Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Opa]

Hearing a bug fly out of my ear doesn't bother me as much as hearing one fly in.

 

[Momma K]

Yeah, I've seen those too, but I'm roofing a shed/coop (divided building for storage and chicken math ) so it really needs to have a proper roof.   It looks like the Ondura is on sale at menards this week, AND happens to come standard in the length it appears we need.  Looks like you can also install it over purlins for non-residential structures, so we'd save on sheeting as well then.  The issue is, however, that we KNOW how to install shingles, and we don't know anything about ondura.  And I'm having a horrible time finding the steel roofing panels online to price those out.  Ugh.

We used the ondura panels. They have special rubber coated screws that you tack them down with ( or was it nails?) Anyway, I have almost a whole box of those little suckers left. You are welcome to them, they are red.

 

[chicken grandma]

I've been making laundry soap for years!! It saves a TON of money. I can do laundry for 6 people for roughly $40 a year!! Is your recipe for powder? Mine is liquid, just seems to go through the front loader better

Would you share your liquid soap recipe? That would be great!

 

[Amy PT]

Would you share your liquid soap recipe? That would be great!

Yes, I'd like that, too.

 

[vjwilmoth]

Still behind...I'm probably going to give up. Lol

Thanks for the comment on the partridge silkie. I don't want to get rid of any until I know if they are hens but they take FOREVER to be able to tell. And I'm guessing since they are hatchery quality I'll have even more of a time of it. Like my white one...even though it's comb is pretty much flat it is really, really red.

I have been making my own laundry soap for about 2 1/2 years now and it costs me approximately $2.50 for each 5 GALLON bucket I make. Loooove it! Mine is a liquid/gel consistency and I use it in my HE washer.

 

[vjwilmoth]

Here is the recipe I use.


Prices for each are approximate depending on where you buy them. I personally put my soap in a covered 5 gallon bucket and keep it under my laundry room sink.

If you want it to smell like "something" you can put any essential oil in it. LOTS of drops since there is so much soap. Eucalyptus, lavender, citrus, peppermint, etc. Anything "Clean" smelling.

I have a family of 5...3 of which are dirty little boys(haha) and I probably make 2 batches of this a year. Each batch uses approximately $2.50 worth of product. So I guess I'm really only spending $5 a year!

SAFE FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY WASHERS...which is what I have...because neither of these soaps suds.

1 bar Kirk's Castile Soap(it comes in a 3 pack)
1/3 Bar Fels-Naptha soap
1 1/2 C Borax powder
1 1/2 C Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

Grate the entire bar of Kirks and 1/3 of Fels-Naptha into a big pot. Fill said pot 1/2 full of water and then cook until soap is melted. Add the Borax and Washing Soda and stir until dissolved. Take a clean 5 gallon bucket and fill 1/2 way with water. Add soap mixture and stir. Fill the rest of the way with water and let sit overnight. The mixture turns into this congealed gel type stuff. I just took my hands and mixed it all up.
Use approximately 1/2 - 1 cup per load of laundry.
I also use Distilled white vinegar as a fabric softener. It neutralizes odors and soften clothes. You can also add essential oils to that.

 

[chicken grandma]

Vanessa,
I would love a liquid/gel that would work in an HE washer. Thank you for the recipe.
Where do you all get the ingredients?

 

[Amy PT]

VJ, can I find all of those products in, say... Meijer's cleaning products area? I've wanted to do this forever, but finding the ingredients has intimidated me.

 

[vjwilmoth]

I buy them at Meijer because Walmart didn't carry the washing soda but I see they do now. I don't know if Walmart carries Kirk's castile soap though. I've seen some recipes that use Ivory instead of the other two soaps. Personal preference I would imagine. It costs approximately $11 to buy all the ingredients the first time and then you can get at least 3 batches before needing to buy more soap but you will still have the powders left over!

 

[vjwilmoth]

Yes Amy, I get mine all at Meijer in the laundry aisle. The longest part of this process is grating and melting the soap. And even then it's fast. You can use the soap right away or let it sit. Doesn't affect the cleaning properties at all. I bought a cheap metal grater to use for the soap. I think it was about $3 but I bet you could find one at a dollar store too.