Wow I've been making my Own Laundry Detergent for a Year
By neededhope
@neededhope (1085)
United States
September 10, 2009 3:30pm CST
I can't believe it's been a year already. I've save so much already from taking about an hour out of my day ever 3 months. I love it!!
It's so easy to make and it cleans really well. And it only costs us about 4 cents a load or so to wash are laundry. I bought so much stuff when I first made it that I still haven't bought anymore. I still have too much lol.
It's really easy to make too. You take 1/2 cup of borax and 1/2 cup of armor hammer laundry soap and 1/8 of a bar of soup like Ivory. And melt the soap in water on the stove and than add the rest. After that take 3 gallons and pour in each and full with water the rest of the way.
So easy!!
Next i can't wait for my lavender to start blooming I'm gonna make my own dryer sheets. I love being Frugal well at least in my laundry area.
have you made it? Or tried it? Would you go to this extreme of being Frugal?
4 people like this
8 responses
@nyhappenins (169)
• United States
10 Sep 09
Awesome job! I've often considered trying it - but I often fail :( ! Maybe I should try making it in one really big batch ... I often just get my detergent on special with coupons :) ! I figure at least I'm being a little frugal! And I wouldn't really call it being super extreme frugality ... I read this book (Tightwad Gazette ... I think) and they talked about re-using tin foil and plastic baggies! Little too extreme for me. Oh and a great tip for dryer sheets (if you don't feel like making them) is to cut them half - they work just as well!
Awesome job!
@neededhope (1085)
• United States
11 Sep 09
When I first made it I though it was a completely fail but come to find out all I needed to do was add more water. It looked like a be gob of something. Even looked gross when we had to empty it to add more water. Yea I'm not into reusing tin foil.. than again the other day I made a big batch of lasanga and to put the rest of it away. I ended up wrapping up in that tin foil. Since it didn't get no sauce on it. But that's about it. And reusing Plastic baggies... well I reuse the ones from the grocery store but I really want cloth ones.. Once I get around to either buying them or making them. But the little plastic bags like sandwich ones. Sometimes I do reuse those. Like if I"m gonna make the same sandwich everyday thru the week for lunch. But tthat's as far as I would go.
@Citychic (4067)
• United States
10 Sep 09
Hello friend, it sounds like you might have thought up a new product. Personally I wouldn't go so far as to create my own laundry detergent but it doesn't exactly sound like too bad of an idea. My mom used to make her own soap for many years. Maybe you should look into have this product so that it can be made available to the masses. I love the idea of putting lavender into it. As I'm one of those healthy types so I would honestly look to purchase something like that. Happy mylot!
1 person likes this
@melanie652 (2524)
• United States
11 Sep 09
I've never made my own laundry detergent although I know others who have. While it sounds easy - time isn't a luxury I seem to have much of. I think it's great you're making your own!
@neededhope (1085)
• United States
11 Sep 09
It takes a little time but I do enjoy it. Watching as everything melts and seeing if It ends up a be clump. It's neat. Even my nephew when he came to visit us couldn't stop looking at it and he's 13. So why not :)
@CRSunrise (2981)
• United States
10 Oct 09
I've been making my own soap for around a year. I just made a double batch back in May and that ought to last me about a year. Although, it probably won't since I had one of my bottles fall off the washer, and an entire bottle saturated the carpet. That stunk big time.
Anyway, I also make my own fabric softener, although I haven't had the time to make it in the last few months. I have everything for the receipe...I just need to sit down and combine the ingredients.
During the summer, I line dry our clothes as long as the weather permits it. I'm going to attempt to put a retractable clothes line up to try and line dry inside, but I haven't done that one yet. I'm going to put it up, and use our box fans to air dry things.
@CRSunrise (2981)
• United States
16 Oct 09
It's very simple.
Just mix together 6 cups of water, 4 cups of white vinegar and 3 cups of your favorite conditioner. It can even be the cheapy kind. I use VO5 when it's on sale 10/$10.
@neededhope (1085)
• United States
15 Oct 09
I would truly like to know what your ingredients for your fabric softener is. I haven't tried making that yet but I have though about it. I luv hanging my clothes on the line but unforunately in my apartment complex they do not allow us to. Which i do understand. Plus I would be afraid of the bugs that would get on my stuff too. But even thou I don't use fabric softener my clothes don't feel stiff. but Still on our towels it would be nice to feel really soft like baby soft against are skin when drying. Feel free to share that recipe with us. I'm sure I"m not the only one that would want it :)
@mckeekitty (21)
• United States
17 Sep 09
Good for you!
No, I don't make my own, but applaud your efforts. I purchase Arm & Hammer laundry soap in bulk when it is on sale, but I wish the containers weren't plastic!
We have an old washing machine and our water is "hard". As such, I don't trust making my own detergent. I only use half of the suggested amount (half a capful vs. a full capful) and it works fine. I love to do calculations, and realize each load, exluding electricity, averages 4 cents.
We don't own a clothes dryer. We line dry in the summer and have wooden drying racks in our "stove room" for the winter months. We do laundry according to the weather!
@neededhope (1085)
• United States
18 Sep 09
Actually that's about the same price as we are paying too. With me making it. But are laundry detergent that is already made isn't that cheap. And the Arm and hammer we have tends to fade are clothes. And the stuff I make doesn't for some reason.
I would totally hang up are clothes but we live ina apartment and they don't allow people hanging clothes up on there porchs. So I dry everything in the dryer. But even with that are electric isn't too bad.
Sounds like your doing a very nice job in saving money with your laundry :)
@Kalyni2011 (3496)
• India
13 Jan 11
This appears so easy, never knew it could be made in home, i have noted down the names and the making procedure, will ask hubby to buy.
thanks for sharing
kalyani
