Homemade Dryer Sheets- The cutest you ever did see!

A very long time ago I promised to post a tutorial for homemade dryer sheets. I made them and had pictures ready to post but I wanted to try them before I recommended them. At the time, I was using a dryer bar so the dryer sheets were put in the garage to wait their turn and then we moved and I lost them. I have no idea where they are so I started over. Lucky for me, too, because I like the new ones a million times more than the originals. Not the way they work on the clothes, but how they look. (Isn't that all that really matters anyway?) I used this recipe with a few minor changes:

1. My flannel is way cuter!

2. I didn't have natural fabric softener so I used good ol' Downy. When I finish my bottle of Downy (which will be like 3 years from now because the recipe only calls for a small amount) I'll use this recipe to make my own fabric softener. If you don't have any fabric softener and want to give it a try, let me know what you think.

3. I have more pictures.

You will need:

• flannel- I used a pair of old pajama pants for the 1st ones and 1 of Lucy's old receiving blankets for these.
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup fabric softener
• small bowl
• wire whisk
• storage container- I used an old wipes container for the 1st batch but I don't have those anymore so I rolled them and used a glass jar. (Let me just say, I am loving glass jars right now and love finding new uses for them.)

Step 1: Cut your flannel into strips. I cut mine into 4x6 in strips but it really doesn't matter.

Step 2: Put your strips into your container.

I rolled mine to put them in the jar. (Really, how precious will these be sitting on my dryer???)

To roll them, lay 1 strip on a flat surface. If your strips have a patterned side and a non-patterned side, you'll want the patterned side facing down. Cover 3/4th of the strip with a 2nd strip.

Continue lining your strips in this way until you have enough to fill the jar. I did about a 20 inch line but it doesn't really matter as long as they will fit in your container.

Beginning with the last strip laid, roll your strips toward you catching the ones underneath.

If you are using a wipes container or similar container, simply stack your strips.

Step 3: Mix fabric softener and water in a small bowl with a wire whisk.

Step 4: Pour your fabric softener over your flannel strips and shake.

To use:

• Let your flannel strips sit for at least an hour before using.
• Shake container before each use.*
• Use 1 strip per load.**
• Wash your strips after using then save to use for another batch.

My thoughts:

At first I was a little disappointed when I poured the fabric softener mixture on the strips because they kind of crumpled to the bottom. But, after a few days I decided I didn't really care because I have the cutest dryer sheets ever sitting on top of my washer in a glass jar for all the world (or whoever comes into our house) to see! Also, I feel like the mixture probably distributes itself a little more evenly rolled in the jar than in stacks. Don't have any jars? How does Mexican (salsa) or spaghetti sound for dinner? Save your jars and reuse them all over your house.

**I used 1 sheet for the first load and my clothes had some static so I used 2 in all of the loads after that and it hasn't been a problem. I couldn't really tell a difference in the softness of our clothes but our towels are definitely softer than with Bounce dryer sheets. I can't wait to wash my sheets with them! (I just love clean sheets, don't you?!)

*I started keeping my sheets on the washer instead of the dryer because my sheets get a good shake during the spin cycle and are ready for the dryer when the washer stops.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think.

We have turned into "that" family

A few years ago when the Dugger's (more affectionately known as the “Doooogers” around these parts) debuted, I watched one episode and decided those people are NUTS-O!!! Aside from the plethora (and that’s putting it mildly) of children, they just have such a, oh what’s the word, we’ll say interesting approach to life. I made jokes about this odd family for doing things like making 450 lbs of Tater Tot Casserole (I may be exaggerating, but I’m probably not that far off), teaching the girls how to perform routine car maintenance tasks (I mean really. If she can do it by herself then she misses out on all the fun of nagging her husband over and over to get the dang oil changed already), but most of all, that they make their own laundry detergent. I know they must have like a million loads of laundry to wash but really, just buy it. At one point I was convinced that they had to create jobs like this for their mob to carryout just so that everyone would have something to do. Obviously you cannot have that many children running around without a purpose. Who knows what kind of shenanigans that many adolescent minds could come up with when left to their own devices. Yes, it’s busy work. A perfect explanation.

Oh how naive I was as a young bride with no children when the show began. Now that I’m years wiser and have seen the light, it all makes perfect sense. I was, in fact, the ditz paying for overpriced products. And for laundry detergent of all things. A must-have purse or absolutely necessary to complete an outfit accessory or pair of shoes, fine, but on laundry detergent??? My new frugal self says, “Save the money!”

So, last week, my sister-in-law/partner in crime of all things homemade and I made our first batch of laundry detergent. It was surprisingly easy and left my house smelling soapy fresh for days (or is that the clean linen air freshener I just plugged in? Who can tell??) I’ll share our little adventure for those up for the challenge. I will warn you, though. Making all the boring stuff you usually buy is addictive! You’ll find yourself bleary-eyed searching for recipes of other homemade concoctions at 3:30 in the morning. (Not that I’ve ever done that. No, never.)

The recipe (Sorry I don’t have a picture of the Fels Naptha soap. Taking pictures was an afterthought. However, I will tell you where to purchase it which is much better than other websites, the Doooooger’s included.):

-4 cups hot tap water (You’ll really need “loads” more, (get it??) but you only start out with 4 cups)

-1 bar Fels Naptha soap (You can find this in the laundry aisle of Walmart for sure. The 1^st time I looked in Publix, it wasn’t there but I saw it 2 weeks ago during my weekly trip. It’s $.03 more expensive, but since I’m not a Walmart shopper, if I had known they had it at Publix, I wouldn’t have had to make an unnecessary trip to Walmart and would have saved the $.03 in gas. Moral of the story: Check your favorite grocery store while you are doing your weekly shopping before making a special trip to Wally World.) It’s a bar of soap like Ivory or Dove or insert your favorite bar of soap here, and it says Fels Naptha Soap on the front. (Fitting right??) I don’t think I can be more descriptive.

-1 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda (This is also in the laundry aisle and there are coupons for Arm and Hammer laundry products from time-to-time in the newspaper. I currently have 2.)

-½ cup Borax (Also in the laundry aisle. This junk is cheap and comes in a pretty large box considering the amount you actually use. And, it’s used in many other home cleaning products!!! A bonus!!!)

-Long spoon

-5 Gallon (paint) bucket with a lid (From Lowes or Home Depot)

1. Put 4 cups of water into a medium sauce pan on medium heat. You don’t want it to boil; you just want it to be warm.
2. Grate your soap using a cheese grater and add to the sauce pan of water. Stir continually until soap dissolves and is melted. (This is the longest part of the process but it’s also the time when your house begins smelling like you just stuck the entire thing into your washer. If only this process made it look that way too!)

1. Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full with warm tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda, and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more warm water. May I suggest doing this in the bathtub? That’s the only way this step made sense to us.

1. Stir, cover, and let sit overnight to thicken.
2. Stir and fill 1 (or 20) used, clean, laundry soap bottles half full with soap. Then fill the rest of the way with water. Shake before each use.

*Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled.

Yields 10 gallons (Read: A LOT of laundry detergent)

To use:

For a top load machine: 5/8 cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

For a front load machine: ¼ cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

The recipe costs approx. $2.00 per batch.

Please read that last sentence again. (I’ll wait.) That means, I’m getting approximately 2 years worth of laundry detergent for $2.00 (I have a front load machine)!!! I see a lot of shoes in Lucy’s future (ok, maybe mine too) with all that savings!

I must end this post with an apology to the Doooogers.

Dear Dooogers, I mean Duggers,

I am so sorry for doubting your efforts and for laughing/making fun of/thinking you were “NUTS-O”. I was sadly mistaken. I blame it on lack of knowledge and inexperience. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with the world.

Sincerely,

A very grateful, very happy fellow laundry detergent maker and NUTS-O