One of the things I have noticed since I started Addicted to Saving is that many of you have awesome tips on everything from couponing to cooking to gardening to finding deals, etc. So, I thought I would start a new 5 day post where every afternoon, I ask a common question that I get in my email inbox. I will attempt to answer the question and then all of you can chime in with how you would answer the question! The goal of this is for all of us to learn from each other. In order for this daily post to be a success, you all need to leave comments with your thoughts and ideas. I can’t wait to hear them!
Let’s Discuss: Thoughts on Homemade Laundry Detergent?
My Thoughts: I’ve been asked before if I make my own laundry detergent. There are many “recipes” for homemade detergent that many of you have emailed me and that I have also stumbled upon while surfing the web. I love the fact that when you make your own detergent, you can control the ingredients and thus the chemicals that touch your clothing and ultimately our skin. For me, however, I haven’t jumped aboard the homemade laundry detergent train as of yet. Have you? Do you find that the time it takes to make your detergent is worth it? Do you find that purchasing the necessary ingredients is more “frugal” then buying detergent when it is on sale AND when you have a coupon? I’m curious to hear! And, if you have any ingredients for laundry detergent (and a photo of the end result), I would be interested in posting it for everyone to see!
Your turn: Is it worth it to you to make your own Laundry Detergent?
For a list of all of the topics we have covered in 2012, click below where it says “click to continue”
Let’s Discuss Topics:
1/18/12: Protecting your personal information online
1/19/12: How do you deal with people using coupons inappropriately
1/20/12: How many Sunday newspapers do you purchase
1/23/12:
1/24/12:
1/25/12:
1/26/12:
1/27/12:
Thanks for coming to Addicted to Saving! Here’s a little bit about me so you can know who’s behind all these posts!
My name is Liza and I began my money-saving journey in the Spring of 2009 as a way to stretch a limited household income. I had lost my job and my hubby was self-employed. I launched Addicted to Saving in November of 2009 and it has grown by leaps and bounds. Since then, my hubby and I have struggled with the ups and downs of two failed adoptions and are now LOVING being parents to our little man Asher who we brought home from Ethiopia in August of 2013. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to help you save money. My goal is that you will have FUN and become empowered to save more and more money each week..
Yes, I have made my own laundry detergent in the past, and I would again if I needed it and couldn’t find a really good deal. After my first batch, I found some short cuts for my second and so on. I shred the soap in my food processor and use an old big cat litter bucket with a lid to store it. I marked the bucket with measurements that I needed to cut time too. Start to finish, I would say it takes me about a half hour now to make a batch. It ended up costing me less around 2.50 per batch, and that made just over 70 loads. I pretty much live by that formula now when it comes to finding a good price. Making my own detergent also taught me that I could use less store-bought detergent also. Using vinegar with my scented fabric softener also is a stretcher. It’s been a long time since I’ve made any, but as soon as I get close to running out of detergent, if there are no good deals, I will definitely do it again.
I have never tried to make my own before but would like to in the future.
I’m with Erika!! I’ve made my own laundry detergent (tried it for fun) and now I use that as a comparison to sale prices!!
Also, some of those basic ingredients can be used ‘across the board’ when it comes to making other cleaning products. Since I haven’t found ‘free’ cleaning products in a while (sniff!sniff!) I’ve had to turn to alternative ways of getting them (i.e., making them myself). The best part is not only am I’m happy to be using natural products that work well, I feel much better when teaching my children how to clean knowing the ingredients are natural and won’t be harmful to ‘young skin’!! 😉
I’ve made my own laundry detergent after finding an easy recipe online. It only requires 1/2 cup Borax, 1 Ivory bar soap, 1 cup Arm & Hammer All Natural Super Washing Soda and water. I use a cheese grater to grate the bar soap and I have a 5 gallon bucket with a lid that I keep just to make soap. After I make a batch, I transfer the detergent to smaller, easier to handle bottles and notate the date that the batch was made and how much to use (1/2 cup for top loaders & 1/4 cup for front loaders). I made a whole batch back in October and gave it all to my sister as part of her birthday present! She loved it and has even been giving me the bottles back for a future batch.
I do not make my own laundry detergent. People have time for that? Also, how does this work with high efficiency washers since you have to use “special” HE detergent?
I’m super picky about laundry detergent because my husband works in a trade and he comes home FILTHY more days then not. I’ve tried using “bargain” laundry detergents and they do NOT get his clothes clean. The more you wash them the more they end up getting dingy and smelly even after you wash them with cheaper laundry detergents. It’s one luxury I will pay more for and I’ve been so poor that I had to “borrow” laundry detergent from my mom to get us to pay day. However, because of couponing, I’ve got a good 6 months supply of laundry detergent. I swear I’ll never run out again!
My mother got me hooked on making my own laundry soap. She lives with my sister and her family and began doing some research on it because all of my nieces and nephews are super allergic to a lot of stuff. I love it because it is cheaper than any coupon deals I have ever found (and it WORKS!). I use 1&1/2 cup Borax (abt $3) 1&1/2 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (also abt $3) and 1 bar of Felds napha ($1). Grate up the bar soap ( you can also use Ivory). Mix it all together, Voila! This lasts my family of 5 about 3 months where I only buy a bar of soap again…. the Borax and A&H last about 2-3 more batches.
PS: I am also in NPR so if you want a sample I will gladly get you one!
How does it make your clothes smell? I enjoy clothes that have a light fragrance. The lavender vanilla is usually my favorite scent, but the price for that in almost any brand is typically expensive in comparison to what people are paying for homemade detergent. Can you use softener with this homemade product? Can you use bleach with it? Does it leave chunks of soap in the washer? Where do you store your detergent? I have heard people saying they use buckets with lids, but I know that they are terrible for using with young children around. Even with a lid, a filled bucket can pose a hazard. I am far too short and not nearly strong enough to store something this large up high, so how many bottles would I need to collect to have enough storage for this mixture? I apologize for the million questions, but I am all about practical before diving feet first, I have four children, and I have to be practical for survival.
I just started making my own laundry soap and fabric softener and I love them both. It was super easy and cheap. I rarely find sales/coupon combos for less than $1.99 per bottle so this is much less expensive. I use shredded Fels Naptha soap, borax and Arm & Hammar washing soda. For fabric softener I found a recipe that uses water, white vinegar and a bottle of hair conditioner (cheap from couponing) and I added a few drops of essential oil to cover the vinegar smell. They both work great and smell great. I poured the finished soap into rinsed gallon milk jugs and it is easy to pour. I have a HE washer and it works fine! I won’t go back to store bought since I think these are both better for my family and my clothes 🙂
I haven’t taken the plunge & made my own soap yet (still finding good detergent deals). I know several friends & family that do, however & they swear by. Most say they would never use store bought soap again. This is on my list of things to try this year!
I have never tried to do my own but I do have a friend that does and she wanted to showed me how to do it but I honestly was not into it. First of all, because I have an HE washer and didn’t want to experiment with homemade det on it. I am fortunate to have found pretty good deals on reg detergent to not have to venture over to making my own…I have detergent I purchased early last year and never let my stock pile get too low so when I see a deal I get on it and don’t have to worry about it for a while. However…I don’t know if I would ever try to make it – seems like a lot work…it would all depend if I had a different washer, though. It would be something to try to give to someone else…I guess! That I would not mind…but would hate the repairs of my washer if I ever try to experiment on homemade det with it. Thanks!
I make my own powdered detergent with Borax, Washing Soda and Fels Naptha bar soap. I use a 1:1:1 ratio of all items and find that using a microplane to grate the soap works well. Since I wash in relatively cold water, I usually give the finished product a wizz in the food processor to make the powder really fine.
I love the way the clothes smell after washing…slightly lemony and really fresh. Line-dried-in-the-sun sheets and towels….mmmmm!
I will buy laundry detergent if there is a really killer deal on it somewhere, and I can get it for practically nothing. But I don’t like putting petroleum products into the soil and, other than Arm&Hammer powdered laundry detergent, there’s nothing that can compare to the homemade version.