by contributing writer Angie

Laundry can be an expensive undertaking, especially if you have a houseful of people.  With laundry sometimes needing to be done daily, the cost can easily add up over time.  While there isn’t an easy way to get rid of the task, you can find ways to save on laundry.

7 Ways to Save on Laundry

1. Use a clothes line.  If you have a lot of laundry to do or nowhere for a clothes line, this may not be a practical option for you.  However, if you have some room in your yard, or even somewhere unexpected, drying some of your clothes on a clothes line can save the cost of running your dryer.

2. Cut dryer sheets in half.  If you use dryer sheets, they really are larger than most loads require.  It can be easy enough to cut them or rip them in half.  This means that a box that is meant to do 120 loads can actually take care of 240 loads.  That’s a huge difference, and will cut your bill for dryer sheets in half every time you do it.  Or, you could ditch the dryer sheets and make your own fabric softener.

3. Make your own laundry detergent.  Laundry detergent seems to get more and more expensive.  With this homemade high efficiency laundry detergent recipe that costs just four cents a load, you can really save a lot on your laundry budget.

4. Upgrade to high efficiency appliances.  While there certainly is a cost upfront for these, it can mean a savings in water and energy usage.  Plus, it can save time since many hold a larger load of laundry than traditional washers and dryers.

5. Use vinegar as a fabric softener.  Vinegar can be a much less expensive option as a liquid fabric softener than brand name liquid fabric softeners.  Vinegar can soften fabrics and remove bad smells at the same time.

6. Make sure laundry loads are full, but not too full.  If your loads are too small, you may be spending too much doing your laundry.  However, if you are overloading your washer, your clothes won’t get properly cleaned.  Plus, it means that when you put everything in the dryer, you might need to run multiple cycles to get everything dry.

7. Get the best prices on your laundry supplies and stock up when you find them.  It’s easy to buy laundry supplies as you run out.  Instead, make sure you’re getting the best prices by setting up a laundry supply price book.

What are your best tips for ways to save on laundry?

photo by Horia Varlan

More posts from Angie

I love it so much that in 2009 I mentioned that I’d love to work with the folks at OxiClean because I’m probably their biggest fan!

Well guess what? OxiClean found my website, decided I might be one of their biggest fans, and contacted me earlier this year. I was like a kid on Christmas morning when I saw the email from the folks at OxiClean in my inbox. When they asked if I was interested in working with them as a spokesperson for the year I was thrilled!

Who better to talk about OxiClean than a mom of seven very active kids? Anyway, I’m super excited to be working with them this year and can’t wait to share even more stain fighting tips with you all.

This week I’m giving away 3 Ultimate Stain Removal Kits from OxiClean. We all love free and what better than to win something you are probably already buying anyway?!?!

Included in the giveaway are:

• OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover
• OxiClean™ Max Force Gel Stick (this stuff is awesome!)
• OxiClean™ 2in1 Stain Fighter Power Paks
• OxiClean™ 2in1 Stain Fighter Liquid
• OxiClean™ Dishwashing Booster

To enter to win this giveaway leave a comment sharing your biggest stain fighting challenge. Giveaway ends Monday, May 20, 2013.

I have partnered with OxiClean this year as a spokesperson. All opinions are 100% mine. 

It wasn’t until last year when my friend Erin moved that I realized moving on your own is a huge deal. Not only is it time consuming it is expensive! Now my media assistant Jenn (many of you might know her) is getting ready to move. She’s done a lot of the packing herself but she needs a company to load and unload the truck for her due to her husband’s bad back.

After listening to my two friends talk about their move I’m thankful I’m not moving again for a long time. The reality is our next move (if there is one) will probably not involve the military and I’ll be on my own to figure it all out.

Last month I was talking to my friend Dana (you know her from A Slob Comes Clean) about this new web app Unpakt. Aside from having a really cool Ikea-esq name, they have come up with an awesome idea!

It makes moving incredibly simple, except for purging 10 years worth of stuff from your attic part.

Here’s how it works. Head over to Unpakt and enter all the basic information about your move.

After you’ve entered your information you’ll see exact prices and user reviews for movers in your area.

After having our piano dropped on its side I’m all over the reviews! If you aren’t ready to commit that moment you can save your plan for later.

When you are ready to move select your mover, lock in your guaranteed price, and reserve!

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have hours a day to spend on the phone talking to different companies, getting quotes, and waiting for people to return my phone calls. With Unpakt you can submit information on your timetable and save time and money in the process which only takes about an hour!

Available from coast to coast, you can even use Unpakt if you are a military member and want to do a DITY move to earn a little extra money.

As someone who moves every one to two years this is one of the best ideas I’ve heard of in a long time. I’m hooked on reading reviews of services before I spend money and I love that I can do it all on my own time, which is usually early morning or late at night. While moving isn’t what I would call easy, Unpakt makes it as easy as possible without coming over and sorting through your junk drawer for you!

The folks at Unpakt want to show Happy Housewife readers how easy it is to use their service. Receive 5% instant cash back on your next move! Enter promo code: THH on Unpakt.com when booking and save. Must book by 7/31/13.

Want to see who is talking about Unpaktcheck out these other websites.

• Recently featured in The NY Times, Forbes, TechCrunch, The Huffington Post, Real Simple and many more. Press coverage here.
• Named one of The Next Web’s Top 10 Apps for Home & Work

I’m working with Unpakt as a paid spokesperson. All opinions and moving stories are my own. 

Do you use cloth grocery bags? I try to when I go to the store, but I have never had any smaller cloth bags that would work well for produce. Until now, that is.

When my daughter and I were going through her outgrown clothes I noticed a few tank tops and undershirts that I thought would make perfect produce bags.

The sizes of the shirts were 14-16 girls and they made a large produce bag. If you prefer smaller bags you can simply use a smaller shirt.

While I used tank tops and undershirts for the produce bags in this tutorial you can use regular T-shirts and cut the sleeves off before following this tutorial.

If you would like to make your own produce bags that require minimal sewing here’s how.

Supplies Needed

• T-shirt or Tank Top
• Scissors
• Thread
• Sewing Machine
• Ruler

Instructions

1. Turn the T-shirt wrong side out, and pin the bottom together.

2. Set your sewing machine to a triple stitch so that your seam will be very secure.

The reason for using this stitch is to prevent the seam from busting and you ending up with fruits and veggies everywhere.

3. Sew the bottom of the T-shirt closed by sewing just to the left of the shirt’s original seam.

4. Now, fold the shirt turning the side of the shirt towards the middle, and make 1/4 inch (or 1/2 inch) cuts every two inches.

This isn’t an exact science. Just be careful not to cut too close to any seams.

5. Once you have made your cuts then you need to refold the shirt so that you can cut another area just like you did.

6. Continue until you have little cuts all over the shirt.

7. Turn the T-shirt right side out and stretch it a little.

You are now ready to fill your T-shirt bag with produce.

The picture below shows the difference between 1/4 inch (pic on the left) cuts and 1/2 inch (pic on the right) cuts.

While I think the 1/2 inch cuts are fine, they won’t work for smaller produce.

If you are a little more ambitious and want to create a rounded bottom to your produce bags simply fold the T-shirt in half lengthwise.

Then, cut it so that it is rounded, like in the picture below, before sewing it together.

Follow the same steps as for the straight bottomed bag.

So, are you ready to ditch the plastic produce bags and switch to cloth?

Then go find some small T-shirts or tank tops.

More projects from Jackie

Last year we went through 365 tips to organize and simplify your home one day at a time, which you can see the entire list of ideas here. With all of these fantastic organization tips to keep your house out of chaos, we decided to highlight some of the best to focus on each month in 2013.

We’ve gathered up some Spring Cleaning basics for you this month including a few How To’s and reminders for some easy spring cleaning tasks!

1. Change your Heating and Air Conditioning Filters
2. How to Clean a Refrigerator
3. Clean out the Silverware Drawer
4. How to Clean Cabinet Doors
5. Clean out the Pantry
6. Clean your Intake Vents
7. How to Clean Baseboards
8. How to Clean Window Tracks
9. How to Clean a Ceiling Fan

If you are just tuning in, then be sure to see the 2013 January, February, March, and April organized goals as well.

For more ideas to help you simplify and organize one day at a time, visit the Organized in 365 Archives.

If you haven’t already purchased a Motivated Mom’s 2013 Planner for this year or have had an eye on one of their new apps, then now’s your chance to save big – just in time for Mother’s Day!  Use coupon code: MOTHER to take $3 off any planner and/or to get any app for only $4.99 (reg. $6.99)!

A little more about the apps:

Available for both iPhone/iPad/iPod touch and Android, this is the 2013 app version of the popular e-book that thousands use each year to manage their homes and contains the same tasks as the printable version. With the app you get 15 months of preprogrammed tasks (over 10,000 of them) spanning October 2012 to December 2013. In addition, you can add unlimited custom tasks and assign tasks to people and rooms.

Click here to visit and shop the Motivated Moms sale.

Note that the coupon code is valid until Tuesday, May 14, 2013!

Many years ago I learned to make my own laundry detergent and was thrilled to be able to avoid harsh chemicals and save a pretty penny. However, until recently, I continued to purchase dryer sheets because my husband cannot stand his clothes to have static electricity.

I was thrilled to learn how to make wool dryer balls–a very simple alternative to dryer sheets that is not only cost effective, it is also reusable and non-toxic. Throw a few felted wool dryer balls into the dryer to reduce static electricity, decrease wrinkles in clothing, and speed up drying time.

How to Make Wool Dryer Balls

Supplies Needed

• 100% wool yarn (each skein makes at least 2 dryer balls)
• (optional) 100% wool roving – Roving is fiber that has not yet been spun into yarn.  It can be purchased at crafting or yarn stores.
• panty hose or nylon stocking

Instructions

1. Wrap yarn into a ball the size of orange. Tuck the tail of the yarn into the ball of yarn so that it does not unravel easily.

2. (Optional step) Cover the yarn ball with roving, smoothing it around the ball. Experiment with the roving to create designs on the yarn ball.

3. Place yarn ball into the panty hose and tie closed with a scrap piece of yarn. Several balls of yarn can be placed in the panty hose, just make sure to tie off each section before adding another ball of yarn.

4. Wash the balls of yarn (in the panty hose) in hot water. It is best to wash with several other things in the washer, such as blue jeans or towels. The more friction in the water, the better.

5. Once the balls of yarn have been washed, remove from the panty hose and place in the dryer. It may take a couple of dryings before the yarn balls are completely dry and felted.

6. Once the yarn balls are felted, place them in the dryer each time you dry clothes.

More posts from Jasmine

 by contributing writer Kristen

Puzzle cards are a fun craft for kids to make and the recipient gets to have fun by putting their puzzle card together!   The blank puzzles that are available in craft stores are overpriced and usually only contain a few puzzle pieces.   I created a homemade puzzle card using a wooden puzzle from the dollar.  The result was a high quality puzzle card that contained my desired amount of puzzle pieces.

How to Make a Puzzle Card

Supplies Needed

• 1 puzzle
• White matte spray paint
• Sharpies, acrylic paint, and other items you may want to use to decorate your puzzle card.
• Envelope

Instructions

1.  Obtain a puzzle.  I was able to purchase a wooden puzzle for $1 from the dollar store.  I found that the dollar store had a variety of different sized  puzzles.  You can also reuse one you have.

2. Spray paint your puzzle. Outside, I spray painted my puzzle white.  It took 2 coats for the puzzle to turn completely white.

3. Let the puzzle dry. Let your puzzle dry overnight.  It is very important that your puzzle is completely dry before decorating it.

4. Decorate your puzzle.  I decorated my puzzle card using colored Sharpies.  Acrylic paint would also work well when decorating these puzzles.

5. Make sure you have some color on every puzzle piece. Since your recipient does not have a photo to look at when putting their puzzle together, make sure that each puzzle piece has some color on it.  If you are using a puzzle with a large amount of pieces, then you may want to consider numbering your puzzle pieces.

6. Take apart your puzzle and place it in an envelope. I placed my puzzle in a manila envelope.  I made this puzzle card for my son to send to my brother for his birthday.

A homemade puzzle card is easy to make!  You can get as elaborate and creative as you want.  This is such a fun craft to make and it feels really good to give special thing like this to friends and family.

More projects from Kristen

Do you have a stash of fabric scraps that are too big to throw away but not big enough for most sewing projects? Well, today I have a project that will help you use up your scrap fabrics.

This scrap fabric tutu is so easy to make and will provide your little girl with something fun to wear during playtime or anytime.

Supplies

• Scrap Fabrics 
• Rotary Cutter & Mat
• Ruler
• Scissors
• 3/4 or 1 inch wide Elastic
• Sewing Machine & Thread (or hot glue or a safety pin)

Instructions

1. Find scrap fabrics pieces that are at least 18 to 22 inches long and no less than an inch wide.

Note: You can use fabric yardage if you don’t have any scraps.

2. Iron the fabric if it is wrinkled. This will make cutting easier.

3. Using a rotary cutter and mat, cut your fabrics.

I cut my fabric strips to a width of 2 1/2 inches. However, you can cut your strips anywhere from 1 inch to 2 1/2 inches wide.

The length of my fabric strips were all between 16 and 20 inches for my 2 year old’s tutu. The 16 inch strips were a little on the short side for my toddler, but I was trying to use up my scraps.

I recommend making your fabric strips 18 to 22 inches long. You can always measure your child from waist to knee and then double that measurement to get an idea of how long to make your strips.

Note: There were 50 strips in the tutu I made for my daughter.  Also, varying the length of the fabric strips will give the tutu dimension and a more whimsical look.

4. Measure your child’s waist.

5. Cut a piece of elastic that is approximately 4 inches smaller than your child’s waist measurement.

For example, my daughter’s waist is 19 inches so I cut the elastic to a length of 15 inches. The reason you want to cut the elastic so much smaller is because the tutu will stretch as you add the fabric strips.

6. Overlap the ends of the elastic and use a zig-zag stitch to sew them together. Sew over the stitches 2or 3 times.

No-Sew Options: Use a hot glue gun to attach the two ends of the elastic. You can also use a safety pin.

5. Determine if you want to make a pattern out of your fabric strips or just be totally random.

I was fairly random with my strips because I had quite a few of some fabrics and hardly any of others.

6. Place the elastic around your thigh.

7. Tie the strips to the elastic using a single or double knot.

I just did a single knot, but if you are worried about the knots coming undone then I would suggest tying a double knot.

8. Continue tying strips around the elastic until it is completely covered.

That’s all there is to making this simple and fun tutu.

I just know my little girl is going to love playing in her new tutu.

While the scrap fabric tutu I made was very simple you can do any of the following to change it up a bit.

Change the Look of Your Tutu

• Use pinking shears to cut the strips.
• Taper the ends of the strips so they come to a point.
• Use lace and tulle as well as fabric.
• Add some ribbons.

I definitely think I will have to make a few more of these scrap fabric tutus for my little girl.

More projects from Jackie

Pipe cleaners are fun to keep around.  Kids can play with them in a variety of ways, and they are cheap.  Pipe cleaners also make cute  gift decorationss that are much less expensive then buying a card, ribbons, or bows from the store.

Mothers Day, Fathers Day, graduation, and wedding seasons are quickly approaching. Consider these five pipe cleaner gift decorations.   This is a fun activity for kids of all ages and is a frugal way to make a gift extra special.

Pipe Cleaner Bow

A pipe cleaner gift bow is easy to make and can be made in any color combination of your choosing.  A pipe cleaner bow is a cute way to top a gift for any occasion!

Making a pipe cleaner bow is easy.  Just create a circle using a pipe cleaner and twist curly pipe cleaners all around the circle until you have something that resembles a bow.

Pipe Cleaner Gift Tags

Pipe cleaner gift tags can be made to replace a card on the top of any present.  Simply sculpt pipe cleaners in the shape of letters that spell out the recipients name. Making this homemade gift tag adds a special touch to any gift package and looks really cute.  This is also a great activity for your kids to work on, especially kids who are learning their letters!

Pipe Cleaner Flowers

Making Pipe cleaner flowers has always been a traditional kids activity.  Using those flowers to decorate gifts looks really cute!  Have your kids make pipe cleaner flowers and decorate gift packages for Mothers Day, birthdays, showers or weddings.  Extended family members will especially appreciate this gesture.

Pipe Cleaner Ribbon

Braiding pipe cleaners to create ribbon will give your gift an extra fun pop of color.  Have your kids make some pipe cleaner ribbon simply by twisting or braiding pipe cleaners together in any color scheme they think is fun.  Purchasing nice gift ribbon is expensive and making pipe cleaner ribbon is a much trendier DIY alternative.

Pipe Cleaner Shapes

Traditionally, kids have twisted and sculpted pipe cleaners into shapes. Pipe cleaners can be sculpted into pretty much any shape imaginable.  Keep your little ones busy for a while by asking them to create any fun shape to decorate a gift.

Grandparents would especially appreciate this on their gifts for Mothers or Fathers Day.  I created an Eiffel Tower out of a pipe cleaner that would look cute on a shower or wedding gift.

Pipe cleaner gift decorations can be attached to gifts by using twine, string, tape or glue. It just depends on which is most appropriate for your theme.

You can make any type of pipe cleaners gift decoration you can imagine!  Encourage your kids to be creative when creating gift toppers for friends and family.  Turn this into a fun activity and try to throw any learning into these if possible!

More projects from Kristen