Soapy Smile
I've been meaning to share something I did a few weeks ago...
One of my pet peeves is laundry detergent. Don't ask me how I got this way, but it always seems to be a fight to find what I want for the price I want to pay. Unless I manage a 4 hour trip to a bigger city for a "Wally World" run, I have to buy at my "local" supermarket.
I choked every time I'd buy Tide. SSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOO expensive.
I gave it up years ago.
I have an HE front loading washer, so that narrowed my selection considerably.
EVERY TIME, I swear, the brands changed.
I knew I was paying at least $3 more at my grocery store than I would at Walmart, and I'm such a cheapskate, I'd just grit my teeth and kick myself for not stocking up more on my last trip to the big city!
Enter a friend who told me how to make my own laundry detergent for pennies.
Ka-CHING!
I tried it... and I'm happy enough... and my pocket book is smiling!
The ingredients: Fels Naptha soap, borax, and A&H Super Washing Soda. All found at my local grocery store for probably about $5. It sure wasn't much.
I looked around the internet and found various recipes... most using smaller amounts than I did. I'm sure they'd work just as well.
Grate the Fels Naptha bar into smaller chunks. I used my cheese slicer since the soap was so soft. All this does is let it melt that much faster. If you have time to stand around with a whole bar and let it melt... go for it. Mix the grated soap with water in a pan and heat it until all the soap is melted.
Add one cup of borax and one cup of A&H Washing Soda. Stir well.
Put in a 5 gallon bucket and fill with water.
Let it set overnight and it will gel.
Divide it further into your smaller jugs splitting it half and half with water again. I have a jug with a spout on it I just reuse. You need to shake it before you use it, but that's all folks...
Yup.
I spent $5 or $6 and have 10 gallons of laundry detergent! Plus more borax and soda to use next time.
I LIKE IT!
I could have added some essential oil for scent if I'd wanted to... I'd like to use some scent sometime, but I decided not to use my lavender oil... and on occasion, if Vernon has some REALLY stinky tshirts... I just use vinegar as my fabric softener... but I used to do that anyway.
If it works on my poopy, sweaty, greasy laundry... it should work on yours!
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August 4, 2010 Wordless Wednesday - "Enjoying the View... aka..."
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Sure sounds like a winner, anything to save a buck, will have to try it.
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Sure sounds like a winner, anything to save a buck! Will give it a try, Thanks.
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That's a great idea! We're pretty well off in terms of Sam's Club, etc. nearby, but I always want unscented detergent and that can occasionally be hard to find cheaply, so thanks for letting me know about this. Does it need to be stored any particular way? Can it go bad?
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Who Knew, I am so doing this tomorrow! save save save and no extra packaging! I am so excited. THANKS
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Sounds very interesting. How much do you add to a load of laundry? How much suds does it produce? Let us know in a couple of months if you are satisfied with your homemade laundry detergent.
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I just add the normal amount for my front loader... like about 1/4 cup... but add more if the jeans are really dirty. It doesn't make a lot of suds, but that's partly my washer.
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I have a similar one I've made many times before...much cheaper than buying, though it's a smaller quantity than yours, I don't have the storage space for a 5 gallon bucket, so it works well! I use Dr. Bronners Castile soap that's prescented so I don't use the essential oils.
13 cups of hot tap water
4 Tbsp Arm & Hammer washing soda (not baking soda!!)
2 Tbsp Borax
1 ounce castile soap
Few drops of essential oil for scent (optional)
Pour hot water into empty gallon jug or empty laundry container.
Add all ingredients, and shake to mix well.
Use 1/2 cup for small load, or 1 cup for large load.
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I like to use Castile soap... but haven't tried it in the laundry. It's going to take me awhile to work through 10 gals of detergent!
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Oh, yes! This is a good way to go! I saw on a blog where a gal used the same ingredients dry (not melting in water), and I use it that way. My laundry comes out unscented, but so far so good on the cleanness.
This includes a post I did on one of my blogs about the "dry" version:
homemakingjoy.blogspot.com/
Thursday, July 28, 2011 post.
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I use the dry version, too - about 1 tablespoon for a full washer of nasty ranch clothes is all it takes. When I was too lazy to grate soap for a new batch and bought some detergent, my husband complained that there was something wrong with the laundry! Like the vinegar trick, Carol - I'll try that
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