Homemade Dishwashing Detergent

No way. Absolutely NOT. There is no way something homemade can compete with my little individually wrapped, fancy blue tabs with a little red circle in the middle. After all, these have been perfected. They are beautiful. They are fun! They are EASY.

They are EXPENSIVE! THEY ARE WASTEFUL! 

The recipe:

Also added two dots of BLUE DAWN DISH SOAP in dispenser (pre-wash & main wash):

The test: A full load of dishes, plus two extra gross ones.

Sticky Carrot Cake Mess

Homemade Maple Syrup- left on all morning/afternoon

The result:

Plus a dishwasher full of clean dishes!

I still haven't run out of JET DRY yet... but I'll be trying plain white vinegar when I do!

I'm impressed! Now check out my savings!!

JET DRY individual tabs:
100 tabs = $18.00 (COSTCO BULK/DISCOUNT)

Cost per load: 18 cents a load

$64.80 year

JET DRY individual tabs: ( I do not buy these from local grocery stores!)

20 tabs =$6.97 (local grocery store) 

Cost per load: 35 cents per load

$127.75 year

HOMEMADE RECIPE:

Borax: $3.38 for 4lbs (76oz) (TARGET) 9.5 cups <.36 a cup>
Arm & Hammer Washing Soda: 3.4lbs (55 oz) $2.19 (FRED MEYER) 6.875 cups <.32 a cup)
Citric Acid : $11.20 1 lb (AMAZON) 4.75cups  <2.36 a cup>
Salt (I used Epsom): $7.00 12lbs (COSTCO) 21 cups <.33 a cup>
Blue Dawn: $12.58 gallon (COSTCO)

Cost per recipe:
Borax .18
Washing Soda  .48
Citric Acid .59
Salt .08

$1.33 per recipe

.13 cents a load
$46.80 year

Savings: $18.00 year

And I will keep looking for ways to get this stuff cheaper including COUPONS! :)

FELS-NAPTHA as a Stain Remover?

So while I was at Fred Meyer buying Washing Soda, which seems to be in many homemade recipes, I saw this bar of soap.

Never heard of it before, however, the "100 Years of Quality" stamp had me intrigued. And the price tag of $1.33 wasn't to shabby either. A quick google search was proof that this soap is used quite a bit in the land of the homemade. So Mr. FELS... prove your worthiness! 

VS. 

Both FAILED to get out my husband's set in stains.
But I did get them out!


HOW?


Baking Soda + equal parts BOILING water & Vinegar!
Let it sit for a minute, and then run a regular wash cycle!

The set in stains were gone. POOF! :)

The Challenge

Making the house more eco-friendly and cost-effective! Home-make as much as possible and document the outcome.
I'll be researching recipes and posting what I find to be the most effective home made alternatives and the before and after cost.