Living on a Coupon: Homemade Cleaner

Showing posts with label Homemade Cleaner. Show all posts

Thursday, January 17, 2013

HOMEMADE DISH DETERGENT $.04 A LOAD (Compared to $.10 a load at stock up price)

Making my own Dish Detergent is another way I save a fortune!

I have always been a Finish person

(mostly because of the high value coupon that comes once a year)

The results were OK, but with my hard water my glasses still are covered with

spots and look cloudy. It didn't even matter if I used Jet Dry or Vinegar!

That is until I started to make my own!

Not only are my glasses sparkly clean....But the price comparison is not even comparable!!!

Regular price of dish detergent on average $.21 a load

A couponing stockup price on dish detergent is $.10 a load

Making your own dish detergent is $.04 a load!!!

NEED I SAY MORE?!

RECIPE:

2c. Borax Soap (find in the laundry section)
2c. Washing Soda (find in the laundry section)
1 1/2c. Lemi Shine (find in the dish detergent section)
1c. Kosher Salt

Combine all ingredients and allow to sit in an open container for a few hours. Stirring occasionally.

*The Lemi Shine will make the mixture clump up, so by letting it air out you won't have this problem.

1 batch of homemade detergent is 6.5 cups of cleaner = 104 Tablespoons (loads)

Cost: $4.24 a batch ($0.04 a load)

Cost Breakdown: I bought all of these ingredients at Walmart!

Borax, 76oz= $3.38 (9.5 cups / $.35 a cup)

Washing Soda, 55oz = $3.24 (6.8 cups / $.47 a cup)

Kosher Salt, 48oz = $1.00 (6 cups / $.16 a cup)

Lemi Shine, 12oz $3.66 (1.5 cups/ $2.44 a cup)

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Thursday, March 22, 2012

HOMEMADE JEWELRY CLEANER

I'm a girl that loves her bling......and really loves her bling to shine!

The normal chemically filled ring clean I buy is not only toxic; but expensive.

Here is a great recipe that costs pennies, is non-toxic and is even safe

to use on your pearls!

I saved the name brand containers ring dish, it is just to perfect not to! :)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of hot water
1 Tbsp of Salt
1 Tbsp of Baking Soda
1 Tbsp of Dish Soap

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all the ingredients together in a dish
Place your jewelry in the mixture for no longer than 30 minutes
Scrub the jewelry and rinse with warm water
Dump the solution and make a new batch next time

ENJOY SPARKLY CLEAN JEWELRY ON THE CHEAP!

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Thursday, March 1, 2012

SIMPLIFY MY LIFE: HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP = $1.76 FOR 7 GALLONS!

Homemade laundry soap is amazingly easy to make.....Not to mention very cheap!

What I LOVE about making my own laundry soap:

1. It is safe to use in my HE Machine

2. Doesn't have the added perfumes & junk that irritate sensitive skin

(3 members of my household have severe Eczema - homemade soap has been the best for them)

3. Only cost $1.76 for 7 gallons! (based on Walmart prices)

HERE IS A COST COMPARISON:

My stock up price for name brand laundry detergent is $1.99 for 32 loads (60oz)

Breaks down to $.06 a load

Homemade laundry detergent cost $1.76 for 7 gallons (480 loads)

Breaks down to $.003 less than a penny a load!

WHAT YOU NEED: (all 3 ingredients are found in the laundry isle)

(1) 5 Gallon Bucket with lid
(1) old empty laundry detergent container
1 cup of Borax $.33 a batch
1 cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda $.46 a batch
1 bar of Fels-Naptha $.97 a batch

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 4 cups of water in a saucepan
Grate the bar of Fels-Naptha ( I use a cheese grater) and add to the water
Heat on medium heat, stir until the soap is comletely melted.
Fill the 5 gallon bucket half full with hot tap water
Here is one way of getting it done if you don't have a spray nozzle:

How to fill a bucket with water using a dustpan.

Set the dustpan on top of the sink, such that the leading edge of the dustpan is on the far edge of the sink and the handle hangs over the near edge.
Set the bucket on the floor in front of the sink.
Overfill the dustpan so that water spills down the handle into the bucket.
Obviously, how well this works will depend on the proportions of your sink and your dustpan, and only a dustpan with a hollow or open handle will work for this.

On the other hand, it doesn’t need to be a dustpan.

source

Add the Borax and Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, Stir to dissolve
Add the melted Fels-Naptha mixture thoroughly combine.
Finish filling the 5 gallon bucket to the top with hot tap water.
Put lid on the bucket and let the detergent set for 12 hours
After setting, stir the detergent until well combined
I fill an old empty laundry detergent container 3/4 full of the homemade detergent
Top off with tap water
Shake before each use
Use the laundry container lid measurements as normal!

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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

SIMPLIFY MY LIFE: HOMEMADE SHOUT STAIN REMOVER, $.13 FOR A 30OZ BOTTLE!!

With a house full of dirty boys and a tomboy toddler

Stain Remover is a must have staple for my house!

Before couponing I would buy bulk OxyClean at Costco,

After couponing....sure I would try to stockup on a good sale....never could get enough!

For the past 6 months....I make my own!

It has proven to be effective & safe on color & whites,

I personally have successfully removed grass stains, marker, chapstick, crayola & kept white baseball pants looking new for through Spring & Summer Ball!

Price Comparison:

Name Brand Shout Stain Remover 30oz $4.97 (Local Walmart Price)

My Homemade Stain Remover 30 oz $.13

This is based on my stockup prices & cost of the ingredients in my area:

Ammonia $.88

64oz bottle - that is enough to make 13 batches @ $.07 a batch
Buy at Dollar Store on $.88 Tuesdays, otherwise $1

Dish Soap FREE

19oz bottle - that is enought to make 4 batches - cost nothing a batch
I never pay for Dish Soap, we get free all the time)
I used Dawn, but any dish soap will work just fine

Baking Soda - $.30 or less

1 pound box - that is enough to make 5 batches @ $.06 a batch
stock up during baking season to get the best price

Homemade Shout Stain Remover

2/3 C Dish Soap

2/3 C Ammonia

6 Tb Baking Soda

2 C Warm Water

1. Mix together all the ingredients in a medium bowl.

2. Pour into an old Shout bottle or other spray bottle.

3. To use, shake the bottle well because the baking soda does settle to the bottom. Spray as you normally would on a stain then launder.

*NOTE*

* Stain Remover is safe to use on colored & white clothes

*Do not use on anything that will be washed with chlorine bleach due to the ammonia!

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

HOMEMADE: JET DRY

Jet Dry Rinse Agent, 8.45oz $5.00 (retail at walmart) = 80 washes

$0.06 a wash

OR USE MY VERY HIGH TECH HOMEMADE JET DRY:

Distilled White Vinegar, 1 gallon (walmart brand) $3.00 = 1280 washes

$.002 less then a penny a wash!!

Vinegar is a miracle worker....... Just put it in the same spot as you would the Jet Dry

and let it work its magic!

You will be amazed at what it does for your dishwasher and will

never buy Jet Dry again....even with coupons!

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Thursday, January 12, 2012

HOMEMADE SWIFFER WET & SOLUTION

Want to know how you can turn this...

Into this.......

I love Swiffer Wet Cleaners but they are so expensive!

Even with coupons you are lucky to get them for under $4

So...I make my own with old towels or these new car detailing towels I found

at the Dollar Store.

I found these white towels in the car section at my local Dollar Store.

They come in a two pack and each towel is large enough for me to make

4 homemade swiffer pads.

Of course, I bought them on $.88 Tuesday....If your store doesn't do these types of promos

they will cost you $1 for 8 reusable pads!

Now for the HOW TO:

All you need is a pair of handy dandy scissors:

And start cutting....If you buy the same cloths I got at the Dollar Store you will be able to cut the cloth in four equal squares.

Otherwise you will want to make sure you cut your cloth to cover the bottom of a swiffer mop + about an 1 1/2 inches over each side to wrap around the top.

For the Solution:

There are lots of different recipes on the internet for Homemade All-Purpose Cleaners. This is the one I personally use and have loved it! It works great on my hardwood and tile floors, plus I love the lemon smell!

Homemade All-Purpose Floor Cleaner

*I love this recipe because it is made of everyday items that are so cheap to purchase. The dish soap we are always for free and the vinegar and lemon juice are very cheap to purchase.