Making our own homemade products is a blast!  Today I will share yet another way we are cutting the Walmart cord and choosing a different, better, more prudent way of life.

Why Homemade?

I like to address this up front to displace the common assumption that homemade products are made simply for the savings… savings is just one handsome fruitage.

In reality, the homemade modus operandi goes far beyond saving a few bucks.  More accurately, it seeks to tap into the oft ignored foundations of family togetherness, self reliance, creative exploration, and exercised independence.

It Has To Be Sustainable

If you are a frequent follower of our homemade endeavors you should know that I require homemade products to be easy to make.

For us, difficult recipes requiring a lot of uncommon ingredients is simply not sustainable!  So we seek to always adopt solutions that are easy to make and contain common ingredients (whenever possible), yet work extremely well.  Today’s recipe will embody that product philosophy more so than any other!

Natural Homemade Deodorant Recipe

To make your own natural homemade deodorant, follow these simple steps:

1. Purchase a bottle of 99% Isopropyl rubbing alcohol – approximately $1.00/pint
2. Purchase a small refillable spray bottle (we use the 3oz variety commonly found in the personal product travel section) – approximately $1.00/bottle
3. Pour the alcohol into the spray bottle
4. Spray under your arms for protection against body odor caused by bacteria

Before you ask…

Does it work? Yes – it works.  Yes – it’s that simple.  Yes – it’s that inexpensive.  Believe it… I have been doing exactly this for about 3 months now and will never go back to expensive, chemical laden, store bought deodorants.

Does it sting/hurt? It depends.  It never stings for me because I do not shave my pits.  My wife said that using the spray immediately after shaving does sting, but will only last for a second or two and is definitely doable.

Does it smell? It smells like alcohol, but can be supplemented with a few drops of your favorite essential oil.  In our experience the scent of the oil will not last and is primarily beneficial to mask the alcohol smell during application.

Will I stink? No… remember question number 1 – it works.  The alcohol kills the bacteria that cause the odor.

Will I still sweat? Yes, and you should. Sweating is good for you; it is your body’s way of releasing toxins.  If you blocking your sweat pores by using antiperspirant you impede your body’s ability to naturally release those toxins.  Impeding this process can also effect the pH balance in your body leaving your body more prone to infection by harmful viruses and bacteria.  Using the alcohol allows your body to release the toxins unimpeded, yet still eliminates odors by killing the bacteria outside the body.

How long does it last? Depending on how much you exert yourself, it may last all day, or you may need to reapply.  In my experience I have NEVER had to apply it more than twice in one day – once in the morning… and once in the evening.

Will it stain or bleach my clothes? No, not in our experience.  I would say as long as you are not dumping copious amounts of alcohol all over your clothing you should be fine.

Is it safe? Using alcohol as deodorant is just as safe as use as an antiseptic on cuts and scrapes.  Unless someone has an allergy to alcohol, using it as a deodorant is safe for adults and young adults alike.

Why haven’t I heard of this before? Because companies cannot make money by marketing it.

Are there other uses of alcohol? Sure… be creative.  I always encourage people to decrease their dependence on consumer products, and increase their own ability to “think and live outside the box!”

Did I mention that this will save you money?

C’mon… don’t be afraid – GO TRY IT!

What do you have to lose?  Better yet… what do you stand to gain?

DFA is passionately dedicated to helping people break the bondage of debt and work toward financial freedom using biblical principles.

This post was written by my mom at the request of Lydia from MyMoneyChat.

A few days back, in a post on personalized holiday gifts my mom left this comment that prompted Lydia to request the recipes:

“Another way to decommercialize Christmas or any holiday is to get together as a family and create homemade decorations for the Christmas tree and the home. It can be done while sharing a meal together and brings a sense of the elusive Christmas cheer that we seek so hard to recreate in our lives from the television commercials while at the mall spending our hard earned dollars on decorations and gifts. One of Matt’s personal favorites is to make paper chains out of colored construction paper. One of mine is to create salt dough ornaments with cookie cutters and then after baking them, paint them and spray them with some sort of lacquer. They last for years and every year that I unpack them and carefully hang them on my tree, I am taking a trip down memory lane and remembering the warmth and satisfaction of sharing such an activity with my family.”

So as requested… here are the recipes for three of our favorite homemade Christmas decoration traditions from my childhood.  Feel free to adopt these creative and frugal activities and making them your own.  Involve the kids, involve nieces and nephews, siblings and cousins, parents and grandparents, etc.  Everyone is going to love getting together to enjoy this good old fashioned frugal family fun!

My wife and I are planning to throw a homemade holiday decoration party for both sides of our family this year.  Not only will this serve as a great time of family togetherness, but will also provide a lasting example of the power of frugal living.

Homemade Salt Dough Ornaments (Mom’s Favorite)

Salt dough is very simple to make, so I will share the recipe that I have had for years, that is handwritten by my sister on the back of a business card!

• 4 cups white all-purpose flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1-1/2 cups hot (hottest tap) water

Dissolve the salt a little in the hot water, then mix in the flour.  That makes a nice dough that is very easy to handle.  Sprinkle flour on your countertop to avoid the dough sticking.  Use a rolling pin and roll it out (you can also use  any smooth cylindrical glass container like a peanut butter or  beverage bottle.)

Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick and use cookie cutters to make the shapes you like, depending on the season (don’t limit this to Christmas!)  Transfer cut ornament shapes to a cookie sheet. Poke a hole in the top of the ornament that will serve as a way to tie ribbons for hanging the ornaments when they are finished (a Phillips screwdriver works fine.)  The ribbon can be the type of ribbon one uses to wrap gifts with, the kind that you can curl with a pair of scissors.

Bake the ornaments at 325 degrees until they are hard.  This will usually take 30-40 minutes, depending on how thick they are.  It is important to make sure they are completely dried out so there in no mold. It is also important to remember that if you are creating these ornaments with small children, perfection is not important! Encourage them to do the best they can and appreciate their efforts!  Criticism breeds frustration and implies rejection!

Let them cool. Then, I just use cheap acrylic paints and paintbrushes from the craft department at K-mart or Meijer and paint as creatively as possible!  Acrylics are water soluble so don’t worry if the kids make a mess… it’ll clean up!  This is no place for the fun police… a little mess never hurt anyone.  Use a different paint brush for each color and let each color dry before applying a different color.  The acrylic paints do not take long to dry.  If you are making several ornaments, just apply the same color to each one and by the time you are finished you should be able to go back and start another color.

Usually I just paint one side with detail and the back side just one plain color.  You can get as detailed as you want with these.  After the paint dries, lay them on some waxed paper, preferably in a well ventilated area and use a spray lacquer of some sort to spray both sides in order to preserve them.  You must spray one side, let it dry, then spray the other side. You can get the lacquer in any paint department. Use waxed paper because the lacquer will stick to newspaper.  Do not include the kids in the lacquer process, just do that part yourself.

Tie a ribbon in each one and vóila!  You have Christmas ornaments and lots of memories.  You’ll also most likely have a new family tradition on your hands because this process has the wonderful peripheral benefits of encouraging family togetherness and creativity!

You can alter this ornament process to make it simpler to work with small children.  You can mix cinnamon and nutmeg in the dough and just cut out and bake the ornaments without painting.  You can make them in the shape of gingerbread men and they smell real good, but dont involve the mess of painting.  Less time consuming, too.  They also make great gifts for the kids to give to friends and relatives.

Construction Paper Chains (Matt’s favorite)

Making paper chains is also a wonderful activity to do with small children.  Matt always loved making these and part of the reason was that he loved making the homemade glue.  Guess he even loved making homemade products way back then!

Get yourself some rectangular colored construction paper and lay out in landscape position.  Using a pencil, draw out 1 to 2 inch strips and cut accordingly.

To make the glue simply mix together:

• white all-purpose flour
• cold water
• few pinches salt

Use as much water as you need to make it into a thick glue-like paste.  If you do not want to make your own paste, or find this doesn’t stick or dry well enough, Elmer’s makes a non-toxic glue for kids.

Glue the first one together at the ends, making a circle. Then take the second strip, lace it through the first circle and glue that together at the ends, then proceed the same way until you have used all of your strips and made a chain long enough to drape around the tree or to festoon your living room!

Popcorn and Cranberry Strings

Our family also used to make popcorn and cranberry strings.  These make great decorations for the Christmas tree inside the house, or, if you have an evergreen tree in your yard you can decorate the tree to feed the birds and squirrels!

All you will need is:

• some strong thread
• a needle
• popcorn (microwave variety will not work well for this project)
• a bag of cranberries (produce aisle at grocer)

To make, simply pop some corn in a pan on the stove with a little oil or with your air popper.  Grab your cranberries, needle and thread and begin threading your needle alternately through a cranberry, then a couple of pieces of popcorn, a cranberry, a few popcorn, etc. until you have created a string long enough to wrap around the tree.  Go ahead and make a couple of them, don’t be shy!  Don’t forget to tie large knots at both ends of your string in order to keep the cranberries and popcorn in place!

What about you?

Did you make some cool holiday decorations growing up?  Don’t be a Scrooge… share the recipe!

This recipe will take less than 5 minutes to prepare.

Why do I make my own homemade products?  It all started when I made my first batch of homemade laundry detergent a few weeks back… since then I’ve been hooked!  Now I am on a mission to make as many household products as I can.  It saves me money and gives me a sense of joy and accomplishment!  Up this week… homemade toothpaste!

When I make products I FOCUS ON EASE OF PRODUCTION, EFFECTIVENESS, and COST SAVINGS.

I am not only making this homemade toothpaste for the benefit of me and my family… I am also doing it for your benefit.  I am passionate about empowering readers with the means necessary to increase both frugality and self-sufficiency.

SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 4 tsp fine sea salt (optional – gives paste extra scrubbing power, but is okay to leave out if the taste is too salty)
• 1 – 2 tsp peppermint extract according to taste (or add your favorite flavor – spearmint, cinnamon, orange, etc.)
• water (add to desired consistency)

COST BREAKDOWN & SAVINGS

Here is the breakdown in cost analysis for 5.33oz of my homemade toothpaste (same amount as one tube of my old toothpaste):

• baking soda @ 16oz = $1.00 | 2/3 cup is 5.33oz which = $0.33
• fine sea salt @ 22oz = $2.00 | 4tsp is .66oz which = $0.06
• peppermint extract @ 1oz = $3.00 | 2tsp is .33oz which = $1.04 | Better yet, use 1tsp is .17oz which = $0.52

(**note** you can use as much or as little peppermint or other flavor as you wish, add the flavoring little by little until you reach an amount you enjoy.)

Prior to making our own, we were using Tom’s of Maine Spearmint Gel® costing an average of $5.00 for a 5.2oz tube.  Based on the calculations above the same amount of my homemade toothpaste will cost me between $0.91 and $1.43 for 5.33oz, depending on how much flavoring I use.

The cost savings will be between $4.09 – $3.57 per tube!

Aside from cost, there are many other benefits of homemade products.  By making this toothpaste not only are we cutting costs by upwards of 300%, we also know the exact ingredients and count time spent as fun, educational, and useful for all involved!

A SIMPLE RECIPE & MAKING OF A BATCH

Remember, each batch yields the equivalent of one 5.3oz tube of toothpaste which you can store in a small storage container somewhere close to your toothbrush.  When you are ready to brush, simply wet your toothbrush, scoop or spread as much paste as you like, and begin brushing.

**Update** If you are grossed out by double-dipping with others but don’t want to make separate batches – do as DFA reader Lakita of Paneh Praise suggests – put the paste in a Ziploc bag and cut the corner off for a homemade squeezable tube.  Thanks Lakita!

1.  Start with these ingredients:

2.  Mix together and add water until paste reaches desired consistency.

That’s it!   You’re done.  Now go get rid of that bad breath!

A few FAQ’s and answers:

1. Where should we store the paste? In a container of your choosing close to your tooth brush.  I use a small plastic ware container.
2. Should we each have our own container, or can we share with others in our family/roommates? If cooties bother you then get your own container… if not then don’t worry about it.  My wife and I share one.
3. How do we get it onto our toothbrush? Simply wet your brush, scoop or spread on some paste, and brush away.
4. Does this really work? Yes.  I actually like it better than store bought and find it gets rid of onion and garlic breath better than any toothpaste I have ever used.
5. Where do I get the ingredients? At pretty much any store, or you can buy them online through the links above.
6. Is this toothpaste bad for me? No. But that is just my opinion since I am not a dentist, and because these claims have not been evaluated by the FDA.  That said… all ingredients are commonly used products and otherwise regarded as utterly safe.
7. What about fluoride, don’t we need it? Not in my opinion. Research I have done reveals fluoride as a toxic poison.  Dentists typically say it is beneficial when applied to the teeth of children, but I encourage you to do a little research of your own… I’m guessing you’ll come out holding the same opinion as me.

Once you make your first batch you’ll be hooked by the taste, the ease, and the price.  We were!

This is the easiest and most rewarding baking project ever… so little effort for such a yummy result.

Our quest for the perfect breakfast…

For the majority of 2009 mornings the Jabs household has been eating a yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit breakfast.  We started with store bought yogurt but quickly moved to homemade kefir instead (kefir is the healthier sibling to yogurt) – simple kefir recipe coming soon.  We also moved quickly from store bought blueberries to picking our own local, organic blueberries.

For awhile now the last store-bought holdout has been our granola.  Then I received this email from DFA reader Teresa White:

I found your site while searching for homemade detergent (which is great), and I notice you and your wife eat the same breakfast my husband & I eat every morning, (we are addicted.) I thought you might want my recipe for homemade granola (healthy w/ no oil) Yummy, and cheaper than store-bought.  We make our yogurt as well – it’s also much cheaper than store purchased.  Let me know, God Bless your Ministry.  ~ Teresa

I was like… “Uhhhh yeah!  Hand it over Teresa.”  She did… and the results have been awesome!

Here is the healthy and frugal granola recipe:

Though she made a few tweaks, Teresa gives Ellie Kreiger credit for the original recipe.  After a few trial runs, we also made a few adaptations to the recipe and came up with what you see below.

Cost = approximately $1.50/batch (at time of writing)

Using a large cookie sheet or other pan with sides that allow you to stir the mixture – butter pan and preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl combine:

• 3 cups whole rolled oats (not instant or quick)
• pinch of salt (optional)
• cinnamon (as you want – I add 1/2 tsp)
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp raw honey (they sell this at most health food stores, but use regular honey if that is all you have)
• 1/2 cup shaved coconut
• Nuts & seeds – Use whatever you like.  My favorite was slivered almonds while Teresa likes pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, and almonds.  Use as much as you want – I use about 3/4 cup.

Stir all ingredients together (will be slightly wet.)  Pour into single layer on buttered pan and bake in preheated 300 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Stir contents, arrange in single layer again, and continue baking.  Bake another 10 to 15 minutes and remove (Bake until barely starting to turn a little tan.)  Stir again and allow to cool.  Granola will be crunchy when cooled.

I you like, after cooling you can stir in dried fruit like cherries, raisins, cranberries etc.

Store in glass jar, not plastic – stays fresh in glass better.

If you double the recipe make sure you use a very large baking pan so the layer will still be thin enough to get toasty.  Also… back at 300 degrees and not higher.  This allows the granola to cook slow and get nice and toasty and crunchy.

- print this recipe -

Another debt free testimony!

Teresa also added,

This granola is inexpensive as long as you don’t get carried away on the nuts.  By the way, my husband and I have lost weight also (about 40 lbs together.)  We are eating better food, eating more at home and walking.  Plus… we are almost completely debt free – praise the Lord!  We will make our last house payment next month and are so happy to be almost at this goal.  I give God the glory because even though our business has been slow over the last 1 1/2 yrs, God has been faithful to provide beyond our needs.

Hope you enjoy this wonderful recipe, you may never buy granola again!

God Bless, Teresa

Thank you Teresa – and congratulations on being debt free… I cannot wait to join you!

Once you prepare, bake, and taste this heavenly snack… you’ll be kicking yourself that you have not been making your own granola all along.  We did!

This post was featured in the 81st Carnival of Money Hackers on The ABC’s of Investing.

Making Dirt – Part 2

This is part two of a two part post on compost.
Read part one – DIY kitchen compost bucket – here

That’s what we’re gonna call it. “I Got Worms!” We’re gonna specialize in selling worm farms. You know, like ant farms.  ~ Lloyd Christmas

This quote from Dumb and Dumber was basically the same direct and hilarious approach I used when proposing our soon to be “Worm Farm” to my wife.  As you can imagine, she reacted with a sobering degree of skepticism – as any other sane woman may do when presented with the notion of her husband running a “Worm Farm” out of their garage.

To bring her along, like with many of my ideas, I simply had to explain the plan in detail, assure her that I was not going to quit my job to run the worm farm, let it marinate for awhile… then begin construction.

A Vermicomposting Worm Farm

Why in the heck would anybody want to make their own vermicomposting worm farm?  Well, I’m glad you asked…

Wikipedia defines “verimicomposting” as follows:

Vermicompost, is composting utilizing various species of worms, specifically red wigglers, white worms, and earthworms creating the heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and pure vermicast produced during the course of normal vermiculture operations. Vermicast, similarly known as worm castings, worm humus or worm manure, is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by the species of earthworm.

Containing water-soluble nutrients and bacteria, vermicompost is an excellent, nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and soil conditioner. The process of producing vermicompost is called vermicomposting.

This article is also a follow up on a promise I gave to several FiveCentNickel readers in my “Breaking Free From a Culture of Temptation” article a few months back.  I promised I would write a post detailing how I constructed my very own vermicomposting worm farm for very little money.  In the original article I mentioned how I was tempted to purchase a vermicomposting bin rather than make my own.  Here is the snippet from the original article:

A store-bought vermicomposting bin ($130)Instead of buying one, I decided to make my own. I spent just a fraction of what I would’ve paid in the store ($22), and it works great. I hope to put together an article about this soon.

Making my own vermicomposting worm farm — in order to enjoy the benefits of the nutrient rich soil — was very easy, inexpensive, and fun.  In my opinion, it is always an awesome thing to save a boat-load of money AND enjoy the feeling of building something yourself.  As I mentioned in my DIY kitchen compost bucket article, not everyone is into building things themselves.  If that sounds like you then I recommend purchasing one of these two prefabricated vermicompost systems:

Prefabricated vermicompost bins

• The $130 option – The famous “Can-O-Worms” has a multi-level design that’s easy to assemble, easy to use, and can be kept both indoors or outdoors.
• The $100 option – The Worm Factory employs a tray system that automatically separates food scraps from finished compost.  This system can also be used indoors or outdoors.

If I were not on a staunch mission to destroy my debt as soon as possible I would have probably went with one of the above systems, but instead I opted once again for the DIY route!  Prices posted were taken at the time of writing.

My Frugal DIY Vermicompost Bin

The $21 option – Here are the actual costs and necessary parts for making a vermicomposting worm farm for just $21:

• 2 dark, plastic, non-transparent 10 gallon storage bins – cost = $7
• A drill with 1/4″ and 1/16″ bits
• Shredded paper – I use a mix of paper from my shredder and newspaper
• Red wriggler worms – I bought a pound from a local source I found on craigslist.org – cost = $15
• 4 equally sized blocks

1.  Start with your parts and tools (my worms are in the coffee can)

2. Drill 20+ 1/4″ holes on the bottom of both bins – for drainage and worm travel

3.  Drill 1/16″ holes along the side of both bins, near the top.  Then drill 30+ 1/16″ holes in the top lid of ONE of the bins (not both)

4.  Place bedding in ONE bin only (leave other bin empty) – mix shredded paper with a shovel full of black dirt and spray with enough water to lightly dampen

5. Add your pound of worms and stir it all up.  Cover mixture with damp piece of cardboard then place the empty bin on top of the cardboard and cover with the ventilated lid.  Place the non-ventilated lid upside-down, position your 4 blocks on top of it, then place the bins atop the blocks like so

Some Detailed Info on our Worm Farm

The Jabs Worm Farm Inn has been successfully operating in our garage for over two full months now!

We keep our DIY kitchen compost bucket under our kitchen sink until it is full, at which time we feed the worms by emptying the contents into the worm farm.  Be sure to bury your food scraps so you do not attract gnats and other flies.

We only put organic food scraps in so that our soil can remain free of chemical pesticide residue.  We are also careful in maintaining the balance of proper moisture in the bins.  You do this by adding more shredded paper when the mixture gets too wet.  You will know things are too moist if you start to notice odor or gnats.

Once the bottom bin is full you can simply start a new mixture in the top bin.  Don’t worry about adding more worms, once they have exhausted their food supply in the bottom bin, they will naturally migrate up into the top bin through the 1/4″ holes you provided them.

Any excess “worm tea” will drain through the 1/4″ holes in the bottom bin and will collect on the upside-down lid.  Once a good amount of liquid accumulates on the lid I simply dump this tea into a container and dilute with water and use to water the plants in my garden.  It is a very powerful natural fertilizer.

For more detailed information about red wriggler worms and vermicomposting systems in general visit this informative article on Composting with Redworms.

This post was featured in the 18th Carnival of Money Stories – Labour Day Edition on The Canadian Finance Blog.

Making Dirt – Part 1

This is part one of a two part article on compost.
Read part two – DIY vermicomposting worm farm – here

I knew I was getting old the day I started to think that making my own garden dirt was cool.

Don’t get me wrong… I don’t think I’m old, and I don’t dislike the fact that I am getting older, actually I think it’s pretty cool.  I just find it amusing the way our thinking changes as we age.  The one wish I do have is that I knew what I know now when I was 16!

Kitchen Compost Buckets

Today I want to follow up on a promise I gave to several FiveCentNickel readers in my “Breaking Free From a Culture of Temptation” article a few months back.  I promised I would write a post detailing how I constructed a kitchen compost bucket for very little money.  In the original article I mentioned how I was tempted to purchase a kitchen compost bin rather than make my own.  Here is the snippet from the original article:

A store-bought kitchen composting bucket ($20)Here again, I made my own… And only spent $1.50! This will likewise be the subject of a forthcoming post.

Both of these compost-related purchases were very tempting, and I really had to fight the urge to buy and instead choose the frugal road. Beyond saving money, I have more pride in these possessions — partly because I made/improved them, and partly because I know that I sacrificed my short-term wants for my greater goal.

Making my own bin was easy, cheap, and satisfying.  Much more satisfying than buying one for $20, or worse yet buying one for $50!  If you are not into making your own, you can purchase one of the two I was debating between.  They are both high quality options that I would have went with if I weren’t über frugal!

Store bought kitchen compost bins

• The $56 option – a stainless steel kitchen compost bucket that employs a charcoal filter to thwart smells.
• The $20 option – this bucket is constructed of plastic and also employs a charcoal filter.

As I mention above, each of these are a solid option if your are not trying to play the role of Fruggie McFrugalpants.  Prices posted were taken at the time of writing.

So What Did I Do?

I made my own of course!

My homemade, DIY kitchen compost bucket

• The $1.50 option – an empty plastic coffee can with its very own built-in charcoal filter.

Here’s how I did it:

• An old empty coffee can or similar free container with a resealable lid (I always save these from work)
• A package of charcoal filters from your local Pet Supplies Store – they sell them for kitty litter boxes (this eliminates the odor)
• A drill with a 1/4″ bit
• A hot glue gun (super/crazy glues should work fine too)

1.  Start with your parts and tools

2.  Drill 10+ holes in the lid with a 1/4″ drill bit

3.  Hot glue the filter to the lid

4.  Violá – the finished product

5.  And finally, the finished product in use – right next to my homemade dishwasher detergent.

We have been successfully using this homemade, DIY kitchen compost bucket for the last 2 months with no complaints.  My wife is very particular about smells and was happy to find that no odor came from our homemade bin, thanks to the charcoal filter.  Just like with any other bin equipped with a charcoal filter, you will have to replace the filters every few months if you want it to remain effective.

We are very happy with the price, functionality, and general ease of use — and confidently recommend it for use in your home.

]]> http://diynatural.com/kitchen-compost-bucket-diy-easy-and-frugal/feed/ 24 http://diynatural.com/simple-effective-jabs-homemade-dishwasher-detergent-rinse-agent/ http://diynatural.com/simple-effective-jabs-homemade-dishwasher-detergent-rinse-agent/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:10:46 +0000 diyNatural http://www.debtfreeadventure.com/?p=1241

“You get kisses from the Misses when you do the dishes!”  – Unknown wise man

Why do I make my own homemade products?  It all started when I made my first batch of homemade laundry detergent a few weeks back… since then I’ve been hooked!  Now I am on a mission to make as many household products as I can.  It saves me money & gives me a sense of joy & accomplishment!  Up this week… homemade dishwasher detergent!

When I make detergents I FOCUS ON EASE OF PRODUCTION, EFFECTIVENESS, & COST SAVINGS

I am not only making this homemade dishwasher detergent for the benefit of me & my family… I am also doing it for your benefit.  I am passionate about empowering readers with the means necessary to increase both frugality and self-sufficiency.

5 SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

• 1 – 55 ounce box of Arm & Hammer® Super Washing Soda = $3.99  Many people seem to be finding this cheaper than me, I suppose I’ll have to shop around.
• 1 – 76 ounce box of 20 Mule Team® Borax = $4.99 People seem to be finding this much cheaper than me too.
• 1 – 48 ounce box of coarse Kosher Salt = $1.99  I cook with kosher salt as well.
• 1 – 2 ounce container of food-grade Citric Acid = $1.15  You can find this online or at your local brewery or specialty beer store.  If you cannot find this you can substitute 10-15 lemon Kool-aid envelopes per batch **the small unsweetened ones**, if you use any other flavor you could easily color the inside of your dishwasher (you need 10-15 envelopes to equal the 1-2oz of straight citric acid.)  If you do not use some form of citric acid… you will most likely have the cloudy residue left that most “green” cleaners leave.
  
• 1 – gallon of White Vinegar = $1.79  Yet another excellent use for a nearly universal cleaning agent.

COST BREAKDOWN & SAVINGS

Prior to making our own, we were using Palmolive eco+ liquid detergent.  Here is the breakdown in cost analysis:

• borax | 76oz = 4.99 | 8oz=.53/batch
• washing soda | 55oz = 3.99 | 8oz=.57/batch
• citric acid | 2oz = 1.15/batch
• kosher salt | 48oz = 1.99 | 2oz= .08/batch
• total for 32 oz = $2.33/batch
• white vinegar (as rinse agent) | 1gal = 1.79 | 4oz=.06/fill

(**note** you only need to use 1 rounded tablespoon of this homemade detergent per load.  If you feel it necessary… you may use a heaping tablespoon, but I do not.)

• Palmolive® eco+ gel 75 ounce detergent – $3.79 – 28 loads = $0.14 per load
• Jabs Homemade powder 32 ounce detergent – $2.33 – 50 loads = $0.05 per load

Here are the cost savings for my homemade rinse agent that goes along with this recipe:

• FINISH® JET-DRY® Rinse Agent 4.22 ounce solution – $3.99 – 1 fill = $3.99 per fill
• White Vinegar as a Rinse Agent 1 gallon solution – $1.79 – 1 fill = $0.06 per fill

That is a savings of 6650% on an effective rinse agent!  Sounds too good to be true… but it is indeed true!

Not only am I getting my rinse agent for just pennies & cutting my costs by more than half, (I do not count time spent as cost because it is fun, educational, & useful for both you & me) there are also many other benefits of homemade products which I chronicle in an article on FiveCentNickel.com.

A SIMPLE RECIPE & MAKING OF A BATCH

Each batch yields 32 ounces of resulting product which you should store in some type of container you were going to dispose of.  I suggest something 1 gallon size or smaller so you can fit it under your kitchen sink; old coffee cans work great.

1. Start with these 5 ingredients:

2. Into a 32 ounce container – add 1/2 cup of borax:

3. Add 1/2 cup of washing soda:

4. Add 1/4 cup of citric acid:

5. Add 1/4 cup of kosher salt:

6. Put the lid on & shake it up good:

7. As you know… my wife loves her some label maker:

8. Fill “Rinse Aid” compartment with white vinegar:

When you do a load use 1 tablespoon of detergent per load (you can use a heaping tablespoon if you feel the need, but I do not).

This detergent will clump together but it doesn’t matter… just scoop out your tablespoon & forget about the clumps!  It clumps because of the citric acid.

There you have it folks!

Simple, easy, fast, & efficient homemade laundry detergent.

What are you waiting for?  Go get the ingredients & make yours today!

**UPDATE** This detergent works in HE front-load washers… read more below.

I finally did it! I have been wanting to make my own homemade laundry detergent for over a year, I just never got around to it.  Why?  I’m not exactly sure.  I think part of it was because I thought it was going to be difficult, and I also figured it may be hard to find all the necessary ingredients easily.  Wow…was I wrong! I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW INCREDIBLY FAST & EASY IT WAS.

Homemade powder soap required only 3 simple ingredients & took around 5 minutes to create, in respect of opportunity cost I abandoned my original idea of brewing a liquid detergent and set my sights on creating the powder variety. What follows is my own personal pictorial tutorial to making homemade powder laundry detergent.  Enjoy!

COST BREAKDOWN & SAVINGS

Prior to making our own, we were using Arm & Hammer liquid detergent.  Here is the breakdown in cost analysis:

(**note** you only need to use 1 tablespoon of this homemade detergent per load, although you can use 1 – 2 scoops for heavily soiled loads)

• Arm & Hammer® liquid 100 ounce detergent – $6.79 – 32 loads = $0.21 per load
• Tide® with Bleach powder 267 ounce detergent – $20.32 – 95 loads = $0.21 per load
• Jabs Homemade powder 32 ounce detergent – $2.98 – 64 loads = $0.05 per load

As you can see, whether I compare against traditional store bought liquid or powder, I am saving $0.16 per load!

There are also many other benefits of homemade products aside from cost savings.

SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

I purchased all these ingredients at my local grocery store:

• 1 – 55 ounce box of Arm & Hammer® Super Washing Soda = $3.99
• 1 – 76 ounce box of 20 Mule Team® Borax = $4.99
• 1 – 10 pack of 4.5 ounce bars of Ivory® Bar Soap (**note** you can use cheaper soap, I actually had this on hand already.  Use whatever tickles your fancy – Other brands of commonly used bar soaps include Pure & Natural®, Fels-Naptha® and/or ZOTE®.  Both ZOTE® and Fels-Naptha® are made for and sold as “laundry bar soap.”)

All items were found in the laundry isle.

A SIMPLE RECIPE

Each batch yields 16 ounces.  I made two batches of this recipe and stored the 32 ounces of resulting product in a yogurt container left over from our healthy breakfast idea.

• 1 bar of shaved bar soap (Ivory, ZOTE, Fels-Naptha)
• 1/2 cup of borax
• 1/2 cup of washing soda

Thoroughly stir together for 5 minutes and enjoy the results!  That’s it folks…seems too good to be true, but it is true indeed!

Regarding High Efficiency (HE) Front-Load Washers

THE MAKING OF A BATCH

1. Start with these ingredients & utensils:

2. Shave 1 bar of soap.  I used a simple hand grater:

3. My shaved bar looked like this:

4. Add 1/2 cup of borax:

5. Add 1/2 cup of washing soda:

6. Stir thoroughly:

7. Continue stirring thoroughly:

8. Stirring is complete when you have a powder like this:

9. 2 batches of this recipe fit perfectly into a 32 ounce yogurt container:

10. I wanted to use my trusty black Sharpie, but my wife LOVES her some label maker!

When you do a load use 1 tablespoon of detergent per load (you can also use 1 – 2 scoops for heavily soiled loads).

There you have it folks!

Simple, easy, fast, & efficient homemade laundry detergent.

What are you waiting for?  Go get the ingredients & make yours today!

These cookies freeze well, can be eaten as a breakfast meal and are a great healthy treat for any time of day.

I have always been a bit of a health nut, but also have a strong weakness for a delicious homemade chocolate chip cookie.  My weakness is not aided by the fact that my wife bakes incredibly delicious batches of this wonderful little dessert.  In fact, because we simply cannot eat them all, when she bakes a batch we normally give half of them away.  Hence amongst our friends, family, & coworkers her recipe is quite famous…though not healthy in the least!

We always gave half away, until one day we had the frugal idea to freeze them.  We ended up freezing around half of her last batch and found that around 20 – 30 seconds in the microwave gives us a cookie that taste like it is fresh out of the oven.  Although I LOVE her cookies, the health nut in me has always wanted to find that perfect & ultimate chocolate chip cookie that is not only delicious but also healthy.  I knew that making a healthy cookie was not going to give us the same type of taste, but still wanted to create something that would satisfy our sweet tooth!

I am happy to report that due to the rainy dreary day we had, I committed myself to creating the recipe and have accomplished what my wife & I believe to be a healthy dessert masterpiece! My wife & I are going to eat these as breakfast cookies (bars) and as dessert.  They are actually quite a healthy creation that we are very happy to share with you.

Here is our recipe for The Ultimate Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Click here to for a Printable Version

Ingredients

Wet

• 3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 stick butter (we use salted butter)
• 3/4 cup raw honey (pick up at your local health food store, substitute regular honey if that is all you have)
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (I advise against using imitation vanilla)
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white

Dry

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup whole grain rolled oats (I do not use quick oats, so I roughly chop these oats in my food processors before adding to other ingredients)
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. fine sea salt

Finishing touches

• 12 oz. package of Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped craisins (a.k.a. dried cranberries)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Now just mix and bake them like a batch of normal chocolate chip cookies.  In a mixing bowl, combine all the wet ingredients (I partially soften the butter in the microwave, just be careful not to melt it too much).  Stir them together with a spoon.  In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Now carefully stir in the dry ingredients in with the wet.  Now stir in the finishing touches.

Place cookies on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 10 – 14 minutes (Mrs. Jabs & I do 12 minutes), depending on your oven and how well done you like your cookies.  Enjoy fresh out of the oven, or frozen then warmed in the microwave for 20 seconds.

Alternate/additional finishing touches (add whatever you have a taste for here and substitute it for the finishing touches above, here are some ideas for additional )

• 2 mashed banana (If you use banana’s only use 1/2 cup of applesauce)
• 1 cup shredded & toasted coconut
• 1 cup Rice Krispies
• 1/2 cup chopped raisins

**Remember…these cookies freeze well, can be eaten as a breakfast meal and are a great healthy treat for any time of day.