Lavender laundry detergent

I have seen a few posts on how to make your own laundry detergent. Since I love a good home chemistry experiment, I decided to make a batch. I should clarify and say that I am really mixing my own laundry detergent since I am not making the soap. Either way, it is pretty fun to do and very cost effective. I made a concentrated laundry powder using liquid lavender castile soap, vinegar, borax, washing soda and baking soda. I based my mix on the powdered laundry detergent recipe I found at The Diaper Jungle. The only difference with my mix is I add an extra cup of borax. The mixture initially was a thick paste and after about an hour or so it turned into a nice powder. It takes quite a bit of stirring to remove all the clumps and the mixture does heat up from the combination of the vinegar and baking soda so be a little careful. I do love the way the detergent smells and that is based on the type of soap you use so pick something you really like. I love lavender and the lavender castile soap is really fragrant and nice.

I am currently using the homemade detergent to wash the diapers and it is working well so far. I only use a third of cup per full load and not a half as shown in the recipe. I have seen notes about the homemade detergents causing build up, but that hasn't been a problem so far. It should be noted that most of my diapers are made of hemp and other natural materials. I have a few bumgenius aio's, but I don't use them all time so only time will tell if the detergent is a problem with the all synthetic diapers.

Aqua hemp fleece diapers

A good friend of mine had a beautiful little boy a little while ago. I made two diapers for her out of the aqua dyed hemp fleece. I lined the diapers with recycled Polartec stretch microfleece. I made the soaker out of three layers of hemp fleece and sewed it to the liner so no stuffing required. I did keep a pocket on the top so she can add more absorbency. I also made a burp cloth and matching bib set. I really love the aqua color and the fabric is so soft. I used my snap pliers and again and have to say I really love the snap diapers. I am in the process of making a few new ones for the little guy also. I love new diapers and can't help but make a few more for my little guy.

Hemp fleece sleep sac

I made a summer sleep sac for the little guy out the hemp and organic cotton fleece. I used his winter sleep sac as a pattern and added a few inches to the bottom. I made this one sleeveless of course since it is for summer time. I got a chance to use my lovely snap pliers again and put a row of snaps on the front. It is super soft and comfy for sleeping.