February week #2, targeted item.....Laundry Soap

(Image courtey of www.instructables.com)

As we plug along in our quest to stock up on Long-Term preparedness items, we all would agree that we need......Laundry detergent.  I'm sure you have all had the experience of running out and needing to wash....everything!  So, it's a quick trip to the store.  How very inconvenient!

Did you know that Consumer Reports has tested and made recommendations on the Laundry Detergents that they feel performed the best?  Would you like to know what they were?  Would you like to know what Consumer Reports suggests that you look for in a Laundry Detergent?  Okay, let's get to it.

What to look for:

Reviewers report the following about shopping for laundry detergent for standard or high-efficiency washing machines. Note that there is a separate ConsumerSearch report on stain removers and pre-treatments.

Powder vs. liquid detergent? There seem to be more liquid detergents out there at the moment than powered laundry soaps, and more liquid varieties are included in testing. Some say that powdered detergents work best in hard, hot water and for removing mud and clay. Liquid detergents are better for removing grease, oily dirt and stains. Liquid detergents can also be used as a spot treatment for stains. Overall, we didn't find conclusive evidence for choosing one over the other.

Natural LaundryProducts without perfumes or dyes may be helpful to people with sensitive skin or allergies.

Consider buying detergent in bulk and transferring it to smaller containers at home, saving on plastic waste.

Experts recommend the following about using laundry detergent:

Do not use regular detergent in an HE machine. Suds may remain on clothing or in the machine, subsequently causing mildew.

Add both powder and liquid detergents to water in the washing machine before clothes are put in. Powdered detergent in particular can leave residue on clothing if it hasn't first been dissolved into water.

Cold water is fine for lightly soiled clothing. Hot water should be used for diapers, underwear and clothing worn by people who are ill.

You can pre-treat a stain before washing by applying a liquid detergent or a paste made from powder detergent onto the fabric on the opposite side of the stain.

The Top 4 Best Reviewed brands (See the link for the full article for supporting research articles at the bottom of this post): 

1.  Tide 2X Ultra Concentrated with a Touch of Downy.  *Est. 31 cents per load

• 
  
  When it comes to laundry detergent for standard top-loading washing machines, Tide liquid laundry soaps are tested the most widely. They receive the best reviews overall, even though they are more expensive than many… competing mainstream brands. Tide is well-reviewed by consumers, and in more formal testing it excels for stain removal and keeping colors bright. While we've put Tide 2X Ultra Concentrated with a Touch of Downy in our Best Reviewed chart, you should note that Tide 2X Ultra Concentrated detergents as a whole are top performers in comparison testing, and any of them would be a good choice. The HE version of this detergent, a low-sudsing soap for high-efficiency washers, also gets good reviews and costs about the same.

2.  Budget liquid laundry soap  Great Value Everyday Elegance 2X Ultra.  *Est. 19 cents per load

• 
  
  Although we didn't see it included in as many tests as Tide, Wal-Mart's house brand, Great Value Everyday Elegance 2X Ultra, cleans only slightly less impressively than Tide laundry detergent in testing and it costs much… less. As with all laundry detergents, the fragrance may not be to your liking, but Everyday Elegance cleans as well or better in tests than other laundry soap. Everyday Elegance is a liquid soap formulated for standard washing machines.

3.  Eco-friendly HE laundry detergent  Country Save HE Laundry Detergent Powder.  *Est. 9 cents per HE load

• 
  
  We didn't find Country Save included in formal comparison tests, but this powdered laundry soap has a strong fan base, particularly among parents who started using it for laundering cloth diapers but now use it for all of… their laundry. This mild detergent is dye-free and fragrance-free, and it contains no phosphates (which can harm marine life). Since you only use a small amount of this powder, costs are low -- about 18 cents per load for standard washing machines or 9 cents per load for high-efficiency machines (since you use less). Country Save's packaging is made of recycled and recyclable materials.

4.  Best "green" liquid laundry detergent  Seventh Generation Free & Clear.  *Est. 26 cents per load

• Seventh Generation laundry detergents are the most popular of the eco-friendly detergents among consumers and experts. Seventh Generation soaps use vegetable-based cleaning agents instead of petroleum-based agents. In… addition, they have no phosphates, which can be harmful to marine animals. Free & Clear contains no dyes or fragrances that can irritate those with sensitive skin. In comparison tests, Seventh Generation laundry detergent falls in the middle when it comes to cleaning, but for many, the slight loss in performance is an acceptable tradeoff for a detergent that has less environmental impact. Seventh Generation can be used in both standard and HE washing machines. Seventh Generation detergents are easier to find than Country Save's eco-friendly soaps, but Country Save is less expensive.

(Source:  http://www.consumersearch.com/laundry-detergent)

Elder Burrows funeral scheduled at the Alpine Tabernacle....

The following article appeared in the Daily Herald on February 5, 2010.  The article was written by Ashley King

Funeral services have been arranged for an LDS missionary from Highland who died while serving in Romania.

McKay Chow Burrows, a resident of Highland, and his companion, Jace Edwards Davis of Logandale, Nev., died on Jan. 29 after an apparent natural gas leak in their apartment.

According to Howard Bangerter, president of the Burrows's stake, arrangements have now been made for the bodies to be returned to their families and funeral services held.

Services for Burrows will be held on Monday at 2 p.m. at the Alpine Tabernacle, 110 E. Main, American Fork. A viewing will be held at the tabernacle prior to the funeral, beginning at noon.

"We expect that there will be dignitaries from the [LDS] Church present, but we don't know whom," Bangerter said.

Thursday morning a memorial service was held in Romania that included all the missionaries in the Romania Bucharest Mission, President James S. Lundberg, president of the mission and Elder Erich W. Copischke, area president for the Romania area.

The bodies of Burrows and Davis could not be released until after autopsies had been performed. No further information has been released concerning the autopsies or the related police investigation.

"When Elder Burrows left on his mission, he bore a powerful testimony of his savior, Jesus Christ, of the plan of salvation and of the resurrection," Bangerter said. "He enjoyed testifying of those things as a missionary and it's those same principles and knowledge that are bringing his family comfort at this time."

February week #1: Dishwashing soap

Such a lovely picture......dish soap! This is the target item to stock up on this week. I wanted to make a point using this photo. I don't know about you, but I tend to severely dislike handling giant bottles of product. I purchase a lot of my items in bulk, but I don't like to handle "bulky" items on a regular basis. So, as you see above, I recently had to refill my smaller bottle of dish soap. I have a small bottle that is easy to access, and the larger bottle is kept "further back" in the cupboard. This way, I don't have to lift a bulky bottle every time I need to use dish soap. If it gets left out on the counter by anyone, the smaller bottle doesn't stick out like a neon sign.

As suggested before, consider marking your bottles with the date you purchased them. This way, you will know how long it takes for your family to use the entire container and also helps you calculate more specifically how much you will need on a yearly basis.

You will need both liquid and dishwasher detergent. If you were to have a power outage, washing by hand would be your only option. Using the dishwasher helps sterilize (especially during cold and flu season), & cut down on cross contamination.

For those who are are really adventerous.....here is a link to MAKE YOUR OWN Dishwasher detergent....:    http://tipnut.com/homemade-dishwasher-detergent-recipes/

Stock up today!

February Bookmarks......

“There is no person who knows the real purpose for which this welfare program is being instituted but hardly before sufficient preparation has been made the real purpose will be revealed and when that time comes it will challenge every resource of the church to meet it”   (Harold B Lee)

In our continued quest to address our Long Term Storage this year, the following items are being focused upon during Feburary.  I have been pleasantly surprised at the response to this simple bookmark program.  It appears that because of its simplicity, many of our neighbors have stated that they can "do it". 

One sister shared her experience while stocking up on toilet paper.  She was concerned about not having enough room to store that much toilet paper in her home.  Then she had a thought.  She realized that she had room in her recreational vehicle for it and stored it in there.  She stated that they would have to move it when they use the RV, but in the meantime, it allows her to keep her supply in a handy place. 

 

I have and will continue to distribute the bookmarks for February in our ward.  Here is an over-view of this month's target items for everyone:

 
ITEMS TO PURCHASE:


Week 1

Dish Soap

Week 2

Laundry Soap

Week 3

Dried Beans

Week 4

Toothpaste

Important news from the Lindon Home Storage Center (aka "the Cannery")....

I just recieved this notice.  As the notice states...READ THE ENTIRE THING.....endure to the end:)

Dear Family Canners: (There is no schedule attached to this email…keep reading to the end.)



…A light at the end of a very looong tunnel? We sure hope so!


We know everyone is anticipating the next opportunity to do family canning and we have some good news! Along with the changes from construction and equipment updates, we are close to completing all of the requirements to become a licensed USDA facility. That means that within the year we should be able to can meat items for Family Canning. Finally, our empty storage shelves will once again be filled with meat!


Keep reading…this is important for you to understand:


Remember the “where much is given, much is required” principle? Here is the required part:


The USDA requires that any USDA meat item (see list below) produced here has to remain on the premises for 10 days of incubation before it can be sold. Therefore, no one will be able to come, process and take home product on the same day--if it is a USDA meat item. There will be specific “Pick-Up Days” for the product you have already worked for. That means two trips for everyone—even those who live far away. NO EXCEPTIONS.


This puts the choice back in your hands. Since we cannot change the USDA requirements, each person will need to decide if making two trips is worth having the product. So the choice is: coming to the Lindon Cannery and abiding by the rules or getting your canned meat items from your local stores.


Keep reading…there is a good side to all of this:


There could be good news within all these new regulations. At least with the USDA products, we will be able to determine what is “extra” (product that isn’t spoken for). Then you would be able to purchase additional cases when you come on “pick-up days” (your second trip to the Cannery). Therefore, those who helped can the product would have first access to it.


Overage from production on items that are not USDA (see list below) would still be offered at an Overage Sale along with any leftover USDA items.


Keep reading…there is more to understand:


Remember, we also have the requirement for non-USDA production. All these products must remain at the Cannery until the following day to allow for final paperwork to be completed. That means that everyone who schedules a shift on the first day of production will need to come back at the end of that item’s production to pick up their order. Hopefully, those who live close to the Cannery will try to schedule the first day of a product to help those who live further away. We still need a full day of production on the first day, so someone has to be here.


So…now it comes down to recognizing the “where much is given” side:


We are very blessed to be able to do Family Canning. This opportunity isn’t available to the majority of the members of the church. The “hassle” comes down to the attitude of recognizing where much has been given. The Church has invested considerable time and expense to upgrade the Cannery’s equipment and USDA status. It blesses the Church to have more facilities to produce welfare items for the church, but it also blesses those who can participate in Family Canning.


Keep reading…the reward for staying with us to the end:


We will be sending out the next Family Canning schedule on Friday, February 5th in the late afternoon. The entire process of becoming UDSA approved is still not completed, so there will be no meat products on the spring schedule. We are planning to have another Family Canning Schedule go out for May/June canning, and then a third one for November/December canning. We are looking more toward the November/December Family canning schedule before everything will be in place to do the meat.


The list below gives you an idea of where the Lindon Cannery products stand in the FDA/USDA guidelines we must follow:


NON USDA – 1 day waiting period
Applesauce
Chicken Noodle Soup
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Diced Tomatoes
Frozen Berries
Jams
Pork & Beans
Potatoes
Salsa
Spaghetti Sauce
Tomato Soup
Vegetable Beef Soup




USDA – 10 day waiting period


Beef Stew
Chicken, Beef, & Pork Chunks
Chili
Cream of Chicken Soup
Ground Beef