Laundry Detergent, 6 gallons for under $3.

I love the new Tide slogan "Style is an option, clean isn't". Or something like that. So to keep your style clean I have worked out a recipe for a great laundry detergent that will be safe to use and easy on the wallet. You will only need three ingredients Washing Crystals, Borax, and Fels-Naptha. All three of these are available at my local grocery store in the laundry isle. 

Six gallons of laundry detergent for this? Yes, please. 

Have all of these ingredients and tools handy:

One 5-1/2 oz. Bar Fels-Naptha Laundry Soap

1-1/2 Cup Borax

1-1/2 Cup Washing Crystals

1 Stock Pot

1 Funnel

6 Empty gallon jugs

1 Box grater

The first step is the hardest! Grate one bar of Fels-Naptha Laundry Soap. This will make about 2 Cups and costs around $1.29 at the local grocery store.

Now that the grating is done place the soap flakes in a stock pot with 1-1/2 Cup Borax ($0.68 locally), 1-1/2 Cup Washing Crystals ($0.82 locally), and 12 Cups of water.  Stir and heat over medium on the stove. 

Looks a little egg-y.

While this is warming up be sure to stir often. Time to start filling those six gallon containers with 12 Cups of water in each. I usually fill one and use it as a measuring stick for the rest. Mark the water level for when you re-use these. 

Once all your soap has dissolved on the stove and has a nice foam to it, take it off the heat. 

Place 2 Cups of the soap concentrate in each gallon jug. Use the funnel and a heat safe glass measuring cup. 

Use a bamboo skewer to stir up the concentrate and water, or close the cap and shake gently. Top off the jug with about 2 more cups of water. 

Clean Your Silver Accessories for Spring With Stuff You Probably Already Have

How to Get Your Silver Accessories to Sparkle for Spring Using Stuff You Probably Already Have

Dirty Jewelry BEFORE

What You Will Need

You will need :

Baking Soda

Salt

Aluminum Foil

Pan 

Warm Water

Old Toothbrush (If you really have some hardcore tarnish)

Dirty Silver (or Silver Plated) Jewelry or Flatwear

Line your pan with aluminum foil. I recommend a pan long enough to lay your necklaces out flat so they don’t tangle.  Place your items to be cleaned on the foil. Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon salt on the foil followed by enough baking soda to cover the items. Pour warm water (as warm as your tap will get) on top of the items and dry ingredients until they are covered. 

Next place another sheet of foil on top.To make sure this foil stays down close to your silver pour more warm water on top of the second sheet of foil. Let this set for at least 30 minutes.

 Remove from the pan and rinse with warm water, dry thoroughly. If the silver still looks tarnished after this bath then its time to bust out the toothbrush…

This Chain Needs Some Extra Scrubbing!

This Necklace Only Needed A Bath

So if the initial bath was not enough to get your silver bright and sparkling, don’t give up just yet. Put some more baking soda in a cup with a dash of salt (use according to haw much you have to clean). Mix in small amounts of water until you have a gooey paste. Use your toothbrush to scrub the flat surfaces. If you have something with grooves, like a necklace chain, use your fingers to message the paste into all the nooks and crannies. 

Rub the paste all over until it starts to get clean, then repeat the bath again. For really stubborn tarnish you may need to do this a couple of times (the cz necklace pictured took two complete scrub cycles, grrrr).You now have no excuses not to have sparkling silver this spring!

Jewelry AFTER Cleaning