Have you noticed recently that the 50-ounce bottle of laundry detergent that you once bought is now available at the same price for 46-ounces? It seems that price gouging in the laundry detergent aisle has been going on for some time and customers are no longer getting great value with their purchases. Companies blame the price on higher manufacturing costs. It doesn't matter why prices are higher, my paychecks are still not increasing and something has to give. We found that one way to save money was to make our own laundry detergent.
For those who have allergies or are sensitive to certain smells, this can be a lifesaver. By knowing the ingredients in your laundry detergent, you can eliminate nasty chemicals that saturate your clothes. Modern laundry detergent contains chemicals like sulfates, fragrances, petroleum distillates, and phenols. In addition, commercial laundry detergents tend to be harder on cotton clothing, causing them to fade and wear faster.
On a recent visit to my mother's home, she had complained about the expense of laundry detergent and how the bottle didn't last very long. Her house, at times is Grand Central Station with grandkids visiting from college and friends coming to stay for weeks. All of the visitors at some point needing to wash their clothes and use up her laundry detergent. I suggested that she make her own laundry detergent. I showed her how easy it was to mix a batch with only three simple ingredients. It was a hit. The instructions were easy for her to follow and she was able to do loads of laundry for pennies, saving big bucks in the process. On average, regularly priced laundry detergent you buy at the store costs 40-cents per load. For most shoppers that’s money well spent, until you consider that you can make your own laundry detergent for about 5-cents per load.
Homemade Laundry Detergent
If you prefer laundry detergent in powdered form, the ingredients can be mixed, and stored in dry form. As you do a load of laundry, scoop ½ cup of the powder into the washing machine. If a liquid form better suits you, follow the instructions for the recipe. For us, I find using liquid detergent cleans more efficiently than powder and you don’t end up with white residue on the clothing. We also live in an area where we have high humidity in the summer and the moisture causes dry powder to clump.
Ingredients Needed:
1. One third cup of soap (your choice). I like to use Zote Soap or Fels-Naptha.
The bar of soap gives the detergent the cleaning power to scrub the clothes clean. You can use any favorite bar of soap that does not contain oils or chemicals. Some beauty soaps leave a film of oil on your clothing and inside the washer. While this may be great for your skin, it's terrible for your clothing. To shred the bar of soap into flakes, you can use either a cheese grater or a food processor. If you are opposed to grating the bar of soap, an easy alternative is to use Dawn Ultra Blue Dishwashing Liquid instead.
2. One half cup of Borax
Borax is naturally occurring boron mineral/salt that is mined from the in the earth. It is used as a laundry booster and it has the ability to deodorize clothes similar to the way baking soda does. It is marketed as non-chlorine bleach that doesn’t whiten clothes, but instead it acts as a color booster and stain remover. Borax is sold commercially as a water softener in homes, so if you have hard water, you can try increasing the amount of borax in your recipe to soften the water. I consider borax to an effective natural cleaner and a safe alternative when compared to many conventional cleaners. It is safe as long as you don’t rub it in your eyes or ingest it. I also add extra to the wash when I bring cloths home from the second hand store. It helps to eliminate the off-smell the clothes absorb.
3. One half cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda.
This product is specifically for washing clothes and is not the same as baking soda used in the kitchen. Washing soda helps remove dirt and odors from the clothes. It is basically sodium bicarbonate, the same ingredient in baking soda, but washing soda is processed an additional step by using heat. As it is heated, it releases carbon dioxide and water vapor, turning it to sodium carbonate, or washing soda.
If you find yourself in a situation where you can't find the washing soda, consider making your own. Spread baking soda in a glass pain and bake it in an oven at 325°F, for approximately 45-minutes to an hour. While it is baking, stir the baking soda every 10-minutes. Allow it to cool and store in a container marked washing soda.
You should be able to find this product in the cleaning products section at the grocery store.
4. One and half gallons of water.
Finally, something that's free.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1—This recipe makes 1.5 gallons of laundry detergent. Grate ⅓-cup of soap using a cheese grater or food processor.
2—In a sauce pan, add grated soap to 6-cups of water. Dissolve over medium heat, stirring continually. (Note: Do not allow the mixture to boil).
3—Add one ½-cup of Borax, and½-cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda to the grated soap mixture and stir, ensuring that all dry clumps are dissolved. Once dissolved, remove from heat.
4—Transfer this mixture to a 2-gallon container.
5—Add 18-cups of warn water and stir.
6—Let the mixture sit for at least 12-24 hours, stirring occasionally. It will resemble a slurry mix.
7—After letting it sit, stir with an electric hand mixer. Just a few seconds of mixing should work.
8—Use the laundry detergent straight from the 2-gallon storage container. If needed, stir before each use. Use ½ cup for smaller loads and 1-cup for larger loads of laundry.
Super Quick Homemade Laundry Detergent
Here's another recipe that's easy to make. I actually like this one better.
½-cup borax
½-cup washing soda
¼-cup Dawn Ultra Blue Dishwashing Liquid
1—Use an old laundry detergent container.
2—Add the borax, washing soda and liquid Dawn to the plastic container.
3—Add two cups of very hot water.
4—Screw on the lid and shake until the soda and borax have dissolved.
5—Now fill the container with cold water. Screw on the lid, shake, label and you’re done.
6—Shake the bottle before each use. Use ½-cup for smaller loads and 1-cup for larger loads of laundry.
Helpful Tips
1—Adding Vinegar to the wash cycle neutralizes the laundry detergent and you end up washing with salt and water. I have a neighbor who likes to do this and their laundry smells just as if it was never washed. If you want to use vinegar as a softener, use it during the rinse stage and you will get the results you want.
2—If you let your detergent sit and it separates into two layers, run it through a blender or use a hand mixer to blend it together again.
3—By using a liquid detergent, you will have less clogging in the pipes and less detergent clumps on your clothing. Dry detergent leaves residue on the clothing and you might have to rewash it.
4—If you're worried about how this will fare in your septic tank, don't. This laundry soap is better than store-bought detergents that have countless chemicals.
5—You can use a food processor to grate the soap, which might save you from grating your knuckles.
6—Although homemade laundry soaps cause less residue in high-efficiency washers, manufacturers may not consider this viable and may discontinue the warranty if they know you are using it.
If you prefer laundry detergent in powdered form, the ingredients can be mixed, and stored in dry form. As you do a load of laundry, scoop ½ cup of the powder into the washing machine. If a liquid form better suits you, follow the instructions for the recipe. For us, I find using liquid detergent cleans more efficiently than powder and you don’t end up with white residue on the clothing. We also live in an area where we have high humidity in the summer and the moisture causes dry powder to clump.
1. One third cup of soap (your choice). I like to use Zote Soap or Fels-Naptha.
The bar of soap gives the detergent the cleaning power to scrub the clothes clean. You can use any favorite bar of soap that does not contain oils or chemicals. Some beauty soaps leave a film of oil on your clothing and inside the washer. While this may be great for your skin, it's terrible for your clothing. To shred the bar of soap into flakes, you can use either a cheese grater or a food processor. If you are opposed to grating the bar of soap, an easy alternative is to use Dawn Ultra Blue Dishwashing Liquid instead.
2. One half cup of Borax
Borax is naturally occurring boron mineral/salt that is mined from the in the earth. It is used as a laundry booster and it has the ability to deodorize clothes similar to the way baking soda does. It is marketed as non-chlorine bleach that doesn’t whiten clothes, but instead it acts as a color booster and stain remover. Borax is sold commercially as a water softener in homes, so if you have hard water, you can try increasing the amount of borax in your recipe to soften the water. I consider borax to an effective natural cleaner and a safe alternative when compared to many conventional cleaners. It is safe as long as you don’t rub it in your eyes or ingest it. I also add extra to the wash when I bring cloths home from the second hand store. It helps to eliminate the off-smell the clothes absorb.
3. One half cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda.
This product is specifically for washing clothes and is not the same as baking soda used in the kitchen. Washing soda helps remove dirt and odors from the clothes. It is basically sodium bicarbonate, the same ingredient in baking soda, but washing soda is processed an additional step by using heat. As it is heated, it releases carbon dioxide and water vapor, turning it to sodium carbonate, or washing soda.
If you find yourself in a situation where you can't find the washing soda, consider making your own. Spread baking soda in a glass pain and bake it in an oven at 325°F, for approximately 45-minutes to an hour. While it is baking, stir the baking soda every 10-minutes. Allow it to cool and store in a container marked washing soda.
You should be able to find this product in the cleaning products section at the grocery store.
4. One and half gallons of water.
Finally, something that's free.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1—This recipe makes 1.5 gallons of laundry detergent. Grate ⅓-cup of soap using a cheese grater or food processor.
2—In a sauce pan, add grated soap to 6-cups of water. Dissolve over medium heat, stirring continually. (Note: Do not allow the mixture to boil).
3—Add one ½-cup of Borax, and½-cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda to the grated soap mixture and stir, ensuring that all dry clumps are dissolved. Once dissolved, remove from heat.
4—Transfer this mixture to a 2-gallon container.
5—Add 18-cups of warn water and stir.
6—Let the mixture sit for at least 12-24 hours, stirring occasionally. It will resemble a slurry mix.
7—After letting it sit, stir with an electric hand mixer. Just a few seconds of mixing should work.
8—Use the laundry detergent straight from the 2-gallon storage container. If needed, stir before each use. Use ½ cup for smaller loads and 1-cup for larger loads of laundry.
Super Quick Homemade Laundry Detergent
Here's another recipe that's easy to make. I actually like this one better.
½-cup borax
½-cup washing soda
¼-cup Dawn Ultra Blue Dishwashing Liquid
1—Use an old laundry detergent container.
2—Add the borax, washing soda and liquid Dawn to the plastic container.
3—Add two cups of very hot water.
4—Screw on the lid and shake until the soda and borax have dissolved.
5—Now fill the container with cold water. Screw on the lid, shake, label and you’re done.
6—Shake the bottle before each use. Use ½-cup for smaller loads and 1-cup for larger loads of laundry.
Helpful Tips
1—Adding Vinegar to the wash cycle neutralizes the laundry detergent and you end up washing with salt and water. I have a neighbor who likes to do this and their laundry smells just as if it was never washed. If you want to use vinegar as a softener, use it during the rinse stage and you will get the results you want.
2—If you let your detergent sit and it separates into two layers, run it through a blender or use a hand mixer to blend it together again.
3—By using a liquid detergent, you will have less clogging in the pipes and less detergent clumps on your clothing. Dry detergent leaves residue on the clothing and you might have to rewash it.
4—If you're worried about how this will fare in your septic tank, don't. This laundry soap is better than store-bought detergents that have countless chemicals.
5—You can use a food processor to grate the soap, which might save you from grating your knuckles.
6—Although homemade laundry soaps cause less residue in high-efficiency washers, manufacturers may not consider this viable and may discontinue the warranty if they know you are using it.
And there you have it--another way to save money. So my friends, go forth and save $$$.
Peace Peeps,
Broke Girl
