I do not like doing laundry. It's my least favorite household chore, right after emptying the dishwasher that is. But I refuse to join a nudist colony, so the laundry HAS to get done by somebody and right now that falls to me.
I've been experimenting with making my own laundry detergent as a more cost efficient alternative to store bought detergents. I'm posting the recipe I use, but if you click over to TipNut you'll find TONS more recipes.
Here's the recipe I used:
1 c washing soda
1 c borax
1 bar fels-naptha
I grated the soap on my cheese grater but then decided I wanted a finer powder so I threw all the ingredients into my food processor and gave it a whirl. It gave it a nice, fine consistency.
I have a HE front loader machine (LOVE IT!!) and use about 2 T per load making this out to be about .09 cents a load. I was hoping to have the price a bit lower but I overpaid on my borax I think. Next time, I'll do a better job shopping around. Compared to store bought brands though, my detergent is about 1/2 the price. It cleans my clothes the same as a store-bought brand and no one noticed a difference in their clothes when I first started using the homemade detergent. So I consider this a win! Just know that homemade laundry detergent won't suds up like your bought brands.
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| vintage glass jar that's way cuter than bottle my old detergent came in! |
I know many people won't like using borax because it's potentially hazardous seeing that it kills roaches and all. I, however, feel confident in using it and allowing my kids to wear the clothing. Sometime, I think there is a point when you go overboard. A happy medium is what we strive for in our house!
On a side note, I've stopped using dryer sheets. I ran out one day and didn't notice a difference in our clothes. I quit about 3 months ago and no one in the house could tell. :) Another way to reduce the cost of laundry. I don't use liquid softeners, but occasionally I'll throw in some vinegar to the rinse cycle.
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Edited to add that I've found Fels-Naptha and the Washing Soda all my local Ace Hardware. It seems to be the only place around here that sells it or at least as far as I've found. I've also read that you can switch out other soaps, like Ivory. It comes to be about 2 cups grated soap in my recipe.
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I'm linking up here with a bunch of other great frugal ideas!
