# Homemade products



## amitdi (May 31, 2012)

I recently bought a home and was researching how can I save on ongoing grocery costs when I bumped into this whole homemade recipes for laundry soaps, body soap, lotions, cleaners, and stuff.


I am planning to order materials for roughly a year's supply of these items. I havent done the savings calculation, but the readymade items will easily cost more. I want to know if people have tried it, abandoned it, loved it. Whats your experience like.


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

For the convenience factor, I will probably stick to purchasing pre manufactured products, however, it would be great if you posted pics/feedback when you have some products made.


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

In my experience, some of the homemade products worked as well or even better than the commercial ones (nothing polishes brass like lemon juice and salt). In other cases the opposite was true. 

Being a food snob, the same is genrerally true with food, most of the stuff I cook at home is better, I don't eat much processed foods, but I do go to some restaurants because they can produce better tasting food than I can.


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## Davis (Nov 11, 2014)

I make bathroom cleaner and glass cleaner from white vinegar, eco-friendly dish soap, and water. They work prrfectly well, and don't smell harsh.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

I have done some in the past to save money but also because it was less harsh or better for my kids.

I have made home baby wipes (don't need them any more) but I did love them
For my moisturizer, I just used Virginia cold pressed coconut oil (cannot be refined). It was the only thing that worked on dry skin and exczema. I tried all the different creams even the medicated. I also am now sold on tea tree oil and oregano oil if we are really itchy. 

I haven't tried lotions (don't really need it), or soaps or shampoo. I wait for them to go on sale. 

We use vinegar, baking soda, and bleach (not all together) for a lot of our basic cleaning.


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## daledegagne (Apr 6, 2015)

amitdi said:


> I recently bought a home and was researching how can I save on ongoing grocery costs when I bumped into this whole homemade recipes for laundry soaps, body soap, lotions, cleaners, and stuff.
> 
> 
> I am planning to order materials for roughly a year's supply of these items. I havent done the savings calculation, but the readymade items will easily cost more. I want to know if people have tried it, abandoned it, loved it. Whats your experience like.


In our home, we pre-make all purpose cleaning solution called "pink solution". Cheap and all natural.

We also make our own yoghurt which cuts the cost of yoghurt (we eat a lot of it) down from $4 a litre to $1.50 a litre. Sure it's not much but we like it and we know what's going into it...or not.

My wife is also amazing with sauces. I never knew how easy a few pennies worth of garlic, salt, and milk and 10 minutes of shared cooking time could combine into something more delicious than the $4 jar of Ragu.


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## amitdi (May 31, 2012)

thanks all for the inputs, so I am not going to try something out of this world..


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## hedgehog885 (Dec 13, 2014)

amitdi said:


> thanks all for the inputs, so I am not going to try something out of this world..


Just because a few users tell you their opinions shouldn't stop you from making an attempt. Remember...for the most part we users share our experiences, not try to divert you to not do it. You started this thread because you ARE interested in trying to make homemade products, so give it a try. Give it a go with something simple, such as like a cleaning solution. Simplest product to make and all natural!!! All you need to a spray bottle from the dollar store, white vinegar, and a bit of dish washing soap, water, and a quick shake and you're all good. If that works out great why not try something else simple? You never know if it will or won't work for you if you don't try.

All the best!


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

We do a mix of making our own and buying in bulk. For example, I bought three years' worth of shampoo for $50 by buying it in bulk and bringing my own container. I do the same with laundry detergent and washing-machine soap: buying in bulk using our own refillable containers. It saves a lot of money.

We use black soap (savon noir) for much of our cleaning: we buy that in bulk and a $12 bottle typically lasts us 2-3 years because it's highly concentrated: a teaspoon dissolved in a liter or more of water makes a great solution for cleaning floors, counters, walls, etc., and we put some in a spray bottle as well. For keeping our drains clear, we pour baking soda, then vinegar down the drains, let it work for 10 minutes and the pour boiling water down to finish. I've been doing this for 7 years now as a preventive measure to avoid clogged/slow drains and we've never had a clogged drain in 7 years. Baking soda works well as a substitute for cleaning powders (Comet, etc.).


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

And I'll be trying the vinegar, salt, bit of soap (to help it stick) dandelion killer. I'm hesitant about including the salt (could take a long time to wash away) so may just try a vinegar/soap solution first. Was tempted to try the muriatic acid but that stuff's serious, and difficult to come by these days.


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## amitdi (May 31, 2012)

hedgehog885 said:


> Just because a few users tell you their opinions shouldn't stop you from making an attempt. Remember...for the most part we users share our experiences, not try to divert you to not do it. You started this thread because you ARE interested in trying to make homemade products, so give it a try. Give it a go with something simple, such as like a cleaning solution. Simplest product to make and all natural!!! All you need to a spray bottle from the dollar store, white vinegar, and a bit of dish washing soap, water, and a quick shake and you're all good. If that works out great why not try something else simple? You never know if it will or won't work for you if you don't try.
> 
> All the best!


My bad, I didnt post my message properly. What I meant was - I'll give it a try. But now I know that I am not doing anything unique (out of this world) and this is a common thing that some people do.


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## hedgehog885 (Dec 13, 2014)

Let us know how it turns out!


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

Davis said:


> I make bathroom cleaner and glass cleaner from white vinegar, eco-friendly dish soap, and water. They work prrfectly well, and don't smell harsh.


+1

Buy eco-friendly products and you don't need to use as much as well.


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## lonewolf (Jun 12, 2012)

The vinegar & water for windows works well for windows. In cold weather I have used wind shield washer that is made for below freezing.

Years ago I was in Utah asked for some vinegar for fries. The waitress brings me the red vinegar I then ask for the white. She told me that the white vinegar was like ammonia & it would kill me if I put it on my fries. I tried to tell her it was safe to eat & she was very concerned even after I left that I would put some white vinegar on fries in the future & end up dead.


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## MrMatt (Dec 21, 2011)

lonewolf said:


> The vinegar & water for windows works well for windows. In cold weather I have used wind shield washer that is made for below freezing.
> 
> Years ago I was in Utah asked for some vinegar for fries. The waitress brings me the red vinegar I then ask for the white. She told me that the white vinegar was like ammonia & it would kill me if I put it on my fries. I tried to tell her it was safe to eat & she was very concerned even after I left that I would put some white vinegar on fries in the future & end up dead.


Acetic acid is actually insanely dangerous for such a commonly used product. Fortunately in vinegar it is pretty safe.
I don't think it was a utah thing, I've never seen red vinegar pickles.


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