Frugal Friday: DIY Laundry Soap
I used to think that people who made their own laundry soap were over-the-top extremists who were either obsessed with being “different” or just had too much time on their hands. However, as my family has grown, and I am now washing laundry for seven people, I’ve realized that people who make their own detergent are not crazy–they’re genuis! And now I’m one of them. At $.01 per load, I’ll never buy detergent at the store again. Here’s the how-to:
For LIQUID DETERGENT You Will Need:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or Ivory soap (I love Ivory!)
1/2 cup Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer makes this, look for it in the detergent aisle)
1/2 cup Borax Powder (also in the detergent aisle)
~You will also need a bucket that will hold at least 2 gallons
First, grate your soap and place in a large sauce pan with 6 cups of water. Stir until the soap has melted into the water. Mix in the washing soda and borax powders, stirring until they are dissolved, then remove from heat. In your bucket, pour 4 cups of hot water. Add the soap mixture and stir together. Then add another 1 gallon plus six cups of water to the bucket and stir. Allow it to sit and “gel” for 24 hours. It will produce a thin gel and you will use 1/2 cup for each load of laundry. This recipe makes 64 loads for approximately $.71, depending on local prices. Ivory soap often has coupons in the Sunday paper so you can cut your out-of-pocket cost even more!
For DRY POWDER DETERGENT You Will Need:
1 bar of Ivory Soap
1 cup of Borax Powder
1 cup of Baking Washing
Grate the soap into a container (I use an old ice cream bucket). Stir in both powders. And that’s it!! It takes 1 tbsp per load of laundry and comes out to about $.05/load!
Clothes come out clean, fresh, and way less irritating to people with sensitive skin issues. This detergent is also “low suds” which is great for High Efficiency washers. Enjoy!
