Fizzy Bath Bombs

Fizzy Bath Bombs

What you need:                    Yields: about 7 or 8

1 cup Citric Acid

2 cups Baking Soda

4 tsp. Fragrance Oil (or more or less, it is to your own preference)

Spray Bottle filled with Water

Molds (you can use the bottom portion of an Easter egg)

Steps:

1.  Mix the baking soda and citric acid together in a bowl, you can use a mixer but I just mixed it really well by hand.

2.  Add the fragrance oil to the mixture and mix well again, just add small amounts gradually until you get the scent to your own personal preference.

3.  Make sure your spray bottle is set to a "fine mist" because you don't want to get the bath bomb mixture too wet.  If it gets too wet it will start to fizz and expand which is not what you want.  Apply a couple of sprays at a time to the mixture and mix again.  You want the mixture just damp enough to hold together when you squeeze it in your hand, spray and mix until you get the right consistency.

4.  Now you can fill your molds with the mixture.  I used the bottom, round part of some Easter eggs that I have.  I didn't attach two bottoms together, I just stuffed one full of the mixture then wrapped it tightly with plastic wrap.  You can also use any other type of mold you choose such as a round bath bomb mold or silicone mold of a fun shape.   

*You can find fragrance oils, molds and the other ingredients for this project Here or Here.

Laundry Stain Remover

To use this, I take a Tablespoon of the mixture, apply it to the stain and let it sit for about 20 minutes.  You can also soak the whole article of clothing in this solution, you just need a small tub or container to put the item in.  Be sure to stir the mix before each use because it will separate.

Stain Remover

1. Yields:  1 small container

Ingredients

½ cup Hydrogen Peroxide
½ cup Baking Soda
1 cup Water

 Steps

1.  Mix all ingredients together a store in a small container or old oxy clean container.  Apply to stain and let sit for 20 minutes, then clean spot or wash item of clothing.

DIY Liquid Hand Soap

I made this and it made 1 gallon of liquid hand soap using only 1 bar of soap!  I used the Soft Soap brand to make mine, it turned out really nice.

Liquid Hand Soap

Yields:  1 Gallon

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons of Liquid Glycerin (found it at a Hobby store, about $3 a bottle) 
1 - 8 oz. Bar of Soap, Grated
1 gallon of Distilled Water

Steps

1.  Fill a large pot with the gallon of water and soap shavings, let the soap dissolve, save the empty gallon jug.

2.  Add 2 Tablespoons of liquid glycerin and turn the heat to medium/high and stir until the soap dissolves.

3.  Let the soap cool for 10-12 hours, then mix with a stick blender then funnel into the empty gallon jug.

Dishwasher Detergent

I have been using this recipe for about a month and it has been working great.  My dishes come out clean and sparkly.  I recommend the “tough scrub” option on your dishwasher or "extra rinse" for the best results and you can use distilled white vinegar as your rinse agent.  Don’t worry, you won’t get any weird, vinegar smell on your dishes either!

Dishwasher Detergent

                                                                                                Yields: About 60 Loads

Ingredients

2 cups of Borax


2 cups of Baking Soda


4 tablespoons of Citric Acid (can also use lemon kool-aid, not sure if it stains but I heard it doesn't)


Distilled White Vinegar (rinse agent)

Steps

1.  Pour everything except the vinegar together into your blender, you may need to do half a batch at a time due to space, depends on how big your blender is.  I like to blend up the mixture to get any clumps out, if you want to just put it all in a ziplock bag and shake it up you can try that too.  Store your detergent in a ziplock container or bag.  Use 1-2 T per load, the white vinegar is used as the rinse agent.

Glass Cleaner

This glass cleaner works great, takes no time to make and is very inexpensive!

Here is the recipe:

Glass Cleaner

Yields: 1 Spray Bottle

Ingredients

1/2 cup Rubbing Alcohol
1/2 cup Distilled White Vinegar
1/2 liter Water
Capful of Lemon Juice
(optional) Few Drops Food Coloring

Steps

1.  Add half of the water to spray bottle, then vinegar, rubbing alcohol and lemon juice.  Top off with the rest of the water.

Homemade Fabric Softener

This fabric softener is really great and you have many options for scent because it is made with hair conditioner.  My personal favorite scent is Sauvé’s 15 oz. bottle of “Waterfall Mist” and it’s less than $1.00 a bottle.  There is vinegar in this recipe but you cannot smell it at all on your clothing after using this, it just has a great clean smell, nothing super strong or overpowering.  This takes less than 5 minutes to make and is very inexpensive. 

Fabric Softener

Yields: Almost 3 Quarts

Ingredients

6 cups Hot Water

3 cups Distilled White Vinegar

2 cups (16 or 15 oz.) Suave Conditioner

Steps

1.  Mix conditioner and hot water well, until conditioner is dissolved completely (I just funnel both into an old fabric softener bottle, put the lid on and shake.) 

2.  Add the vinegar, and mix well.

3.  Store in a large container (empty fabric softener container, empty large vinegar bottle, etc.).

4.  Pour into a downy ball or use 1-2  tablespoons per load.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

I love this recipe, it saves me so much money and works great in my HE washer.

            Liquid Laundry Detergent

Ingredients

Half a Bar grated Fels Naptha Soap 

5 Gallon Pot (for water) 

5 Gallon Bucket (to mix soap ingredients in) 

1/2 cup WASHING Soda 

1/2 cup Borax 

2 Gallons and 64 oz. Boiling Hot Water 

Hand Held Stick Blender 

3 Empty, Gallon Milk Jugs

*All soap ingredients can be found in the same part of the laundry aisle, in my experience all three are almost always side by side.

Steps

1.  Put grated Fels Naptha in small saucepan and cover with 3 cups of hot water from the 4 ½ gallons of water, heat on low until dissolved.

2.  Fill bucket with 1/2 of the boiling hot water and add melted soap. Stir to combine.

3.  Add the washing soda and the borax, mix well.  Fill the bucket with the rest of the hot water, as it cools it will thicken.  Do not transfer into containers until the soap has completely cooled, I would wait a day or 2 because it will become gelatinous. 

4.  After the 1 to 2 days, If the soap is too thick gradually add a little hot water to it, 1 cup at a time, using your hand held stick blender to mix the soap up each time you add water. Then funnel the soap into 3 gallon milk jugs, old laundry detergent bottles etc.  Use 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup per load, be sure to shake up the detergent before every use.