The Magic of Vinegar

While I don't really care for the smell or taste of vinegar, it is in some of my favorite food recipes.  I have recently discovered that vinegar has more uses than just food and I want to share them with you.

*First of all you can use white vinegar and water to clean/disinfect just about any surface in your home.  It is cheap, kid friendly and easy.

*White vinegar can also be a rinse-aid substitute in your dishwasher.  Just fill the compartment as you would with any rinse-aid and it works wonders!  Again it also disinfects!  

*One of my favorite uses for white vinegar is fabric softener.  That's right,  you put 1/2 cup or so in your softener dispenser and voila!  Did I mention it disinfect too :)

*One last amazing use for vinegar today....leave-in hair conditioner.  You can use apple cider vinegar for this.  After you shampoo (homemade recipe for shampoo in previous blog)  and rinse thoroughly, add enough apple cider vinegar to coat you hair lightly.  You can leave it in and let it dry or rinse it out.  This is not necessarily something you should do every day because it can strip some of the natural oils out of your hair.  If you are using a homemade shampoo you may not even need conditioner.  

Like I mentioned before, I do NOT like the smell of vinegar.  Fortunately when it dries it has no smell!  So don't be afraid to try it! 

Laundry Soap

1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, (Ivory, Pure & Natural, whatever is cheap)

½ cup washing soda (found in the laundry isle)

½ cup borax powder (also in the laundry isle)

You will also need a 2 gallon bucket

Put 6 cups water in a saucepan and heat.  Grate soap into hot water and heat until melted.  Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved.  Remove from heat.  Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket.   Now add your soap mixture and stir.  Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir.  Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel.  (You use ½ cup per load.)

*You can double the amount of soap, soda & borax if you feel the clothes aren’t coming out bright enough.

*You can also make powder detergent by just mixing the grated soap, soda and borax together without water.  (Add 1 Tbsp to each load)

*This costs me $0.01 per load compared to the $0.17 I was paying for my store-bought detergent! 

Homemade Shampoo

HOMEMADE SHAMPOO

• ¹/₄ cup distilled water
• ¹/₄ cup liquid Castile Soap - I prefer unscented so that I can add my favorites scent
• ¹/₂ teaspoon essential oil (tea tree oil will help with dandruff)

Mix together all the ingredients. Store in a bottle. Shake before use.
This mixture isn't as thick as commercial shampoos - you'll need to just tilt the bottle over your head.
 

*You can add ¼ tsp of xanthum gum powder to make it less runny and more gel-like.

*I have found that local health food stores will carry these items, but some small hardware stores do too.

*This recipe can also be use for hand soap!  

My New Adveture

Hi!  I am a stay-at-home wife and mother.  I have been wondering how to save my family money.  When it came right down to it, we had pinched as much as we could and I knew our grocery bill was my last resort.  There are things that we buy that I know cost way too much.  I know this because I cringe when I have to buy them.  These things for me include shampoo, conditioner, laundry soap, fabric softener, hand soap and dishwasher rinse-aid.  I have found some really inexpensive recipes and alternatives for these items.  I want to share these money saving tips with all of you and also get some new ideas from you.  Enjoy!