Fragrance free solutions!

So with homemade laundry detergent I realized that there are no real fragrance free recipes. Having allergies can be very costly so hopefully this helps those in need who have perfume and fragrance allergies.

Dry laundry detergent

3 bars of fragrance free castile soap. (Can be found on drugstore.com)
1 container oxyclean fragrance free with the green lid or approx 2.5 lbs.
2 lbs or approx 2 lbs epsom salt (will help with hard water)
1 box baking soda
1 box borax
1 box washing soda

grate your castile soap or cut up the castile soap and run through big food processor with 1 cup washing soda.

I use a five gallon painters bucket and mix everything, you can put it in a trash bag, seal tightly and roll it around really well. There you go! 1-2 tbspns per wash load.

Castile soap can be expensive so I will recommend this site where each bar is less than 2.00 each. you can find castile soap on Etsy and even at Target but it is around 4.00 a bar and scented usually. Drugstore.com seemed to have the best price listed and I found Wal-mart carried the same brand but had a natural fragrance.

If natural fragrances do not bother you, you can purchase this all at Wal-mart.com

Most recipes that contain certain bar soaps can be replaced with castile bar soap.

foaming hand soap can be made with liquid castile soap.

1 empty foaming pump
1/2 inch liquid castile soap in the bottom of the pump bottle
Fill the rest with water and mix well!

There are recipes to make liquid as well as castile bar soap online. Making bar soap requires a well ventilated area and safety precautions.

For softener you can use straight white vinegar and if you make your own dry laundry detergent it smells very fresh.

I am going to do some research further with liquid castile soap and making it at home. Hopefully this is helpful! Keep checking in.

Bulk recipes that save money and time.

Dry laundry detergent (Approx 1 year)
using 1-2 tablespoons per wash load

1 box borax
1 box washing soda
1 box of Baking soda
1 container of Purex laundry crystals(I mix two containers of purex crystals with 4 lbs Up&Up Epsom salt and use one Purex container of this mixture)
2 containers of dollar store oxyclean or about 2.5 lbs. of oxyclean
2 bars finely grated Fels-Naptha
1 bar grated Zote soap

*Instead of grating you can chop up the soap and add about a cup of baking soda into the food processor and let it chop it up. Saves some time and makes it really fine.

Stir really well together or roll around in a 5 gallon painters bucket til mixed well.

Dishwasher detergent (Lasts a few months)
Use 1 heaping tablespoon

1 box borax
1 box Washing soda
1 jar of Ball Fresh Fruit (Citric Acid)
2 cups Epsom Salt
3/4 container of Dawn liquid Dish soap 9 fl oz

Stir till liquid dish soap is very small or in small flakes. Put in container without lid for 72 hours.

Liquid fabric softener

1 gallon white distilled vinegar
30  drops essential oil

mix together well and use like regular softener in downey ball or two tablespoons.

Foaming hand soap

1 empty gallon bottle
Approx 4 cups liquid hand soap
Fill rest with water

Put on cap and swirl til the handsoap is completely dissolved. If it isn't to your liking add more liquid hand soap. Fill in an empty foam pump bottle.
(You can do the same with shampoo, baby wash, face/body wash, and liquid dish soap!)

Children's hair detangler

1 empty gallon bottle
approx 3 cups leave in hair conditoner
Fill rest with water

After putting the cap on securely, shake til conditioner is dissolved.
Fill spray bottle. You can add more conditioner to your liking.

At first I was curious before trying these methods but quickly realized it did the same job better or just as good for less. Most liquid soaps can be very concentrated and harsh to use daily on our skin, an infant's skin can attest to that! Adult bodywash seems to have less chemicals than tear free baby wash, and my children had severe skin reactions to even the mildest baby/kid washes... I even went in to their pediatrician who told me they were having skin irritation due to all the chemicals in kids tear free body wash, and even build up in areas we really don't want. After that I stopped using the kids tear free and baby tear free products, except for burt's bees which is kinda costly... My kids have better stuff than I do because of allergic reactions! So I try to save every penny I can foaming it. I believe foaming your soap can cost less than bar soap.

WARNING: DO NOT TRY TO FOAM BAR SOAP, IT WILL BREAK YOUR PUMP WITH SOAP BUILD UP AND CLOG IT.

More ideas for re-using jars!

Hey all, this is is Cici (Big Sissy LOL)!

To piggyback off of the first posting about spaghetti sauce jars, I wanted to add my two cents...

I've been buying sauce for quite awhile. There are frequently coupons and sales for them, they help me with quick meals for my family of six, AND I keep the jars too!

• Instead of buying plastic storage containers for left-overs, I try to re-use glass jars instead. **BONUS** No icky chemicals like BPA leaking into your food when you use a glass jar!
• I like to buy things like spices and dry food ingredients in bulk and then store them in jars. Since I just learned about how to vacuum seal jars with a pump and electrical tape (see Lil' Sissy's previous post), I can keep them fresh for longer.
• Salad in a jar! Chop up all of the ingredients (leave the dressing out till you are ready to eat it) and then vacuum seal and store in your fridge for up to a week. That means you have salad ready to go all week long and less food waste (which saves money)! 
• Can your own food! Instead of buying a case of mason jars, you can use some brands of sauce for canning in. Classico is one brand that typically has a good discount. They use standard Mason jars. All you need to do is buy rings and lids and simple canning equipment. http://pickyourown.org/ has lots of information on preserving foods. Not only is it cheaper to can your food for future use, but it's much healthier too. You don't have to worry about chemical preservatives, HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), or anything else that you don't want in your food.

You don't have to limit yourself to spaghetti sauce jars either... I keep jars of all sizes. In my house they come in handy for craft/office supplies (crayons, paper clips, and buttons to name a few), gifting (just cut out a circle of fabric and tie it on with some string for cute packaging), sprouting seeds, and infusing vinegars. What creative uses can you think of for reusing glass jars?

Gifts in Old spaghetti Jars.

I never used to buy premade jars of spaghetti sauce til recently. One day it hit me, 1.59 for 10 jars at Target and I get a $5 dollar gift card? Thats almost a little over $10 for ten jars and I get to have spaghetti sauce? I could surely clean those and use them to fill with homemade dishwasher detergent, homemade laundry detergent, homemade fabric softener crystals and even my bar into bodywash soap which self sealed while cooling down. That is way cheaper than paying for new jars to give away or see if they will return them... These are great for beginners.

So if you want here are some jar gift ideas:

Homemade Laundry detergent
Homemade fabric softener crystals
Homemade dishwasher detergent
Bar into bodywash

Layer and compact all the dry ingredients for:

Cookies
Muffins
Bean soup
Pancake mix with dried fruit r chocolate chips
Homemade hamburger helper
Homemade Dry rub recipe

There are many Utube videos that can show you how or even give you a recipe.  I am not saying go out and buy a premade Betty Crocker recipe and throw it in a jar, but share what you really like to make with others. Most times people will think it is creative and you'll be finding people more interested in it than you thought. Also this gives them a little break from paying out of pocket for laundry detergent or fabric softener. Make sure you vaccuum seal dry food, this I found out on Utube can br done with a tac, electrical tape and a vacuum sealer. Not many people have the knowledge this blog shares and I strongly suggest you share it for when people you know are having a hard time. Also if you have premade laundry detergent or fabric softener crystals you made how easy is it to clean a jar, fill it, cut out a fabric square and rubber band it on top and put a little tag with how to use or what to add? Simple... And we all know you hate throwing out used spaghetti jars. 

Free Phone Apps that make a difference

I use Staight talk with an Android smart phone. My phone is prepaid and I still get to use these free Apps for $46 a month. We paid for the phones out of pocket. I get a new phone about every other year and keep my old one incase someone looses theirs. We found transfering numbers was easy and we can use apps to use our phone as an internet connection for my husbands laptop. Overall the services we got beat At&t for the price we were paying on a family plan. The other thing we liked was the unlimited talk, text, and data for $46 a month, so no more trying to figure out our minutes, switching family plans, and we have unlimited GPS guidance on our phones for free. We have found this to be an extremely great prepaid phone plan with no contract and you can have it set for automatic refill online.  Ok sorry, that was my rant for the day. lol. Onto Apps.

Ibotta

This is a new App I am trying. You basically use this App before shopping to choose your items you will get and they pay you a certain amount after taking a picture of your receipt and the products barcode. For couponers I would highly recommend this.
https://ibotta.com/register?friend=htZp2A

The Krazy Coupon Lady

This App will help you find deals with or without coupons. It also will tell you what coupons or codes to use. The Free App is kinda glitchy on an android, but the free is worth a try to see if you like it and then opt for the paid version. In the end this little App will pay itself off over and over again.
thekrazyCouponlady.com

Target Mobile Coupons

If you find a Target store that knows how to use them they can be very handy because you can get different coupons on your mobile than on the web.  These store coupons can be paired with manufacturers coupons and less clipping.

Harris Teeter Mobile

This store is where I live in Virginia. Another somewhat glitchy application for my android phone but worth the wait because they also have coupons that are not found in papers.

Mint.com

Best App my husband and I have ever used to budget with. Once I started raving about it I found out I have friends who use this free App that automatically updates your budget after giving it information it determines a budget for you with your previous purchases.

Coupons.com

This App is great to select Coupons and email them to yourself to print later. Just remember you have to download the printer App to print them off your computer.

Walmart

Why? Well you can check the price here before purchasing the item for more at another store. Consumer reports reported out of 38 brand name items they found Wal-mart to have 29 of those items for the lowest price, Target only had 6 of those items for the lowest price.  Why pay more? Plus there are deals we have found at Walmart online that were priced lower than in a Walmart store.  You can get free shipping from site to store at certain Walmart locations.

Cheap gas App

This App will find the cheapest gas near you even hours away from home.

Kids educational games

This can be found in the google play store. My oldest is three and already counting to the high twenties thanks to connecting dots. I also found out she knew more than I thought with shapes, spanish, and other Apps. As a parent, Aunt or uncle this comes in handy shopping with a very bored toddler and also educates them at the same time while keeping them entertained. If you have two you may find it easier to shop with one distracted so they don't plot against you together.

Lastly for the Ladies

Period Tracker

This free app can determine your cycle usually after three months and you just open it and when you start push the start button, when you end open it and push the end button.   Basically you can be detailed or juat keep it basic.  This app also gives you a guesimate period of being fertile.  Overall if you don't mark it on a calendar than this might work.

Homemade cleaners

Homemade cleaners are usually more cost efficient and kid safe. I started making my own when my kids broke out after I would clean things. The chemicals in cleaners used today have strong chemicals and aren't as effective as some homemade cleaners.

If you've made your own homemade laundry detergent you might notice that your washer doesn't smell funky... It's because of the agents we use to make these cleaners.

One thing I pretty much put a splash of in all my homemade cleaners is white vinegar.
White vinegar kills mildew, mold, is antibacterial, and can freshen up the smell of the house once it dries.  There are many uses for vinegar!

Homemade windex:

1:1 vinegar and rubbing alchohol, fill your spray bottle 2/3 and fill the rest with water
1-2 teaspoons of blue dawn dish soap optional.

This can be used to clean windows, showers, counter tops, and more! I have used this and gotten dried up tomato soup out of the carpet, our carpet was dark, but it worked and looks brand new. Cleaning up the shower with pink mildew was easy!

All purpose cleaner:

3 tablespoons liquid antibacterial dish soap
Splash of vinegar
fill with water and shake.

We use this to clean pet areas, counters, and I have been known to spray my tupperware with it when my husband finally gets around to bringing home a rancid container.  I use this less than my first cleaner.

Furniture polish

In a bowl combine 1 cup veggie oil with a few drops of lemon juice.

With the money you save invest in a steam mop, in the beginning it is costly but all it uses is water and pays itself off in the long run and you don't carry around a bucket, have sticky floors or that nasty flat residue from chemicals and no need to rinse it... I also use it to freshen up the mattresses in our house.

Also white Toothpaste, make sure it is paste, can be used to clean crayons off of the wall, fill in small nail holes and can be painted over and used as a beauty treatment for acne.

And those of you appauled by the smell of vinegar, here's a trick to get rid of that smell and make it smell sweet!

1 clean jar, pitcher or container with lid
clean orange peels
vinegar

Take the orange peels and put them into the container, pour the vinegar over the orange peels til the vinegar is covering them. Put on lid and let sit for a week. After a week the smell will be gone and you just drain your gold vinegar into a clean container and dispose of the orange peels.  I like to use the now gold vinegar with a little rubbing alchohol and water and clean my kitchen chairs, table and bathroom. It smells very sweet and way more cost effective. ;)

Clogged shower or sink drain?

1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup vinegar

Have fun using science to unclog your drain! Put in the baking soda in the drain, then add the vinegar and let sit til it no longer is foaming or that you can hear and then pour 2 cups of hot water down the drain. I also use this to freshen up my garbage disposal.

Sharpen your garbage disposal with Ice!

Use a handful of ice and put into garbage disposal and turn on.

Dried on mess on the stove?

Use a little veggie oil and let it sit for about an hour come back and wipe it up with soapy water rag.

Fridge smell even after cleaning it out?

Get a baking pan, fill 1/2 with vinegar and half with water and let it sit overnight. Wipe down the fridge the next day.

Baked on mess in the stove or in your grease pans? Make a vinegar and baking soda paste and scrub it on the area. You won't have to clear the house because of fumes to clean your stove.

If you have any other questions feel free to email me @ sissysadvice@gmail.com.

Natural air purifiers proven by NASA research.

Now that I live in Virginia and it has been too cold to open up the windows I was looking for a solution to make the air fresh and when I found out it could help us sleep better I opted for this really affordable and low maintaince idea.

PLANTS!!!

Yes, they can remove toxic chemicals released in your home and turn them into oxygen. For as little as watering my house plant twice a week and giving it my k-cup coffee grounds in low light it was worth the up keep.

I have golden Porthos and philodendron "silver" in my house. I have them up high out of reach of children because they are toxic, most likely because they absorb toxicins...

Anyhow, I noticed that this removed toxicins and released oxygen at night which was said to help people sleep better at night. 

So I wanted to test this theory.  I got with my three year old her little Philodendron, which she named Junior and set it up in her room. My daughters both share a room and since my little 1 yr old has been sleeping through out the night except for teething, as well as my oldest.

You can google Nasa research on air purifying plants... Don't just take my word for it. 

And if you have been to say a McDonalds out here you will notice that some have hanging live golden porthos, which to me is very smart as a decorative piece.

Just make sure that you clean the leaves every so often to maintain it's effectiveness to keep your air more clean.

stretching hand soap, dish soap and preventing toddler waste of soap.

Ok, liquid soft soap hand cleaner can last forever if you know this trick and so can liquid dish soap.

1 empty pump bottle from foaming hand soap
about 1/4-1/2 inch filled at the bottom of the empty pump bottle.
Fill the rest with water and shake well with lid on.

You now have foaming hand soap and this can also be done with dish soap.

To prevent toddler curiousity and them creating Potions I found putting a bar of soap was much easier clean up. Also there is hard shampoos, and conditioners which can be made or you can look up Lush.com and find their handmade cosmetics in liquid, gel and solid.

Someone one time kept telling me their kids used way too much soap even the foaming kind, and when I said that is why mine had a bar of soap in the bathroom to wash their hands they thought that was a great idea. Our bar of soap in their bathroom with all of us using it lasts for a little over three months and costs way less than a dollar.

Homemade dishwasher detergents

Home made dishwasher soap? Well cheap off store brands can be affordable but still not as good as Cascade. Recently I switched from being a finish/Electrasol user to being a Cascade user because it did a better job, but both are costly unless you coupon and get a box of it for 84¢…

So here are some dishwasher detergent recipes I found and some I tried.

Most environment friendly was this recipe:

1 teaspoon dawn Dishsoap
1/2 cup white vinegar

OR

2 teaspoons dish soap
8 ounces white vinegar

I used my favorite dawn dish soap, the five minute soak with overnight soak action and bleach alternative. I stirred this mixture and it became a cloudly white, and used the measuring spoon to stir to make sure I got all the soap I could without wasting it.  I hardly smelled the vinegar and filled both areas of the dishwasher and shut the latch. I started this with plates that I usually do not scrub clean and some I did. Now if it does a great job on cheese I will no longer be buying cascade.  And just so you know with couponing you can get dawn soap for at least 50¢ so this can be very cheap.  There were no soap suds on my floor. You can smell it a little and it just smells clean. It managed to take off the cheese inbetween the fork prongs and on the plates... It did not remove melted butter on my non-stick frying pan, but everything else was clean. I got the same results as Cascade for way less. I usually scrub down my pots and pans before sticking them in the Dishwasher.

I tried modifying a recipe:

1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup washing soda
1/4 cup Epsom salt
1 teaspoon dawn liquid soap

I stirred this dry mix very well til it looked like I had blue flakes. It did a great job of scrubbing my dishes clean and left a very nice shine. I filled up both the spots in my dishwasher like normal and had no issues. Many people use citric acid instead of the salt. If you preclean your dishes using citric acid is not necessary. Citric acid can be found in one of the little green and white bottles for helping to keep fruits fresh in the canning section at Walmart. Look for the amount of Vitamin C and you will see it is very high. It smells like dishwasher detergent and looks like it. I keep this in an old yogurt container. If you need a measurement use two table spoons. Epsom salt can be found at the dollar store or any store.  You can subsitute washing soda with baking soda and use 1/2 cup vinegar in the bottom of your wash load prior to starting the load and your dishes will shine. I think I am going to stick to this recipe because I usually have these items on hand.

I modified this recipe above again adding dishwasher magic to my cup of borax. I put about 1cm of dishwasher magic in a measuring cup and then filled it with borax.  I noticed my dishwasher did not sound like I lived by an airport or had high pitched whistling during the wash cycles. So probably about 1/4 of a cup of dishwasher magic, and 3/4 of a cup borax. I also used the orange antibacterial dish soap. Hope this is helpful.

I used to use this recipe:

1:1 of borax and baking soda.

I do not recommend this as it doesn't clean very well.

Recipe for a few months-1year

1 box borax (76 oz)
1 box Washing soda (55 oz)
2 cups Espom Salt
1 container of Ball canning "Fruit Fresh" (5 oz)
1/4 cup of Dish washer magic
3/4 bottle of Dawn liquid dish soap (9 fl oz)

Make sure you stir very well to get the dish soap to be flaky. You will find you make a nice amount for about the cost of maybe near $10.

I use one heaping Table spoon.

Here are other recipes with more detail:

http://americanpreppersnetwork.com/2012/09/homemade-dishwasher-soap-save-money-right-now.html

http://www.thriftyniftymommy.com/2012/12/homemade-dishwasher-detergent-recipe.html?m=1

http://i-4details.blogspot.com/2012/10/homemade-dishwasher-gel-soap-green.html?m=1

Prior to this I used the liquid cascade and one cascade gel pack per wash. I suppose you could also use the homemade liquid and dry mix in the same manner. Either way both are effective in different ways.

Bar soap into Bodywash.

I did a test tonight of this recipe for bars of dove to Bodywash:

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/03/his-and-hers-no-grate-homemade-body.html

While making this I saw the bars bubbled up high like foam. I tried using a spatula which the soap melted a little (the spatula had a heat resistance of 122°F). There was no liquid and hotspots managed to leave big chunks so I wisked the big chunks in because a wooden spoon was not sufficent.  I cooked this for about an hour. I poured it into jars and put the lid on to preserve them for later use. Now so far my bodywash is cooling and I have a headache from the intense perfume smell. I managed to vacuum seal two jars while letting it cool. I noticed it separated as well in the cooling containers. I have shaken the containers and they seem to not be forming a big gooey plug of soap separate from the water so I think I am ok.

The texture is very creamy and light to the touch. I had to stir to make liquid prior to use because of some separation and it did not feel like liquid at first.  I do not have perfume allergies but would strongly suggest you open windows in the Summer time and do this project. I might attempt to do this recipe again, this time grating the soap. My opinion after this is no bar of soap should be microwaved unless it is a cruel joke, however the end result gives you the most bang for your buck. Taking a shower I thought it was just the same as the Dove liquid body wash I had tried years ago and stuck to my skin as I cleaned it and lathered well.

Most entertaining video found for another body wash recipe:

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?sns=fb&v=5-DKT6w3AdQ&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5-DKT6w3AdQ%26sns%3Dfb

I watched this video and couldn't help but laugh at the typical what seemed like thought process that was verbally spoken while he was demonstrating this recipe. I actually have a friend who just after watching the video is going to try it. I am also willing to try this recipe with Lever2000 soap that I also use for my laundry detergent. My husband was skeptical at first til he watched this video.
Well the process was easier than the first recipe melting the soap, but the stirring process was more difficult after it gelled up. I did not have a hand imersing blender/mixer and used the old crank by hand egg beater. I also looked in my thirft stores nearby for a stick mixer but no luck. You can find them at Wal-mart starting at about $20, but I would highly recommend before buying one to try the recipe by hand to see if you'd be ok with the end result. This one was better than the next recipe in thickness. I suppose this one could even be made in small containers as a bath jelly which is actually sold at handmade costmetic stores and stored in the container it was originally poured in. This is the second most cost effective depending on what soap you use. This could definately be nice/creamier with a stick mixer. I won't be ruling out this recipe because I don't always get Dove soap with my couponing deals. Also I took note this was very similar to my own liquid laundry derergent consistancy, so if I made this during the day and stirred well every 3-5 hours the liquid might be creamier and more pleasing than if I waited for it to gel up to blend/mix it. I also added vinegar to this recipe because we have hard water but washing with this, I thought it could be better with a stick mixer and did not lather up as much as the first recipe.  So I ran a little through my soap food processor... It was creamier after one minute, but I still perferred the first recipe with Dove.

Definately most cost effective and simple:

Angelique Offringa Cotton gave facebook this recipe:
"Bodywash; Start with a bar of soap that smells yummy. Shredd it and melt on low in 4 cups of boiling water. Then add water to make a little more then a gallon. I added some aloe and vitamin e. Let it sit overnight. It will gell up some. That's it. :)"
We have a running Aloe allergy in our family so I made it without Aloe and vitamin E. I found the scent of the soap much more bearable by running the soap through my food processor, and cooking it on the stove top. I used a wisk and stirred as well which made some foamy bubbles. The liquid is a milky white.
The end result wasn't as pleasing to the eye after I wisked it to mix it well and was very slippery after 7+ hours of waiting for it to congeal. It has a light smell and my husband did not like the watered down consistancy.  I ended up using it for my kids bath times.

Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener tips and recipes.

Ok, So Hopefully you have saved a container or two if you plan on making these liquid saving recipes and stretchers. Many families spend hundreds on laundry detergent and fabric softener alone... You can spend as little as approx 20 dollars a year for laundry detergent with the recipes listed below... And possibly even less on fabric softener...

Color safe bleach

As read in a Men's magazine when I was bored, Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a color safe bleach.  This will kill fecal bateria that can apparently linger in clothing. Use 2 tablespoons each load.

Most of my recipes are made in 5 gallon quanities so be prepared to be set for maybe a year for one person and ingredients to last you quite some time.

Also The bar soap you use or decide to use will give you varying results. I have also used Lever2000 and it worked for my liquid laundry detergent when I first started.

Chunks should be taken out and disgarded. These recipes are HE efficient, and will not clog your pipes or ruin the washer. Infact using these recipes I have yet to have a stinky washing machine.

Gel Laundry detergent:
1/3 bar of grated FelsNaptha
1/2 bar grated Zote or any bar soap your choice
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup WASHING soda
1 five gallon painters bucket with lid

This recipe with felsNaptha is great on stains like chocolate and other tough unpretreated new stains.

You will want a big pot and boil about a gallon of water, once that is boiling add your grated soap. To save time I run mine through the food processor with both blades, you will want something that can take a beating for grating soap. Stir til your soap is completely or mostly dissolved.
Add your borax and washing soda and stir it until it is dissolved.
Now you are going to somewhat fill your painters bucket half way with hot water from your sink and pour the liquid mixture in from your pot without too much splatter. If there is still more room add more hot water til it is about an inch away from the top of the bucket. Stir with a long spoon as to not burn your hands while trying to reach the bottom of the bucket.
The bucket will have to set for almost a week to gel. You can use 1/4 to 1/3 a cup of this gel, do not use anymore because of it's very powerful cleaners it can irritate your skin if too much is used. Avoid direct skin and eye contact with the gel detergent. Your washer will wash all of it out.

Liquid Laundry Detergent

This works great in bottles but you will need a five gallon painters bucket and pre existing store bought liquid laundry detergent of your choice.

1 cup liquid laundry detergent
1/2 cup of grated Ivory or whatever bar body soap you have on hand
1/3 cup of borax
1/3 cup of WASHING soda

You are going to add the ingredients the same into the pot as the first recipe, but you are going to fill your five gallon painters bucket with cold or cool water from your sink and pour your mixture in. Add more water til a half an inch from the lip and stir well every 3-5 hours.
This will set in 24 hours and I find it still looks ok later compared to the gel which tends to look like noodle soup later.
This recipe can be put into clean empty bottles of old store bought laundry detergent and use a half a cap full per wash.  Just shake before inital use.

Here is a link for liquid laundry detergent without store bought. (I also am so excited to try her recipe on making bar soap into bodywash.) http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/01/complete-photo-guide-to-making-your-own.html

Here is a link for dry Laundry detergent: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/08/make-a-years-worth-of-laundry-soap.html

WASHING soda, if you can't find it, go here to make your own: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/01/make-your-own-washing-soda-for-homemade-laundry-detergent.html

If you want to not go through the hassle and pay a little bit more I would strongly sugguest looking at this website: http://www.etsy.com/listing/119792766/natural-vegan-friendly-laundry-detergent?ref=cat_gallery_1

Fabric Softener:

If you have bounce sheets cut them in half! They are just as effective!

Store bought liquid fabric softener can be cut in half by using half as much or adding 1 part water to one part liquid fabric softener.

Fabric softener Recipe:

2 cups or one bottle of family sized sauve hair conditioner or you can use any conditioner. You can use any scent, but just beware as you cook it, it will be very strong!
3 cups Vinegar
6 cups of water

This will make 1 gallon of fabric softener, so be prepared with a clean gallon container.
Pour your water into your pot on the burner heat on, add your conditioner, and stir with your head away from the top of the pot. Once it is really stirred well add the vinegar and stir, the vinegar smell will not appear on your clothes.
Now pour into your container after letting it cool for a bit.
You can use two tablespoons or a downey ball per wash. Some people have been known to get a washcloth soak it in softener and add it to their load in the dryer like a softener sheet. This will not smell like store bought fabric softener but will do a fantastic job in softening your clothes and getting rid of static.

Organic Fabric softner Crystals:

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/01/make-your-own-fabric-softener-crystals.html
(you will find some very useful frugal information on her website. I am excited to try this too!)

Extreme alternative is to use 2 tablespoons of straight vinegar which is great for hard water and you will see vinegar has many other house hold uses. You may be able to smell on clothes after drying.

BONUS!
Homemade air freshener

Peels of an orange in a container, pour vinegar to barely cover orange peels. This will last a few days.

Homemade fabric refreshener

1/8 cup fabric softener into spray bottle, add water to fill or 2 cups... Shake! Done! (I guess you could also use this for static cling.)

Come back in before the end of the week for more money saving tips. Thanks!

Free money saving tips and advice!

Hi! Sissy's advice is still under construction but in the meantime let me give you some information. There is finanical aid, and government assitance programs... But not all people qualify, why? Because somehow the government knows we can survive on less but somehow hasn't taught us how to use that frugally. We're here to help you stretch that dollar and show you a better option than Top ramen noodles and tapatia sauce... My sister and I are going to share this information for FREE just so we can help you.

1. Buget, budget, budget...
Most likely you have a cell phone right?  We use straight talk. $45 a month unlimited talk,text, data, internet and gps. It's prepaid and you basically wait til Christmas or tax returns for a new phone paid out of your own pocket.
Back to budgeting... Mint.com has an app that will automatically sync to your bank account and update. Downside? If you loose your phone that person has your budget and bank info. And if it's prepaid your phone but you can stop the service and put your number on a new phone.

2. Learn the difference between low income and affordable housing. Affordable housing is adjusted to your income, low income can still ask for an arm and a leg if you qualify for low income.

3. Utilities...
  All I can say is switch the lights to energy effecient, open the blinds. AC and heat do not need to be on if the windows and doors are open. Heat to 65 and bundle up, cool to 75 or better yet go swimming, to a library or where you can walk the asiles with open refrigeration. Get thermal blinds if you are on the east coast and wear socks.
Also plug in LEDs with motion sensors are expensive but run for just pennies which is perfect for that someone who can not remember to turn off the bathroom light. LED motion sensor lights can be found at Wal-mart and shut off after 90 seconds of no motion.

4. Laundry detergent.
My daughters and my personal favorite! You can buy it and stretch it out or even make your own! So tomorrow we will be sharing laundry detergent recipes, links and etc. We may even throw in fabric softeners. and how to stretch them and make them! Hope to have some smiling faces tomorrow after we post them.

Welcome to Sissy's advice!

If you need to make that dollar stretch, need advice or some ideas to help save your money and live healthy my sister and I learned the hard way and can help you! My sister and I are both stay at home mothers but we didn't always have it as easy... We struggled learning how to survive on a small income and we're willing to help you for free! Why because we aren't out to make money on this knowledge or shared information but to help our viewers who need it most. So are you ready to change your lifestyle? With a little know how and effort you can. There are many others who have done it and you can too! If you have any questions we would be more than happy to answer or do our best to help!!