Potatoes Grown in Tubs – The Complete Prepper’s Container Guide

Most preppers fixate on stockpiling food. Smart preppers grow it. And if you think growing potatoes requires a big backyard plot, think again. Tub growing has quietly become one of the most practical and productive container gardening methods around, producing real yields from small patios, balconies, and urban homesteads.

This guide covers everything you need to grow potatoes in tubs successfully: the right containers, the right varieties, proper soil mix, planting depth, hilling technique, watering, feeding, and harvest timing. Follow this and you will be pulling pounds of potatoes out of buckets before the season is over.

Why Container Potatoes Make Sense for Preppers

Container growing is not a compromise. For preppers especially, it offers real strategic advantages over traditional row planting.

• Space independence. You do not need a yard. Tubs work on concrete patios, rooftops, balconies, and driveways. Any outdoor space with six to eight hours of sun is enough.
• Pest and disease control. Container soil is fresh and uncontaminated by soil-borne diseases like late blight, which devastates in-ground potato crops. Slugs and wireworms have far less access.
• Mobility. Tubs can be moved to follow sun exposure or brought under cover during unexpected frost. In-ground crops cannot be repositioned.
• Stealth growing. A few black grow bags on a balcony draw no attention. A potato patch in your front yard invites questions.
• Controlled yield. You can stagger planting across multiple containers over weeks, giving you a rolling harvest rather than one large yield that spoils before you can use it.

If grid-down scenarios concern you, container potatoes represent a calorie-dense food source you can produce in quantity from very limited space.

Choosing the Right Tub for Potatoes

Container size is the single most important factor in potato yield. Potatoes need room to form tubers below the soil. Skimping on container size guarantees a disappointing harvest.

Minimum Dimensions

For a meaningful yield, each container should hold at least 10 to 15 gallons of soil. That translates to a container roughly 15 inches deep and 15 inches in diameter at minimum. Bigger is better. Many experienced growers use 20 to 25 gallon containers for main-crop varieties.

Best Container Types

• Black fabric grow bags: The top choice for most container growers. Fabric promotes air pruning of roots, prevents overwatering, and allows oxygen exchange. They fold flat for storage between seasons.
• Plastic storage totes: A prepper classic. A 20 to 27 gallon storage tote drilled with drainage holes produces excellent yields. Cheap, durable, and stackable when empty.
• Wooden barrels: Half wine barrels work well and look respectable. They retain moisture evenly and last for years. Ensure they have drainage holes.
• Trash cans: 30 to 33 gallon metal or plastic trash cans drilled for drainage are a cost-effective option for growing large quantities.
• Purpose-built potato planters: Some planters include a flap near the base to check on tuber development without disturbing the plant. A convenience, not a necessity.

Whatever container you choose, adequate drainage is non-negotiable. Waterlogged soil causes tubers to rot before they ever size up. Drill at least six to eight holes in the base of any container that does not already have them.

Container-grown potatoes thrive in the same fundamental conditions as in-ground crops. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension notes that potatoes prefer well-drained, loose soil with good aeration, which container growing naturally provides when managed correctly.

Selecting the Best Potato Varieties for Tubs

Not all potato varieties are equal for container growing. Compact, early-maturing varieties generally outperform large main-crop types in containers because they size up faster and tolerate the restricted root environment better.

Top Varieties for Container Growing

• Yukon Gold: All-purpose yellow flesh variety. Reliable yields, excellent flavor, stores well. One of the best all-round choices for tubs.
• Red Pontiac: Vigorous, high-yielding red variety. Adapts well to containers and produces in a wide range of conditions.
• Kennebec: A classic white variety with good disease resistance. Performs reliably in containers.
• Fingerlings (Russian Banana, French Fingerling): Lower yields by weight but excellent caloric density per square inch. No peeling required.
• Norland: Very early maturing red variety. Good choice for short growing seasons or for growers who want a fast first harvest.
• Purple Majesty: High in antioxidants. A good nutritional hedge in a long-term food production setup.

Avoid very large main-crop varieties like Russet Burbank for containers. They produce aggressively and need more horizontal and vertical space than most tubs allow.

Seed Potatoes vs. Store-Bought

Always plant certified seed potatoes rather than grocery store potatoes when possible. Store-bought potatoes are often treated with sprout inhibitors that slow or prevent germination. Certified seed potatoes are disease-free and selected for reliable yield.

That said, in a true preparedness scenario, any unsprouted potato you have on hand can be used as a planting source. Small potatoes can be planted whole. Larger ones should be cut into pieces with at least two eyes each, then allowed to cure in a dry, shaded location for 24 to 48 hours before planting to reduce rot risk.

Building the Right Soil Mix

Potatoes in containers live entirely in the soil mix you provide. In-ground potatoes can extend roots beyond poor soil zones. Container potatoes cannot. The soil mix must do all the work.

The Core Formula

A proven container mix for potatoes uses three parts quality potting mix, one part perlite or coarse horticultural sand, and one part compost or well-aged manure. This gives you the loose, well-draining, nutrient-rich environment that potato tubers need to size up properly.

Never use plain garden soil in containers. It compacts, drains poorly, and can introduce disease. Never use cheap potting mix that is predominantly peat without amendment, as it dries out quickly and becomes hydrophobic once dry.

Fertilizer in the Mix

Mix a slow-release balanced granular fertilizer into your soil blend at planting time. A fertilizer with a roughly equal NPK ratio, or one slightly weighted toward phosphorus and potassium rather than nitrogen, will support tuber development. High-nitrogen mixes push lush foliage at the expense of the tubers underground.

Bone meal is a useful amendment for phosphorus. Wood ash, if available, adds potassium and raises pH slightly, which potatoes tolerate well in moderation.

The importance of balanced nutrition cannot be overstated for container crops. According to the USDA Agricultural Research Service, potatoes are among the most nutrient-dense staple crops per calorie produced, making soil fertility management in container production a direct food security consideration.

Planting Potatoes in Tubs: Step by Step

The planting method is critical. Potatoes are not planted at full depth from the start. They are planted shallow, then progressively covered as they grow, a process called hilling. This is what generates multiple layers of tubers along the stem.

Step 1: Add Initial Soil Layer

Fill your tub with four to six inches of your prepared soil mix. Do not fill it all the way. You need room to add soil in stages as the plant grows.

Step 2: Place Seed Potatoes

Place seed potato pieces eye-side up on the soil, spacing them six to eight inches apart from each other and from the container walls. One to two seed potatoes is sufficient in a 10 gallon container. Three to four in a 20 gallon container.

Step 3: Cover and Water

Cover seed potatoes with four inches of soil mix. Water thoroughly until water flows freely from the drainage holes. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged while waiting for sprouts.

Step 4: Hill as Plants Grow

Once foliage breaks the surface and grows to around six inches tall, add more soil mix to the container, burying the stems to leave only the top two to three inches of foliage exposed. Potato plants form tubers along the buried stem, so more buried stem means more tubers. Continue hilling every time the foliage grows another six inches, until the container is full.

Step 5: Monitor Moisture

After hilling is complete and the container is full, shift to consistent moisture management. Allow the top inch of soil to dry slightly between waterings, then water deeply. In hot weather, containers may need daily watering. Irregular moisture causes physiological disorders in tubers, including hollow heart and knobby shapes.

Sunlight and Temperature Requirements

Potatoes are a cool-season crop. They grow best when daytime temperatures stay between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. They will tolerate temperatures up to 80 degrees but growth slows significantly above that. Above 90 degrees, tuber formation can stop entirely.

Container potatoes have one significant advantage in hot weather: you can move them. If a heat wave hits, shift containers to partial shade during the hottest afternoon hours. In-ground growers have no such option.

Potatoes need full sun, defined as six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. Positioning matters. South or west-facing walls, decks, and patios with long sun exposure will outperform shaded or north-facing positions significantly.

Temperature management directly affects yield quality and quantity. Research from Colorado State University Extension confirms that soil temperature between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit produces the highest-quality tubers with optimal starch content, making site selection and container placement genuinely critical decisions in container potato production.

Watering Tub Potatoes Correctly

Container potatoes dry out faster than in-ground crops because the soil volume is limited and fabric or plastic walls do not retain moisture the same way a soil bed does. Consistent watering is not optional. It is the primary variable you are managing throughout the growing season.

How Often to Water

Check the soil daily by pressing a finger two inches into the mix. If it feels dry at that depth, water. In mild weather this may be every two to three days. In summer heat, daily watering is often needed.

How Much to Water

Water until it flows freely from the drainage holes. Then stop. Do not water again until that top inch test tells you it is needed. Consistent deep watering with appropriate dry intervals produces better tuber development than light, frequent surface watering.

Managing Drought Conditions

In a grid-down or water-restricted scenario, potatoes in containers are more vulnerable than in-ground crops because there is no groundwater for roots to reach. Mulching the top of your container with straw, shredded leaves, or wood chips significantly reduces evaporation and can cut watering frequency by a third in hot weather.

Feeding Container Potatoes During the Season

Slow-release fertilizer mixed into the soil at planting feeds the crop through the first four to six weeks. After that, the plant needs supplemental feeding to continue producing.

Liquid Feeding Schedule

Every two to three weeks from the time foliage appears, apply a liquid balanced fertilizer diluted to the manufacturer’s recommended rate. Fish emulsion, liquid kelp, and balanced synthetic liquid feeds all work well. During the early growing phase, a balanced formulation is fine. Once flowers begin to appear, switch to a formulation lower in nitrogen and higher in phosphorus and potassium to push energy toward tuber development.

Signs of Nutrient Deficiency

• Yellowing lower leaves: Often indicates nitrogen deficiency or waterlogging. Check drainage first.
• Purple-tinged foliage: May indicate phosphorus deficiency, particularly in cold soil that limits nutrient uptake.
• Weak, spindly growth: Usually indicates insufficient light before assuming nutrient issues.

Tuber quality and yield are closely tied to nutrient availability at the right growth stages. The Oregon State University Extension Service recommends transitioning from nitrogen-dominant to potassium-dominant feeding as potato plants begin to flower, as this timing directly supports the tuber bulking phase that determines final harvest weight.

Common Problems and How to Handle Them

Potato Blight

Late blight is the most devastating potato disease. In containers using fresh potting mix, blight risk is significantly lower than in contaminated soil beds. If you see dark, water-soaked patches on leaves with white mold on the undersides, act immediately. Remove and bag affected foliage, improve air circulation around the container, and avoid overhead watering. Copper-based fungicide sprays can slow progression but will not reverse it.

Aphids

Aphid colonies on potato foliage weaken plants and can spread virus diseases. Knock them off with a strong water jet, or apply insecticidal soap spray. Avoid broad-spectrum insecticides that harm beneficial insects.

Slugs and Snails

More common in fabric grow bags than hard containers. Diatomaceous earth applied around the container base and across the soil surface deters slugs without chemical inputs. Iron phosphate slug bait is effective and safer around pets than metaldehyde formulations.

Hollow Heart

Hollow heart is a physiological condition, not a disease. It causes a cavity to form at the center of the tuber, typically triggered by irregular watering during rapid growth periods. Consistent moisture management is the prevention. There is no treatment once it develops.

Greening

When tubers are exposed to light they develop solanine, a toxic alkaloid that turns the potato skin green. Always ensure tubers are covered with at least three inches of soil at all times. Hilling consistently prevents this.

When and How to Harvest

New Potatoes vs. Mature Potatoes

You can harvest new potatoes, small tender tubers, around two to three weeks after the plant flowers. These are not storage potatoes. They are a fresh-use crop with thin skins that bruise easily and do not keep well.

For a full, storage-ready harvest, wait until the foliage dies back and turns yellow or brown. This indicates the plant has completed its life cycle and transferred maximum energy into the tubers. In most container situations, this happens 70 to 120 days after planting, depending on the variety.

The Harvest Process

The simplest approach with containers: tip the entire tub onto a tarp or into a wheelbarrow. The tubers will fall out with the soil. Sort through the mix by hand to collect every potato. Shake off loose soil but do not wash them until you are ready to eat them. Washing removes the protective skin layer that helps them store.

Let harvested potatoes cure in a cool, dark, well-ventilated space for two weeks before moving to long-term storage. Curing toughens the skin and allows small cuts to seal over, dramatically extending shelf life.

Post-harvest handling determines how long your stored crop remains viable. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture notes that proper curing and cool, dark storage conditions are critical for extending the shelf life of homegrown root vegetables well beyond the fresh harvest period, directly supporting household food security goals.

Storing Your Tub Potato Harvest

A container potato crop is only valuable if you can preserve what you grow. Improper storage will turn months of effort into a pile of soft, rotting potatoes within weeks.

Ideal Storage Conditions

Potatoes store best at temperatures between 38 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit, in darkness, with moderate humidity. A root cellar is ideal. A basement, garage, or cool pantry works. Temperatures below 38 degrees convert potato starch to sugar, producing an unpleasant sweetness and dark spots when cooked. Temperatures above 50 degrees cause potatoes to shrivel and sprout rapidly.

Storage Methods

• Wooden crates or slatted bins: Allow airflow around tubers. Layer potatoes in a single layer or in thin layers separated by newspaper or straw.
• Paper bags or burlap sacks: Both breathe and exclude light. Avoid plastic bags, which trap moisture and accelerate rot.
• Root cellaring in sand: Burying potatoes in slightly damp sand in a crate is one of the oldest long-term storage methods. It maintains even humidity and prevents shriveling.

Check stored potatoes every two to three weeks and remove any that show soft spots, mold, or significant sprouting. One rotting potato spreads quickly to its neighbors.

Scaling Up: Running Multiple Containers

One 20 gallon tub will produce five to ten pounds of potatoes under good conditions. For meaningful food security, you need more than one tub.

A bank of ten 20 gallon containers can realistically produce 50 to 100 pounds of potatoes across a single growing season with proper management. That is meaningful caloric contribution for a household. Ten containers fit comfortably on a mid-sized patio or deck.

Stagger planting dates by two to three weeks across your containers to spread out the harvest window. This avoids the situation where all your potatoes are ready at once and you cannot process or store them fast enough.

Reuse containers season after season, but replace or fully refresh the soil mix each year. Disease and nutrient depletion accumulate in reused container soil. Spent potato soil goes into the compost pile or directly into a raised bed where it feeds other crops.

Build Real Food Security the Old Way

Modern gardening advice will get you started—but traditional systems are what keep families fed when things get uncertain. If you want to go deeper into practical, time-tested self-reliance methods, the Amish Ways Book shows how simple, low-tech growing, storage, and food production techniques can dramatically improve your preparedness at home.

Learn how to apply these forgotten principles here alongside container gardening to build a more resilient, independent food system.

Final Assessment

Potatoes grown in tubs are not a novelty or a compromise. Managed properly, they are a genuine food production system that any prepper with outdoor space can implement. The combination of caloric density, soil disease avoidance, mobility, and scalability makes container potato growing one of the highest-value food production methods available to urban and suburban homesteaders.

Get your containers, source certified seed potatoes, mix your soil correctly, and plant as soon as your last frost date has passed. Every pound of potatoes you grow is one more layer of preparedness between your family and an empty grocery shelf.

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Special Forces Home Defense Academy by Terry Schappert: Review

Most people I know don’t think seriously about home defense until something happens on their block. That was me about eight months ago. Then somebody broke into my neighbor’s garage while he was at work.

He lives two doors down from me. It was the middle of the day when his wife was at home upstairs doing laundry. They took his bike, his tools, and whatever else was sitting in his truck.

The cops came, took a report, and that was it. My neighbor told me he was grateful that the burglar didn’t go into the house to find his wife up there.  You never know what can happen in a moment like that.

That stuck with me longer than it should have. I know it wasn’t dramatic and nobody got hurt,  but things like this happen every day all over the country. I want my house to be a safe place for my family.

I’d always assumed my street was safe. It’s a quiet block, and I’ve known most of these neighbors for years. But when that break-in happened two doors down, I realized I had no real plan in place to protect my home or my family. I had the same stuff most people have: a deadbolt on the front door, a motion light over the driveway, and a dog that barks when someone passes by.

The thing is that’s not really a plan. If somebody came through my door at 2 a.m., I’d have no idea what I’d do. So, I started looking around, and honestly, I wish I had done it sooner.

What I Tried Before I Found This Academy

I watched probably 40 YouTube videos on home security. The verdict? Some were decent, but many of them were exactly what you’d expect. Some guys in combat gear, trying to sell me a tactical flashlight.

The next thing I tried was a book I bought from Amazon that turned out to be 200 pages of common sense. I already know most of those things, so it’s not a purchase I am proud of. I also investigated a self-defense class at the local rec center, but the schedule didn’t line up with mine.

Then I came across Terry Schappert’s Special Forces Home Defense Academy. Terry’s a Green Beret with 25 years in the military. He’s got a video on the page where he walks you through what the Home Defense Academy is and why he made it. I watched the whole thing. I figured out he knew what he was talking about, so I bought it.

What You Get 

It’s a video course. You get a login, you watch the modules online, and that’s it. No DVD in the mail and no live classes. This is what I loved most about it. And let’s be real for a second, who even owns a DVD player these days anyway? This academy is practical. It gives you the information you need when you need it, everything at your own pace. I watched most of it on my laptop, but you can pull it up on a phone or tablet too.

The whole thing is broken into short modules, each one covering a specific topic. I liked this structure because I could watch one or two at lunch without committing to a full hour. You just watch what’s relevant, in whatever order makes sense for you. I skipped around at first and then went back and watched the stuff I wasn’t sure I needed. Turned out I needed most of it.

Access doesn’t expire either. You pay once and you have access to the Academy for life. I’m invested, take me there!

What I Liked

There’s a lot of info in there, so I won’t walk you through all of it. But there were a few things that stuck with me and made me change stuff around the house.

The zip tie trick is the first one I tried. You take a regular zip tie, the cheap kind, and wrap it around the emergency release on your garage door opener. That’s the whole thing. Apparently, it blocks one of the most common ways burglars get into garages, which is called “the coat hanger trick”. I took care of this the same night I watched the video. Just 30 seconds of effort and my garage had a layer of protection I’ve never thought about before.

But the one that got me the most is what you’re supposed to do if you wake up at 3 a.m. and hear footsteps in your house. I’d thought about that scenario plenty over the years, but every time I thought about it, I just kind of froze up and hoped I’d figure it out in the moment. Turns out there’s a first move you’re supposed to make, and it’s not what you’d expect.

Here’s what else you’ll find:

• How to clear your home room-by-room if somebody’s hiding inside;
• 7 items you should never (ever!) have in a first aid kit. As they’re a waste of space, time, and money;
• How to make your dog as good as a K-9;
• The ONE thing you should do to survive a carjacking.

If you want the full rundown of what’s covered, you can see the whole list here.

About Terry

If you don’t know him, Terry Schappert is a retired Army Special Forces Master Sergeant – a Green Beret who served in the Persian Gulf War, Bosnia, and Iraq. Most people recognize him from TV.

He hosted Warriors on the History Channel, where he traveled the world testing the training and weapons of ancient warrior cultures. He also fronted Hollywood Weapons: Fact or Fiction, Dude, You’re Screwed on Discovery, a Shark Week survival special, and pops up on Fox News from time to time. So the guy’s been around.

I already mentioned I watched his mini-documentary before I bought it. That was my first real impression of him, and after I got into the Academy itself, the impression improved.

He talks like a regular guy. There is no weird jargon and he’s not trying to impress anyone. He’ll say something like “here’s what we did over there, and here’s why it works at your house,” and then he just shows you.

The Free Guides Are Great Too

You also get three free guides with the Academy. At first, I thought they were all junk because, from my personal experience, most free bonuses are junk. Turned out they were amazing resources and delivered useful stuff if you’re into that kind of thing.

This is what I got:

• A wild edibles guide that shows you what’s edible in your backyard or on a hiking trail.
• A stockpile list of 75 things worth having around before a real crisis hits.
• An old-school remedies guide with the kind of stuff our grandparents used before everything came from the drug store.

Is It Worth the Money?

No doubt about it! You won’t find most of this stuff on the internet. Or, if you do, there will be important details missing. There’s one thing to get the info from a random guy on YouTube and another thing to learn it from someone with hands-on experience.

Click the banner below for your special discount:

I still hope none of the bad things I prepared for will happen, but now I at least have the peace of mind that I did my best. Having a well-thought-out plan matters more than you might think. I’m confident that I now know what to do if someone breaks in, and this is a really big step forward for a guy like me.

If you’ve been putting this off like I was, don’t wait until something happens on your block. You can grab your spot in the Academy and be done with it today.

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How to Make DIY Dish Soap

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Making your own dish soap is an easy way to eliminate or minimize chemicals from your home. Almost all commercial dish soap has some level of toxic ingredients. Common offenders in commercial dish soaps include sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a foaming agent linked to skin irritation; triclosan, an antibacterial chemical that disrupts hormones and contributes to antibiotic resistance; and artificial fragrances, which are a catch-all term that can hide dozens of chemical compounds.

This fact alone should make us all pause and reevaluate what we are using to clean our hands and dishes. Fortunately, making your own dish soap that has all natural ingredients is a simple project that you can include the kids on. In my house, the more my kids are involved the more ownership they take in what they are doing. Making the soap has made them want to help with the dishes!

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What to use?

There are many recipes out there that use a variety of ingredients. I have kept mine simple for a few reasons, primarily to keep it clean and environmentally friendly.

Many dish soap recipes use borax. I prefer to omit borax even though it is a naturally occurring mineral. Because I am using this soap with kids, it was important for me to weigh the risk.

Borax can cause skin, eye, and lung irritation. If ingested it can shock your body, and cause digestive issues and even death. 5 grams of borax is all it takes to pose a fatality risk for a child, if ingested. If you come across a recipe that uses borax and prefer to omit it entirely, washing soda (sodium carbonate) is a safer alternative for boosting cleaning power.

I also do not add vinegar to this dish soap. Vinegar, or other acids like lemon juice, are great at cutting grease from dishes. However, the combination of the acid and soap fight each other and can nullify their cleaning super-powers. The vinegar essentially strips the soap back to its original oil form and can leave behind a residue on dishes or make the soap seem clumpy.

Vinegar is a great cleaning agent, so instead of adding it to our soap, we mix half water and half vinegar cup as a sanitizing soak. For a pan with tough grease, I may start scrubbing with some vinegar, rinse and switch back to my dish soap. I have found that keeping the ingredients separate, I have had better luck with both being successful.

If you have hard water, you may see some white reside after using castile soap. This is from the salts and minerals within the water. This happens because commercial soaps have chelating ingredients that bind to minerals to help them rinse off.

Castile soap is clean of those ingredients, so you may want to use vinegar instead. Vinegar can have the same effect to help break down the salts and rinse away the residue. To use a light vinegar rinse in places of water build-up, you can add 1 cup of white vinegar to 1 quart of water to a spray bottle. Vinegar also has some disinfecting properties.

How to Make A Simple Dish Soap

This recipe makes about 3.5 cups of liquid dish soap.

Supplies needed:

• Castile bar soap
• Castile liquid soap
• Essential oils, if desired
• Reusable soap bottle
• Funnel for ease
• Measuring cups
• Grater
• Saucepan
• Wooden spoon
• Vinegar for rinse agent

Instructions:

1. First, grate your bar of castile soap. Start with half. I like to use a fragranced castile soap to use less essential oil but depending on the scent you would prefer you can choose unscented. Make sure you are using a trusted brand because some fragrances can carry hidden ingredients.

2. Once you have grated your soap, pack tightly into a ½ cup measuring cup. You may need to grate a bit more.

3. Add 3 cups of water and your ½ cup of grated soap to a saucepan and turn your heat to a medium-low position.

4. Allow the soap to slowly melt, it will take about 10 minutes. Stirring gently helps the process a bit faster.

5. Turn off the heat but before the mixture cools down, pour ½ cup of liquid castile soap into the mixture, and stir well to combine.

6. Now you can let your soap cool down completely. As it begins to cool, I stir in about 20 drops of essential oil. Since I used fragranced soap this time, I did not add anything additional.

For dish soap, the best essential oils are those with natural degreasing or antibacterial properties. Lemon and orange are popular choices because their citrus compounds help cut grease. Tea tree oil has strong antibacterial properties and works well for cutting boards and anything that's touched raw meat. Lavender is a mild option if you're sensitive to strong scents.

7. Once your soap is completely cool, give it a final stir.

8. Then use a funnel to pour into your reusable or recycled soap dispenser. I like to pour the mixture back into a liquid measuring cup for easy pouring.

9. If you ever feel your new dish soap is getting thicker than you would like swirl in a bit of warm or hot water to help reach the consistency you prefer. Without vinegar this may naturally happen, but it should be able to thin back down with ease.

Storage and shelf life: Store your dish soap in a sealed dispenser at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. Because this recipe contains no synthetic preservatives, it is best used within 4–6 weeks.

If you notice any separation, simply shake or swirl gently before use. If the soap develops an off smell or visible mold, discard and make a fresh batch. Making smaller batches more frequently is a good way to keep it fresh.

Why Castile Soap?

Castile soap originates back to Castile, Spain between 1500-1600 and was first made with olive oil. Commercially, it can now include many different plant oils in its composition, but it remains a synthetic-free, animal-free, and non-toxic ingredient. Castile soap is a green base to utilize in cleaning your dishes, and many other areas of your home and family!

The natural oils help this soap cleanse, moisturize, and lather for a variety of purposes. Gentle enough for face and body, this soap can be used in recipes for face wash, body wash, shampoo, pet wash, baby wash, and even fruit and veggie wash.

There are also castile soap centered recipes for dish soaps, detergents, laundry soap, window cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, and even sprays for ants. Purchasing a large bottle of liquid castile soap may seem expensive until you realize all that you can accomplish with one green soap.

Can I Use This in the Dishwasher?

This recipe is designed for hand washing only and should not be used in an automatic dishwasher. Liquid dish soap produces significantly more suds than dishwasher detergent, and the excess foam can overflow, damage the pump, and leave a soapy residue throughout the machine's interior, which is as unpleasant to clean as it sounds.

If you're interested in a machine-safe homemade option, look for recipes specifically designed for dishwashers, which typically use washing soda, citric acid, and a rinse aid rather than castile soap.

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Six Weeks To Unclutter Your Home

Today, my challenge to everyone, including me, is to take six weeks to declutter our homes. Clutter has a way of creeping into our lives slowly, one misplaced item at a time, until suddenly the garage is a maze, the pantry is a mystery, and the kitchen counter has become a permanent parking lot for things that belong somewhere else. The good news is that you don’t have to tackle all of it in a single overwhelming weekend. With a simple six-week plan that assigns one area of the home to each week, every member of the family can pitch in, progress feels manageable, and the results last because habits form gradually rather than all at once.

This post walks you through every major space in your home, from the living room to the garage, with practical strategies for sorting, deciding, donating, and organizing. By the end of week six, your home will feel lighter, calmer, and genuinely easier to live in.

Before You Begin: Three Rules That Make Decluttering Work

Before diving into the room-by-room plan, it helps to establish a few ground rules that apply everywhere.

The first rule is to sort before you organize. Many people buy storage bins and baskets before they have actually reduced the number of items they own. Organizing clutter isn’t the same as eliminating it. Sort first, donate or discard what you no longer need or love, and then find the right spot in your home for what remains.

The second rule is to involve the whole family. Children who participate in decisions about their own belongings are far more likely to respect the systems you put in place. Give kids age-appropriate choices and resist the urge to declutter their spaces without them.

The third rule is to have a donation station ready on day one. Place a box or bag in a central location where family members can drop items they are ready to release. When it fills up, take it to a local thrift store or donation center promptly. Letting donation bags sit for weeks creates doubt and backsliding.

Week One: The Living Room

The living room is where families gather, where guests spend time, and where clutter is most visible. Starting here gives you a motivating win right away.

Begin by doing a complete sweep of the room and removing anything that doesn’t belong there. This means toys belong in the playroom, mail belongs on a desk, dishes belong in the kitchen, and clothes belong in the closet or laundry. Don’t organize any of it yet; simply relocate it to its proper room for later.

Next, look at your surfaces. Most living rooms accumulate far too many decorative objects, remote controls without devices, expired magazines, charging cables without owners, and general miscellany. Clear every surface completely, wipe it down, and only return what genuinely belongs there and earns its place.

Take an honest look at your media collection. DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, and video games that no one has touched in years can be donated, sold online, or recycled. If your family has moved to streaming, physical media may no longer need dedicated shelf space.

Tackle the furniture itself. If your living room has a storage ottoman, a console table with drawers, or a cabinet, empty each one completely and sort through its contents. Keep only what’s genuinely useful and relevant to the living room.

At the end of week one, the living room should feel visibly calmer. Reward the family with a movie night in your newly refreshed space.

Week Two: The Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home and often one of the most cluttered spots in the house. It’s also one where decluttering makes a dramatic difference in daily life. Cooking is faster, meals are more enjoyable, and cleanup is easier when every item has a clear spot it can call home.

Start with the countertops. The goal is to keep only what you use daily, which for most families means the coffee maker, a wooden knife block, and perhaps a fruit bowl. Everything else can live inside a cabinet. A clear counter isn’t only easier to clean, but also signals calm and order the moment you walk into the room.

Move to the cabinets and drawers. Pull everything out of each one in turn. As you sort through, ask yourself whether each item is used regularly, whether you have duplicates, and whether it actually functions correctly. Broken appliances, mismatched lids without containers, single chopsticks, and gadgets used only once a year can all be let go of.

Pots and pans are a common source of kitchen overflow. Most families cook regularly with three to five pieces. If you have a cabinet that opens by avalanches, this is a good place to simplify. Donate extra pans that are in good condition.

Don’t forget the junk drawer. Every kitchen seems to have one. Empty it completely, discard what is broken or outdated, and return only the items that genuinely belong in a kitchen utility drawer. A small organizer insert or two goes a long way here.

Week Two Continued: The Pantry

The pantry deserves its own focused session during kitchen week because it brings its own category of chaos.

Start by pulling every single item off the shelves. As you go, check expiration dates and discard anything past their dates. You may be surprised by how much expired food you’ve been storing. While the shelves are empty, wipe them down.

Group everything into categories as you return items to the shelves: canned goods together, grains and pastas together, snacks together, baking supplies together, and so on. This grouping is what makes a pantry actually functional rather than merely a place where things get stacked.

Store the most frequently used items at eye level and within easy reach. Heavy items like large bags of flour or canned goods should be stored on lower shelves or on the floor. Items used rarely, like specialty baking tools or holiday supplies, can go up high.

If your pantry has deep shelves, consider using shelf risers or small pull-out bins so that items in the back aren’t perpetually lost. Labeling shelves or bins helps every family member put things back in the right place without having to guess.

Finally, do a quick inventory of what you have before your next grocery run. Decluttering the pantry often reveals that you own three bottles of the same spice, which saves money as much as it saves space.

Week Three: The Bedrooms

Bedrooms should feel like restful retreats. When they’re cluttered, sleep quality suffers, and the room never truly feels like a place to unwind. Tackle each bedroom separately, starting with the master bedroom and then moving through each child’s room.

In the master bedroom, start with the nightstands. These small surfaces tend to collect books, chargers, glasses, medications, old receipts, and anything that gets set down before sleep. Clear both nightstands completely and return only what you use nightly.

Move to the dressers. Pull every drawer open and sort through clothing. Remove anything that doesn’t fit, is worn out, has missing buttons, or simply isn’t being worn. Be honest about aspirational items, meaning the jeans from five years ago that haven’t fit since, or the sweater bought on sale that never quite felt right. Donate them and make room for what you actually wear.

The space under the bed is often overlooked and can store a surprising number of forgotten items. Pull everything out and assess it. Under-bed storage works well for seasonal clothing or extra linens when it’s organized intentionally, not when it becomes a default dumping ground.

For children’s bedrooms, work alongside your child rather than doing the job for them. Let them take the lead in deciding what to keep, being a supportive guide rather than the final authority. Remind them that toys they no longer play with can bring joy to other children. Keep the conversation positive and frame it as making room for the things they love most.

Week Four: The Bathrooms

Bathrooms are smaller spaces, but they can hold a remarkable volume of clutter. Expired medications, duplicate hygiene products, nearly empty bottles, and hair tools that no longer work can quietly fill every drawer and cabinet.

Begin under the sink, which is usually the most chaotic bathroom storage area. Pull everything out and sort through it. Discard expired medications properly by taking them to a pharmacy medication drop-off rather than flushing them. Dispose of products you haven’t used in a year and are unlikely to start using.

Go through your medicine cabinet or wall cabinet next. Keep current medications and in regular use, first aid supplies, and daily care items. Anything beyond that can likely be donated, disposed of, or removed from the bathroom entirely.

Tackle the shower and bathtub area. Families tend to accumulate more shampoo and body wash than anyone could reasonably use. Consolidate partially used bottles, rinse out and recycle empty ones, and keep the shower shelf limited to products that are actually in rotation.

Hair styling tools are worth a special mention. Straighteners, curling irons, and hair dryers that no longer heat evenly or have frayed cords should be retired. If you have extras that are in good shape, consider donating them.

Add a small hook or over-the-door organizer if your bathroom lacks storage, and make a habit of returning every item to its place after each use. That’s what Mark and I have done with our bathrobes. In a small space, that habit makes all the difference.

Week Five: The Guest Bedroom and Closets

Guest bedrooms and closets tend to become the home’s unspoken storage zones, where things are placed with the intention of dealing with them later. Week five is the moment to deal with them.

If your guest bedroom doubles as a storage room, start by removing everything unrelated to guest accommodations. All of those boxes, bags, and miscellaneous items need to be sorted elsewhere or donated. The goal is for the room to be ready for a guest on short notice without a frantic clean-up session beforehand.

For the guest bedroom closet, donate clothing that belongs to no one currently in the household and hasn’t been needed in over a year. Keep spare linens, a few extra hangers, and perhaps one shelf of occasionally used household items. Everything else belongs in a different space.

Now move on to the closets throughout the house, including hallway closets, linen closets, and any dedicated storage closets.

In the linen closet, keep towels and sheet sets to a reasonable number for your household. A good rule of thumb is two sets of sheets per bed and two towels per person. Donate extras. Old towels that are worn but serviceable can be donated to animal shelters, which often welcome them.

In the hallway coat closet, remove everything and return only what belongs to the current season. Off-season coats can be stored in a labeled bin on a high shelf. Shoes that have piled up on the floor belong back in bedroom closets or in a shoe rack near the entry door.

As you work through each closet, pay attention to the organizational systems in place. Sometimes a few additional hooks, shelf dividers, or labeled bins are all it takes to transform a chaotic closet into one the whole family can maintain.

Week Six: The Garage

The garage is often saved for last because it’s the most daunting space in the home. Many families haven’t touched certain corners of their garage in years. But after five weeks of practice, you’re ready, and the garage rewards a thorough effort more than almost any other space.

Start by pulling everything out onto the driveway or the area in front of the garage. Yes, everything. This step feels overwhelming, but it’s the only way to see what you actually own and to clean the garage floor before putting things back.

As you sort through items on the driveway, create clear categories. Tools should go together; sports and recreational equipment together; yard and garden supplies together; automotive supplies together; holiday decorations together; and camping or seasonal gear together.

Now look honestly at what you have. Duplicate tools can be donated or sold. Sports equipment for activities the family no longer pursues should go. If you haven’t gone camping in four years, assess whether the gear is worth the space it occupies. Broken items that you’ve been keeping with vague plans to fix them deserve an honest reckoning.

Seasonal and holiday items should be stored in clearly labeled, stackable bins on high shelves, out of the way but easy to find when the season arrives. The floor of the garage should be as clear as possible, reserved only for vehicles and perhaps a bike or two.

Use wall space intentionally. Pegboards for tools, wall-mounted bike hooks, and utility shelving mounted above the car line are all efficient ways to maximize storage in the garage without losing floor space.

After the garage is complete, take a moment to appreciate how far you’ve come. Six weeks ago, the project may have felt impossible. Now every major space in your home has been sorted, simplified, and set up for easier maintenance.

Maintaining What You’ve Built

Decluttering isn’t a one-time event. Without some simple maintenance habits, spaces tend to drift back toward clutter within months. The good news is that maintaining an organized home is far easier than creating one from scratch.

One habit that makes a significant difference is the one-in, one-out rule. When a new item comes into the home, something else leaves. This keeps accumulation in check without requiring another major decluttering effort.

A monthly five-minute sweep of high-traffic areas, surfaces, and entry points is enough to catch clutter before it builds up. You might assign one room to each family member to keep a sense of shared ownership over the home.

Seasonal transitions are natural checkpoints to revisit closets and storage areas. The shift from summer to fall and from winter to spring is a good time to rotate clothing, assess what’s worn out, and make small donations.

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Final Word

Finally, shopping intentionally rather than impulsively is the most powerful long-term habit. Before bringing any new item home, pausing to ask where it will live and whether it replaces something else helps prevent the slow accumulation that got you here in the first place.

A decluttered home is not about achieving perfection. It’s about creating a space where your family can live easily, find things quickly, and spend more time enjoying your home than managing it. Six weeks of effort, one room at a time, is all it takes to get there. May God bless this world, Linda

Copyright Images: Declutter or Unclutter AdobeStock_421243937 By shintartanya, Declutter A Room AdobeStock_2027267784 By kittyfly

The post Six Weeks To Unclutter Your Home appeared first on Food Storage Moms.

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