Friday, February 22, 2013

Laundry day...

 Homemade laundry soap

I don't have a heck of a lot of laundry these days, what with the kids all out on their own.
But I still do maybe 4-5 loads a week, and I still use my own homemade laundry soap.
Which I ran out of a couple days ago.
Fortunately, I still had a few bags left in my shop, so I had to open my pretty handmade bag and dig in.


Homemade fabric softener ingredients

And while I was at it, I came across this "recipe" on Pinterest for fabric softener.
Easy peasy, as is most of my homemade stuff....

In a 1 quart size canning jar:
1 TBL alcohol
white vinegar to near the top of the jar
30 drops lavender essential oil
20 drops peppermint essential oil
Cover and shake before using.
To one downy ball add approx. 1/4 cup of softener liquid.
Toss in your washer at the beginning of the load.

Ya know, the essential oils are only there for our pleasure...
 they do nothing to enhance the softening effects of the vinegar, but I add them just the same!
They will leave a very faint fragrance, but not enough to compete with my daily spritz of perfume.
(right now I am partial to an older bottle of Chanel #5....just seems to fit the winter season!)



 Nail studded beams in the basement

I use these to hang Pete's t-shirts, sweatshirts, jeans and sweatpants.
They take up a lot of energy to dry in the electric dryer...and until we can hang outdoors once again without making our way thru snow drifts, this will have to do!


 Mama's old wooden clothes rack

The rest of the laundry goes on the clothes rack, also in the basement.
Everything is pretty much dry within 24 hours, so I just gather 'em up, fold 'em,  and put 'em away!
Really, the only things I toss in the dryer these days are my black work pants and shirt.
And that's only cause I would have to iron 'em if I hung 'em to dry.
And I am not about to iron 'em.

Did you notice all the "em's" in that paragraph?
I just write like I talk, and so there ya go!


bon ami

My favorite "gentle" cleanser
Did you know bon ami means "good friend" in French?
Me neither.

Before going "green" was cool...
Bon Ami.....for over 125 years. 


Loving Jesus,
Loving people,

Cindy



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20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Our laundry room is right next to our master bedroom suite I love it there!

We have been empty nesters for 20 years. 6-7 loads a week for us.

Pamela
Ohio

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

That is a nice sounding fabric softener recipe. Thanks for sharing.

I also use Bon Ami and like it very much.

Have a lovely weekend ~ FlowerLady

Anonymous said...

My hubby has work pants and shirts as well (his are green since he works for the forest service:-). I hang them to dry in the house and once they're dry I spritz them with water to remove wrinkles. This usually eliminates the need for the dryer. I just hang the shirts on regular hangers. I hang the pants from the hanger with the botten end clipped and make sure the creases are intact. I have one of those short shower tension rods in the doorway beside my washer and can get a full load of his work clothes in the doorway.

Camille said...

What a fun post my friend! Your indoor drying solutions are great...yes, it's definitely a savings to dry on the line...I must get mine up...outside!! (We take the line down for the winter as it's attached to trees up high at the back of our yard, and the winds of winter take it down for us...may as well take it down before they get damaged...so, we do!)

I think your new blog look is great Cindy...the {urban} in your title is perfect. You will always be a farmgirl to me!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,
Camille

Donna said...

Thanks for the fabric softener tip! Hanging clothes to dry inside has the bonus of adding moisture to the dry winter air!

Unknown said...

I'll have to try the fabric softener for sure!

Homemaker Ang said...

LOVE the new look! You should have posted more photos of the front porch at Christmas time! So adorable!

Anonymous said...

Love this DIY...

Thistle Cove Farm said...

That dryer rack is fabulous...nice and sturdy, so much better than the flimsy things of today. I made laundry soap but needed to boost it with Oxyclean due to my terrifically hard, limestone water. I don't use fabric softener because it doesn't rinse out of clothes although your home made stuff has vinegar so that'd probably be okay...ya think?
I like Bon Ami but I use baking soda...less expensive.
ohhhhhh...Chanel #5...lovely!

KathyB. said...

I just wrote down the recipe for fabric softener and intend to use it soon, I am almost out of it. Plus, my wool felted balls ( can be used over & over)also help keep the clothes in the dryer separated and absorb the static cling..so my own wool balls from the fleece of my sheep along with homemade softener...a real savings and better laundry to boot.

I like seeing how you do the laundry, and the way you talk!

Anonymous said...
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Rachel said...

I will look for Bon Ami. Never heard of it before!

I haven't been around much lately. I have been job searching and doing some odd jobs here and there (mostly cleaning for folks), but hope something comes along soon.

Interesting to know what goes into fabric softener! You are a wealth of information Cindy!!!

Anonymous said...
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