One of the things I have always disliked about laundry is the expense and the waste of time. Detergent is always expensive - liquid detergent is a waste because you're basically buying water - powdered detergent comes with its own issues. I read about making your own laundry detergent several months ago and have been planning for the day when I finally used up my box of Biokleen powdered detergent.
While the ingredients are all basically the same - bar soap, borax and washing soda -- proportions vary widely as do the amounts you use. One powdered recipe recommends using only 1T or 2T, and the liquid detergent recipes vary between from 1/8 to 1 cup. One of the biggest variables in the liquid detergents seems to be the amount of water added -- recipes calling for 2 gallons are around 1/4-1/2 cup soap for a load, and recipes calling for a 5 or 10 gallon bucket have you putting up to 1 cup in the wash. I live in a small apartment - the idea of using a small 2 gallon bucket (with lid) that fits under the sink appeals to me.
Costs (including tax):
Bucket & Lid $7.01
Ingredients (per batch)
1. Borax ($5.73 for 76 oz box = $0.07 per oz) 1/2 c weighs 2 7/8 oz - $0.20
2. Fels Naptha ($1.40 for 4 oz bar) 1/3 bar - $0.47
3. Washing Soda ($0.65/lb = $.04 per oz) - 1/2 c weighs 5 1/8 oz - $0.205
Total Cost for 2-Gallon batch of laundry detergent: $0.875
64 loads at 1/2 c. soap per load:
$0.014 per load.
If I include the cost of the bucket, my first batch comes to $0.11 per wash (or less if I use 1/4 per load).
The powdered soap I was using costs something like $0.11 and liquid soap costs a bit more.
THE PROCESS:
1. Dissolve 1/3 bar grated Fels Naptha soap in hot water.
2. Add 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup Borax to hot water.
3. Pour hot tap water and soap mixure into bucket and stir. Let sit overnight before using.
More links and information are here http://jennconspiracy.blogspot.com/2008/06/diy-laundry-detergent.html
Blogs » Home and Garden » Cleaning & Laundry
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DIY: How to Make Your Own Laundry Detergent
Posted on October 21, 2008
by Jenn A.
Save a lot of $$ by making your own laundry soap
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Cris Bisch says:
Jenn - I think its so cool that you are DIY! I'm impressed and inspired, but how well does it wash; do your clothes come out of the wash smell cleaning and looking bright?
Jenn A. says:
This is a low sudsing soap - excellent for HE washers. Borax takes the stains out pretty well. I'm going to use it again this weekend and will let you know.
Jordana G. says:
So I know what Borax is. But what's Fels Naptha, and where do I get it? And what's Washing Soda? Where do I buy Fels Naptha and Washing Soda?
Kurt A. says:
Jordana,
The Fels Naptha that I got is made by Dial, and it is a registered name. It's a heavy duty laundry bar soap.
The Super Washing Soda is made by Arm & Hammer. It's a detergent booster and household cleaner.
I got both at a local grocery store that's half supermarket, half health food store. I suggest looking for it in laundry sections at various stores.
Stephanie Q. says:
I am trying to make my own detergent but all the recipes are with borax and washing soda, both known mucous membrane irritants. Plus borax is toxic in other ways. Is this much better for us than the toxicity of regular detergent? I know in numerous places it says to use this for detergent, I am just wondering if you have come across others out there.
I am new to this so please forgive my ignorance. I would really appreciate any help you could provide. If you could I would love to hear back from you. shortysteph@gmail.com
Thanks so much!
Jordana G. says:
Hey Stephanie--
I have heard of using soap nuts for washing laundry. I've never tried it myself, but here is a link to a site that attempts to explain where they come from and how it's done (the writers get more than a bit mired in search engine optimization repeating "soap nuts" every other word). But here it is:
http://www.buysoapnuts.com/howtouse.html
And here's a site that explains (in non-search engine optimization terms) how to use it:
http://www.ecohousekeeping.com/soapnuts.html
Let's see if we can get SustainLane's resident Ayurvedic doctor to sound off on this, since I believe soap nuts are popular in India...
Stephanie Q. says:
Thanks for the link, I really appreciate it.
Jan B. says:
I have been making my own laundry detergent for about 1 year now.
There are a couple of observations to share -- the clothes comes out really clean, like some other comments these tend to be low-sudsing so do keep in mind not to use more than 1/2 cup per load. The most significant difference in our finished laundry is the smell -- NONE -- clean textile fabrics whether natural or synthetic will have no smell when clean -- rather they smell fresh clean.
1qt of water
grate 2 bars of ivory soap bars (grating in food processor works well -- DO NOT USE SCENTED BAR SOAPS))
2 cups of borax
2 cups of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
2 gallons of cold water.
Instructions:
boil 1 qt water , then add grated soap bar and thoroughly dissolve (this will take a few minutes, stir often, and reduce heat to give soap pieces time to dissolve)
add borax and washing soda mix thoroughly.
add 2 gallons of water again mixing together thoroughly.
I store my detergent in the LAST 300 oz commercial detergent container bought -- let cool overnight -- Detergent will gel - and need to be shook each time you use.
My family was reluctant to use at first, however they love how clean their clothes come from laundry, and have been bragging abt it to everyone they know.
Gina C. says:
Does anyone know how to make a GOOD fabric softener? I have been using the liquid stuff diluted with water (about 2/3 water and 1/3 liquid softener). I have cut up several old towels into squares and have been leaving them to soak in the solution until I need them. I toss in 1 or 2 of the squares per load (2 for static prone items & 1 for all others).
I would love to make my own, but the only things I have come across so far are:
1) a couple of good sized pieces of aluminum foil balled up and thrown in with the wash.
-They gave my clothes a rather undesirable "tinny" smell. Sort of like mildly rust scented. ICK!
2) white vinegar.
-It works OK for softening, but does nothing for my static prone items an I REALLY hate having to
peel a stray sock off of the back of my pant leg when I get to work. I guess I should just thank
God I haven't ended up with a pair of underwear stuck to my butt yet! That has the potential to get
to the "please let the earth open up and swallow me now" level of embarassment.
3) adding white vinegar and baking soda to final rinse cycle.
-It foams like crazy and I was half expecting to blow up or melt in a chemical reaction the first time I did it, but it is apparently safer than it looks. I have an older washing machine (about 12 yrs old) and it doesn't have one of those cool little recepticles where the softener can sit and wait for its turn in the cycle so that's a pain. Again, this softens just great, but it doesn't take care of static.
I have also tried the vinegar in the dryer on the homemade "dryer sheets" but the stray sock was still stalking my pant leg. So I am stuck using diluted generic, unscented, uncolored liquid fabric softener for now.
I would be most appreciative of suggestions.....
:o)+)
Thanks,
Gina
Gina C. says:
BTW. I forgot to mention something I have come across that is a terrific stain treater. Remember my little episode with the "chemical scare" when I mixed vinegar & baking soda?
-Hey, don't laugh. I never did well in science.
I did find that the vinegar and baking soda are the dynamic duo for stain fighting! The other thing that works well for stains is soap. Yep, a plain old bar of soap. Rub it on the stain & let it sit. It does wonders! I used an old bar of Irish Spring I had in the closet. I don't use commercial soaps since I started making my own. I have found that the soap companies take out the good stuff in the soap and sell it back to you in the form of lotion. Pretty sneaky if you ask me, but I see no reason to waste what I had on hand and I have deemed it suitable for the laundry. I grind it up and use it in my laundry detergent. -I use the powdered kind of homemade detergent.- The very BEST stain removal power I have used is a paste made up of the 3. Wet the stain and rub soap on it & let it sit for an hour or so. Put enough baking soda on the stain to cover it and add vinegar a couple of drops at a time. Once it stops looking like a nuclear reaction, I scrub it with an old toothbrush & then leave it overnight. Scrub one more time the next day and toss it into the wash.
I have actually gotten out an old blood stain that way.
- Don't panic! I'm not an axe murderer. Honest! My husband's old sweat shirt had a stain on it from playing with sharp garage toys (AKA - his tools) with grease on his hands. What a mess that was! Nothing serious, but definitely messy! Sometimes my beloved is a triffle, um......not so bright when working in the garage, but he's a keeper nonetheless. ;o)
This shirt spent over a year existing only as a stained up "ready for the trash" shirt to use for the grubby work and was washed & dried many times over. That paste actually got that old stain out! I couldn't believe it!
Vinegar works great for mildew smelly beach towels too!