May 8, 2008

  • Homemade Laundry Detergent

    My name is Amanda and I make my own laundry detergent...

     

    Before you go assuming that I also make my own bread and my own dresses – I don’t, at least not yet.  (Updated to add:  I have now made both bread and dresses.  But not to mislead, we still wear store bought dresses and buy loaves of bread in addtion to the ones we make. lol)  We are doing this debt free living thing.  So, every extra dollar we can scrape together makes our debt shrink a little more.  I’ve been doing the frugal thing and finding all kinds of ways to save. 

     

    Laundry detergent is expensive.  Especially since we have a High Efficiency (HE) washer and have to buy HE detergent.   The recipes I found initially did not specify if they were safe for HE washers.  So, I did a little research to find out the difference between regular detergent and HE detergent.  I found out that the difference is suds.  HE detergent is non-sudsing.  I use Fels Naptha, a non-sudsing soap.  Ta-da!  HE detergent.

     

    When I first made it, we were feeling a little weird about it.  Maybe we were pushing this frugal thing too far.   My husband and I just kind of eyed it with uncertainty.  I can honestly say now that we are devoted laundry detergent makers.  It isn’t hard to make.  It is very inexpensive.  My recipe makes 2 gallons.  The total cost comes to a penny per load! 

     

    The appearance of homemade detergent is very “goopy”.  It took some getting use to.  Trust me I’m over it.  "I won’t judge you on your appearance, my sweet cheap detergent.  Your beauty is within my washing machine where you work your cleaning magic and within my pocket book where you don’t waste our debt paying dollars."  

     

    Recipe:

     

    Note for HE users:  Fels Naptha Soap (which by the way, is made by Dial) is non-sudsing. 

     

    3 pints water

    1/3 bar Fels Naptha Soap, grated (or whole bar of other soap)

    ½ cup Super Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer)

    ½ cup 20 Mule Team Borax

    2 gallon bucket/container

    1qt hot water

     Optional:  Essential Oils (My favorite is doTERRA's On Guard blend of oils.  I use 10 to 15 drops.)

     

    Mix grated Fels Naptha Laundry Bar Soap in a large saucepan with 3 pints hot water and heat on the stove over low heat until dissolved.  Do not allow to boil.  Stir in Super Washing Soda and Borax.  Stir until thickened.  Remove from heat.  Add 1 quart hot water to 2 gallon bucket.  Add soap mixture and essential oils.  Mix well.  Fill up bucket with additional hot water, leaving a few inches at the top and mix well.  Set aside for 24 hrs or until mixture thickens.  Use ½ cup per load.

     

    If you decide to try it, you might want to visit here  to see how she makes her laundry detergent. 

     

     

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    Now I know that y'all will very graciously look over the load of laundry in my dryer.  Cause y'all know that with four kids there is always laundry in my dryer.

     

Comments (12)

  • you are a superstar.

  • @iwannahavecrazyfun - Only if superstar is code for tightwad.

  • Who cares about clothes in your dryer.  I am impressed, no AMAZED with four blessings you don't have laundry anywhere else we can see.  I will have to try this.

    Lord Bless you!Susan

  • Amanda,

    I too have been reading and thinking about making laundry detergent.  I was also concerned and hesitant to try because we have an HE machine.

    Thanks for sharing your findings!

  • Hi, my name is Kathryn and I make my own laundry soap...and bread...

    Yeah, I feel like I'm confessing something crazy a lot! Especially with my mom. She thinks I'm a little nuts, but hey, we're doing great! We've almost finished paying off our debt (just the last bit of the car), and I've found that I really like this laundry soap. And I love the bread! It's so worth it. I'm so glad I have great online buddies that think the same way I do and give me great ideas! (If you need a killer bread recipe let me know. I mix it in my machine and bake it in the oven and it is unbelievable!)
    Thanks for the link. Way to go. 

  • @Kathryn - my mom thinks I'm a little nuts, too.  I would love your bread recipe.

  • @candace - Your welcome.  Hope you enjoy the detergent.  We can not tell any difference between the homemade and the name brand that I bought.

  • @Susan - Well, looks can be deceiving.  No really, I do laundry everyday.  We live in a small house and it's easier to do the laundry then to try and find a place to put it. 

  • thanks a bunch girl... you ROCK.... I'll be making me some detergent tomorrow:)  where do you buy the first product... the Fels Naptha Soap??  I like the whole debt free living thing... I wish we could do that...  but it sounds AWESOME!!

  • Look how nice and neat your laundry room is! Good girl!

    Does your laundry detergent get 'liquidy'? I've been making Chery's recipe for about 3 years maybe? It starts our solid and then ends up liquidy. I think the container I use is a lot larger than yours since I use one of those Costco detergent buckets. Whatchya think?

  • @georgene - You might need to give it a good stir more often?  I've also heard that some add glycerin to theirs to make it more smooth like the grocery store detergent. 

  • @k8lynalex - They carry fels naptha soap at Food City.  It's in the health and beauty aisle with the other bar soap.

    You should read Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover!  It Rocks!

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