I am just about out of laundry detergent and my penny pinching fingers hit the Internet. Was it possible to MAKE laundry detergent? To my excitement I found a few recipes. Here is the one that I used. You can find the original HERE.
Ingredients
1 bar bath soap, grated (I used Ivory)
1 cup arm & hammer super washing soda laundry detergent (a laundry booster)
1/2 cup borax
hot water
Essential Oil (optional 2 drops per gallon)
Directions
1 Place grated soap in a pot. (I used my food processor with the grater attachment)
2 Cover with water and simmer over medium heat until all soap is melted, stirring occasionally.
3 Pour into 5 gallon bucket. (I just used the same tall stock pot I used to melt the bar soap)
4 Add washing soda and borax.
5 Add enough hot water to fill the bucket.
6 Stir (I used a whisk)
7 Let sit overnight to gel.
8 Use 1 cup per load.
9 You can pour this into old detergent containers or leave it in the bucket and scoop out as you need it.
** Please cover with a lid if leaving in the bucket to protect children and pets.
Now let’s look at the cost breakdown.
Borax $3.59
A&H Washing Soda $2.59
Ivory bar soap (3) $.99
tax $.43
Total $7.60
Total Cost for one recipe
Borax $.18
A&H Washing Soda $.43
Ivory bar soap (3) $.33
Total $.94
Did you see that!? $.94 for that whole big bucket of laundry soap!!! I am floored. I could sing more praises but please go to the website at the top of this post and read the reviews.
So now you have these 2 boxes of Washing Soap and Borax. What can you do with it before it is time to make more laundry soap!?
BORAX
Garbage Disposals
Sprinkle 2-3 Tablespoons in the drain, let it stand for at least 15 minutes, then flush with water for the few seconds with the disposal on. This treatment can also be used in your regular sink drains.
Mattress Odors (can you say “potty training toddler”?)
Dampen the spot and sprinkle Borax over the area. Rub into the area and allow to dry. Brush or vacuum to remove the dry borax.
WASHING SODA
General Household
Dissolve 1/2 C in a bucket of warm water.
Wash surface wearing rubber gloves; then rinse.
**Not recommended for aluminum surfaces; may cause discoloration. Not recommended for no-wax floors.
5 Responses to “Laundry Detergent”
October 27th, 2008 at 9:31 am
I love reading this blog! You guys have great ideas! I can’t wait until you post some holiday penny pinching ideas… I went to the craft store yesterday and spent a fortune on things I thought would help save me money on Christmas presents… oh well… guess I don’t have the hang of this yet
March 10th, 2009 at 2:13 am
[...] HERE is the link to my original post. Let me know what you think and how it worked for you. I know you are going to LOVE it! [...]
April 8th, 2010 at 10:13 am
Wow! You really covered this topic well. Are there other resources that I should check out?
May 12th, 2010 at 9:15 am
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May 17th, 2010 at 9:35 am
Great tips to follow. Being professional and showing them there’s more to come I think are the most important. You need to give them a great article, that makes them want to come back. And then make sure you don’t disappoint.