Frugal and Fast Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe

We all want beautifully clean laundry, don't we?  But have you noticed how expensive laundry detergent can be?  Sheesh!  Well, I have been using my own homemade laundry detergent for several months now, and my family has been quite happy with it.  And it is VERY cheap.

I had been wanting to make my own laundry detergent for some time, but I kept procrastinating.  There are many recipes out there, and I was rather put off by the ones that sounded very time consuming and complicated - like the liquid detergents that you have to cook.  Who wants to do all that?

Well, I got a homemade laundry recipe from my friend Sandie (who teaches online cooking classes for kids BTW - check out her website if that sounds interesting).  Anyway, her recipe sounded SO EASY to make, so I tried it.

The Ingredients:

1. Borax - I just pick up a box (4 lbs 12 oz) of 20 Mule Team Borax at Walmart for $3 (though not all Walmart locations carry it) or at Albertsons for closer to $5.

2. Washing Soda - The only company I know of at this moment that makes this is Arm & Hammer, and it is called Super Washing Soda.  (This is not the same as baking soda.) My local Albertsons grocery store used to carry it, but alas, they have discontinued it!  I picked up several of the last boxes (3 lb 7 oz) of it for $1.50 each, though the regular price was about $3.  UPDATE: I just found a local supplier!  Ace Hardware stores in my area carries this for $3.99 a 3 lb 7 oz box.  Yay!

3. Laundry Soap - The brand I am currently using is called Zote, and can be found at Walmart, as well as Save-a-Lot, and some other local markets in my area, generally for about $1.  It is manufactured in Mexico.  I have a Mexican market locally that carries Zote in several scents and formulations, which is kind of nice, though I've only tried the regular pink flavor so far.

I have also used Fels Naptha soap, but I really want to try it some more to test how effective it is because I keep reading how great it is.  However, I cannot find a local source for this brand. UPDATE!: I just found that my local Ace Hardware store carries Fels Naptha for $1.40 per bar.  This is just a tad cheaper than the current SALE price at the online store Soaps Gone Buy that was the only place I knew that carried this brand.  But now I have a local supplier!  Yay!  So if you have any Ace Hardware Stores in your area, give them a call!

Directions: 

1. Grate or shred the soap, using a cheese grater with small holes. I do this in a big bowl, as it can get messy.  My friend's recipe calls for 1/2 bar of soap per batch, but the smell of the Zote is so overpowering to me that I only use 1/3 of a bar.

2. Measure out 1 cup of the Super Washing Soda

3. Measure out 1 cup of the Borax

4. Mix all together in a frugally snazzy container.  See how my Skippy Peanut Butter jar looks so lovely as my re-purposed laundry detergent container?  (When I use the pink Zote soap, it reminds me of those Hostess coconut pie thingies...)

5. YOU ONLY NEED 2 TBSP PER LOAD!  (Sorry for yelling, but this is rather exciting, don't you think?)  I keep a scoop inside the container for convenience (1/8 cup scoop = 2 TBSP).  I will often use 2 scoops (4 TBSP) for my larger loads.  It will not be sudsy, like commercial brands.  But don't worry, your laundry is getting clean.

So - How Much Money am I Actually Spending?

I spent:
Borax - $3
Washing Soda - $4 (I spent $1.50, but I will use the price that Ace quoted me)
Soap - $1
TOTAL COST: $8

Yield of each item:
Borax - 4 lb 12 oz box = 10 cups/batches
Washing Soda - 3 lb 7 oz box = 7 cups/batches
Soap - since I use 1/3 each, = 3 batches

To determine the cost of one batch of detergent:
Borax - $3 divided by 10 = 30 cents
Washing Soda - $4 divided by 7 = 58 cents
Soap - $1 divided by 3 = 34 cents
TOTAL COST FOR ONE BATCH:  $1.22

I scooped through my one batch of detergent to see how many loads of laundry I could wash with it - this will vary from person to person depending on how 'heaping' you fill your 1/8 cup measuring spoon - but mine came out to:  approximately 22 medium size loads, or 11 large loads

So, that would cost me:

$1.22 for 22 medium loads or 11 large loads:
about 11 cents for each large size load,  
and about 6 cents for each medium size load!

Not bad, huh?  I am quite happy with the price, and also quite happy with the cleaning job it does on our laundry.

Some Tips and Observations:

~ If your grater makes rather large shreds of soap, you may find the powders and soap separating a bit.  Be sure to shake up your container or scoop up even amounts of both when putting the detergent into the laundry.

~ The inside of your washing machine may develop a ring of scum after washing with this detergent for a bit.  I do buy commercial detergent once in awhile, and washing one load with commercial detergent removes the scum for me.

~ I have heard that using homemade laundry detergent will eventually turn your whites a dingy color.  Apparently the remedy to this is to use a product called 'bluing'.  I have yet to buy and try bluing, but I do plan to.  However, in the meantime I plan to keep some commercial detergent on hand (bought on sale of course!) JUST for my whites.

~ I have not yet done a lot of experimenting to see how clean everything actually gets, especially stains from my very messy children.  So, I still use Shout (my favorite stain treatment) for stains I notice before laundering.

Until next time, stay beautiful and frugal, my frugalicious beauties!