Reader Request: Part 2

Happy Friday! It seems as if the heat and humidity have left town for today, atleast. The perfect day to get some cleaning done.(If there is such a thing as a perfect day for cleaning!) I didn't get to post all of my homemade cleaners and soaps this past Saturday, so here are the rest of them. Before I get started, I'd like to give you a couple of links that are very informative, and where you can look up some cleaners that you may need for your home, that I don't have.

Tipnut.com's Homemade Cleaner Tips and Recipes

The Queen of Clean's Top 5 Must-Have Cleaning Products

>Laundry Soap Jelly for Stain Removal<

you can find the original recipe at tipnut.com for this, but i think my way is a bit easier. I used Fels Naptha because that is what I have, but you could use Ivory or another laundry soap. It's pretty simple to make and works well on stains. You'll need:

glass jar (I used a quart mason jar)

bar of soap

hot water

grater, pot and spoon (I have a set that I use just for making soaps, etc.)

Grate enough soap to fill half of the jar, then fill the rest of the way with hot water. Now pour the soap/water mix into your pot and on medium heat, stir often until the soap is completely dissolved. pour back into jar (if your using a mason jar. If you're not sure about how much heat your jar can take, you can let cool a bit) Every 15 minutes or so, you'll want to stir it, as it will seperate. I did this while I was in the kitchen attending to other chores. I do not know if the jelly would have set up if I hadn't stirred like this. One it is set and cool, put on a lid and store in the laundry room. Next time you have a stain, use a soft brush (I use a toothbrush) to scrub the jelly in gently. Wash as usual.

>Homemade Liquid Hand Soap<

For me, this type of soap was a real albor of love! Or perhaps it was just that I wasn't going to let this deafeat me. It took me 4 (!!!) batches to finally get the consistency right. I will warn you that this will not foam up like commercial soaps. I'm thinking that this doesn't really matter-who knows what soet of chemicals are used to give us that cloud of bubbly foam?  Anyway, again you can refernce Tipnut.com for more recipes, but this is what worked for me. Unfortunately I can't give measurements on how much water I used-it's something that you have to determine by consistency and patience. What you need:

one bar soap of your choice

2 Tbsp. glycerine

2Tbsp. honey

about 4 C. hot water, depending on the size of your pot.

grater, pot, spoon, bucket, funnel and plenty of jugs to hold your soap

Grate your soap and add into your pot, then add the water. Over medium heat, stir often until soap is completely dissolved. Add in glycerin and honey. Pour into bucket and add another 2 pots full of hot water and stir well. Put up where little ones and pets can't get into. Now you need to be patient and wait for the soap to set up. It will thicken, it really will, it just takes some time. When soap has thickened (about 12-24 hours later), add  more water until the right consistency. Use the funnel to pour into jugs and soap pumps. I had about 4 gallons of soap, which will last quite a while. The money saved is well worth the time to make it.

That's all for now, but I promise to post more soon. There's much to do today, including a trip to the Rec. Have a wonderful Friday!

Blessings,

Kelly