I do a lot of laundry. A lot. I suspect that most of you do too! Wouldn’t it make sense if we looked at finding a way to make doing laundry cheaper? After all, it does eat a chunk of your grocery budget when you do 15,000 loads a week.
OK. That was an intentional exaggeration. Still, it feels like that sometimes.
A few years ago, I searched for ways to make my own laundry detergent. I ruled them out quickly.
Why?
Because I am a lazy frugalista. I love to save a dime, but if it complicates my life too much then I know I will never do it.
Many of the homemade laundry detergent recipes “call” for boiling water and 5 gallon buckets. That is too much for me.
So, imagine my excitement last year, when a friend shared with me her homemade laundry recipe. Let me reiterate, her easy homemade laundry recipe!
I tried it the following week and have been hooked ever since.
I am going to share with you the step by step instructions. I promise you that you will think I am forgetting something. 
1. Collect your 3 ingredients:
- 1 bar of Fels Naptha soap ($.99 found in the laundry aisle)
- 1 cup of borax ($3 per box. Found in the cleaning aisle)
- 1 cup of washing soda ($2.50 per box. Found in the laundry aisle)
2. Hand grate your bar of soap. Grate as fine as possible. (I use a food processor after I hand grate)
3. Mix in 1 cup borax and 1cup washing soda.
That is it. You are done!
Easy peasy I tell ya!
To use the laundry soap you will want to use between 1-2 TBS per load. I write “between” because our load sizes vary. I have very large laundry loads. I used to use 2 TBS, but I decreased it to 1.5 TBS and it still works well. How do I know? I use a very scientific method called the “sniff check”. 
So what is the cost savings ?
To make 1 batch of laundry soap, it will cost you approximately $1.70. You will get between 32-64 loads from one batch (depending on the amount of tablespoons you use). That is $.05 or less per load! Compare that to what you are spending now!
Want to talk more laundry? Check out more of the laundry scoop and more laundry chat.
Okay, you have convinced me to try this! I'll let you know how it goes!
ReplyDeleteHey girl? Can you use this in HE machines?
ReplyDeleteI love this!! I've wanted to try, but in our little condo, was reluctant of recipes that requires grating TEN (!) bars of ivory soap and adding boxes of powder... I just have no place to store all of that!
ReplyDeleteBut to make it even easier, do you think the soap can be grated in a food processor?!? It's gotta be softer than carrots, right?!
OMG! I was so close to emailing you this to share on your blog! LOL I was just talking to a friend and then to my mom about how I was wanting to start making this! And THIS is the recipe I felt would be the easiest! Awesome...now im convinced I must do it!
ReplyDeleteI have to use "special" soap for Oliver and it is expensive! BUT this will work just fine for him too! Awesome:)
ashley...yea! how cool is that?! God is moving...lol
ReplyDeletemommy...hey! how are you? the short answer is a supposable yes. i will post more about that in my post tomorrow.
ReplyDeletenatasha...well, the Fels Naptha soap is really hard.I would be worried that it would damage my processor. That being said...I do put it in my processor after I have it grated. Again...more in the post tomorrow. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! Tony does the grocery shopping and he was just today complaining about the cost of laundry detergant! We are making this!! Thanks a bunch! (going to share on Facebook!)
ReplyDeleteWendy
now this is a follow worthy recipe...i've made the other soap recipes and they were a pain in my grass-stained butt...so thanks ever so much for this simple method...and thanks to wendy for posting on her fb page.
ReplyDeleteblessings,
alison
stuff and nonsense
finally.
ReplyDeletethis post.. as maybe only I know.... means:
The Flamingo HAS arrived!!!!!!!!!
woohoooooo!
did you see that Relevant is sold out??
dar
Question - how do you store it? In a plastic container? Sounds like a great solution. Have never heard of making your own laundry soap!
ReplyDeletevicki...
ReplyDeletei store mine in a small plastic container. i think it's an old ice cream container that has a lid.
alison...it's great to have you here:)
ReplyDeleteMaking liquid detergent is not that difficult. It appears to cost less per load than powder. I dont boil water. The water only has to be warm enough to melt the soap. I heat my water in an 8 cup glass measuring cup/bowl in the microwave. Pour the melted soap in a 5 gal. bucket, add the washing soda, borax, & water & stir. Let it sit for 24 hours, and you have your detergent. I never got into adding powder detergent to a washer, run water, let it dissolve, then add clothing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Theresa for your method! I didn't mean to imply that it is too difficult to make the liquid detergent. I just don't have room to store it in bulk...plus I usually run out without realizing it. I would be in trouble to have to have it 24 hours ahead! lol I have never let my detergent dissolve. I simply add it and wash as normal.
ReplyDeleteI understand about the storage of liquid. I cut down the liquid detergent recipe to half so that I only have 3 recycled milk carton gallons of HLD to store. The real reason I cut down the recipe, is that I just LOVE making it so much..so now I get to do it twice as often. I also tend to give away samples. I know when I get to my last gallon, that it is about time to make more...yippee :)
ReplyDeleteTheresa...that made me smile:) That's a great idea to cut in half and store in milk jugs! thanks!
ReplyDeleteI bought the supplies to make this! Ashley and I were just talking about this!
ReplyDeleteFlamingo, :)
ReplyDeleteI use my pampered chef grater, the wheel/handle kind that they use at the Olive Garden. It makes it super fine and melts instantly in warm water. :)
Plus, I think I mentioned before that I use Dr.Bronners or Kirk's Castille Soap in place of
Fels Naptha which is a bit caustic:
The active ingredient is an irritant to the eyes and skin. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services has identified high concentrations of benzene, which is also found in some plastics, rubbers, synthetic fabrics and solvents, as carcinogenic to human beings.
Just and FYI!
just a tip....Ikea makes a grater/bowl combo thing that you can grate the soap right into a bowl that works great. I think it was about $3. The bowl lid is the grating part and there are two lids/sizes. The smaller size grater is perfect so that you don't need the extra step of putting the detergent in a blender. I've been using this same recipe for about a year (with the Ivory) and it works wonders. Plus - having a separate grader just for the soap means I don't have to clean it out each time I use it. It's never shared with food so no worry that your food will taste like soap :)
ReplyDeleteI just found you while searching for info on whether or not to renew my Sams Club membership. Wow! I am so impressed. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Love this laundry idea. As much as I pride myself in being frugal, I never even considered making my own laundry detergent! LOVE IT! I have to try this. You have a new follower, My Dear! :)
ReplyDelete