Bringing Life

Tag: essential-oils

  • Homemade Laundry Detergent

    For Pennies A Load!

    Like maybe some of you, I used to enjoy meandering down the candle aisle in Walmart and smelling every one that sounded interesting. And I’d check every single bottle of soap or shampoo to make sure I bought the one I liked the best.

    Now, I find myself preferring, by far, natural scents over commercial ones. In fact, just one sniff of one candle or bottle of soap is often enough to bring on a headache.

    Add to that kids who break out from harsh chemicals in most laundry detergents, and we aren’t the easiest people to buy laundry soap for.

    So, the other day, I thought, why buy it?

    I started checking and soon found a recipe for laundry detergent powder with only 4 clean natural ingredients, one of them being fragrance of my choice. It sounded great to me and we even had most of the ingredients on hand.

    • Borax for odor control, stain removal, and general whitening. I used 20 Mule Team brand.
    • Fels-Naptha for cleaning and stain removal. I used Purex brand
    • Washing Soda for more cleaning power and odor control. I used Arm and Hammer brand.
    • Essential Oils for a great natural smell. I used one of Plant Therapy laundry blends.

    I didn’t have Borax or Washing soda, but a quick trip to our little local store provided Borax and we found a way to make our own Washing soda.

    It turns out, if you put regular baking soda on a cookie sheet in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour, you have Washing Soda!

    A box of Borax, a bar of Fels-Naptha, a box of essential oils, a bowl of washing soda, and a jar of laundry detergent powder.

    Homemade Laundry Detergent

    1 cup Borax Powder

    1 cup Washing Soda

    1 cup Fels-Naptha, grated (about 1 bar)

    15-20 drops of essential oil, your choice

    If you have Washing Soda, put it and the Borax in a jar or container. You will want to use a mask or something to cover your face to keep you from breathing in the fine powders. If you don’t have Washing Soda, you can make your own by putting a cup of baking soda on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for an hour. This changes the chemical formula and makes Washing Soda.

    Take the bar of Fels-Naptha and grate it. You can use the fine side of a cheese grater or your food processor shredder disc on the small side. Again, the powder is very fine and not something you want to breathe so wear something over your mouth and nose. Let it settle before you open the food processor.

    Put all three dry ingredients in a container or jar. I used a jar so I could just put a lid on and shake it to mix it.

    Let the mixture settle and then open and add 15-20 drops of essential oils for scent.

    Shake to mix in the oils and let sit overnight.

    Use 2 tablespoons for a regular load and 3 tablespoons for a heavy load.

    I also have a video showing the process on YouTube at Bringing Life Homestead.

  • No Thyme For Bugs?

    No Thyme For Bugs?

    If there is one thing about warm weather that I dislike and makes me start itching for the cold, it’s mosquitoes. With a pond nearby, a stream on the property, and a wetland down the road, we can get more mosquitoes than you can shake a stick at. Or your hand.

    After our flood earlier this year, we had clouds of biting pests so thick that someone actually put their vehicle into the ditch trying to swat them out of their face.

    Needless to say, bug repellent became a top priority. No one enjoyed being a buffet for bugs while feeding the dog or working in the garden or checking the mail.

    So I did what I do. I started researching and experimenting. I found the essential oils that are supposed to repel mosquitoes and went to work. I diluted them with carrier oils and water and added some vanilla to emulsify them or help them all mix together. Then we sprayed it on and ventured into the fray. 

    A vicious fight ensued in which we came out the losers. Maybe even sore losers. We retreated indoors to apply lavender to our wounds and discuss strategies.

    Now, if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s coming up with ideas. I don’t guarantee them all as good ideas, but they are ideas, nonetheless. So, a few days later, after the itching calmed down some, I tried again. 

    This time I took three of the essential oils most known for repelling mosquitoes, mixed them with non-scented lotion, and applied the concoction liberally. The kids and I noticed a definite difference. We could now boldly leave the house and work outside while the mosquitoes kept a respectful distance of 6 inches or so. This blissful triumph lasted about 15 minutes. Once the lotion was all absorbed, we were right back to square 1. 

    So far, it was Mosquitoes 2; Rachel 0.

    Then, to add insult to insect injury, Tim noticed a definite difference, too. Everywhere he used the anti-bug lotion, he had broken out in a rash. Apparently, he can’t handle essential oils on his skin unless they are extremely diluted. This brought the score to a lovely Mosquitoes 2; Rachel -1.

    That put an effective stop to my experiments with bug repellent for a while. And thankfully, the majority of the flying hordes moved off or disappeared, making life much more manageable. 

    But then, Tim started taking walks almost every morning and night. He’s been given permission to even do some off-road exploring in the wetland, which opened up a slew of new opportunities for him and his camera. This brought insect repellent right back to the forefront though, since he and sometimes the kids were tramping through brush and weeds. So something had to be done for the bugs. 

    I tiptoed back to my research, unsure if I could find anything that would help without causing side effects. Finally, I found a recipe that looked promising. It called for beef tallow as the main part of the base since that stays on the skin longer than lotion or water. It also didn’t rely on just essential oils for its potency.

    No Thyme For Bugs Cream

    2 T Tallow

    1 t Beeswax

    1 T Vinegar (White or ACV)

    1 T Thyme Tea*

    10-15 Drops Lavender Essential Oil

    1/4 t Ground Clove

    Melt the tallow and beeswax in a double boiler or heat-safe bowl over simmering water. Once it is all melted, remove from heat and let cool 2-3 minutes.

    Stir in remaining ingredients and pour into a jar or sealable container. 

    Shelf life at room temperature should be 6-9 months.

    *To make the thyme tea, put 1 t of dried thyme in 1 c of boiling water, and let steep at least 5 minutes. The longer it steeps, the more potent the tea.

    Now, I know I said Tim cannot have essential oils on his skin, but that does not apply to lavender, which is how it made it into this recipe. If you know you’re sensitive to oils, feel free to test this on just a small patch of skin to see if it’s safe for you.

    I’m sure there will be more posts in the future about the efficacy of this anti-bug cream and any tweaks I make. But, I’d love to hear what worked for you and, as always, thanks for stopping by.