Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Homemade Laundry Soap

I love deals and saving money is a great feeling. One way that I have started to save money in my home is by making my own laundry detergent. I know you're thinking- How do you do that? That can't possibly clean well at all! But it does, and it is easy. You can do it yourself too!




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What you will need:

~ 2 cups of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (This is different then baking soda; you can find it in the laundry aisle)

~ 2 cups of 20 Mule Team Borax

~ 1 bar of grated  Fels Naptha laundry soap  (You could also use Zote laundry soap or other soaps such as Ivory, Pure & Natural, etc)

I purchased these items at my local Fred Meyers for under $10 total. The great thing about this is that you will have what you need on hand when you need to make more detergent because it is very concentrated and takes very little to make a batch!

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and stir well. That's it- you did it! The finished product seems to look like it has shredded cheese in it but the yellow is just the color of the laundry soap. If you desire you can put the soap in the food processor first to powder it, but I find it works great like this.


It only takes one tablespoon of soap per regular size load of laundry. For extra large loads you can use two tablespoons. I use an old teaspoon and just use three level scoops.



The cost per load of this homemade detergent is about $ .035 cents compared to store bought detergent which ranges from $.50- $.75 cents per load.

Storage: I use an extra large ziploc storage container that I had laying around. When I get low on detergent, I make more and add it to the container!

I have found that since this is so concentrated it cleans my clothes very well. It does not have added scent like other detergents, so you can try adding different essential oils, if you would like.

*One thing to note: consumers like to see suds in their detergent because they feel that suds are necessary for clean clothes. If your laundry is not sudsy, do not panic! This detergent does not include the other agents that are in store bought detergent to create suds, but the water gets dirty and the stains are gone which proves it is working.

Enjoy!

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This post was featured 1/31 at A Bowl Full of Lemons!

17 comments:

  1. Seriously way to go! I want to do this. I've been contemplating making my own shampoo. But my hair is just so picky.

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  2. I have really been wanting this recipe. Thanks so much!

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  3. I have always wanted to make my own detergent. You make it seem so easy! :)

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  4. I have been using this for several months now. I added some Oxyclean to the my last batch to see how I like it. Both soaps clean well but I prefer the Zote. It seems to grind down finer and I love the clean fresh scent it leaves.

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  5. I'm going to have to give this a try...everyone is raving about it! Thanks so much for sharing at the Tuesday To Do Party!
    Smiles!
    Jami
    www.blackberryvine.blogspot.com

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  6. I have wanted to make my own laundry soap for such a long time. Now I do not have any excuses. Thanks for pre-warning us about no suds, my husband would think something is wrong (he does all the laundry). Your Peach chutney recipe sound so good. Thanks for sharing such a great tip. Thanks for sharing your creative inspirations with Sunday's Best party.

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  7. I've been making my own laundry soap for a year now. I love it!! I make a liquid version but I'm thinking about trying the powder to see if I like that better.

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  8. A friend gave me a homemade laundry "recipe" and I just haven't done it yet. You made it seem so easy...I might just have to give it a try!!! Thank you for sharing on Trick or Treat Tuesday!!!

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  9. So can you use ANY soap instead of the "Fels Naptha laundry soap"?

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    Replies
    1. Fels Naptha is all I have used. However, I know many have had success using "Zote" or "Ivory". If you do use something else, I'd recommend a soap made for laundry though. Let me know how it goes!

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  10. I've been wanting to try this. Thanks for the easy tutorial and for linking tothe Home Decor and Organizing Link Party. I'm featuring this today.

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  11. This is one of the easiest recipes for homemade laundry soap that I've seen. I may actually give this one a go!

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  12. I just made my own AP cleaner that I'll be posting later! I am in love w/ it..and will now make all homemade diy cleaners :)
    Formerly FlournFriends

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  13. If you're health conscious, love simplicity, and care about the environment, then you want SoapBerries Laundry Detergent. natural laundry detergent

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