We recycle and compost everything that can be and what’s left in our actual garbage is 90% packaging…and anyone who has known me long enough knows, this is a major pet peeve of mine.. We do a pretty good job at reducing the amount of non-recyclable, non-biodegradable packaging that comes into our house but I think we can still do better. So, that’s my goal : To reduce our household waste that results from packaging by either not bringing it into our house or if it does come into the house, finding a way to reuse it. We put out one large bag of garbage every 2 weeks. I’d like that to be down to at least once a month the end of the summer. Yes, one bag of garbage per month for our family of 7. I can hear you scoffing but I’ll show you! *pumps fist in the air*
Did you really think i was ready to give up my one remaining disposable paper product I use? Sorry – the toilet paper is here to stay
I have to confess – my nose is a little bit out of joint. Those who used to read my old now-deleted blogs seem to miss two things: some story I wrote about my kids chasing each other through the house pretending to be zombies or hunting zombies (I can’t remember which but it seems to be referred to as That Zombie Story…With Your Kids…And You On The Toilet..) and my recipe for laundry detergent.
5 years of blogging and those were my greatest hits? Jeezus, I suck!
Someday,I’ll figure out what I did w/ the Zombie Story. The recipe is easier. I’ve made this detergent so many times, I could tell you off the top of my head how to make it.
Optional: liquid fragrance (non-oily) or scented soaps for scent
What You Do
Grate the soap with a normal kitchen grater into a saucepan. TIP: Pick up an extra grater at a yard sale or thrift store and designate this your soap grater.The soap does not rinse well and it’s kind of nasty to eat soapy-flavored mac and cheese.It’s a good idea to use a separate saucepan for this too.
Put enough water in the pan w/ the soap to just cover the gratings. Heat on medium,stirring occasionally until all the soap is melted.
Fill your bucket with hot water and add the Super Washing Soda and melted soap. Stir to blend
Use about 1 cup per wash load.
When a new batch is made, it’s nothing but liquid but it is still fine to use right away.As it sits, it will have a thicker consistency.
The fels naptha does not smell bad as a detergent in my opinion, but sometimes I add little odds and ends of scented fancy soaps that don’t seem to have much purpose but sit in a soap dish and look pretty. The fels naptha seems to be a very gentle soap once it’s in detergent form and has worked great for myself and even the kids, who have extremely sensitive skin.
It’s ok to use liquid fragrance (like those you can buy at craft stores for soap making) but don’t use anything oily. It will stain or leave a residue on your clothing.
You can also use this same recipe with other detergent bar soaps and even a Baby Laundry Detergent version using your favorite baby soap. Just substitute the fels naptha with a soap of your choice.
I have been able to find fels naptha & Super Washing Soda easily at the grocery store (I shop at Wegman’s ) but if you can’t find them in your local grocery store, ask them to order it for you. If your grocery store sells Dial (the parent company of fels naptha) or Arm & Hammer products, this should be a piece of cake. Or, if that fails, just order them online.
Why On Earth Would You MAKE Detergent When You Can Buy It?!
Oh, I have a ton of reasons. Mainly ,it’s because I’m cheap frugal. I do laundry for 7 people. I can make 2 ½ gallons of detergent for somewhere around the $1.00 mark. Actually, I think it works out to be LESS than $1 per 2 ½ gallons. It works just as well (or maybe even better) than any store bought detergent.
As a perk, it’s phosphorous-free and pretty friendly to the environment. Also, since you are using the same bucket every time, that reduces waste such as empty plastic detergent bottles. Yes,plastic is recyclable but the idea is to get to the point where there is NO waste,even if it is recyclable. Also, detergent bottles are very heavy shipped in transit to the grocery store.Heavier items use more fuel to transport. Yes, there still will be truckloads of detergent shipped to stores everyday using valuable resources but the environmental cost will not figure into your own eco-footprint.
The best benefit I’ve found in this detergent is that it is tough enough for cloth diapers and still gentle enough for sensitive skin.
Biggest Whiny Remark I’ve Heard Time and Time Again: “But…wahh…I don’t have time to maaake it myself It’s tooooo haaaard ! “
Shhh,right now. Yes you do. It takes a commercial break to get it all done. Surely you can give up a potty and snack break to make yourself some detergent while your favorite show is having a commercial break. It really is not hard or time consuming. At all. No excuses accepted here
I’ve been sick way too long and I’m no better today. My plan was to do a paper making tutorial today ,as promised here but I did little else but sleep today (remind me to properly thank the hubby for taking over domestic duties when I’m feeling better).
So,I had thought…ok, so I’ll find a good papermaking tutorial on You Tube!
Now, I know that each “paper maker” has their own way of doing things but I honestly thought the process itself…the basic,fundamentals …were pretty much the same. I guess I was wrong.
My creative process for many things is probably unorthodox.I don’t follow directions.I improvise a lot,especially when I see an easier ( and cheaper) way of doing something. I don’t over think things…I just do.
this video is the closest tutorial I could find to the way I do things:
The biggest exception to how I do things that I see is the drying process. I stack all sheets of paper in a pile (or several piles) to dry. I put something heavy on top to help flatten and squeeze out excess water. If it’s a nice day, a few hours in the sun dries paper quite quickly.
I also use magazines that I intended to recycle anyway instead of newspaper, mostly just because I have more access to junky magazines(thanks,Mom) than newspaper.
Instead of a sponge,I use rags
Also, supplies…
You can make your own papermaking screen and deckle using an old wooden picture frame with the and recycled screen.All my papermaking screens were made for free by salvaging broken picture frames and screens tossed in roadside free piles or the trash (hell yes,I garbage pick!)
To make a screen, simple make sure all glass is removed from a wooden frame. Cut a piece of screen slightly larger than the opening in the frame size. Use a staple gun to secure the screen around the perimeter of the frame, making sure it’s taut and firm.
To make a deckle , just use the same size frame.
When doing custom paper for customers, I found that many people don’t even want straight edges on their handmade paper and rather like that very ragged edge so using a deckle is completely optional and when making paper with kids, definitely an easier process.
There are a slew of videos on You Tube that show a variety of ways to make paper if you’re interested in seeing other methods but most of them lost me at their supply list (a mortar and pestle?? For what?) , uses of chemical additives and dyes (I use none,not even a bonding agent) or just making the process much more difficult and complex than it really is (handcutting the paper with scissors? Are you kidding me? The best part of papermaking is the stress relief you get from shredding and ripping up old bills ).
It really is just a very simple process with just 6 Steps.
1, shred paper,put in blender with water and pulverize it.
2. Fill a tub or a bin with warm water and pour your pulverized pulp into it.
3.Dip screen in pulp ,letting pulp cover screen .Let water drain.
4.Flip screen w/ paper pulp side down onto cotton sheeting or whatever you’re drying it on
5.Sponge off as much water from the topside
6.Lift screen.Voila.Sheet of paper.
Oh..one thing that trips some people up when they first start paper making is,which side of the screen to dip into the water. You want the recessed edge down and the side that’s flat facing up.If it’s the other way around, you’ll just be scooping pulp into a sieve and it won’t “couch” (flip off onto the drying sheet) very easily.
AND…I advise picking up a blender at a yard sale or the thrift shop specifically for papermaking . I would not advise using a blender that you’re totally in love with and don’t want to replace,especially if you plan on doing papermaking frequently. I picked up the blender I’m using now for papermaking at a yard sale for $3.It’s lasted me quite some time but I can tell it’s on it’s last legs.The nice thing is,I’m not going to feel horrible when it dies since it was only a $3 investment .
When she sees people leave the post office with the bright red Netflix envelope clasped in their hand, she fights the urge to say,”Hey,whatcha watching tonight?”. Now she just wants to know if she can have the tear-off flap thingy so she can make more Netflix Paper.
Handmade paper made from the tear off flap from accumulated Netflix mailers
Pink w/ speckly bits of red,black & white. It’s very White Stripes.
