Do you ever get tired of spending $20-$30 a month on different laundry detergents and softeners? Buying laundry detergent was one of the most expensive things I noticed myself buying when I went on my monthly shopping trips. I started researching the use of homemade laundry soap and when I saw how much money it could actually save, I couldn't resist trying it!
I made my first batch in September 2010. and I've been using it ever since! I love it and it's super easy to make! I purchased ALL the ingredients for around $9, and will be able to make enough soap to last a year or more, seriously! It's definitely worth the savings in money, but it's also great for your washing machine, and for sensitive skin. There will be no more of the gunky build-up left from soap and softener, and you don't have to worry about allergies from dyes and perfumes!
So what should you do to get started?
Here's what you'll need.
One box of Borax (found at most any store in the laundry isle)
One box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda not baking soda--it's different! (This was a little harder to find, some grocery stores have it, Homeland does, or you can order it online on many different sites. I ordered mine from Ace Hardware.
One bar of Soap--Fels Naptha, Zote, Ivory, or really whatever soap you prefer some are just harder to grate than others. I use the Ivory.
A bucket or container that holds at least 5 gallons. (I used an old 10 gal. rubbermaid container I had around the house)
That's all you need, now here's how to do it:
Recipe
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or entire bar of another type of soap, as listed above
½ cup washing soda
½ cup borax powder
Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.
I use an old Gain container to pour some of the soap in so it's more convenient than hoisting around a 10 gal. bucket every time I do my laundry!
The soap will gel overnight. It may have a runny look, or be more solidified like gel. Just use a spoon to stir it around and shake your container before use. The soap does not have a lot of suds, but that doesn't mean it's not cleaning your clothes!
If you are wanting your soap to be scented you can add a drop of essential oil to the bucket after mixing. I haven't done this and my soap just smells clean.
But is it really cheaper??
Let's compare the prices:
Borax $4.29
Super Washing Soda $3.79
Ivory Soap $.97
Total: $9.05
That total is cheaper than the ONE bottle of detergent I was buying that lasted maybe a month!
And what's even better these ingredients will last you a LONG time! I've made about 3 batches of this soap now and I still have more than 3/4 of the boxes left. The only thing I've had to buy again is the Ivory soap, of course!
When you do the math, this laundry soap costs about
71 cents a batch which means it's
less than 1 cent per load of laundry!! How awesome is that?
Read my idea for
Frugal Fabric Softener here!
If you have any questions about making this soap or the use of it, please feel free to contact me! Or, if you've tried this soap, I'd love to hear your experiences in the comments below! Good luck and I hope you have as much fun saving money as I do!