Dear Oshkosh Customer Service,
I am writing to you in regards to your Multiples Discount; or rather, your decided lack thereof. As you may guess, I am a mother of egg-splitting multiples myself. Twin girls. When they were born, besides being monumentally overwhelmed and extremely tired, we also happened to be quite strapped for cash. Buying 2 of everything all at once will do that to you, you know. As my girls outgrew their wardrobes (which felt like every 2nd Tuesday, to tell the truth), my first shopping destination was always to my local Oshkosh outlet store.
Yes indeed. That's where we went first. Every time.
When friends and family asked me why we chose Oshkosh over the tons of other children's clothing stores, I had one very easy answer. Are you ready for it?....
My answer was always thus: "Why, they offer a Multiples Discount. So I choose to go to them first, since they're offering me something too."
And that was it. Not the quality. Not the nearness of the store. Truly; the discount. You see, I know 10% off doesn't sound like much to you. In truth, it's not much. But it was something. It was your corporate hand reaching out to cash-strapped, bleary-eyed with exhaustion me, and saying, "Howdy, friend. Buy your little cherubs' clothes here. We'll even give you a discount because, gosh darn it, you deserve it. We can't give you more sleep, or rid you of the ever present smell of spoiled milk, but we can give you 10% off just for shopping right here. Now what do you think of that?"
I thought you were pretty great indeed. And so I shopped. I spent. That had to make you happy, right?
And then you decided to take that away. That small amount, paltry by most standards but important to we who shop for groups of children who outgrow clothing all at once; and you took it away.
Why? Can you please answer me that?
I went into my local store today, which happens to be the one at Lodi Outlets in Lodi Ohio. I looked around and bought a few items. But as I checked out, I felt sad. Talking to the cashier, I explained my sadness over the magical disappearance of one of my favorite Mom Of Multiples perks. She agreed.
It is sad.
(It is).
I represent a growing demographic. The demographic of parents to whom Mr. Stork dropped off more than one bundle. My preggo shirts said 'People On Board', not 'Baby On Board'. When one of my girls outgrows all her clothes at once, there is no hand me down pile to take from, or to save for later. No. There is only her identical twin sitting next to her, equally squashed into a pair of likewise too-small-pants. Two new wardrobes to shop for, from top to bottom. Again. And again. And again.
And to think, there used to be a store who cared enough about that slight inconvenience to offer a small discount. Small, yes, but like a friendly little nudge and a wink, it was appreciated nonetheless.
Since you've done away with that discount, you haven't seen my money in your till. Whatever profit margins you've gained or lost over the last few years has not been with my help. I've found other places to shop where the clothes are cheaper. Because I have to.
Now. I've taken the time think this through and write to you; sharing with you my feelings about something you probably did away with without a moment's thought. I'm guessing after reading this I'll either get one of those super-impersonal "Thank you for contacting customer service" form letters, or no response at all. (Wee! Lucky me.) But what I'd really like is an actual correspondence from a real person explaining why the parents of multiples, who have loyally shopped at your stores, are no longer deemed worthy of that discount. And I'd also like to know what it would take to get it back again.
Because we're worth it. We are.
We endure tedious pregnancies, nightmarish deliveries (I won't even GO there), struggle through a first year which only fellow parents (or grandparents) of multiples can truly understand, trudge through stores ,which are more than likely designed too small for our over-sized strollers, while politely answering an onslaught of embarassingly personal questions thrown at us by complete strangers, AND somehow manage to make it all look like we'd planned for it all along; a smile on our faces, and a kind word at the ready.
Yep. I'd say we've earned that 10%.
Wouldn't you?
Regards,
Amanda Dickinson
Monday, May 16, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Here We Grow Again
It absolutely never fails; I try to be on the good side of things: to be prepared, ready, even ahead of the game. And it all goes south in a wild flush of misery and boo-ness. (No, that's not a word. Spell check confirmed it. But I don't care. I'm making a it a word.)
Spring has finally decided to unleash warm temps on our fair city, thus necessitating a trip up to the attic and the Summer Clothes Bins. Every year, they're up there waiting for me to go through them. Will it fit? Too short? Too tight? Going through those seasonal bins is always a bit of a crap shoot for us. I pack away as much as I possibly can at the end of each season, hoping, hoping, and hoping that maybe some of it will fit in 365 days. When the calendar & weather align, I pull out piece after piece of clothing, making 2 piles on the floor beside me. Pile One: Hooray It Fits. Pile Two: No-Go. Darn it.
Guess which pile is always bigger?
Indeed. Pile 2 is our seasonal winner.
Out of frustration and with a sincere desire to pack away some clothes that we could actually wear again, I went out at the end of last summer and shopped ahead. I scored big time on Capri pants and shorts, and a few tee shirts. I scrutinized over the sizes, being sure to choose the next size up from what they were currently wearing. When I brought it all home and tried things on them, I felt good about the prospects of a full wardrobe for the next summer. For this summer.
But alas.
Foiled again.
Everything is too tight.
Too short.
Too small.
They basically skipped an entire size. I simply cannot win.
And so I'll not be trying to buy ahead now. Nope. No more. Not until they stop growing like weeds. Not until one size will fit them for more than a few weeks. Then we'll see. I'll try being more prepared then.
And even then, I'll be wary. Because I know how these things usually work out.
Spring has finally decided to unleash warm temps on our fair city, thus necessitating a trip up to the attic and the Summer Clothes Bins. Every year, they're up there waiting for me to go through them. Will it fit? Too short? Too tight? Going through those seasonal bins is always a bit of a crap shoot for us. I pack away as much as I possibly can at the end of each season, hoping, hoping, and hoping that maybe some of it will fit in 365 days. When the calendar & weather align, I pull out piece after piece of clothing, making 2 piles on the floor beside me. Pile One: Hooray It Fits. Pile Two: No-Go. Darn it.
Guess which pile is always bigger?
Indeed. Pile 2 is our seasonal winner.
Out of frustration and with a sincere desire to pack away some clothes that we could actually wear again, I went out at the end of last summer and shopped ahead. I scored big time on Capri pants and shorts, and a few tee shirts. I scrutinized over the sizes, being sure to choose the next size up from what they were currently wearing. When I brought it all home and tried things on them, I felt good about the prospects of a full wardrobe for the next summer. For this summer.
But alas.
Foiled again.
Everything is too tight.
Too short.
Too small.
They basically skipped an entire size. I simply cannot win.
And so I'll not be trying to buy ahead now. Nope. No more. Not until they stop growing like weeds. Not until one size will fit them for more than a few weeks. Then we'll see. I'll try being more prepared then.
And even then, I'll be wary. Because I know how these things usually work out.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Operation: Making Hand Soap.
Soap Making Saga Continues.
So maybe you're tired of reading about my attempts to cut the financial corners down a bit. But. I'm writing about it anyway. Because it's important. Because it matters. And because I want to.
As you know, I've met with some success with trying my hand at making Laundry detergent. It's fun. It's cheap. It works. Cannot complain about it. Makes me feel a distant kinship with our pioneering ancestors, (their use of boiling lye compared to the relative ease of my dumping a few pre-made ingredients together not withstanding).
Riding on the wave of that glory, I decided to try my hand at another soap making endeavor when the last drops of liquid hand soap slowly eeked out of the soap dispenser. What a sad moment that is: empty bottle, needy hands. Ah, what to do.
I was fed up with buying jug after jug of refill soap when I knew darn well that I could make it for a fraction of the cost. I just never wanted to. But now....Ha! I've had laundry soap success! Let's add this to the list.
After some research, I gave it a shot.
Here's the How To part, for your appreciation.
Take 4oz of your favorite bar soap and grate it. (You'll get exercise AND soap. A winning combination as ever there could be).
Bring 1 jug of water to a boil. (Distilled water is good for this).
Remove from heat and add the grated soap.
Stir until melted. (At this point, you'll have liquidy stuff. But do not despair! You're not done yet. The magic has yet to happen. This is a lesson in patience.)
Allow to sit for 15 minutes and give it another stir. Now let it set quietly for a few more hours to overnight so it will thicken. (Mine was ready after about 2 hours).
Once it thickens, and believe me, you'll know when it is...decide if you're happy with it. You can adjust it as needed. Too liquid-y? Reheat and add more soap. Too thick? Reheat and add more water. If you want it smooth it out a bit, take a moment to run an immesion blender through it.
When cooled, you can add a few drops of essential oils (if you want it to smell so 'purdy'), and some coloring, (if you want it to look so 'purdy' too). Fill your dispensers and wash away, friend; wash away.
As an added bonus, you pour the rest of the soap back into your jug, which now becomes a handy soap bottle. How great is that?
The exciting news is that it keeps for a long time, so you can make a big batch several times a year and have your soap when you need it.
My verdict is....
I am happy. I am. I added some lavender oil, which smells nice. I also used my immersion blender on the cooled soap to make it velvety smooth and nice.
We have automatic dispensers, so I wasn't sure how this stuff would feed out of it. It's been fine though. I like the stuff. It's true. And what I like even more is that a quart of it cost me a whopping 45 cents. That's right. 4 dimes and a nickle. Or 9 nickles, if you'd rather.
And before you say it, I know it's cheap at price clubs. That's where we've gotten it for the last few years. This represents a freedom from Da Man. I'm starting a thumb-on-nose revolution at our house whereby we don't buy stuff we can make.
Because I can.
Because it's just as good.
Because, darn it, I'm not falling victim to the mighty ad-men any more than I have to.
And because, it turns out, sometimes it's just as easy to save money as it is to spend it. (My first GALLON of soap cost a mere .78; the cost of the water).
So there ya go.
Give it a try. Let me know what you think.
So maybe you're tired of reading about my attempts to cut the financial corners down a bit. But. I'm writing about it anyway. Because it's important. Because it matters. And because I want to.
As you know, I've met with some success with trying my hand at making Laundry detergent. It's fun. It's cheap. It works. Cannot complain about it. Makes me feel a distant kinship with our pioneering ancestors, (their use of boiling lye compared to the relative ease of my dumping a few pre-made ingredients together not withstanding).
Riding on the wave of that glory, I decided to try my hand at another soap making endeavor when the last drops of liquid hand soap slowly eeked out of the soap dispenser. What a sad moment that is: empty bottle, needy hands. Ah, what to do.
I was fed up with buying jug after jug of refill soap when I knew darn well that I could make it for a fraction of the cost. I just never wanted to. But now....Ha! I've had laundry soap success! Let's add this to the list.
After some research, I gave it a shot.
Here's the How To part, for your appreciation.
Take 4oz of your favorite bar soap and grate it. (You'll get exercise AND soap. A winning combination as ever there could be).
Bring 1 jug of water to a boil. (Distilled water is good for this).
Remove from heat and add the grated soap.
Stir until melted. (At this point, you'll have liquidy stuff. But do not despair! You're not done yet. The magic has yet to happen. This is a lesson in patience.)
Allow to sit for 15 minutes and give it another stir. Now let it set quietly for a few more hours to overnight so it will thicken. (Mine was ready after about 2 hours).
Once it thickens, and believe me, you'll know when it is...decide if you're happy with it. You can adjust it as needed. Too liquid-y? Reheat and add more soap. Too thick? Reheat and add more water. If you want it smooth it out a bit, take a moment to run an immesion blender through it.
When cooled, you can add a few drops of essential oils (if you want it to smell so 'purdy'), and some coloring, (if you want it to look so 'purdy' too). Fill your dispensers and wash away, friend; wash away.
As an added bonus, you pour the rest of the soap back into your jug, which now becomes a handy soap bottle. How great is that?
The exciting news is that it keeps for a long time, so you can make a big batch several times a year and have your soap when you need it.
My verdict is....
I am happy. I am. I added some lavender oil, which smells nice. I also used my immersion blender on the cooled soap to make it velvety smooth and nice.
We have automatic dispensers, so I wasn't sure how this stuff would feed out of it. It's been fine though. I like the stuff. It's true. And what I like even more is that a quart of it cost me a whopping 45 cents. That's right. 4 dimes and a nickle. Or 9 nickles, if you'd rather.
And before you say it, I know it's cheap at price clubs. That's where we've gotten it for the last few years. This represents a freedom from Da Man. I'm starting a thumb-on-nose revolution at our house whereby we don't buy stuff we can make.
Because I can.
Because it's just as good.
Because, darn it, I'm not falling victim to the mighty ad-men any more than I have to.
And because, it turns out, sometimes it's just as easy to save money as it is to spend it. (My first GALLON of soap cost a mere .78; the cost of the water).
So there ya go.
Give it a try. Let me know what you think.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
They Call Her Mom.
Thinking, "Mom".
Being a mother means learning to think in terms of "Others" rather than "Myself".
It means baking the chocolate cupcakes when I'd much rather have the vanilla ones
(because 2 happy smiles make up for any frowns I may make. Come to think of it,
it's all good diet sense anyways, right?)
As a mother, my first thoughts are for them.
are they safe?
are they happy?
do they feel loved?
Motherhood means wearing my heart on my sleeve
(and wanting to put bubble wrap on it. And duct tape. And a big sign that says, "CAREFUL! My heart is
here. Don't bump it. Don't hurt it. Don't even look at it crossed eyed. Or I'll claw your eyes out."
In fact, motherhood has taught me that I probably do have it within myself to seriously hurt someone who harmed or even attempted to harm my children. Oh yeah. I think so.
Being a mom has opened my eyes to a world I used to know. It's brought back the magic of a lightening bug. The simple thrill of a pinwheel blowing in the wind. The wonder of a rainbow.
In being a mother, I'm remembering to be thankful (oh-so-thankful) for every blessing.
Each. And. Every. One.
Baking Up Some Love
Today I woke up in need of cinnamon rolls.
Real cinnamon rolls.
The kind that you bake properly; from scratch. With dough. And mounds of cinnamon. And slabs of butter.
The kind I should have thought about making last night so I could get them semi put together before this morning's craving hit.
(But how was I supposed to know?)
In the midst of my cinnamon roll making, dough creating, madness, two little girls pranced into the kitchen. Both eager to see "What's Going On" and to be a part of the magic. With a couple of well-placed compliments tossed in a long the way: "Oh Mom, your cinnamon rolls are my favorite", "I think your cinnamon rolls will help my allergies go away, Mom. I'll probably need to eat quite a few." (Hmmmm...)
So here I am now, with time on my hands (approximately 40 minutes), and fingers itching to communicate. (Rise dough, rise).
The girls are now plopped in front of the TV, watching their current favorite "Ratatouille". Caedance is happily eating some dry cereal, while Ashlyn skirts around the rug to find a place for herself on the couch. It's not what they're doing that interests me at the moment; it's how they're doing it.
Ashlyn, skirting the rug, careful not to let her bare feet touch it.
Caedance, touching each piece of cereal to her upper lip before popping it in her mouth.
Quirks.
On display. In a moment of unguarded, unpretentious abandon. Hair "let down", being themselves.
Quirks.
Ashlyn deplores having her bare feet on a rug. I'm not sure if it's a testament to my extensive personal collection of cheap rugs that are tossed around our house; or if it is a universal aversion to all floor covering of the small and movable kind. All I know is, she creeps around the edge of them all if her feet are bare. In the morning, getting ready for school, the socks go on first. Every time.
Caedance, on the other hand, seems to have a fixation with touching food to her upper lip before eating it. Not every piece of food, thank goodness. Just select varieties. I'm not sure if she's smelling it, testing the texture, or just being odd. Quintessentially Caedance; how I love her. Pick up the food, tap it to the upper lip, put it in the mouth. Pick up, tap it, eat it. Interesting.
They seem to sense my observation from across the room and turn to see me watching them. They smile at me. Heads leaned towards each other, ear-to-ear grins plastered identically on each face. A smile that conveys love, joy, content.
They love me. Look at that sheer adoration in my direction! What a lucky lady I am to have two such-
"Mom, are the cinnamon rolls about done?"
"Can you go finish making them now?"
Oh.
I see.
There you go.
I'm loved. Yes.
But right now, cinnamon rolls have the adoration.
Real cinnamon rolls.
The kind that you bake properly; from scratch. With dough. And mounds of cinnamon. And slabs of butter.
The kind I should have thought about making last night so I could get them semi put together before this morning's craving hit.
(But how was I supposed to know?)
In the midst of my cinnamon roll making, dough creating, madness, two little girls pranced into the kitchen. Both eager to see "What's Going On" and to be a part of the magic. With a couple of well-placed compliments tossed in a long the way: "Oh Mom, your cinnamon rolls are my favorite", "I think your cinnamon rolls will help my allergies go away, Mom. I'll probably need to eat quite a few." (Hmmmm...)
So here I am now, with time on my hands (approximately 40 minutes), and fingers itching to communicate. (Rise dough, rise).
The girls are now plopped in front of the TV, watching their current favorite "Ratatouille". Caedance is happily eating some dry cereal, while Ashlyn skirts around the rug to find a place for herself on the couch. It's not what they're doing that interests me at the moment; it's how they're doing it.
Ashlyn, skirting the rug, careful not to let her bare feet touch it.
Caedance, touching each piece of cereal to her upper lip before popping it in her mouth.
Quirks.
On display. In a moment of unguarded, unpretentious abandon. Hair "let down", being themselves.
Quirks.
Ashlyn deplores having her bare feet on a rug. I'm not sure if it's a testament to my extensive personal collection of cheap rugs that are tossed around our house; or if it is a universal aversion to all floor covering of the small and movable kind. All I know is, she creeps around the edge of them all if her feet are bare. In the morning, getting ready for school, the socks go on first. Every time.
Caedance, on the other hand, seems to have a fixation with touching food to her upper lip before eating it. Not every piece of food, thank goodness. Just select varieties. I'm not sure if she's smelling it, testing the texture, or just being odd. Quintessentially Caedance; how I love her. Pick up the food, tap it to the upper lip, put it in the mouth. Pick up, tap it, eat it. Interesting.
They seem to sense my observation from across the room and turn to see me watching them. They smile at me. Heads leaned towards each other, ear-to-ear grins plastered identically on each face. A smile that conveys love, joy, content.
They love me. Look at that sheer adoration in my direction! What a lucky lady I am to have two such-
"Mom, are the cinnamon rolls about done?"
"Can you go finish making them now?"
Oh.
I see.
There you go.
I'm loved. Yes.
But right now, cinnamon rolls have the adoration.
Friday, May 6, 2011
In A Moment of Silence
We are in the middle of our 245th fight with allergies this year.
They were doing fine yesterday. Today they're stuffed up and staring vacantly ahead.
On the way home from school I asked them, "Are you feeling okay?" They just stared ahead, unblinking. "Yes, Mama", the answered in unison. Still staring. I had an eerie recollection of the twins from The Shinning. 'We want you to play with us'.
I have them resting on the couch now.
Well, one is resting. The other is snoring. Loudly.
It's quiet. (Except for the snoring, obviously).
That is not a usual sound in our house.
I'm not quite sure what to do with myself when I don't have to say the common phrases every five minutes:
"Stop that."
"Stop fighting."
"No pushing on that."
"No jumping from there."
"No throwing. Anything. Ever."
"Did you bite her? Don't bite her."
"Who didn't flush the toilet? If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."
In the midst of this unusual din of silence, I find myself wondering what I ever did before they were here.
How did I occupy my time? I can't seem to recall, but I must have done something. I was always so busy. So tired. Exasperated about some definite lack of time. Rushing. Hurrying here and there. Forever 5 minutes behind.
How is that possible?
I didn't know what "Busy" or "Lack Of Time" meant back then.
And the truly marvelous thing is; even though I have no time to myself (save these rare moments of allergy-induced silence), I cannot imagine my life any other way.
I don't want to.
These two fill my life with the best sort of busy-ness there could ever be.
The soft hum of a family filling these walls.
A daily blessing, indeed.
They were doing fine yesterday. Today they're stuffed up and staring vacantly ahead.
On the way home from school I asked them, "Are you feeling okay?" They just stared ahead, unblinking. "Yes, Mama", the answered in unison. Still staring. I had an eerie recollection of the twins from The Shinning. 'We want you to play with us'.
I have them resting on the couch now.
Well, one is resting. The other is snoring. Loudly.
It's quiet. (Except for the snoring, obviously).
That is not a usual sound in our house.
I'm not quite sure what to do with myself when I don't have to say the common phrases every five minutes:
"Stop that."
"Stop fighting."
"No pushing on that."
"No jumping from there."
"No throwing. Anything. Ever."
"Did you bite her? Don't bite her."
"Who didn't flush the toilet? If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."
In the midst of this unusual din of silence, I find myself wondering what I ever did before they were here.
How did I occupy my time? I can't seem to recall, but I must have done something. I was always so busy. So tired. Exasperated about some definite lack of time. Rushing. Hurrying here and there. Forever 5 minutes behind.
How is that possible?
I didn't know what "Busy" or "Lack Of Time" meant back then.
And the truly marvelous thing is; even though I have no time to myself (save these rare moments of allergy-induced silence), I cannot imagine my life any other way.
I don't want to.
These two fill my life with the best sort of busy-ness there could ever be.
The soft hum of a family filling these walls.
A daily blessing, indeed.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Laundry Soap
We are in the middle of an experiment in the fine art of "Saving Money". I don't know if you've noticed or not, but things are starting to get pricey. (And if you haven't noticed that yet, I have some questions for you regarding your whereabouts for the last year or so.)
We're a one income family, and as such, our Money Tree has dwindled down to more of a sapling, really. I'm always looking for ways to save money or use what we have in better and more efficient ways.
One day I stumbled upon the recipes for making your own laundry soap and figured I'd give it a try. Turns out, it's a great recipe that works well and can pull double duty around the house. The recipes come from The Duggar Family (you can google them if you don't know who they are), and I highly recommend trying these out!
Powdered Laundry Detergent:
1 (or 2) bar(s) of Fels-Naptha soap..or Ivory
1 Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
-Put everything in a food processor and pulse until powdered. For a light load, use 1 TBS of powder. Use 2 TBS for a heavy or large load.
Liquid Laundry Detergent:
4 cups Hot water
1 (or 2) bar(s) Fels-Naptha or Ivory soap, grated.
1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
-put grated soap & water in a saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until soap is melted.
-fill a 5 gallon bucket half way with hot tap water. Add soap, washing soda, and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved. Now fill bucket the rest of the way with warm water. Cover and let stand overnight to thicken.
To use: stir and fill a clean lidded container half full of soap, then fill the rest of the way with water. You'll need to shake before each use. 5/8 of a cup for top load machines, (approx. 180 loads) 1/4 cup for front load machines (approx. 640 loads).
You can add a 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. But add it after the soap has cooled.
The liquid version has been great. First off, make sure you grate the soap. Very important. I also think 2 bars is the way to go in the recipe as well. To use it, I fill a flip-lidded 2 quart container with the soap and add the water (I use a cleaned out Cat Litter container), although I use less water than called for. I then use my immersion blender to blend it all together, dropping in a few drops of essential oil as I do. Cleans great and whitens whites. Can't complain about that. The soap itself smells wonderful, but doesn't leave much of a scent on the clothes. It's taken me some time to get used to that, but since they smell clean, I am learning. Besides, I can use fabric softener, right?
Will I get 640 loads out of it? I'm guessing not. First off, I don't use an actual 5 gallon bucket. Second, I find I'm not watering down each batch as much as called for. I use less water to keep the soap a bit thicker. Finally, I'm using it for other things besides laundry, so it's pulling double and triple duty for me. I'm guessing, based on how I'm using it, that I'll still get roughly 250 to maybe 300 loads of laundry out of this. Considering it cost me under $2.00 to make, I'll chalk this up as a very big Win.
I've also used this liquid stuff in my steam cleaner. Carefully. I add it to the filled water tank, stirring to make sure it totally dissolves. In my opinion it out cleans the store bought solutions, which are really pricey.
I use this to clean out the mice cage too, and have had great results. There's not a lot of sudsing, so it's a cleaner rinse. And the mice like the lavender smell, I think. (Seriously, the little boogers do).
Again, I recommend giving this a try. If you do, please let me know how it goes for you. I'd love to hear it!
If you visit the Duggar Family website, they have other recipes (some are "Duggar-sized") for family favorites as well as a good fabric softener idea. Check it out!
Update: 4-28-12
It's been a year now since going Homemade with detergent. I love it. Absolutely. I keep both the powdered & liquid versions around. Incidently, I have also been using Fels-Naptha as my go to, one and only stain treater. Wet the stained area, scrub the soap onto it, then put in the wash. Presto-Pasta! Stain is gone. At less than a dollar a bar, and with a success rate of nearly 100%, I'm voting a big Yes on that. Another cost cutting thing I've been doing is to water down my fabric softener. I pour the softener into a gallon jug, then fill the now empty FS container with water and begin adding water to the jug as well, repeating that until jug is full. The effect is the same as full strength, only now my FS lasts a lot longer. Easy-Peasy.
We're a one income family, and as such, our Money Tree has dwindled down to more of a sapling, really. I'm always looking for ways to save money or use what we have in better and more efficient ways.
One day I stumbled upon the recipes for making your own laundry soap and figured I'd give it a try. Turns out, it's a great recipe that works well and can pull double duty around the house. The recipes come from The Duggar Family (you can google them if you don't know who they are), and I highly recommend trying these out!
The Recipes
Powdered Laundry Detergent:
1 (or 2) bar(s) of Fels-Naptha soap..or Ivory
1 Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
-Put everything in a food processor and pulse until powdered. For a light load, use 1 TBS of powder. Use 2 TBS for a heavy or large load.
Liquid Laundry Detergent:
4 cups Hot water
1 (or 2) bar(s) Fels-Naptha or Ivory soap, grated.
1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
-put grated soap & water in a saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until soap is melted.
-fill a 5 gallon bucket half way with hot tap water. Add soap, washing soda, and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved. Now fill bucket the rest of the way with warm water. Cover and let stand overnight to thicken.
To use: stir and fill a clean lidded container half full of soap, then fill the rest of the way with water. You'll need to shake before each use. 5/8 of a cup for top load machines, (approx. 180 loads) 1/4 cup for front load machines (approx. 640 loads).
You can add a 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. But add it after the soap has cooled.
My Verdict:
The powdered soap works great. I use 2 bars of soap per batch and think that's right for me. A nice, light smell. I use Ivory, although I may try the Fels-Naptha brand soap too. I have found Fels-Naptha at Walmart for .97 a bar.The liquid version has been great. First off, make sure you grate the soap. Very important. I also think 2 bars is the way to go in the recipe as well. To use it, I fill a flip-lidded 2 quart container with the soap and add the water (I use a cleaned out Cat Litter container), although I use less water than called for. I then use my immersion blender to blend it all together, dropping in a few drops of essential oil as I do. Cleans great and whitens whites. Can't complain about that. The soap itself smells wonderful, but doesn't leave much of a scent on the clothes. It's taken me some time to get used to that, but since they smell clean, I am learning. Besides, I can use fabric softener, right?
Will I get 640 loads out of it? I'm guessing not. First off, I don't use an actual 5 gallon bucket. Second, I find I'm not watering down each batch as much as called for. I use less water to keep the soap a bit thicker. Finally, I'm using it for other things besides laundry, so it's pulling double and triple duty for me. I'm guessing, based on how I'm using it, that I'll still get roughly 250 to maybe 300 loads of laundry out of this. Considering it cost me under $2.00 to make, I'll chalk this up as a very big Win.
I've also used this liquid stuff in my steam cleaner. Carefully. I add it to the filled water tank, stirring to make sure it totally dissolves. In my opinion it out cleans the store bought solutions, which are really pricey.
I use this to clean out the mice cage too, and have had great results. There's not a lot of sudsing, so it's a cleaner rinse. And the mice like the lavender smell, I think. (Seriously, the little boogers do).
Again, I recommend giving this a try. If you do, please let me know how it goes for you. I'd love to hear it!
If you visit the Duggar Family website, they have other recipes (some are "Duggar-sized") for family favorites as well as a good fabric softener idea. Check it out!
Update: 4-28-12
It's been a year now since going Homemade with detergent. I love it. Absolutely. I keep both the powdered & liquid versions around. Incidently, I have also been using Fels-Naptha as my go to, one and only stain treater. Wet the stained area, scrub the soap onto it, then put in the wash. Presto-Pasta! Stain is gone. At less than a dollar a bar, and with a success rate of nearly 100%, I'm voting a big Yes on that. Another cost cutting thing I've been doing is to water down my fabric softener. I pour the softener into a gallon jug, then fill the now empty FS container with water and begin adding water to the jug as well, repeating that until jug is full. The effect is the same as full strength, only now my FS lasts a lot longer. Easy-Peasy.
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