Today,I AM A true DOmestic Godess

Just a few minutes ago I made my first ever batch of home grown laundry detergent.Yes,I did! It was easy! the ingredints simple,and cheap,and readily available in my area.{but at diffrent stores}. So in light of the economy,and things not getting any cheaper,and Niel not getting any over time,Ive had to get even more frugal.{ I say this today,after yesterday's Cruise blog,go figure.I gotta cut corners to pay for the dern thing!} So yesterday I googled and googled and googled somemore.After reading a ton of diffrent recipes,it came down to 3 basic ingredients.

Washing Soda ~ available in West Tn at Kroger
Borax~ everywhere,even in PoDunk where we live,&
A Bar of soap~ Some used Ivory,others,Zote,and any other kind you prefer.

Yesterday in my googling one lady reccomended airing out your bar of soap.Esp if you're going to be making the powdered kind,like I intended to do. So,I opend up this big pink bar of Zote that cost me .75 at SaveALot,and put it on the back steps.Last evening,just at dark,I went to retrieve my now freshly aired soap bar.ANd it was NOT there.The paper wrapper was in the back yard,but the bright pink bar was nowhere to be found.The dog had been let off her chain yesterday,so I went looking where I had seen her digging.Nope,Not there. I looked all over my yard! It was MIA.I thought,how in the hell could I miss seeing a big hot pink bar of soap? I aksed Jake if he had seen it.His reply was simple.Yes,he had.In the next door neighbors yard! And when I looked out the bathroom window,I saw it glowing in the twilight.The dog had taken it,but I was not looking in the right places.So,I retrieved the errant bar of Zote,complete with Dog teeth marks,and grass,and brought it home.I laid it on the counter to air out even further.Thinking it would crumble on my grater today.
UM WRONG. I think dog saliva has binding abilites unknown to man. The grass was dug in deep.Almost as deep as the cainine marks.So I managed to scrape it off. Ever in Racheal Ray form,I laid out the other items I needed. Essential oil, washing soda ,Borax,and baking soda. I began to grate the soap and these prettty pink ribbons appeared! Ahhhh,purdy....But they were too soft.So I broke out the handy dandy mini chopper. I measured the slivers to be sure I had 1 cup. I tossed them in for a good zap! UM NO.It looked like cheese curds stuck to the bottom of this thing. {Its supposed to be very fine for powedered det.}.THen a LIGHTBULB!
I thought I would go ahead and mix in my dry stuff and essential oil in the coffee can that I had planned to store it in.I mixed and Mixed. And SNeeezed and Sneezed.I already had the window open,per someone elses suggestion.Then the lightbulb plan came into play.I put the detergent,in 2 sperate batches,back into the mini chopper.Then I thought,Shit! Where am I gonna put the now refined stuff? Lightbulb! The Daisy sour cream container! I keep those things to double as tupperware.We're hi class,let me tell ya!
Well,after I zapped and Zapped the first batch,it didnt look very diffrent.When I took off the top I noticed the slivers were still curdled looking,only smaller. Screw it!!!I poured it into the large Daisy tub,and zapped the 2nd batch.It all fit! Yay,more space saving tips,brought to you by Sarah! SO,since I had made this lavender,lemon, concoction that promised to clean my fonkey clothes and what not,I had to start a load.I knew from googling that it would not sudz up.Ok,fine,.but another reccomendation was to run hot water in the washer for just a minute or so,so it would help break down the slivers.Did that! I didnt see any breakdown.Just hot pink floaties....Theres some sheets in there we let the dog sleep on,a teeny rug from the ktichen and one of Jakes sleeping bags.So we will see if the FONK is gone.
I also made up some new fabric softener yesterday too.Ive been just adding baking soda to my Gain,and vinegar in my downy ball.The clothes dont reek,but I do.Im a spiller! So I found a super easy recipe to use vinegar,hot water,and hair conditioner. if you know me personally,you know that Im sensative to stuff,and I always have extra crap like that around.So,I used some stuff that makes my head itch,and made up a batch. We will see......
But today,I feel like a Godess.Even in my braless,pajama clad state!!!I was going to mop the floor in just a minute,but I will have to teach Neil a lesson when he gets up.A Libman wonder mop head will not dry,even outside,if you dont move the sqeeze part up,and let the mop head hang.So since the wind is blowing here to beat the band {when is it not,really?} I hope it will dry out and I can mop tomorrow.I guess Im done for the day.....


3/6/09 Update! IT worked! The FONK is GONE!!!!