Homemade Dryer Sheets

Today while I was making my seasonal batch of laundry detergent. (It lasts us for 3 months, see recipe below) I was missing dryer sheets and decided to look for that dryer sheet recipe. I found another use for the cotton flannel washcloths I made more of recently by repurposing some receiving blankets that were too small anyway. I also found some great tips on making homemade dryer sheets. This is all in an effort to reduce paper waste in my household but also I just like to save money. We have not been using dryer sheets because we have sensitive skin in our family and it was just easier not to use them. The ones for sensitive skin are more expensive so I just gave them up for a while.

If you have school-age children, the chemical reaction of the baking soda and vinegar is kind of fun when mixing the solution for the dryer sheets.

LAUNDRY DETERGENT 
Oh so VERY baby safe!! It is all natural and biodegratable. Easy to make- AND CHEAP!!!

-You will need one bucket w/lid (at least 3 gallons)
-one bar of Fels Naptha
-Borax
-Washing soda (NOT baking soda-- but also made by A&H... found in the laundry isle.)

Boil 12 cups of water
Grate one bar of Fels Naptha
Disolve Fels Naptha in boiling water
remove water from heat
add 1 cup Borax
and 1 cup Washing soda
stir until completely disolved
(at this point- you can add oil essence if desired, or I add 2 TBS of Dr. Brauners Citrus)
pour solution into bucket, and fill to 3 gallons with cold water.

Soap will become gelotinous as it cools, and it is normal for it to be lumpy. It may need to be stirred after it is cold. Use 1/2 cup detergant per load you can add a scoop of OxyClean to heavily soiled loads, or vinegar to balance odor.
You can actually just mix the grated Fels Naptha with the borax and washing soda to make a dry laundry soap, but then you cannot add the essential oils and I haven't tried it this way.

DISHWASHER DETERGENT
This is actually just a method of stretching your eco-friendly box soap.

1 box Seventh Generation detg. (or any other earth safe detergent)
8 cups of Baking Soda
4 cups of Washing Soda
2 cups Borax

mix together in a large tub or bucket with lid
use 1/8 cup per load