Comments on: Another “Money Diet” Guest Post, this time by Marsi!

By: Kristi

Kristi — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:22:24 +0000

Marsi,
I’ve never line dried my towels in cooler weather. Also, I live in a very humid part of the country so I’m wondering if that was part of it …. I am going to experiment with hanging it in the dryest, warmest spot int he house next time.

By: Marsi

Marsi — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:11:25 +0000

Kristi, I don’t know what’s going on with your towels, but I sure would be annoyed, just as you are. Maybe try a vinegar rinse? The only times I’ve had laundry smell bad were (1) when I’d left it in the washer overnight and (2) when I got oil from a sugar scrub all over a bath towel as I was toweling off and then the oil left on the towel went rancid. (Yuck. I had to buy a new towel.) Is this a new development for you?

By: Kristi

Kristi — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:36:12 +0000

Marsi,
I have a question for you about line drying. I have line dried my laundry all summer long since my dryer broke.
Now that it is not hot, I have noticed a BIG problem. My big fluffy white towels which take a long time to dry, actually begin to smell before they dry and I end up washing them AGAIN! If i had a working dryer, I would continue to line dry, but electric dry items like these towels, blankets, etc.
Right now that is not an option. Do you, or anyone else, have any tips for this problem? Thanks Kristi

By: Kristi

Kristi — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:47:11 +0000

I’m in : )

By: Marsi

Marsi — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:23:14 +0000

Beth, I don’t use chlorine bleach at all, but I think it would be just fine if you did.

By: BethG

BethG — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:51:35 +0000

I love this! I’m going to use this recipe as soon as I finish the goliath-sized contained of detergent I just purchased at Costco. I’m looking forward to saving money as well. Do you use bleach with this deterent, same as with commercial detergents?

By: tish jett

tish jett — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:14:14 +0000

Thank you, Kristi. Thank you Marsi.

Sometimes I think I should be writing the reverse blog: “What American Women Can Teach Frenchwomen.”

There’s a nice twist. Maybe we should all get together, a chapter a piece, and write a book. What do you think?

By: Marsi

Marsi — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:37:31 +0000

Heather, my front-loader is an HE washer and I’ve used this detergent for two years with no mishaps. It doesn’t get all sudsy, which is one concern, as I understand it, with detergents and HE washers. So go for it!

By: Heather

Heather — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:28:05 +0000

Marsi, do you know if this detergent can be put in an HE washer? I am dying to try this! I went to the website you linked, and saw that a few people made comments asking that same question, but no one seemed to know the answer. I would appreciate it!

By: Marsi

Marsi — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:14:24 +0000

Thanks, Stephanie and Lunasa! I wish my laundry room walls were painted (the rest of my house is, so this is my only “white” room), but it would be too hard to paint around the machines in such a tiny space.

Borax is a mineral detergent that also softens water. 20 Mule Team is the brand I’ve seen in my grocery store. Here is the company website: http://www.20muleteamlaundry.com/

Washing soda is a bit trickier to find. I’ve never seen it at Target (which does carry borax), but find it easily at my grocery store, which is part of the Kroger chain, in case that’s helpful to anyone. The brand is Arm & Hammer. Washing soda is very similar to baking soda, but differs, I think, in its pH, which makes it better for laundry.

Vinegar rinses clean away and leaves behind no vinegar scent at all. And it doesn’t seem like it’d be good at eliminating static, but it does.