Home Made Fabric Softener in the Dryer

After trying several techniques, I have come up with the way that works for me to soften and prevent static cling on my clothing that ends up going through the dryer.  I much prefer to hang my clothing on the clothes line to dry naturally and at no cost.  There are those rainy days and those cold winter days when you can't hang them out.  For the times I have to use my propane dryer to dry the clothing, I wanted an inexpensive way to avoid static cling and soften the clothing.  I tried the wool dryer balls, balls of aluminum foil and other suggestions found on the internet and from friends but none of these ways gave me the results I wanted.  I set out to find a way to use my home made fabric softener in the dryer. 

I needed to find a way to make sure the clothing was exposed to the fabric softener without being stained by the actual liquid touching the fabrics.  I tried soaking wash cloths and this technique worked reasonably well, but it was very messy wringing out the wash cloth.  I ended up with more on my hands and the top of the dryer than ended up in the dryer.  I realized that a sponge would hold an adequate amount of the liquid softener without dripping.  So I now have a canister of softener soaked sponge strips ready to toss in the dryer.





The procedure is very simple.  I purchased cheap sponges at the dollar store and cut each one into three or four strips.  I used enough to fill a plastic canister, packed tightly.  I've probably got 8-12 sponges that I use.  I pack them into the canister tightly, pour 1/2 cup fabric softener, or the amount needed to soak the strips, over the top of the sponge strips.  You may have to flip the canister over to allows the excess liquid to run back into the strips.  After setting a half an hour or so, the strips will soak up the fabric softener and, when the canister is sealed, will remain moist until ready for use.

I use two strips per normal load in my home dryer.  Though the clothing does not have a strong linger scent from the fabric softener, it does have a soft feeling and very little, if any static cling.  I ran out of soaked strips a couple of weeks ago and had just a small load.  Due to the weather and company coming, I did not have the option of hanging outside and didn't want them hung around the house, so I tossed them in the dryer without the sponges.  I could tell a big difference when the clothing came out of the dryer.  My T-shirts were full of static and were more stiff than normal. 

This is yet another item that we no longer purchase from the store.  Considering I seldom dry clothing in the dryer in the Spring, Summer or Fall, which mean I only use my dryer in the Winter, I only have to make two or three batches during an entire year.  This is just one simple step in our Modern Missouri Pioneer journey. It may seem insignificant but it is the little things in life that add to one another make up the life that we live.   

Goats, Goats, Goats....Bob, David, and Daffodil

 The newest additions to our farm family include three boer baby goats, 2 bucklings and a doeling.  Thanks to Papa and the grandkids, they are now fondly known as Bob, David, and Daffodil.  The grandkids named the boys...something to do with Minions!  ;)  I never know what those children are going to come with next.  They always have a long, thought out reason for their decisions.  One of them named every animal he got "Bucky".  He even went so far as to call his little sister "Maddie-Jo-Bucky" when she was born.  I am relatively certain she will be very glad he has outgrown that, if she is not already.  But, I digress. 

These three cutie pies are now 3-4 weeks old and are weighing 11 - 12 pounds each, gaining a pound to a pound and half each last week.


Having bottle baby goats has been a new experience for us, but thanks to the help of some great friends and some helpful Facebook groups, they, and we, have done well.  We did not realize when we got into the goat business, that we picked one the few animals that will actually eat themselves to death!  We were warned over and over again not to over feed them.  We were told that they would eat all the milk a person would give them, to the point they could actually become fatally ill.  So we asked a lot of questions, and researched many resources on the internet.  According to the charts we are still over feeding slightly, but they are gaining, doing well, and have only scoured for a day or so when changed feed and mixed the new milk replacer a bit richer than it was supposed be mixed.

We are currently feeding them three times a day, the minimum for 10-15 pound goats, and giving them approximately 13 ounces per feeding.  They are each starting to eat some grain, and are developing their personalities.  They think we are their momma.  They will be moved out to a pen in the big barn as soon our current cold and windy snap is over, but for now they remain in a lean-to off my canning kitchen, out of the wind and with a heat light available in case it dips down too cold. 

At this point we plan to band the bucklings making them wethers and butcher them when they are big enough.  Somewhere in the neighborhood of 6-8 months based on our research.  We enjoy beef, but it has become outrageously priced.  Our second option for red meat is venison, when one of us is successful during the fall hunting season.  Last year it was me that put one in the freezer and this past fall Papa got one.  We have been told that goat is a meat that is between those two, so we are confident we will like it, but if not, there is also a high demand in our area, so selling the boys at butcher weight will not be a problem. 

Miss Daffodil is expected to be our herd Matriarch, as we build a little herd to supply our family with meat and add a bit of income from, and for, the farm. 

Feeding these three has been an entertaining experience with some trials, a little frustration and a lot of laughter.  Since they constantly think they are starving, it was a juggling act to try to feed one at a time with the bottle.  It worked ok the first few days, but soon became nearly impossible to manage them one at a time.  Papa decided that as soon they knew what the bottle was, it was time to build a bottle stand so that all three could eat at one time.  A couple of hours in the shop and few wood scraps and viola!

Hands free feeding of three!  You can also see in the above picture, we wasted no expense on bottles!  These 20 ounce soda bottles are perfect for feeding them and we bought some nipples that screw onto the bottles from our local feed store.  Cheap, easy, and here are three bottles that are not in a land-fill.  I'm uncertain of exact dimensions, but will post a picture of the stand so that you can get the idea and make your own if the need arises.

We do have a large coyote population in our area, so we decided that this was the perfect time to add a large guard to our farm as well.  Meet Sally, a Great Pyrenees puppy that we purchased from a local family.   Sally lives with the goats and will soon be the herd protector.  We will have to introduce her to the other animals slowly, one at a time so that she understands that she is to protect them too.  They are not a threat to her goats and belong here as well.  She is becoming a sweet heart, bouncing over to get her petting while the babies eat.  She runs and plays with the goats, to the point that I actually think she may believe she is a goat.  :)   For now we are the protectors of the goats, and of Miss Sally, but it won't be long until the farm will be hers and she will keep the predators at bay.  I am going to enjoy that day, and look forward to being able to have turkeys once again without loss to predators. 

As I finish this post, I am thankful to live at a time that I can use modern conveniences to keep our animals warm as needed when winter cold snaps get our attention.  The use of heat lamps, running water to maintain a good supply of fresh, thawed drinking water, a barn to give shelter from the rain and snow in the cold temperatures, without having to work for hours on end out in the elements ourselves, are all blessings.  Though we are moving toward a more self sufficient lifestyle, doing more or ourselves and depending less on processed foods and big box stores, it is nice to know that we do not have work as hard our forefathers, making me very happy to be able to be a Modern Missouri Pioneer. 

 

 

 

Recycle and Re-Use for Rabbit Hay Feeders

 

We have now had our rabbits for a year.  We have raised several babies, and learned many lessons on the best way to care for them.  Most recommend that the rabbits be given all the hay they want to eat and limit the amount of pellets the receive to about a cup per day for the adults.  Of course the you ones that we are growing out to butcher size, get more.  We were doing this backwards in the beginning, keeping the feeders full of pelleted feed at all times and giving them hay as a treat.  We would put hay in their cages, where they would eat some, but much of it would end up under the cages, mixed with the poo and end up as compost.  The wasting of hay and over feeding pellets, were making a dent in our budget and also keeping our adults too fat.  A fat doe may not breed, and fat buck, may lose his desire to breed.  We knew we needed to keep hay in front of them at all times, but do so in a way that would allow for minimal waste, and not blow the budget on fancy feeders.  I had made some wire hay feeders for the outdoor summer cages that worked well, so when I found a video on Facebook that shared a way to make a hay feeder from trash, I decided to give it a try.  The results were perfect! 

We now have these feeders on each cage that we can keep filled with hay.  The Rabbits simply pull the hay through the wire and munch away! I chose to put a little larger one on each grow out pen since there are multiple rabbits in each pen.

I started with some coffee containers that I had saved.  I also found a large Tupperware container at my local thrift shop for $1.25 and purchased it to use for the larger feeders on the grow out pens.  Otherwise, this project cost nothing.  So I have 8 feeders for $1.25, making them a little less than a whopping 15 cents each. 

I began by drawing a vertical line down the side of the containers and cutting them in half on the band saw.  If you don't have a band saw, the plastic can easily be cut with a hand saw. 

After being cut into two equal pieces, I drilled four holes, one on each side at the top and bottom, close to the cut edge.  Wire was then run through the holes, across the outside of the container, and back through the corresponding on the other side.

 The ends of the wires are then used to attach the feeders to the sides of the cages.  Where the rabbits can have access to all the hay they want.

I did end up cutting out a wire in three places on the front of the feeders to allow more room to pull the hay out, but after finding one empty that I had missed doing this to, I don't think it is absolutely necessary.












In today's world of plastics, excess trash, and being a part of a "throw-away" society, it is nice to know that we can continue our progress to live as Modern Missouri Pioneers, by re-using items that otherwise have no value.  We have turned our trash into something useful.  This project was easy to do and basically free.  The feeders are easy to fill, the rabbits love the hay, and the hay waste is minimal.  We just bought a new bag of rabbit pellets and these Modern Pioneers are hoping to see it last at least twice as long as the last one. 

What projects have done that have been a benefit to your Modern Pioneer lifestyle at little to no cost?  We'd love to hear!