DIY detergent, toothpaste and mowthwash

[Bubblingbrooks]

For those of you still looking for these kinds of recipes, here they are!

Penny per load laundry soap

You will need one bar of Fels Naptha, grated
1 cup of Borax
1 cup of Washing Soda
1 5 gallon pail, with 4 gallons of warm water

All three of these ingredients tend to be found in the same area of the laundry aisles at many grocery stores.

Heat 2 quarts of water in a saucepan, and melt the grated soap. Do not boil.
After the soap is melted, add the borax and washing soda.
Mix well.
Pour the soap mixture into the bucket of warm water, stirring all the time.
Close bucket and allow it to cool.
On occasion the solution will gel.
No need to worry. Just mix it back up, breaking it back into a liquid.

For ease of use, just keep a quart jar filled by your washing machine, refilling as needed.

Use 1/2 cup per load.

To bypass the nasty ingredients in toothpaste and mouthwash, here are what we use.
You will notice that none of these recipes calls for glycerin, and that is important. Glycerin coats the teeth and prevents the natural "breath-ability" of the teeth.


2tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (sea salt, available in bulk at health food stores)
optional- 2 drops of one of the following: Oregano oil, wintergreen, peppermint
Shake it all up good and it is wonderful.

You can make this recipe in bulk and place it in a reusable condiment bottle that you can buy WalMart.
Clip the top down a bit to help with getting it out.

For children and the faint of heart, here is a couple of paste versions.
http://www.tammysrecipes.com/homemade_toothpaste

And a healing mouthwash.

Myrrh and Mint Mouthwash
6 TB high proof brandy or vodka
10 drops myrrh
10 drops peppermint

Pour brandy (or vodka) into 4 oz glass bottle. Add essential oils one by one. Shake vigorously to dissolve oils.
To prepare one dose: add 2-3 teaspoons of mouthwash to half small glass of warm water and stir well. It is ready to use!
FYI- NOT for children!

 

[Jen-pi]

When I make the liquid, I let it cool and then go to town with the stick blender. Keeps it nice and smooth.

 

[BarredBuff]

Thanks for posting!

 

[Bethanial]

Thanks for the recipes, BBrooks!

If anybody is interested, I use a variation of that laundry soap, but mine stays powdered. Grate then pulverize (I use the food processor) 4 bars of Fels Naptha. Combine with one box (4 lbs) Borax - smush the lumps out, and 4 lbs of washing soda (can't buy that local, so I bake 6 lbs baking soda for an hour at 250). I keep mine in a zip-top bag. I use approx 3 tbsp/load (just keep a paper cup in there for dipping). If you use 2 tbsp/load it's safe for HE washers.

edit - typo in recipe *oops!*

 

[FarmerJamie]

Not go off topic, but the DW also made homemade baby wipes. If there is interest, I can post.

thanks for these, BB!

 

[PunkinPeep]

To bypass the nasty ingredients in toothpaste and mouthwash, here are what we use.
You will notice that none of these recipes calls for glycerin, and that is important. Glycerin coats the teeth and prevents the natural "breath-ability" of the teeth.


2tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (sea salt, available in bulk at health food stores)
optional- 2 drops of one of the following: Oregano oil, wintergreen, peppermint
Shake it all up good and it is wonderful.

You can make this recipe in bulk and place it in a reusable condiment bottle that you can buy WalMart.
Clip the top down a bit to help with getting it out.

I just made some of this and put it in an empty cinnamon shaker. I also brushed my teeth with it. The peppermint flavor didn't really come through. It just tasted like baking soda. My teeth do feel clean though, so i'll probably use up what i made and see how i like it.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I tried the liquid, and it is just too much work for me. I use the powdered version and it works fine with my water and machine.

this is my recipe:

Washing Powder
2 cups borax
2 cups washing soda
1 cup colour safe bleach(optional)
1 bar laundry soap.

Grate bar of soap in food processor--grate really fine, mix with other ingredients.
Instructions say 2 tsp per load, but double if you have a really dirty load.

My toothpaste recipe is:

1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup baking soda
several drops stevia powder (to taste)
several drops your preference of essential oil (peppermint, wintergreen cinnamon) (to taste)
stir together until baking soda is blended with coconut oil. Allow to cool.

Not much is needed.

 

[journey11]

I am trying to decide if I want to mess with mixing the liquid kind or if maybe the powdered version might be more convenient for me. How do they compare on cleaning power? I am leaning toward the powder version.... Look at this recipe http://www.mysuburbanhomestead.com/homemade-laundry-detergent/ --she is using 4 bars of fels naptha to 4 lb soda and 4 lb borax. It sounds a little too "soapy" to me. Do you think this recipe sounds ok?

 

[Homemaker]

I've been doing my laundry soap this way for a few years now. I don't use fels naptha though. I just grate up a bar of soap. It works just fine. I even wash my babies clothes with it.

But, I'm curious now what is fels naptha?

 

[Neko-chan]

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