Homemade Laundry Detergent with Essential Oils

Making your own laundry detergent is fast, easy and a great way to save money and remove unnecessary chemicals from your everyday life. Did you know that conventional laundry detergents are full of chemicals like sulfates, phenols, artificial fragrances and more. Some brands even use petroleum distillates which are linked to lung disease and cancer. Additionally the artificial fragrances used in these detergents often cause skin irritations because they are created in a lab.

There are 3 main ingredients needed to make detergent and you can find them at your local supermarket:

Arm & Hammer All Natural Super Washing Soda Detergent Booster & Household Cleaner, 55 oz

Natural detergent booster and freshener that improves laundry detergent performance; contains Sodium Carbonate (price is approx. $4)

Borax

Naturally softens hard water and improves the cleaning power of detergent. Borax is safe for both standard and high efficiency machines plus it brightens and deodorizes clothes, bathrooms, kitchens, and more. (Price is approx. $4)

A bar of soap (ANY kind, I used oatmeal soap)

You can choose any bar of soap, some people love to use Dr. Bonner's bar soap and this works really well. I started making my own Olive Oil soap for everyday use some years back and because of this I have bars of old oatmeal soap that have been sitting under the counter unused for sometime. Use what you have available first, but make sure its all natural.

I prefer not to waste even one drop of my Young Living oils so I tend to keep all my empty bottles. When making my detergent I will take an empty oil bottle, pop the plastic cap off and fill the bottle with the washing soda. The soda will absorb any of the residual oil that is in the bottle and acts as a natural fragrance for the detergent mix. I usually like to do this about one day before I make my mixture.  

Here is the recipe for my homemade detergent...

Mix in a large bowl (my bowl is 8 Quarts) or a clean bucket:

- 1 55oz box of Washing Soda

- 1 76oz box of Borax

- 1 bar of soap (grated or finely chopped)

- (Optional) YL Essential oil infused washing soda (see above) or just 6-10 drops of oil (lavender, citrus, etc) depending on how strong of a fragrance you prefer

Mix all of the aforementioned ingredients together and place in a covered container; I use a 1.5 gallon flex and seal container (pictured below).

I have a high efficiency washer so I typically use 1/4 cup per load and this recipe makes approximately 26 cups of powder mix.  Cost is less than $10 for the entire container which can last for over 100 washes. This represents a significant cost savings from the average "unhealthy" chemical based store bought detergents. Hope you enjoy and happy washing!

Have questions about Young living essential oils 

Www.demetrarinaldi.marketingscents.com

http://yl.pe/vtp

Easy Cheesy Homemade Healthy Cheez-its Snacks cracker recipe

My kids love anything cheesy and crunchy! 

Here is an incredibly easy and Delicious recipe for homemade cheez-it cheddar crackers without all the overprocessing and added preservatives!

iNGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:

8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (which is about 2 cups)
¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the cheese, butter, and salt on low speed until combined. Add the flour and mix on low until pebbly. Slowly add 2 tablespoons of the water and mix as the dough forms a ball. If needed, add the additional tablespoon of water a little at a time until the dough forms. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each into a very thin 10x12-inch rectangle (the dough should be no more than ⅛-inch high). Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut the rectangles into 1-inch squares, then transfer them to the baking sheets.

3. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until puffed and browning at the edges. Immediately move the crackers to wire racks to cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens