Homemade Helpers

Choosing to be at home with a new baby is definately the best decision I have made in a while, but it sure isn't easy or profitable (monetarily that is). With that said, I am always looking for ways to save money on the more pricey items every household with children seems to always need. My mom gave me a great list of homemade recipes for such things as laundry detergent, automatic dishwasher detergent, toilet bowl cleaner, furniture polish and even baby wipes. These were all recipes collected from various sources. I will cite them with the information that I have. I haven't tried any of these yet, since I just got the information a couple of days ago. However, I've got a few toilets that could use a good cleaning. I'll let you know how it goes. If you try any, let me know too.


Laundry Detergent (Powdered)

• 1 cup grated Fels Naptha Soap
• 1/2 cup Washing Soda
• 1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

Mix well and store in airtight container or bag. For light and small loads, use 1 TBSP. For normal loads, use 2TBSP. For heavy loads, use 3TBSP

Note: This laundry detergent will NOT make suds in your washer, so don't be alarmed. Fels Naptha Soap is a pure soap and typically makes little or no suds i the water. This makes it perfect for use in the new HE washers as well as traditional washers. You will also notice the need to either reduce your laundry softener or in most cases can even eliminate using softener completely.

Automatic Dishwasher Detergent
If you have soft water, use straight Borax (Sodium Borate). With hard water, experiment with a mixture of borax and washing soda (Arm&Hammer, but not baking soda) until you get just the right ratio. Use exactly the way you do commercial mixtures.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Pour a bucket of water into the toilet to lower the water level. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of baking soda around the inside of the bowl. Drizzle enough vinegar to dampen the baking soda. Add sufficient "elbow grease" to a toilet brush. Flush toilet

Furniture Polish
Melt 1 TBSP carnauba wax into 2 cups of mineral oil and 1tsp of lemon oil. Apply a light coat with a soft cloth. Wipe off excess and polish with another clean cloth. Discarded t-shirts are ideal for this job.

**All of the above information was taken from "The Encyclopedia of Country Living" by Carla Emery

Homemade Baby Wipes
For disposable baby wipes, cut a roll of plain white paper towels in half (Bounty or Costco brand works best). Place one half of the roll in a round air tight container. Pour solution over the half paper towel roll and cover. After a few minutes, turn roll upside down to help it absorb the solution evenly. When liquid is absorbed, remove cardboard core. pull wipes from the center,

Solution
1 1/2 cups water
1 TBSP Baby Bath Wash
1 TBSP Baby Oil
2 to 3 drops of Tea Tree Oil (optional)
Mix thouroughly before using