Homemade Soap Follow-Up (WFMW)

I know I’ve already posted a WFMW about making our own soap, but several of you really wanted to know how well it worked. So after almost a month of using it I thought I’d post a follow-up.

Both my mom and I agree – it really does work! Now Mama Nut is using it and says that she is satisfied with it, too.

Also, I’ve been using my homemade dishwasher detergent and I thought I’d share that as well.

So how well does the laundry soap work? Well…

Here’s what it DOES do:

• It gets dirt out
• It rinses clean and doesn’t leave a residue
• It cleaned enough to get rid of cat pee smell!
• It is gentle enough for any fabric
• It does separate as it sits, so I always give the bottle a quick shake before I pour it out. (Next time I’ll be trying a different recipe just to compare stuff like that.)
• And of course, it DOES save money!

Here’s what it DOESN’T do:

• It doesn’t make suds, that’s normal so don’t worry
• It doesn’t work on stains without pre-treating them (but then, most don’t right?)
• It doesn’t take a lot of work.

So, I’m really happy with it so far. And my family didn’t even notice the switch!

Like I said, I’ve also been using my own homemade dishwasher soap for the last month. It is a powder mix of half baking soda and half borax – super cheap. About 2 Tbsp per load will do it. I will admit it doesn’t work as well the most expensive fanciest version of the top name brands, but I also know that what is in mine isn’t as harsh, either. And it works just fine. I don’t have to rinse every single speck off of the dishes, but I can’t try to wash something with dried on food. As long as they are scraped and not dried on, they will come out sparkling clean. So basically, if you rinse your dishes as soon as you’re done with them like you’re supposed to, (cuz we all do that, right ladies?) then you won’t have a single problem with this soap.

Some recipes called for vinegar or some other additive to the rinse cycle to help the dishes dry spotless. Frankly, I never could catch the rinse cycle and I kept missing it. It was too much work for me. But as it turns out, I don’t really even need it anyway. As soon as the the dishwasher stops, and while the dishes are still very hot, I open the dishwasher, jiggle the racks to shake off the excess water, and then pull the racks out and leave the washer open for the dishes to air dry. The dishes are so hot and the water so minimal that it evaporates in minutes and leaves a spotless shine. Pretty neat, huh?

Another amazing thing is that I used a little bit of that powder to clean the bathroom sink and it cleaned RUST MARKS off the countertop with just a regular spong! Hmmm,…wonder where else I can use it?

So next on my list is to make some hand soap and bath soap. I’ll let y’all know how that goes. In the meantime, I just keep saving money with every load of clothes I wash!

Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by Rocks In My Dryer – clever lady!