Posted on January 26, 2009 - by Amanda
Homemade Laundry Detergent
We discovered the frugal joy of homemade laundry detergent some time ago. The cost is minimal, the time investment small and the clean laundry, well, clean. We had thought to post about it before but waited until we made a new batch to reassure ourselves of the simplicity.
For our purposes we find that the powdered variety is our favorite. It requires less storage space and is the least time consuming. You can find detailed instructions for the liquid version at the Simple Dollar. Don’t let their long article intimidate you. It is really quite easy.
For the powdered version simply grate a regular bar of soap. Put the gratings in the food processor and process until they are small granules. Put the granules into the container you intend to store your detergent in (we use a decorative tin).
Then add 1/2 cup Borax.
And mix in 1 cup of Washing Soda.
And that’s it. Just use about a Tablespoon or so for each load of laundry and your clothes will be nice and clean. We made a double batch this morning (which should last a month or more) and it seriously only took us 12 minutes including clean-up. One could easily make a quadruple batch in the same amount of time (we had two toddlers underfoot).
The liquid version requires more storage space (a five gallon bucket just seems so bulky) but it does allow you to add an essential oil for a pleasing scent and only takes about 20 minutes to make. Just melt your grated bar soap in about 4 cups of hot water, then stir it and the washing soda and borax into another 3 gallons of water with a few drops of essential oil if you wish. Easy.
The cost breakdown works out to about 2 and 1/2 cents per load of laundry with your basic store bought laundry detergent running about 20 cents per load. The borax and washing soda can easily be found in the detergent aisle at your local grocery store.
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January 26, 2009
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Brent said:
Talk to my wife about this next time she is over. I've been wanting to make this for almost a year now but she thinks it is silly.
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January 26, 2009
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AimeeE said:
I was more concerned about some crackpot on the internet posting hoax recipies on an apocalyptic-style site and my clothes coming out faded and with holes.
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February 24, 2010
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Allie said:
hahah love it
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February 24, 2010
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Allie said:
hahah love it
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January 28, 2009
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Brent said:
And she calls me paranoid…
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January 30, 2009
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Debbie said:
Can I use any soap?
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January 31, 2009
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akpatchin said:
Yes, any bar soap works.
A lot of people like to use Pure & Natural and we like Irish Spring for the scent.
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February 2, 2009
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Kim said:
I can't wait to try this! I have sensitive skin, so I usually have to use baby detergent b/c it's unscented and more gentle. But that stuff is really expensive. This sounds great!
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February 19, 2009
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Anne-Marie said:
Do you have to modify the amount for an HE washer? They usually tend to take less detergent than regular washers…but one tablespoon doesn't sound like very much!
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February 19, 2009
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akpatchin said:
I don't have an HE washer but maybe a scant Tablespoon?