Save Your Dollars With These Homemade Baby Wipes.

Cut old t-shirts into "wipe-size" and make a solution of 2 tablespoons baby shampoo with 2 cups water. Then soak the t-shirt scraps until they are really wet; ring out the excess and store them in a plastic bowl with a cover. Keep a plastic bag for the soiled ones. Keep a small diaper pail and fill with a solution of detergent (hand washable kind) to soak them in (this removes a lot). Then, just wash and reuse them.

Homemade Fabric Softener

1 You will need to mix your ingredients in a large container, that will hold at least one gallon of fluid. You can do this in a large bucket or pot, and once the fabric softener is mixed, you can transfer it to the container you want to store it.

2 Start by adding 1 cup of baking soda to your large bucket or container. Then add 1 cup of water to the baking soda. You do not have to stir to dissolve the baking soda, as the next step will do that for you.

3 Now, slowly pour in 6 cups of distilled white vinegar. This will cause a chemical reaction with the baking soda, and the mixture will start to fizz. (This is why you need to mix it in a large container.) Let the mixture fizz for a few minutes to help dissolve the baking soda.

4 Now add 6 more cups of water to the mixture. This will stop the fizzing process. Stir to properly mix all ingredients together.

5 If you want to add essential oil, you will now add your choice of oil. 10-15 drops of pure essential oil is generally sufficient enough to give the fabric softener a pleasant scent.

6 Pour your fabric softener into your choice of container. If you have left over fabric softener or laundry soap bottles, those will work excellent for storage of your new fabric softener. Just make sure they are properly cleansed before you add your new mix.

7 When you are ready to do laundry, add 1 cup of your fabric softener to the final rinse of your laundry, just as you would a store bought fabric softener.

Homemade Laundry Soap

I've been using this recipe for about 9 months now and LOVE it! Costs about $1.75 per 10 gallons. Save your old clean milk jugs to save you pennies even more and store your prepared laundry soap in them.

LAUNDRY SOAP

You can use Fels-Naptha bar soap in the homemade soap recipes, or you can use Ivory, Sunlight, or Zote bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps. Washing Soda and Borax can be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2 or less, depending on the cost of the Fels-Naptha.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine

4 Cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken. Consistency will be mucous like.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use as it will gel.

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)