Keeping Up With the Laundry

Over at Biblical Womanhood, Crystal asked for ideas on how we keep up with the laundry in our homes. I chose one day of the week (Thursday) to do laundry. There are only 4 of us, so I am talking only 5-6 loads total per week. I bring out my sorted laundry into the kitchen before I take a shower. Then my kids sort their dirty clothes into the separated baskets so that I can start the laundry right after I shower. My biggest challenge is not forgetting to change the loads. I get so wrapped up in whatever we are doing that day, that I OFTEN forget about the laundry. Since the washer and dryer are outside, I don't often hear them buzz. I use homemade laundry detergent, so that saves in the pocketbook. I also hate to fold clothes because (don't laugh) I get dizzy when I am folding clothes. I have to take frequent breaks to clear my head - do you think that is psychological?LOL I try to get all the clothes folded (and the kids put their own away) before bedtime that night. I can't stand for laundry to take over the rest of my week, so I confine it to one day and that has made it manageable for me.

Oh, and that contraption over the washing machine is the way my husband finagled to get the heat exhaust from the dryer vented into the bathroom:-).

Make Your Own Liquid Laundry Detergent and Save!!

I have been making my own laundry detergent for several months and really LOVE it! It gets the clothes really clean and is easy to make - and, of course, really CHEAP!

Here is the recipe I have been using, but I am also giving you this page that has 10 slightly different recipes for making laundry detergent (liquid and dry), so you can try and see what works best for you.

1 bar of soap (I like to use Fels-Naptha)
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not the same as baking soda)
1/2 cup Borax

Step One: Put about four cups of water into a pan on your stove and turn the heat up on high until it’s almost boiling. While you’re waiting, whip out a knife and start shaving strips off of the bar of soap into the water, whittling it down. Keep the heat below a boil and keep shaving the soap. Eventually, you’ll shave up the whole bar, then stir the hot water until the soap is dissolved and you have some highly soapy water.

Step Two: Put three gallons of hot water into the five gallon bucket (fill up three gallon milk jugs). Then mix the hot soapy water from step one, stir it for a while, then add a cup of the washing soda. Keep stirring it for another minute or two, then add a half cup of borax. Stir for another couple of minutes, then let the stuff sit overnight to cool.

And you’re done. When you wake up in the morning, you’ll have a bucket of gelatinous slime that’s a paler shade of the soap that you used. One measuring cup full of this slime will be roughly what you need to do a load of laundry – and the ingredients are basically the same as laundry detergent.

This will NOT suds - the suds don't clean the clothes, the other ingredients do. So don't fret!

Try it out and see if you like it - it will definitely save you money!