Homemade Disinfectant/Baby Wipes

Last night we gathered at the ward kitchen to make homemade disinfectant wipes and baby wipes.

Here is a tutorial  for those of you who missed a great evening:

You just need a roll of sturdy Paper Towels your favorite Disinfectant Cleaner and some sort of Container (if you have an old storebought wipes container, PERFECT!) In the picture below, I used "Brawny", but I have found better towels that are industrial strength. They "Scott Xtreme Shop Towels". They are blue and found in the paint dept at Home Depot for about $1.98 per roll.

You simply cut your roll of paper towel in half...a serrated knife works best. Then mix 2 Cups of water with 2 Tablespoons of your disinfectant (more if you want) and pour over the half roll. It is best to really soak the center core as you will need to remove it. Turn it over and soak the other side. If you have extra liquid, that's a good thing. The towels will soak it all up!

Pull out the center...

Put in your container...also, you can use a Tupperware type container. You might have to "squish" it in, but it will still work.

That's it!

Baby Wipes:

2 Cups Water

2 Tbs Baby Shampoo

2Tbs. baby Oil

**Any sturdy paper towels will work. The blue industrial wipes only have 50 sheets, but they are SO much more durable so you ultimately use less. The roll is thinner than the regular Bounty/Brawny types which makes them fit into an old wipes container much easier...

Your total cost per container of wipes is approximately $1.05. I bought my Baby Shampoo and Baby Oil at the Dollar Store when I was in SLC so it works out to be the same or less than the Disinfectant Wipes by just pennies.

Homemade Laundry Soap Recipe

We had a wonderful time making Homemade Laundry Soap for PENNIES last month. Here are the recipes for both the LIQUID and POWDERED Laundry Soaps:

LIQUID LAUNDRY SOAP:

• 1/3 Bar of Fels Naptha Soap
• 1/2 Cup of 20 Mule Team Borax
• 1/2 Cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

You will also need a 2 gallon bucket or larger and some sort of grater (a cheese grater or food processor is great)

Fels Naptha: This is an old fashioned soap found in the laundry aisle. It is in bar form
20 Mule Team Borax: Borax is a natural occuring mineral, Sodium Borate. It is also a white powder and its purpose is as a laundry whitener and a deodorizer.
Arm & Hammer Washing Soda: This is NOT baking soda. Washing Soda is "Sodium Carbonate" or "Soda Ash". Washing Soda is a white powder and its purpose is to remove dirt and odors.

**All of these ingredients can be found in the Laundry Aisle**

Grate the soap and put it into a pot. Add 6 Cups of Water and heat over med heat until soap melts, stirring often. It's best if you grate the soap very finely, it will melt faster. Then add the Borax and the Washing Soda. Remove from heat when it is all dissolved.

Pour 4 Cups of Water into your bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Then add 1 gallon + 6 Cups of water (22 Cups total) and stir. Let the mixture sit for at least 24 hours.

**A few things to note about the soap**

This picture was taken after it has set for 24 hours and after it has been stirred..unstirred, it is more gelled on top...

The soap will not be a solid gel. It will be a gel on the surface. It has an "Egg Noodle Soup" look but once you give it a good stir, it becomes more watery...this is fine.

Also, it is a low sudsing soap. This is OK as suds are NOT what do the cleaning, it's the ingredients in the soap.

OPTIONS: If you want fragrance, you can add 1 oz. of your favorite essectial oil. The most popular are Lemon or orange. Lavender is nice as well.

You will only need between 1/3 - 1/2 Cup per load depending on the size of the load.

Cost Breakdown:

Keep in mind that you are making approximately 2 gallons of soap which will give you enough to do about 64 loads of laundry.

1 Bar Fels Naptha $1.59

1 Box of Borax $4.99

1 Box Washing Soda $3.19

When you break it all down proportionately,  the cost is between .77-.99 cents per gallon!

**Note, if you have a front loader washer, you may only need between 1/4 - 1/3 Cup per load, even MORE savings!

POWDERED RECIPE:

• 
  
  1 Bar Fels Naptha Soap, grated very finely (food processor works best)
• 
  
  1/2 Cup 20 Mule Team Borax
• 
  
  1/2 Cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

Mix all ingredients together. You only need 1 TBS (yes, that's really true!!) per load. This makes approx. a 6 month supply. I doubled mine and am good for a year. You can buy extra bars of the Fels Naptha and keep it in your food supply along with the Borax and Washing Soda and you will be set for Laundry Soap for a LONG time!

Also, if you use 1/4 - 1/2 Cup of White Distilled Vinegar per load instead of expensive Fabric Softeners, you will have less static build up and it rinses your clothes amazingly well...you will not smell the vinegar when it's done...I promise!!