S/O Laundry Detergent...What things do you make from scratch that others typically buy? (Food, cleaning products, make up, skin care, etc.)

[umsami]

I've made homemade laundry detergent once, but I didn't like how well it cleaned.  However, there are things I've made that others typically buy like cleaning solutions, bath bombs, hummus, etc.

So I thought I'd ask, what do you make that is as good as or better than store bought?  (And what's your recipe/method)

My cleaning solution is 1/2 cup white vinegar, warm water, 1 T of dish soap or Dr. Bronner's, and 10-20 drops of essential oil of my choice.  I like citrus, tea tree, or lavender usually.  Then I fill up the spray bottle with water.

 

 

 

[kbutton]

My family is currently making bags/cloths to replace Christmas wrapping paper (as cost allows or thrift store finds emerge). 

I sometimes make homemade lotion, though using nicer soap has led to a lot less need for lotion overall. I use about 1 part beeswax to 2 parts fat (the fat is half solid-ish fat such as shea butter and half liquid fat, such as sweet almond oil) and drops of essential oil that you like (or none). Less wax, and the same thing can be used for lip balm, as long as you choose an oil that is okay for such things. You can also use grassfed beef tallow to make a harder lotion that is supposed to be good for sensitive skin.

My husband has made lye soap a couple of times for me. It's good for clothing stains, sensitive skin, or to be used in homemade laundry detergent.

I have rendered grass fed beef fat into tallow for making french fries. Yum! 

[Ali in OR]

So unusual and exciting: I make salad dressing and taco seasoning. I'm sure there are other things, but that's what comes to mind.

[mykidsrmyjoy]

I bake our bread, and make granola, yogurt, and hot chocolate mix. 

[Carol in Cal.]

One year I wove tons of long cotton strips on my inkle loom, and coiled them up in boxes with the inscription:  Toward a sustainable Christmas.  I hoped that family members would use these for gift ribbons from then on, and pass them around over and over.  But I never saw any of them again—I think people liked them and squirreled them away—until one Christmas my aunt used one for DD’s gift.  DD did not know the history but luckily I noticed it.

What I make routinely now that most people don’t is vinaigrette salad dressings fresh every time.  I whisk them together in the bottom of the salad bowl and then put any solid chunks in to marinade—blue cheese, or carrot slices, or diced sharp cheddar.  Then I put the greens on top, and set it aside to toss right before serving.  It’s so fast and so much better than bottled dressings.

 

[wathe]

Similar things to previous posters: 

Cloth bags for Christmas gifts - some are re-used withing the family (15 years old!) and some are given away as part of the gift.

Cloth napkins. 

Kitchen cleaner spray: vinegar, few drops of soap and a few drops of lavender oil

Boy's jammer style swim trunks, swim caps and gymnastics unitards - my sons like unconventional colors.

Chicken broth.  Not exactly a unique thing to make, but before I owned an instantpot I bought chicken broth in a can.

Waterproof firestarters for camping

 

 

 

[Liz CA]

All of my "homemade" items are food: sourdough bread, chicken stock, Kefir, Kombucha. 

You guys need to post some instructions so the rest of us can get busy.  🙂

[Carrie12345]

Currently, not much!

In the past, we've done laundry detergent, candles, bread, cloth diapers, cloth napkins, body washes and lotions... that might be all.

There's still plenty of "from scratch" foods, but not down to the bread/breadcrumb level anymore.  I do want to find the time to make more cloth napkins.

[IvyInFlorida]

All our bread products.  Most of my recipes come from the King Arthur Flour website--they're so good!  Foaming hand soap, 3 different face washes (one for me, one for my husband, one for my older son), exfoliating body scrub, body oil that I use instead of lotion, and face serum that I use as both a cleanser and a moisturizer.  I love my face serum--it's amazing.  In an amber eyedropper bottle, put 1 oz hemp oil (perfect for oily and acne prone skin) and essential oils of choice.  Right now, it's frankincense and myrrh.  In the summer I'll switch to E.O. especially for acne prone skin.

I also do hair oil for my older son, who is African American and has dreadlocs.  He can't put thick moisturizing creams in his locs, so to keep his scalp from getting dry, I use a mix of shea butter and coconut oil, plus essential oils that both smell masculine and are good for dry hair.  I put the bottle in hot water to melt the fats, then use the dropper to put the oil in the little parts between his locs and then palm roll the oil in.  Smells so good!

Also my husband does face toner/cleanser pads for the family to use.  In a jelly jar, he mixes witch hazel with essential oils like lavender, frankincense, tea tree, etc.  Then he shoves in a stack of those round cotton pads.  Love them--we go through 'em fast!

**Also a huge shout out to whoever posted on the salad thread about mixing salad dressing in the bottom of the bowl!  This has changed my life!  I've been doing hemp oil (has a really nice nutty taste), lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper.  I'm drooling just thinking about it...

[HomeAgain]

Most of our sauces and spice mixes are homemade for sure.

I knit, so there's our slippers, hats, various other things.
I make our own Christmas candy and make marshmallows year round for s'mores and cocoa.
I tend to make my own curriculum and supplements. 😄 Just like a lot of you here.


 

[Lady Florida.]

8 hours ago, Ali in OR said:

So unusual and exciting: I make salad dressing and taco seasoning. I'm sure there are other things, but that's what comes to mind.

Same here. I prefer dressing that I made. I make most of my own spice mixes and seasonings  - taco, chili, jerk, etc.

1 hour ago, HomeAgain said:

Most of our sauces and spice mixes are homemade for sure.


I tend to make my own curriculum and supplements. 😄 Just like a lot of you here.


 

Yes to sauces and spice mixes (see above).

I preferred putting together my own curriculum to using boxed curriculum. Then again, I was homeschooling an only so I didn't have to deal with different levels and interests.

[lavender's green]

Lots of food items, like sauces, spice mixes, salad dressing, hummus. I truly enjoy going the extra mile for those, but I'm not above just buying it from the store, either. I've dabbled in yogurt and soft cheese, but I rarely feel like it anymore. DH has experimented with bitters and hard cheese. The cheese was fun, but he's usually not up to that amount of work. I didn't care for the bitters. Too many harsh clashing flavors. Maybe if they'd had time to mellow in an oak barrel or something.

I once made a cleaner out of vinegar and a little essential oil. DH's nose interpreted it as cat pee. He was on the hunt for a long time before we realized he was smelling my homemade cleaner. 😄 I've given up on all cleaning products.

I've tried making my own massage oil, but I can't get it to smell layered and complex. It just smells like my usual EOs - like the peppermint I might add to homemade playdoh (I guess there's another one, but I haven't done it recently), or the lavender I use when I have a headache. So sexy. Not.

I also did a little candle making. DH got a kit because he thought it would be a fun pastime for me and the kids, and we'd get candles for cheaper, too. At their ages it means Mommy does all the work while they watch, and then Mommy gets uptight about safety around the hot wax, and irritated when the wick falls in. The candles didn't even burn well.

[DesertBlossom]

I make my own window and glass cleaner. I have to google the proportions every time but it's corn starch, vinegar, alcohol and water 

[umsami]

I forgot about salad dressing.  I make it in an old jam jar..... it's one clove of garlic minced (I have a garlic press), red wine vinegar or lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little oregano if I'm doing a Greek salad.  I want to say it's about 1/3 vinegar to 2/3 olive oil...but I do it by sight/taste...and I've been doing it so long, that I usually guesstimate correctly.  I remember years ago have a glass bottle that had markings for oil and vinegar for salad dressing.

I make my own fajita spice and use this BHG recipe.  It always works well.  I always say I'm going to make up a bulk batch, but I never do.   This is the official recipe, but I usually adjust it to 1-1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne, and 1 tsp of everything else.  

[historically accurate]

28 minutes ago, peacelovehomeschooling said:

I make our bread.    I want to make cleaning products but get so overwhelmed at the different recipes and the amount of ingredients needed, plus I am never sure if they really truly clean well.   I think I will try Umsami's recipe (though I don't have any essential oils for yummy smell..

I want to make vegan veggie broth but never think to look up a recipe prior to actually needing the broth!  If any of you have one, please share.  

 

 

You can now get essential oils at Walmart. They're by the vitamins in my store although I usually do grocery pickup and you can get them through that too. I got some at Aldi one time. 

I used to do homemade detergent - I've been buying the past 3 months though. I've done dishwasher tabs before but they were a pain so I didn't continue. I'm trying yogurt today. I have made bread and want to get back to doing it. I make my own spice mixes, cream of ... soups, granola bars, granola cereal, and cookies. I made diaper wipes when the kids were in diapers. I make shower dissolve tablets for colds; Vicks used to have them, but I haven't found them in a long time so I started making my own. I've made the elderberry syrup before, but I didn't get around to doing it this year. I always had homemade Pedialyte on hand when the kids were littler. I made sugar scrub this morning. I don't know if people usually buy that though. DH makes homemade ice cream and salsa. DD made soap for a while, but she hasn't in a long time. Oldest DD knits and makes 90% of her socks.

[math teacher]

taco seasoning mix

chili seasoning mix

cream of whatever soup

enchilada sauce

[SamanthaCarter]

Tons of food items, whipped Shea butter. 

[SamanthaCarter]

I never really got into homemade cleaners other than scented water/vinegar in a spray bottle. Just haven’t been impressed with any other people have made. 

[Pawz4me]

I guess dog food is the one somewhat unusual thing I make. That's mostly due to all the recalls over the past decade or so and having a picky pooch.

I don't think of mixing up spices or dressings or making bread as being things that others don't typically do. They're all normal in my circle. But I use prepackaged stuff, too. Depends on my mood and how busy (or lazy ) I am.

I spent a good bit of time a few years ago experimenting with homemade cleaners and laundry detergent, but those were all huge fails all around. I couldn't see that there was much/any savings, and the resulting products were notably inferior.

[Carol in Cal.]

Forgot—I make these awesome pies with meringue crusts at Christmas time.  You can’t buy them in stores because the crusts are too fragile for commerce.  Chocolate, lemon, or orange.  I would like to try lime next year.

[Alicia64]

9 hours ago, Arctic Mama said:

I make lotion bars that are amaaaazing.  

 

What is a lotion bar? And will you share your recipe? ♥♥♥

[Alicia64]

19 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

I guess dog food is the one somewhat unusual thing I make. That's mostly due to all the recalls over the past decade or so and having a picky pooch.

 

Keep meaning to say: your puppy picture is ridiculously adorable. I'd make all of her food too.

Alley

[Selkie]

I made laundry detergent for years until I got tired of doing it.

I make several varieties of vegan, no oil salad dressing. Just started making almond milk, too.

[sweet2ndchance]

I make laundry detergent but I do it differently than most people I know that do it/tried it. I make powdered detergent not liquid. I can't stand liquid detergent, homemade or store bought.

I have severe food allergies (shellfish and tomatoes I'm highly allergic, I have an intolerance to eggs) and dh and youngest ds have texture issues that make them gag and throw up on certain textures so I cook quite a bit of our food from scratch. I'm actually currently making homemade refried beans and carne asada with all my own seasonings in a crockpots. None of us will even touch canned refried beans anymore since I learned to make them at home. They just don't taste as good from a can to us anymore.

I make my own taco seasoning on the fly when I'm making taco meat. I make chili mac without tomatoes from scratch as well as other Hamburger Helper type skillet meals. Found out last night that goat milk is divine in cheeseburger mac (we were out of reg milk and had a little container of goat milk that was given to us so I decided to give it a shot). I make spaghetti sauce with pureed roasted red peppers instead of tomato sauce and my own seasonings on the fly. I use the spaghetti sauce to make everything from spaghetti to skillet lasagna to real lasagna. I make a variation of the spaghetti sauce to make pizza sauce. I make a lot of our bread but I've slacked a bit on making the loaf bread lately. I still make dinner rolls, bread sticks and pizza crust myself. Oh and naan bread because I haven't found anywhere around here that tastes like I remember from living in Japan.

That's all I can think of right now but I'm sure there is more.

[madteaparty]

Tomato sauce, broth (chicken and beef), cleaning solution, chocolate syrup for hot chocolate, bread just once a week to eat warm with soup (it doesn’t keep), bit of jam, orange juice (everyday), tea/lemonade drink. 

i am able to make and have made before:  yoghurt, granola, soaps, vit. C serum for my face and such but I prefer the bought version. I’m about to get some bees but I won’t be “making” the honey as such 😂

i like the idea of Christmas bags. But I don’t sew...

Edited January 13, 2019 by madteaparty

[Momto6inIN]

Applesauce - In the fall I buy a couple bushel of Jonathans on sale and cut them up and throw them in a pot with some water and cook til soft, then run them through an old fashioned grinder that separates out the stems and peels and add some sugar and freeze it in Ziploc bags. My kids and DH refuse to eat store bought stuff now

[JaLeSherman]

Just a shout out warning to those making homemade detergent (powder) ... if you do so with Fels Naptha or Zote as the base ... it can build up soap scum in your washer and eventually have that scum build into a tube that leaks and destroys your motor. And, if your luck is like mine, GE will then inform you that using homemade detergent violates the extended warranty and now all that money you saved is now buying a new washer. *sigh* I know people that haven't had issue, but I seem to run on a good run of bad luck so if you're like me, just avoid it.

Things I do do that are homemade -- most of the meals here are from scratch. It's so much cheaper to buy basic ingredients in bulk from Costco and just mix what I need together, be it bread, soup, flavoring, side dishes, desserts, you name it. I used to make clothes for my children from discounted fabrics at the fabric store (and buy up elastic when they did their annual 60-75% off sales) but since Hancock's went out of business out here and moving into a tiny apartment, I just don't have space for it anymore. I used to do homemade deodorant, but my husband put his foot down on it because it wouldn't last all day and since he works 10-12 hour days, he needs to not stink. 😂😂😂

We also do our very best to avoid plastic bags. We use the collapsible crates for Costco. We recycle. Cloth diaper. Make our own baby food. Just little stuff like that. 

[Petrichor]

35 minutes ago, JaLeSherman said:

Just a shout out warning to those making homemade detergent (powder) ... if you do so with Fels Naptha or Zote as the base ... it can build up soap scum in your washer and eventually have that scum build into a tube that leaks and destroys your motor. And, if your luck is like mine, GE will then inform you that using homemade detergent violates the extended warranty and now all that money you saved is now buying a new washer. *sigh* I know people that haven't had issue, but I seem to run on a good run of bad luck so if you're like me, just avoid it.
😂😂😂

Well, that's great /sarcasm

I made powdered laundry detergent for 4 or 5 years. Recently switched to store bought liquid for convenience. I've been telling myself I ought to make it again, but now you've got me rethinking that...

[mmasc]

15 hours ago, sweet2ndchance said:

I make laundry detergent but I do it differently than most people I know that do it/tried it. I make powdered detergent not liquid. I can't stand liquid detergent, homemade or store bought.

I have severe food allergies (shellfish and tomatoes I'm highly allergic, I have an intolerance to eggs) and dh and youngest ds have texture issues that make them gag and throw up on certain textures so I cook quite a bit of our food from scratch. I'm actually currently making homemade refried beans and carne asada with all my own seasonings in a crockpots. None of us will even touch canned refried beans anymore since I learned to make them at home. They just don't taste as good from a can to us anymore.

I make my own taco seasoning on the fly when I'm making taco meat. I make chili mac without tomatoes from scratch as well as other Hamburger Helper type skillet meals. Found out last night that goat milk is divine in cheeseburger mac (we were out of reg milk and had a little container of goat milk that was given to us so I decided to give it a shot). I make spaghetti sauce with pureed roasted red peppers instead of tomato sauce and my own seasonings on the fly. I use the spaghetti sauce to make everything from spaghetti to skillet lasagna to real lasagna. I make a variation of the spaghetti sauce to make pizza sauce. I make a lot of our bread but I've slacked a bit on making the loaf bread lately. I still make dinner rolls, bread sticks and pizza crust myself. Oh and naan bread because I haven't found anywhere around here that tastes like I remember from living in Japan.

That's all I can think of right now but I'm sure there is more.

Can you share your refried beans recipe? I’ve tried many and have loved none so far. 😕

[sweet2ndchance]

41 minutes ago, mmasc said:

Can you share your refried beans recipe? I’ve tried many and have loved none so far. 😕

 

Sure. I started with the recipe from Pioneer Woman and tweaked it to our liking.

Slow Cooker Refried Beans

In a very large slow cooker (I believe mine is 7 quart) combine:

2 pounds dried pinto beans

1 large onion, roughly chopped

8 - 10 cloves of garlic, smashed, pressed or minced

2 tsp salt (this sounds like a lot but trust me)

3 - 4 partially cooked bacon strips or a generous spoonful of reserved bacon drippings (I always save bacon drippings, making sure to scrap the good brown bit from the bottom of the pan, in a container in the fridge specifically for making beans so I don't have to cook bacon when I want to make beans. You can use other oils or fats if you want but animal fat, with the browned bits, works best in my experience)

1 - 2 tablespoons cumin (yes it's a lot but again trust me)

1 - 2 tsp smoked paprika

1 - 2 tsp black or cayenne pepper, depends on how hot you want them (tip: go easy the first few times, you can add more later if you need to)

14 cups of water or beef or chicken broth (definitely use broth if you don't use animal fat. If you use regular broth, you might omit the salt and add it in later as needed)

Stir to combine and cook on high for 10 - 12 hours. That is not a typo. You are adding dried beans and they need the high setting for a long time to rehydrate and cook. Low will not work trust me I've tried. I hate soaking beans before using them because I don't usually have enough forethought to do it the night before so I've never tried it. You may be able to adjust the cook time/temperature if you soak them before adding them.

When they are done, I use a wire mesh strainer to scoop them out of the crock pot and into my mixer bowl; beans, garlic, onions, bits and all. Save the liquid in the pot, you will need it. If you want ultra-smooth beans, put them in a food processor or high powered blender. We like them from the stand mixer which makes them smooth enough to spread on a tortilla or tostada  shell but they are what I would call "homestyle" beans with very small chunks.

With the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed stopping every now and then to check the texture and flavor. Add the reserved cooking liquid, a little at a time, to adjust the consistency. Add cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, paprika or salt to adjust the flavor/heat to your liking. If it is too salty, you can add small amounts of sugar to adjust it and remember to use less salt next time.

These keep really well in the fridge or the freezer. To reheat frozen beans, thaw on the counter or run under warm water until it can be broken up into pieces. Put the beans in a pan and warm over medium heat stirring occasionally. Add small amounts of broth or milk to create desired consistency while cooking if needed.

ETA: Forgot to mention, on the seasonings, really go easy. They will taste even stronger the next day so error on the side of bland if you don't like strong flavors when you reheat leftovers. You can always add more later but it is difficult to impossible to salvage having added too much.

Edited January 14, 2019 by sweet2ndchance

[RootAnn]

I haven't seen mentioned yet -  baby wipes. My ex-SIL got a tub with recipe at her baby shower over 20 years ago. I used that recipe for all five kids.

I make homemade pizza crust, breadsticks, and some of our bread. (Well, technically, DS#1 makes about half our homemade bread now. Several other kids will sometimes make breadsticks & rolls.) 

[KungFuPanda]

I was snowed in yesterday so I made:

chicken briyani, samosa stuffed potatoes, hummus, pita, and mulligatawny soup; all from scratch. Today they get leftovers 

I also put together a terrarium. 😁

[AbcdeDooDah]

On 1/12/2019 at 10:17 PM, wathe said:

 

Waterproof firestarters for camping

 

 

 

I make them, too. Have you found an inexpensive source for paraffin,  or do you use something else?

[wathe]

49 minutes ago, AbcdeDooDah said:

I make them, too. Have you found an inexpensive source for paraffin,  or do you use something else?

No special paraffin source.  We just melt one of the eleventy billion decorative candles that have accumulated in the house over the years 🙂

Edited January 14, 2019 by wathe

[AbcdeDooDah]

I do that, too. When I run out, the IKEA pillar candles are cheaper than a lb. of paraffin.