Laudry Detergent and "Poo-Free" Hair

Making laundry detergent was really quick and easy.  And the cost can't be beat.  Like I said in my previous post, my homemade laundry detergent cost roughly 40 cents a gallon (and you only use 1/2 a cup per load).

Lessons that I learned in making the detergent.
#1 use a food processor to grate the Fels-Naptha soap.  The recipe only calls for 1/3 of the bar, so I cut the bar in thirds and then grated each third separately.  I put the other 2/3s of the soap in two separate baggies so they are ready for me the next time I need to make detergent.
#2 Use a large stock pot to make the detergent.  First, you dissolve the soap in boiling water (6 cups).  You wouldn't think that you would need a large pot, put when I added the washing soda and borax (1/2 a cup of each) the whole pot foamed up quite a bit.  Just be prepared to stir and remove from the heat if needed.
#3 I think it is really important to boil the solution for 15 minutes.  I think this step is critical to make sure that all of the ingredients gel together, as opposed to making chunks when it cools.
#4 After boiling, you will need a container that will hold 2 gallons.  I grabbed a small garbage can, put 2 gallons of water in it and used a sharpie to mark the spot where 2 gallons fills.  Sooo, put 1 qt of hot water in the container (trash can), then pour the hot soap solution in, stir it around.  Lastly, add cold water to the solution until you hit your 2 gallon mark.
#5 What do you do with 2 gallons of soap in a trash can???  I just happened to have to old milk jugs.  I grabbed my large measuring cup and used it to scoop soap out of the trash can and pour into the milk jugs.  I did this over the washing machine so if I spilled any it just went into the washing machine.  Let your soap sit 24 hours and then enjoy!
#6 You will need to shake the solution before using it.

Can I tell you how much I hate having my picture taken???

I was a little more skeptical of this next cheap "home remedy."  Poo-free hair.  Sounds hilarious and it's nutty, so I had to try it.  So the premise is that shampoo is actually bad for our hair.  It causes you to produce more oil and messes with the pH of your hair/scalp.  So what do you use instead?  Baking soda.  From what I have read, you can mess with the proportions of baking soda and water to fit your needs.  I used the basic recommendation: 1 TBS of baking soda dissolved in 1 cup of warm water.  If you have psoriasis, they recommend upping the baking soda/lowering the water, to make more of a paste that you would massage into your scalp.  The recipe that I used make a very liquidy solution, which I just poured over my head and gently worked through my hair and rinsed.

*Some people have a problem with knots and tangles using this, so they recommend brushing your hair before getting in the shower.*

Oh, and since I didn't know how this would work, I put 1 TBS of baking soda in a glad container with a 1 cup mark on it and added water when I was in the shower.

For condition, you use 1 TBS of apple cider vinegar dissolved in 1 cup of warm water.  If you are prone to oily hair, only apply this to the ends of your hair.  I was worried about oil, so I just poured it over the ends of my hair and rinsed well. 

What you see in the oh so flattering picture above is me, a day after the poo-free treatment.  I went out with my mom friends last night and a couple people complimented my hair.  I, personally, don't think it looks better than before, but I am going to give it a chance and try this method for a week or so.  My hair looks fine, but it feels a little oily to me.  I might end up not using the vinegar (just use the baking soda and my soy conditioner).  If I do like this method, I will use an old shampoo bottle to keep the solutions in; but for now, I will stick to making up one batch at a time.