spreading the ss word

[freemotion]

Thought you'd like a report on this, since I mentioned it somewhere....I brought a gift bag to massage school with a laundry soap "kit" in it...a bag with one-batch of pre-ground and measured ingredients, printouts with lots of directions, testimonials, and other related recipes for laundry aids, instruction for HE washers, etc. In talking to my teaching assistant, I ended up giving it to her. Several students overheard, and asked about it. I have 14 who requested copies of the printouts! Out of 20 students. The others live at home with mommy and daddy and laundry is not a concern to them. Cool, huh?

 

[lorihadams]

I was in the checkout line of the supermarket the other day and the lady in front of me was talking to the checkout girl who was itching like crazy and broke out in a rash on her face. She told her that she had problems with laundry detergent breaking her and her husband out and that a friend had given her some new detergent to try but they had a reaction to it. So, I piped up and said, "you know, you should really make your own" That lead to a 10 minute discussion on how to make laundry detergent and using vinegar as rinse with the 4 people in line with me and the checkout girl!

Doesn't it make you feel good to spread the word!?!

 

[mrs.puff]

So what's your recipe? My DH has very sensitive skin, but often the store doesn't have any of the dye/fragrance free detergent.

And another question.... Do you know of any way to keep the linty build-up off of clothes (especially dark colored ones) when they're in the washer? We have to do laundry at the laundromat, and they often come out of the washer looking dirtier than when we put them in. We hang our clothes to dry inside our house, since we have wood heat and they dry really fast.

 

[lorihadams]

I use castile soap (bar soap not liquid)...I got it at Krogers in the organic section. I use 1 cup finely grated soap, 1/2 cup borax, 1/2 cup washing soda, and 1/2 cup baking soda. 2 Tablespoons per load, 3 if it is really dirty. Plain white vinegar in the rinse cycle.

I don't know what to tell you about the lint...we don't have that problem. Hmmm...

 

[freemotion]

I am using the liquid version, which I am liking, about 40 loads later! I wonder if the lint build-up on your clothes is from lint left behind by whoever used the machine previously?

 

[PamsPride]

Thought you'd like a report on this, since I mentioned it somewhere....I brought a gift bag to massage school with a laundry soap "kit" in it...a bag with one-batch of pre-ground and measured ingredients, printouts with lots of directions, testimonials, and other related recipes for laundry aids, instruction for HE washers, etc. In talking to my teaching assistant, I ended up giving it to her. Several students overheard, and asked about it. I have 14 who requested copies of the printouts! Out of 20 students. The others live at home with mommy and daddy and laundry is not a concern to them. Cool, huh?

That is really neat!!

 

[me&thegals]

That's great! It's like people's experiencing this "wow!" moment when they consider that they don't have to do things the way they've always done things. At least that's how I feel when I see something else I could do on my own.

 

[freemotion]

My biggest, most recent "ah-hah moment" was when I was looking for a good price on feminine products on drugstore.com cuz they had free shipping. I ended up finding cloth supplies, and said, Good grief, who would want to go BACKWARDS in time???? Then I started reading the consumer comments, and ended up researching patterns and had made my own by the next cycle. I never looked back. Even travel with 'em, though I said I wouldn't!

That got me seriously searching for more ideas I may have dismissed without thinking, just knee-jerk reactions. And here I am. Thank goodness!

 

[Beekissed]

All I get when I tell people that I make my own detergent is a smirk and a rolled eyes look! :/ They can't imagine why anyone would want to do that, even to save money! Folks like their conveniences around here and consider it a regression of some type to learn about old, SS ways to make do.

I have a theory about that: I think us mountain folks emerged into the modern world much later than did the rest of the country, so they are just now revelling in the conveniences that other's have had for so long. I think they will have to reach a saturation point, like a lot of suburban and city dwellers, before they realize that there is a price for convenience and it isn't getting any lower.

For now, they are making better money than they used to, trying to keep up with current fashions and trends~and are so woefully behind it isn't funny!, and want to be seen as progressive and intelligent by "buying into" the world's view of success. They seem to want to dispel the picture of mountain hicks, hillbillies, country folk, etc. In other words, its still new to the folks around here to have nice things, convenient things. So, of course, they are not quite ready to let those go!

We're a might slow on the uptake around these parts about the big picture and they still see bald eagles as a threat to their trout fishing and they actually despise them! Go figure!

 

[Wifezilla]

I just bought 2 bars of Zote soap...98 each...because I remembered someone mentioning it on this forum. Then I got home and rushed here so I would know what the heck to do with it

(still have to find washing soda now)

My biggest, most recent "ah-hah moment" was when I was looking for a good price on feminine products on drugstore.com cuz they had free shipping. I ended up finding cloth supplies, and said, Good grief, who would want to go BACKWARDS in time????

It's sort of back to the future I guess.... http://www.divacup.com/
I am not going to sew my own...nope! LOL