Monday, March 26, 2012

Vintage Food Processor and Laundry Soap Recipe

My new 'food processor' and shredded soap

Naturally, making homemade soap gives me little odds and ends of soap bars that I can use for laundry detergent. Then, with just a little Borax and Arm & Hammer Washing Soda, I can make a great laundry detergent, for a much lower price than my favorite, Gain. We cut where we can, folks. I canceled Netflix...but still have to get my hair low-lighted now and then. Priorities, remember?

But, I needed something a little more aggressive than a hand-held grater for my soap ends. So after I picked up an inter-library loan book from the library, I stopped in at the local thrift store to see what they had on hand. I must say that these days, because of our sagging economy, the thrift stores are becoming mighty slim pickin's. Obviously, people are trying to stretch that dollar!


I asked the man at the checkout if I could open the box and see if the parts were there. I mean, after all, we're talkin' five whole dollars here. Not only were all the parts included, but I don't think the machine had ever been used. The parts were still wrapped in the original packing material. It obviously came from the late '60s or so (That would be the nineteen sixties.) :-), because the color on the base was 'Harvest Gold.' My mother-in-law had a Harvest Gold washer and dryer...a long time ago.



I was thrilled! That machine was one tough cookie! The metal cones were thick. Everything was so heavy and solidly built - you know, the kind of quality we could count on B.C. (Before China) when things used to be  manufactured in this country. The Rival Manufacturing Company, Kansas City, MO is where this clever and useful appliance was made.


It came with five interchangeable cones. And look at the original price! Do you think you could find something heavy duty like that now - for that price? Of course not...because our dollar has been so devalued over the years, through inflation. And now, I hear, they're talking about taking the nickel out of nickels and changing the composition of quarters and dimes, removing the copper.

They'll probably start punching circles out of pop cans and use those as currency.
Shhhh. I suppose we shouldn't give them any ideas!


Clover Blossom

...and more! Check out all my handcrafted soaps at
HomemadeSoapNSuch

Homemade Laundry Soap Recipe (just in case you haven't yet seen this one)
1 c. Borax
1 c. Washing Soda (not baking soda)
2 c. shredded bar soap
Divide this and pulse in food processor until all mixed and granular. I keep mine in a sealed container on top of the dryer - so it's handy.
Use 2T. per load of clothes.
I add about 2 T. Gain to our nicer things, in addition to this soap.
To our whites and to towels, I add 1/2 c. bleach, in addition to this soap.
So far, so good. No one has complained.

P.S. Confession time:  I reinstated my Netflix account since I first wrote this post. (They make it SO easy, you know.) After all, how could my visiting grandsons watch Kipper the Dog, Shaun the Sheep, and Sponge Bob if I didn't have Netflix???

This post is linked to some or all of the following:  Mop it Up Monday and Skip to My Lou and Bedazzle Me Monday and  What's in the Gunny Sack and  Making the World Cuter Mondays and Make the Scene Monday and  Made By You Monday and  Something I Whipped Up Monday and  Motivate Me Monday and  Making Monday Marvelous and Get Your Craft On and Tip Me Tuesday and  Made from Scratch Tuesday and  Take a Look Tuesday and  Tasty Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday and  Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays  and Two Maids a Baking and Overflowing With Creativity and What's New Wednesday and Exodus 35 Creativity and  What's Cookin' Wednesday and Cast Party Wednesday and  We Did it Wednesday  and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Link it Up Thursday and Crafty Friday (Thursday) and Threading Your Way and Lisa's Gluten-Free Blog and Favorite Things Friday and I'm Lovin' it Friday and It's a Hodgepodge Friday  and Creative Bloggers and  Serenity Saturday and  Home and Family Friday  


 

26 comments:

Denise said...

Awesome.

Amy, a redeemed sheep said...

Great find!! And useful, which makes it especially great. =)

I have been making my own laundry soap for years. Love saving money where I can. =)

Paulette said...

Well, the grinders should make it easier for you make your homemade laundry soap and stop scraping your knuckles on a hand held grater. I wonder why it was never used, perhaps it was an unwanted gift. Do you use scented soap scraps when you make your laundry soap?

Yenta Mary said...

Priorities, indeed! Cover my grey roots, which are so numerous that I lost count years ago. Save money by doing The Thrift Shop Tour; virtually all of my clothes and dishes are from garage sales, thrift shops, etc. Make stuff from scratch, whether food or laundry soap. And do it all with a sense of humor - great post today!

Unknown said...

That is fantastic! Love the old vintage processor... I think my grandma might have had something very similar!

Amy Burzese said...

Great find! And, now you have something to grate your soap! I'll have to find my grandmother's grinder. It's here somewhere. Thanks!

Chatty Crone said...

I am with you on the money - I am always looking for ways to cut down the money - phew.

And can you believe this - I have one of those vintage food processor and I still use it all the time - I love it.

sandie

Karen Harris said...

Hi Judy! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting on my ramblings about England. I know that you love it as much as I do. I am so glad to read your post. I am a thrift store shopper too. You can never tell what will show up on their shelves next, but you are so right ours has become slim pickens lately too. I am so jealous of your food processor! What a find.

Melanie @ bear rabbit bear said...

That food processor looks great! The "BC" comment made me giggle. Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Ruth Kelly said...

The grinder reminds me of my grandmother's grinder. It was well used. She ground up her own meat.

Unknown said...

Netflix is more economical than cable and my kiddo MUCH prefers Netflix ;) Just call me an enabler... ha!

I used to have one of those grinders... but I think I donated it to Goodwill because I had no idea what it was darn it! Mine didn't have that neat little paper to tell ya what it was!

I bet you have the best smelling laundry in town :)

Empty Nester said...

I love it! My Kitchen Aid mixer has all those attachments-including the meat grinder. But it sure didn't cost the same. LOL

Heide at ApronHistory said...

Ha! Yes, I know all about "Harvest Gold"! When we were growing up that was the color of all our appliances.... they just kept on going! Now we have gone through four stoves in the last ten years!!

Judy S. said...

Your grinder looks made of better stuff than ours was; it dripped black stuff while grinding meat, so I finally got rid of it! And we had a gold stove that came with our seventies house until we recently remodeled our kitchen; wonder how long this new one will last? Fun post. Glad you can use the soap scraps.

Chatty Crone said...

I have the Rival one and I found gluten free, but not the bread. sandie

Anonymous said...

Cool vintage processor ^_^ And very useful!
Great find! Hope you're having a great day! It's been a gorgeous day here in Dublin, couldn't wait to get out of the office. I've stocked up on some paper today, so it might be that I do some art during the week now when the evenings are longer and brighter.
Happy Monday!
Big hugs!

Eva

Rachel said...

That grinder is awesome! I agree about cutting corners to make ends meet. But I did save up to get my Rangers mini season tickets (priorities, you know how it goes). :) My nephew has been sweet enough to share his Netflix password with me (so far both of us can be logged in a the same time watching something different- shhh, don't tell anyone). :)

Hope you had a great weekend!

:)
Rachel

Unknown said...

What a great find! Perfect for your soup needs and so much more! You are right about pop can currency if we don't just skip that straight to bartering.

ruthie said...

I love to look at old packaging. It looks like you have a beauty!

ruthie said...

I love to look at old packaging. You have yourself a beauty!

Terri @ A Creative Princess said...

I've got one of those!! It's down in the basement somewhere, but it was my mom's that I kept after she died. I just couldn't part with it because I remembered how much her and Daddy would use it. When I was little, Daddy got on a kick of making hamburger meat out of a chuck roast and he and mom would be in the kitchen forever grinding it. Thank you so much for the lovely (?) memory!

Lois Christensen said...

Yes, please don't give them ideas! HA! Thanks for the recipe. I've been meaning to try this! Enjoy your day!

laurie said...

What a find! I should check out those thrift stores more often!

Claudia said...

What a great find! It should really come in handy for your soap making.

By the way, our appliances were harvest gold's cousin - avocado green.

xo
Claudia

Under Her Wings said...

I used to have one of those! Used it all the time until the suction wore out. And my daughter makes that soap recipe for her laundry. I just use All Free and Clear. Doesn't smell, but it doesn't itch, either.

debbie bailey said...

I used to make this laundry soap, but it just didn't get our clothes clean. Maybe it's our water down here in Georgia. It's full of minerals. Gain is my favorite detergent, too.

I love Netflix; especially the instant streaming. I watch BritComs on my computer while I cook supper. I've discovered Black Books. It's hilarious!

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