Comments on: 7 Green-ish Ways to Lower Household Costs http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/08/go-green-and-lower-your-household-costs.html simplicity, creativity, self-sufficiency,...minivans Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:35:45 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: AnnieJ http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/08/go-green-and-lower-your-household-costs.html/comment-page-1#comment-3117 AnnieJ Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:48:31 +0000 http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/?p=1692#comment-3117 We ran out of dishwasher detergent about six months ago and I mixed up a small batch of homemade to tide us over until I could buy more. It was just equal parts borax and baking soda aka sodium bicarbonate (online recipes say to use washing soda aka sodium carbonate but I didn't have any) plus white vinegar in the rinse agent dispenser. I used about a tablespoon and a half of the powder per wash, and just filled the rinse dispenser with the vinegar. That combo didn't work perfectly, so the next time I used the same powder mix and added a VERY small squirt (a few drops) of dishwashing liquid (Dawn) to the powder dispenser along with the powder mix, and splashed a small amount of bleach in the bottom of the dishwasher (about a teaspoon). This has worked so well that we've never bothered to get more commercial dishwashing detergent, and its truly cheaper than dirt. The drops of detergent are a surfactant - what is needed to cut grease - and its absence is probably why people give up on making their own. The baking soda is a mild abrasive and a water softener. Commercial dishwashing detergents have surfactants, abrasives and water softeners, and also usually contain bleach and borax. If we had hard water, a small amount of citric acid could be added to further help soften the water. If you give this a try, be sure not to overdo the dishwashing liquid. A very few drops will do the job, and too much will foam out of your dishwasher all over your floor. And don't forget the vinegar. Without it, your glassware will tend to look cloudy after a few washings but it clears right up when you go back to using the vinegar. We ran out of dishwasher detergent about six months ago and I mixed up a small batch of homemade to tide us over until I could buy more. It was just equal parts borax and baking soda aka sodium bicarbonate (online recipes say to use washing soda aka sodium carbonate but I didn’t have any) plus white vinegar in the rinse agent dispenser. I used about a tablespoon and a half of the powder per wash, and just filled the rinse dispenser with the vinegar.

That combo didn’t work perfectly, so the next time I used the same powder mix and added a VERY small squirt (a few drops) of dishwashing liquid (Dawn) to the powder dispenser along with the powder mix, and splashed a small amount of bleach in the bottom of the dishwasher (about a teaspoon). This has worked so well that we’ve never bothered to get more commercial dishwashing detergent, and its truly cheaper than dirt.

The drops of detergent are a surfactant – what is needed to cut grease – and its absence is probably why people give up on making their own. The baking soda is a mild abrasive and a water softener. Commercial dishwashing detergents have surfactants, abrasives and water softeners, and also usually contain bleach and borax. If we had hard water, a small amount of citric acid could be added to further help soften the water.

If you give this a try, be sure not to overdo the dishwashing liquid. A very few drops will do the job, and too much will foam out of your dishwasher all over your floor. And don’t forget the vinegar. Without it, your glassware will tend to look cloudy after a few washings but it clears right up when you go back to using the vinegar.

]]> By: Jackie http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/08/go-green-and-lower-your-household-costs.html/comment-page-1#comment-2499 Jackie Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:31:06 +0000 http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/?p=1692#comment-2499 Love these! I just learned that, instead of buying Jet-Dri for the dishwasher, you can use white vinegar in the Jet Dri spot, and it makes dishes sparkley - That's what my girls called it! Love these!
I just learned that, instead of buying Jet-Dri for the dishwasher, you can use white vinegar in the Jet Dri spot, and it makes dishes sparkley – That’s what my girls called it!

]]> By: Ivory Soap http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/08/go-green-and-lower-your-household-costs.html/comment-page-1#comment-2171 Ivory Soap Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:14:20 +0000 http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/?p=1692#comment-2171 @Heather--I would have NEVER made it through three kids under five at home without the gym! I rarely worked out there, though. @Heather–I would have NEVER made it through three kids under five at home without the gym! I rarely worked out there, though.

]]> By: Heather http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/08/go-green-and-lower-your-household-costs.html/comment-page-1#comment-2121 Heather Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:58:00 +0000 http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/?p=1692#comment-2121 I adore your site. ADORE!!! I had to laugh about #4, I've never been such a devout gym goer since I had my son. I get time to myself there--no arms full of stuff, no husband, no phone ringing, ahh... From this post I learned how to make my own laundry detergent, which is great! And I just bought a used bread maker off Craigslist today and made my first loaf tonight. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! It came out great. I love, love, love what you're doing. Keep it up. :) I adore your site. ADORE!!! I had to laugh about #4, I’ve never been such a devout gym goer since I had my son. I get time to myself there–no arms full of stuff, no husband, no phone ringing, ahh… From this post I learned how to make my own laundry detergent, which is great! And I just bought a used bread maker off Craigslist today and made my first loaf tonight. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! It came out great. I love, love, love what you’re doing. Keep it up. :)

]]> By: Ivory Soap http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/08/go-green-and-lower-your-household-costs.html/comment-page-1#comment-1984 Ivory Soap Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:12:28 +0000 http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/?p=1692#comment-1984 @Becca--THIS I could do. @Becca–THIS I could do.

]]> By: Ivory Soap http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/08/go-green-and-lower-your-household-costs.html/comment-page-1#comment-1976 Ivory Soap Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:54:16 +0000 http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/?p=1692#comment-1976 Owl Momma- I"m going to check into that soap nut liquid! Owl Momma- I”m going to check into that soap nut liquid!

]]> By: Ivory Soap http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/08/go-green-and-lower-your-household-costs.html/comment-page-1#comment-1975 Ivory Soap Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:52:14 +0000 http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/?p=1692#comment-1975 @Share--We have all kinds of cleaning recipes on the site! @Share–We have all kinds of cleaning recipes on the site!

]]> By: Share http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/08/go-green-and-lower-your-household-costs.html/comment-page-1#comment-1920 Share Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:57:57 +0000 http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/?p=1692#comment-1920 Wow! I have never read so many interesting comments before! I love the money saving ideas! I have never made my own cleaning anything though, can you suggest some great recipes for me? and reusable bathroom products??? Really??? I don't know if I can do that, but kudos to the rest of you! Wow! I have never read so many interesting comments before! I love the money saving ideas! I have never made my own cleaning anything though, can you suggest some great recipes for me? and reusable bathroom products??? Really??? I don’t know if I can do that, but kudos to the rest of you!

]]> By: Michelle http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/08/go-green-and-lower-your-household-costs.html/comment-page-1#comment-1918 Michelle Sun, 30 Aug 2009 02:15:04 +0000 http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/?p=1692#comment-1918 Cloth in the bathroom for tinkling saves me so much TP! I even had my pad lady (effiethepixie on Etsy) make me four dozen wonderful little wipes. I use TP for most of the backside stuff because I have weird digestive issues but do use cut up T-shirt wipes for the tail end of backside wiping (sorry, couldn't resist!). So even there I'm saving. I had to get used to the (slight) ick factor with that, but it's not that bad. With my pads & pantyliners I won't be saving money for about another year (started my stash about 15 months ago) but after that I will be, and I love effie's pads SO much more than 'sposies. Not to mention nixing the environmental issues. A great thread about "family cloth": http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=389009&highlight=family+cloth Cloth in the bathroom for tinkling saves me so much TP! I even had my pad lady (effiethepixie on Etsy) make me four dozen wonderful little wipes. I use TP for most of the backside stuff because I have weird digestive issues but do use cut up T-shirt wipes for the tail end of backside wiping (sorry, couldn’t resist!). So even there I’m saving. I had to get used to the (slight) ick factor with that, but it’s not that bad. With my pads & pantyliners I won’t be saving money for about another year (started my stash about 15 months ago) but after that I will be, and I love effie’s pads SO much more than ’sposies. Not to mention nixing the environmental issues.

A great thread about “family cloth”: http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=389009&highlight=family+cloth

]]> By: Stephanie - Green SAHM http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/08/go-green-and-lower-your-household-costs.html/comment-page-1#comment-1916 Stephanie - Green SAHM Sat, 29 Aug 2009 21:06:32 +0000 http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/?p=1692#comment-1916 Becca, I've recently been discovering how handy the diaper sprayer is in that way too. A bit cold but so effective. My aunt tried to tease me about it being a bidet but I explained that it does its job quite nicely. I'm good at setting the A/C to 85. Getting used to warm isn't that bad. Takes me longer to get used to cold weather, though. At least for that I can pull on a sweater. I have a baby right now, so there's only so much cold or heat I'll make her deal with. She can't tell me directly when it's too much, after all. Becca, I’ve recently been discovering how handy the diaper sprayer is in that way too. A bit cold but so effective. My aunt tried to tease me about it being a bidet but I explained that it does its job quite nicely.

I’m good at setting the A/C to 85. Getting used to warm isn’t that bad. Takes me longer to get used to cold weather, though. At least for that I can pull on a sweater. I have a baby right now, so there’s only so much cold or heat I’ll make her deal with. She can’t tell me directly when it’s too much, after all.

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