Homemade Liquid Detergent

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

4  Cups - hot tap water

1  Fels-Naptha soap bar

1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (click for link to purchase at Meijer.com)

*½ Cup Borax

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken. Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil. Some use lemon.

Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). 

I'd love to know how the detergent works for you! 

Seed Bombs

I was recently reading a Garden Magazine and learned of Seed Bombs! (pictured to the left) It's a great example of Urban Greening. You can buy Seed Bombs just about anywhere including Anthropologie who sells five seed bombs in a muslim bag fro $6. However, it is just as simple, and a lot more fun, to just make your own! Here's how...

Ingredients

Seed of your choice, or a mix
Dried organic compost of any kind
Finely ground dry red clay: You can use potting clay or dig clay out of the ground as long as you dig deep enough so there are no weed seeds in it. The subsoil in most of the country is clay, so it’s easy to find, especially at building sites or where roads are being built. If you use potting clay, be sure to use only red clay—other kinds might inhibit seed growth. Spread it out to dry, then grind it up between two bricks to make a powder.

1. Mix one part seeds into three parts compost.

2. Add five parts dry clay to the compost/seed mix and combine thoroughly.

3. Add a little water a bit at a time until the mix becomes doughlike. You don’t want it to be soggy.

4. Roll tightly packed little balls about the size of marbles, and set them aside to dry in a shady place for a few days.

5. To make the strongest impact, distribute these balls at the rate of about 10 balls per square yard of ground.

Remember that Seed Bombs work, so it's a good idea to strategically "throw" them. And you can check with your local nursery to find out which seeds might work best for your area. This particular recipe is from: http://www.naturalhomeandgarden.com/natural-landscaping/how-to-make-seed-balls.aspx#ixzz1WijXvw2I