[LilacSandy]

I impress my guests with my bubble bath and hand wash.  These decanters were brought for £1 each from car boots and I fill with cheap bubble bath.  I also use a hand wash dispenser which I fill from the bubble bath bottles as well.  I think the green one is about 20p from Asda.

[joyfull]

I know John and Val (the sites owners) use washing nuts which can then be used afterwards to make a hand wash, shower and bath cream. Here is their book for low cost living:-

http://www.allotment-garden.org/book/low-cost-living.php

[joyfull]

pretty decanters - it is amazing how putting things into expensive looking bottles easily fools people 

[joyfull]

struggling to buy borax - the proper stuff was banned from high street shops in 2009 and there is now a borax substitute but nobody round here stocks it that I can find anyway  .
I may have to resort to buying off the internet but the postage will probably cost a lot  .

[joyfull]

high postage on ebay but free postage on amazon so just ordered some - hope these things work  
2 boxes for £4.49. - 1 box was £3.39

[needssomehelp]

i found my borax at a shop near me that sells just about everything, it is a borax substitute.  i was told by my local chemist that some asdas do it, ill ask my sister in  law she works in asda.

[Trillium]

Don't know why borax would be banned as it's used in many toothpastes, laundry soap, cleaners, pest control products, etc.

Just last week I came across this one:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHPwTcjFCpw
and I bought the supplies to make mine. This is a no cook method.

I plan to add only half the water suggested, then use half the recommended amount per wash.  Before I can make it, I must save enough storage containers for it.

[Lawrence]

I found this site a while ago when I was looking for sodium Acetate ( the stuff they use in hand warmers ) and they also sell Borax.

Here is the link

http://www.intralabs.co.uk/borax.html

I don't know if it is cheap or not, but it does seem to be the real stuff.

Hope this helps

[joyfull]

The EU reclassified borax for households (you can still buy lab grade but it is more expensive) as it can have an effect on the human reproductive system when exposed regularly to a concentration of more than 5.5%.

[joyfull]

just used brown vinegar and a couple of orange essential oil as a fabric softener on a dog blanket and it smells lovely. The blanket was really soft anyway so cant comment on if it has worked as a softener. i used about as much vinegar as I would concentrated softener. 

[joyfull]

made my own washing powder today so will try using it tomorrow and report back 

[Auntiemogs]

made my own washing powder today so will try using it tomorrow and report back 

Please do Joyfull, I am itching to try my hand but want to know if it works first. 

[needssomehelp]

well its been a week tomorrow that i have been using my own washing liquid and dishwasher powder, and fabric softener.  The washing liquid has been a clear winner, i wash for 6 people in my household, thats about 3 loads per day, although non of the are young children so no major stains, but for me its working really well.
The only problem i have found with the dishwasher powder is, it doesnt get tea stains out of my cups, so after a week of using the powder i had to bleach them yesterday as they were begining to discolour slightly. but having said that the glasses are all coming out nice and shiny and the plates all clean, so i think ill carry on making my own and just blech when its needed.
im not sure on the fabric softener, its not as nice as branded shop bought stuff, but does definatly reduce static in the tumble dryer and i think the washing is softer than it would be if i used nothing.  i just love the strong smell and the feel of top brand softener, but hey, im saving so much money on washing detergent and dishwasher powder i think i can treat myself to some lenor.   

[joyfull]

dont know how you made your dishwasher powder but I have found a recipe that uses 1 tablespoon of borax and 1 tablespoon of bicarb of soda which says it works brilliantly on china. Instead of bleaching the cups why not just rub with bicarb on a damp cloth?

[joyfull]

just washed a load of towels using only 1 tablespoon of home-made powder. It seemed very strange using just a tiny amount but it worked - lovely clean towels and tea-towels came out smelling clean and fresh. I was a little bit worried that it would lather up too much but quite the opposite hardly any suds. Ok I know the towels weren't really a dirty wash but so far I am impressed.
1 bar of household soap = 27.5p
1 cup borax = 49.5p
1 cup soda crystals = 21p
Total = 77.21 and having just measured it out that is enough for 30 light washes. Which makes it 2.57p per wash load