Homemade stuff

I'm REALLY getting into this homemade stuff.  A regular Suzy Homemaker.. ha!
I just was feeling rather irked with the price of items on my grocery list and decided to do some research and used Google and Pinterest.
I've made some pretty good stuff so far..  let me share:

Fabric Softener:
6c HOT water
3c white vinegar
2c Suave conditioner
Dissolve the conditioner in the water
Add vinegar and mix
Use 2 Tbsp in a Downy ball

I made this.. it is okay, but when I washed my big blanket and used it, the blanket came out with static.   So I did a bit more research and found that if you take a small piece of aluminum foil and crunch it up golf ball size and toss it in the dryer with your clothes, they come out without the static cling..   Who would have thought?

Here's another fabric softener recipe.  I haven't tried it.
1/2 c Purex crystals (or Downy crystals)
Mix in 1c hot water
Add 6c white vinegar SLOWLY
Dispense 1/2c in Downy ball


Dish Soap- not for the dishwasher
1/4c soap flakes or fels naptha grated
2c water
1-2 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice
1 Tbsp glycerin (optional)
Pour water and soap in saucepan
Heat slowly..stir.. melt the soap, but DO NOT BOIL  
Cool- add vinegar or lemon juice and dispense in bottle.
Note:  I made the first batch with a bar of Ivory soap- grated.
I also used the vinegar.  I think it came out okay, but a bit on the lumpy side.  I wasn't happy, but it does clean the dishes.. no suds.. and though it has a kind of greasy feel to it, the dishes dried in the air are sparkly.
The 2nd batch I made with Fels Naptha soap and lemon juice.  I made 4 x the recipe and got a little over a half gallon.  The problem with it was that it is the consistency of snot and is one big clot in the jug.  I will be trying it out anyway to see how it cleans.
In the mean time, I decided to add a half cup of Dawn (the blue kind) to the Ivory dish soap and it helped a little.   Hmmmm
I think it needs work.
Addendum:
I decided that the 2nd batch with the Fels was worth working on.  So.. I added a cup of blue Dawn and 4 cups of warm water.. and shook it up.   Now, I have to say, this works even better than the Ivory recipe... Love it.  AND- the clot consistency is gone.. its now a nice thick detergent for my dishes.  Again, no suds, but suds don't clean.. 

Dry Laundry Detergent for a year (family of 4)   
3 bars Fels Naptha, grated
1 box Borax
1 box Washing Soda
2c baking soda
1 very large container cheap dollar store Oxyclean
1-2 containers fabric softener crystals (Purex or Downy)
Use 2 Tbsp per load

I find this detergent amazing.  IT CLEANS.  When I made it, I used a dishpan lined with a tall kitchen bag not knowing how much volume I would encounter.  I made a half recipe for the trial.
The bag is so you can really mix the ingredients well.. it's heavy even at a half recipe.  Once it was all mixed pretty well, I scooped it into a 'gallon' plastic ice cream container, and the remainder back into the generic Oxyclean tub.  My measuring spoon is the one that came with the Oxyclean.. its about a T or more.  
Note:  I turned the HOT water on first in the washer and added the soap to it.  The Fels Naptha needs to melt and does so quickly.  Once it looks like its melted, I added my laundry and turned it to the warm setting.  (Or you could use the cold setting).  It did a remarkable job.. and it does not make suds either.  Good for the septic.
I found that using the homemade fabric softener and this detergent, plus the aluminum foil ball in the dryer.. my clothes were almost ultra soft.  And NO static cling.
I would make this again and next time go the full recipe.

Now, some laundry really gets soiled heavily, and though I think you could do a presoak with this stuff, I also found a recipe for 
Homemade Shout:
2/3c Dawn (blue)
2/3c Ammonia
6 Tbsp baking soda
2c warm water
Mix together in a spray bottle .. shake the bottle, spray on the stains and let it set for 2 minutes.. then toss it into the washer.
I have NOT made this yet.  I still need to purchase some Ammonia.