Save like Nana did. Laundry.

 Laundry is probably such a big subject that I am biting off more than I can chew in one post!   I have covered this subject before and will link to those posts.    The cost of laundry products has continually gone up and up.   With food prices being higher and higher I hate to think of so much money going into laundry power or liquid, stain removers, whiteners,  softeners,  drier sheets and more.   For the purpose of this post I have been getting an update on current products and prices.    Laundry products are like toothpaste.... there are always newer, brighter, whiter, fresher products!     It is all very alluring I have to say.   We want clean and fresh results.   Psychologists work with advertising teams to make things very very tempting!   But my Nan had the whitest white sheets that felt and smelled like sunshine.  I STILL remember the feeling of being tucked into bed at my Grandparents and how beautiful it felt, how things smelled heavenly.    And Nan had none of these fancy products sold today.   To top it off many of the ingredients used to scent things are actually toxic.  All is not what it seems! 

With high food, fuel, electricity and gas prices if we can save in one area we can channel that money to where it is needed more.   This is one way to really save.  

I will tell you what I do and what I have taught my girls to do.  Most of this was taught to me by my Mum and her Mum.   I have to add.... being an avid thrift shopper I have made it my business to be able to get just about any stain out!   If anyone in the family has a stain they can't remove they send it to me.   Once this happens I am going to get that stain out even if I have to use dynamite!  😊

Soaking buckets.

If something is stained or heavily grubby it goes into a soaking bucket.  I have several.  Often it is just some laundry liquid dissolved in hot water .... but because it is in a bucket (or jar even) it is super concentrated.   I also use stain sprays if needed.   I like the Aldi one in a purple bottle.  One of those lasts me a very long time.   For grease or oil I just dab it with dish washing liquid and rub that in... then into the bucket. 

When the girls had babies I taught them to have several soaking buckets. (Never on the floor!) As things get stained throw them straight in to soak and then into the wash later.   Really most things come up beautifully.   If all else fails with a stain I hang it onto the line in the sun for a couple of days.   Many things magically disappear this way.  It is quite amazing!  This especially works with age and yellowing kind of stains. 

Most loads of washing I use my homemade laundry liquid.  It works, it smells lovely and costs just a few cents a load.   You can find the recipe I use here.    You can make it without any scent but I add Eucalyptus oil which boosts everything with such a fresh clean scent.   Lux Flakes are now called Softly in Australia.  In the US Ivory soap flakes are pretty much the same thing.   You can grate hard soap and make your own flakes....  Vicky sent me some pink Zote... I grated that and gave my laundry soap a pink colour which I loved!    If you have always wanted to make soap then laundry soap and wool wash are a great way to stick your toe into the water.   It is additive!  

I keep the basic items to make laundry soap in my laundry pantry.  I know that I can easily make enough soap for several years.   I probably make this recipe twice a year or so and that is enough for the two of us.  

For washing woollens I use homemade wool mix.   The recipe is also there on the above link.   This makes any wool item smell heavenly and feel so very soft.   It can be used to wash wool underlays, pillows,  quilts, blankets... etc.   They come up just beautifully.   I wash all of these items in the height of summer then line dry or set up a clothes horse so they can dry out in the sun.    The pillows I feel do need to be tumble dried to finish them off and re fluff them.   But all of these things come inside smelling of sunshine which is an impossible smell to describe but if you have ever slept on sun dried sheets you will know it.  It is so fresh.   With all the fancy things we can buy at the end of the day nothing kills dust mites like sunshine.    Mum would always sun the mattresses.   The baby mattress would be out in the sun then flipped for some more sun.   The sun was used to fresh things up, deodorise, kill germs, prevent mould. 

Many people tell me they are not allowed a clothes line.  This is as terrible as not being allowed chickens. When we lived in the city we did have a beautiful clothesline but I noticed the lady over the road from us hung her clothes on hangers and hung them in the tree out the front.  It looked beautiful to me.   Clothes dried on hangers in the breeze don't need ironing because nature did everything for you.   A good breeze is the best iron ever!   I know it may not be possible for everyone but if I could not have a clothes line I would have a fold out rack in a sunny window,  under the veranda,  in the garage, under a tree where no one can see it.   Some laundries have a hanging rack...  I have a large portable line that I can set up anywhere... so when the sun moves I can move it.  In winter I can set it up in the lounge room near the fire.  Also I have a large clothesline between two posts in the back yard.  

I never dry clean anything.  The last time I did the dry cleaning cost more than the price of the dress so I have never been back.  I am not sure if people still use dry cleaners?   Many of the chemicals they used are  not really something I wanted to breathe.   

Nan did not wash clean things.  This made no sense.  It still makes no sense.  Aprons were worn to keep things as clean as possible.   There was also the "spot clean" where something was clean except for a mark.  This would be spot cleaned.   The side benefit was things lasted longer!   A coat might be spot cleaned,  hung up in the sun and the breeze and then good to go.

My whole family, Grandparents, Great Grandparents had rain water only.   Water was (and still is) precious.  You did not waste water!!   Water was re used ie cold water that ran while you waited for hot water filled the kettle.  Rinse water was poured on a plant.   Clean clothes were re worn.  Not underwear obviously!   But perfectly clean things do not need cleaning.   

On linen day, when the bed is stripped,  the windows are flung open to air the room.  The mattress is turned often too.  I leave the bed like that for the day so it is properly aired with good fresh breeze.    Later in the afternoon I will re make it and there is nothing as nice as hopping into a freshly made bed.   I cannot really decide if the bed should be in the cleaning or laundry post.   But airing the room is part of the laundry day.  

Nan (and Mum) would bring their kitchen towels to the boil about once a week.   If I cannot get a stain out I bring soap and water and the article to the boil in my soap making pot.  I got this pot for $1 at a thrift store.  It is used to make all my soaps.  

If you would prefer to make a dry soap powder Cath over at The Cheapskates Club has a wonderful recipe.  

Now I want to show you some laundry wash prices.  This is 2 L  ....

For $28 you can make enough laundry liquid and wool mix for a couple of years!! 

And now the newer things are pods.  

These are kind of the Chanel No 5 of laundry wash.    It is all very tempting.  And if you want to buy it I am happy for you, I am just saying that if the budget is tight and you would rather stock your pantry and pay off debt (or some other thing) I can 100% assure you that you can have beautiful clean and fresh laundry like Nana always did for a fraction of the cost.    

It is a funny thing that writing this has brought back so many memories for me.   My whole life I have been blessed with beautiful beds, comfy mattresses,  nice linens...  and there is nothing more beautiful than to climb into bed with fresh sheets!    I think cooking expresses love and care to our family but so does clean laundry.   xxx