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Mortgage Insurance? Not on Your Life!
Dear Mary: I just bought a house, and I've been getting a lot of flyers about mortgage protection insurance. Is it something good for a new homeowner or just a waste of money? — Donna, email
Dear Donna: Great questions. "Mortgage …Read more.
Tips That Make You Feel Like a Genius
Secretly, I feel like a genius when I discover a secondary use for this or that — in case I run out of this, but have plenty of that! Like using a paper coffee filter to wash a glass top or mirror when I'm in a pinch for paper towels. Or using …Read more.
Supermarket Tricks That Makes Us Spend More
I've always thought of myself as pretty sharp when it comes to spotting supermarket trickery. I'm not even fazed by an end-cap display announcing, "Special." I know their ways. They hope we'll just assume that "special" means …Read more.
The Struggle to Actually Use up Gift Cards
My love-hate relationship with gift cards has intensified. What a pain, really. I'm one who just forgets to use them, and when I remember, I try to figure out how to use each one to the last cent. I was reminded of my situation recently when I …Read more.
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The Simple Secrets of Homemade Laundry DetergentHere's an idea: Stop washing money down the drain. Make your own laundry detergent. It works (some readers insist that it's better than commercial products), is cheap and rinses out completely. It does all that with no dyes or perfumes that can cause skin irritations. So here's all you need to know to make homemade laundry detergent: 1 5.5-ounce bar Fels-Naptha soap 2 cups washing soda 2 cups borax Water Using a cheese grater or food processor, grate the entire 5.5-ounce bar of Fels-Naptha, finely. Powdered laundry detergent: In a container that has a tight-fitting lid, combine the grated Fels-Naptha, washing soda and borax. Stir to mix well. Store in a sealed, labeled container. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons in a front-loading machine and up to 1/4 cup in a top loader. The amount required depends on the hardness of your water. Experiment by using the lesser amount. Increase as necessary. Cost: about 15 cents per load when using 2 tablespoons. Liquid laundry detergent: Place grated Fels-Naptha into a cooking pot. Add enough hot water to cover, and heat over low heat, stirring, until soap is melted, not boiling. Remove from stove and pour into a large bucket that has a lid. Add washing soda, borax and 3 gallons of hot water. Stir until well-incorporated. Cover and allow to sit overnight. In the morning, stir again. Use 1/2 cup to 1 cup per load, experimenting with the lesser amount to start. Increase as necessary. The liquid version will be "gel-like." This is normal. Simply give it a stir before each use.
What is washing soda? Also known as sodium carbonate, washing soda should not be confused with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Washing soda is not edible and never should be substituted for baking soda and vice versa. Washing soda acts as a solvent to remove stains. Washing soda is sold in pool supply stores as "soda ash." What is borax? A chemical compound of the element boron — which is mined from the ground — borax releases hydrogen peroxide when it reacts with water. Borax commonly is marketed under the label 20 Mule Team Borax. What is Fels-Naptha? This is a bar laundry soap used for pre-treating stains on clothing. In laundry, Fels-Naptha eliminates residual resins that can remain in clothes for up to a year when washed with other types of detergents. Manufactured by Dial, Fels-Naptha comes packaged in paper similar to bar body soap. What? No suds?! This detergent does not produce suds. Suds never should be considered visual evidence that a detergent is working. Dirty water is the sign that the detergent is doing its job. Because it does not create suds, this is the perfect product to be used in high-efficiency front-loading washing machines. Look for all three ingredients in the laundry aisle of supermarkets, at discount department and hardware stores, at some drugstores or online. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including her latest, "Can I Pay My Credit Card Bill With a Credit Card?" You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM ?? ?? ?? ??
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