has it's limitations...like really getting the dishes clean.....so my kids will want to use that up first.
But when it's Cyn doin' the dishes, I'll be using the bar of soap, and lovin' every minute of pinching pennies.
How are YOU pinching pennies in these difficult times?
PS...another tip I read was to take your bar soap(any bar soap) out of the wrappers and let the air at 'em. It hardens them up, and they will last longer.
REALLY!
It is a huge bar of soap.
What you do is put your rinsed off dishes in your dish pan, add hot, hot water and let sit for a couple of minutes. If you are anything like Joy, you put on your rubber gloves to protect your hands, and you get your dishcloth wet. Soap it up, like you would if you were washing your wriggling 7 year old grandson while he is fighting his bath...oh sorry....got carried away...
anyway...soap it up real good, and pull your dishes out one by one, wash them, set your rag down, but NOT in the hot water, rinse your dish, then proceed to the next dish, re-soaping when necessary.
Set your soap on a pretty ironstone dish and let dry till the next time.
I still have a bottle of the store bought stuff, tho I must say the dollar store dish soap has it's limitations...like really getting the dishes clean.....so my kids will want to use that up first.
But when it's Cyn doin' the dishes, I'll be using the bar of soap, and lovin' every minute of pinching pennies.
How are YOU pinching pennies in these difficult times?
PS...another tip I read was to take your bar soap(any bar soap) out of the wrappers and let the air at 'em. It hardens them up, and they will last longer.
REALLY!
10 comments:
Thanks Cyn! This is a great idea! Ya got me sold. :) We just recently bought 2 hogs from a local farmer and split the cost of the processing and the meat between 4 families! No waste..better quality and safer meat, and much less than buying pork from the store. I have switched from name brands to generic. Use those coupons on stuff you really need. We always loved breakfast cereals, but the cost is a budget buster! Switch back to the good old days of childhood...quaker oats, cream of wheat/rice, malt o meal, farina...much cheaper, goes further and better nutrition. Quaker oats are great mixed with hamburger, tomato sauce, seasoning, egg, mustard for meat loaf or meat balls! White vinegar/lemon juice for cleaning. Baking soda is also great cleaner. A gallon of plain ammonia is great for mixing with hot water and scrubbing/mopping floors. ( not on wood) I also use ordinary lemon oil for polishing furniture/wood floors...instead of the expensive spray wood polish/floor stuff. It goes along way! Air dry laundry on drying racks saves $$$ on power bill. THanks again hon for all your great tips on everything! ;) Loveya, Jen
Oh Jen!
Those are great ideas! I have been making my own kitchen spray cleaner for a while, but am still using Murphys Oil Soap on my floors. I will try the ammonia tip.
And you are definitely right about cereal! I am always looking for a good deal on the boxed stuff...sometimes I can get a box for under $1.50. But the good old stand-bys are the best. LOVE cream of wheat!
I love the festive feel of your new template and the music to match. . .what a great little bar of soap you have there. I wonder if I can find it in Canada. . I won't hold my breath. . .but I'll put it on my list for my next visit south. . .
WE are all going to be pinching pennies sooner or later with the global economy. ..we best start using our noggins to think smarter.
hey sugar! mmmmmmm:) I have not tryed this trick yet, but will! Mad asked me the other night how we washed dishes before the dishwasher....I told her we did not always have a dishwasher! but I just realized that she pretty much does not remember us not having one..since then she has taken to washing all the dishes in the sink at night before going up to bed:) I think I'll give her a pink bar of zote to try next (dishwashing soap is pretty expensive) and like you penny pinching is in full force around here:) xo
I will trying this for sure. I have a bar of white Zote on hand for making laundry soap....so I plan to open one up for dishes.
Like Jenny in Kansas we are sure eating alot more hot cereals...the kids love oatmeal and Zoom wheat cereal especially and I love good old Malt o Meal best..yum!!
We buy beef locally by the 1/2 a beef from a butcher who raises some to sell of his own each year. I am happy we are on his list!!
I have been grinding my own wheat and baking our bread again more now that the bread I like to buy (I refuse to buy wonder bread or any of the icky cheap "bunny" bread) is over $3 now. I get out of the habit in the summer time..but the bread baking is back!!
We are eating alot of soups now for suppers too..and using leftovers in those soups.
I pack the kid's lunches...at $2.00 each, with 4 of them at home it helps.
I am loving that Mona has had her calf now and we have fresh milk and cream again. I am making our butter, yogurt and mozzarella and ricotta cheese too. I freeze any excess. I am amazed how much just her milk is saving us right now. We use alot of dairy products!
Have a wonderful rest of the week Cyn...we have sunshine here in November!! I am enjoying it while I can!!
I've been making artisan soap myself, to give as gifts for Christmas so family won't spend their hard-earned money on it. It's really easy, too.
I'm a lover of all things thrift (credit to my mom) so I love getting groceries at the mexican or asian stores. I find gluten free flours there (rice, tapioca) for a fraction of what Bob's red mill costs.
We've cut out some of the eating out. Even at that, we were only going to local fast food type of restaurants. Anyway, I put two turkey's in the freezer at $.49 per pound and that will go a long way. We find more at the house to eat and try not to go somewhere after school for a drink and a snack. Those things can be found at home. Lunch for the little man at school is $4.25 per meal so he is limited to one at school meal per week...the rest is brown bagging it. When Arby's has their five for $6, I go and get five Arby's Jr.s and put them in the refrig for lunches.
You, my dear, are a d a r l i n g! Your comments brighten my days;) xo
A low cost, green eco friendly, healthy natural way to do laundry and make a general purpose cleaner is to use soapberry which grows on the Chinaberry tree and has been used for thousands of years. It works very effectively.
I've been doing that last bit - hardening my soaps - for years.
I have seen a real difference!
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