One of the things I really like about being prepared is all of the cool ways we can learn to be prepared! Whether it is storing water, having a 72 hour emergency kit, or keeping food to feed our families, there is always something new to learn and share with all of you. Today, it is all about making your own soaps.

Now, why on earth should we know how to do this? Well, let's think about it. Oklahoma just went through a rash of tornados where stores were destroyed along with some homes. Other states have suffered through floods, and earthquakes. During such times, stores close down and our ability to purchase supplies becomes quite limited - and in some unfortunate cases - very expensive due to goods being sold on the black market. And there is always the very practical reason: making our own soaps costs just pennies on the dollar compared to what we buy in fancy plastic soap containers.

The following "recipes" are just a few that can be found by surfing the internet. However, these are the most economical and surprisingly easy to do!

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Laundry Soap

Each batch yields approximately 32 ounces (between 32-64 loads based on how many Tbsp used per load. 1 Tbsp for regular loads and 2-3 for heavily soiled clothes)

1 bar of shaved bar soap (Ivory, ZOTE, Fels-Naptha)
1 cup of borax
1 cup of washing soda (such as Arm & Hammer Washing Soda - NOT baking soda!)

Directions:
Shave the bar of soap into a medium size bowl using a grater
Add 1 cup of the borax
Add 1 cup of the washing soda

Mix thoroughly until it looks like a powder

Put in plastic container as shown
You may had 1 or 2 drops of scented oil such as lavender, orange or lemon, but don't over-due it!




2 batches of this recipe will fit perfectly into a 32 ounce container
Safe for septic tanks

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Home-Made Dryer Sheets

From diyNatural

Over the past few years diyNatural has researched various alternatives to commercial dryer sheets. This is due to the fact that many people are skin-sensitive to the sometimes toxic fragrance chemicals in the sheets themselves. A safe and simple alternative is the following:

Cut cotton cloth into small squares. The writer uses 5-inch squares of cotton t-shirts that she is "retiring".
Add 3-5 drops of essential oil to your cloth and throw it in the dryer with your next load.
These cotton dryer sheets can be used for 2 or 3 loads, each time adding 3 more drops of your favorite essential oil.
Wash the cloth after a few uses and experiment with a new fragrance the next time, such as lavender, lemon, or grapefruit.

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Home-Made Shampoo

No, it won't smell like your favorite shampoo, but remember that the objective is to be prepared, save money AND have clean hair.

1 Tablespoon baking soda
1 cup water
1-2 drops of a lovely essential oil
1 old shampoo bottle or other container

Prepare batches until your container is full
Shake well and shake well again before using
That's it! There won't be suds, but suds don't get the hair clean anyway. You'll be amazed at the results! If you absolutely need to have some kind of "scent", use a drop of your favorite oil - not too much because some oils can burn your skin in higher doses! This is good for all hair types; however dyed hair could lose some of the color.