February and Last Month's Laundry Detergent

Good Afternoon Internet!
I am so glad you could stop by again! Today, I am going to update you on our New Years unresolution, and finally post the tutorial on my version of DIY Laundry Detergent.

It is naptime in the House of Halls. The scent of earl grey tea and peace and quiet are only interrupted by a chirping cricket in the garage and the gentle hum of my laptop fan. Ahhhhh.....  Well, here we go.

Last month I resolved that we would be eating clean and changing our lifestyle this year. I should have known better. My intentions were good, but my chocolate cravings were weak, followed by Flu season  of 2014.  Praise the Lord, my pregnant self did not get it, but baby boy did, and that put any plans to make drastic changes to a grinding halt. When your usually bouncy, crazy, uncuddly little boy just wants to be held by mama, the last thing on your mind is hitting the kitchen for marathon cooking sessions. But Alas, I am not giving up the quest to be better, we are just going to be searching for smaller, more manageable steps to take in the future. Maybe a 5 a day (fruits and veggies) challenge? I think that would be a great place to start. Anyone want to join me? I will see if I can come up with something for the future.

 Ok, Laundry Detergent.

 Also, if you are using milk jugs or some other jug with a smaller opening, you may want a funnel.

When adding cold water to the warm mixture, you may have some lumpy coagulation, that is why I recommend the immersion blender. You might be able to use a hand mixer if you don't have an immersion blender, but I have not tried it that way. Another way to avoid the blender altogether is to use hot water from beginning to end, but this could cause your jugs to separate and leak- use your judgement.

Also, please note that this product does not contain the stabilizers that are present in commercial laundry soaps. If you store your laundry soap in an area that is not climate controlled, it will be a thin liquid when it is warm and a thick liquid when it is cold, this should not affect the usability of the detergent. I have a top load washer and have not noticed excessive bubbles, but I really don't know whether or not it would work in a front load. If you have one and give it a try, let me know!

Also, I have found that this detergent works *wonderfully* as a spot treater! If you have a stain, rub the detergent right on there and let it sit for an hour or two, works like a charm!