We used to do our own laundry detergent using a very informal technique of throw in some washing soda, some borax and a bit of castille soap. We ordered the washing soda and borax in 50 lb. bags from our local ‘environmental’ store, Earth’s General Store in Edmonton, had to wait for awhile, but got some BIG bags that lasted forever….well most of it is gone now. Recently I came across this recipe for Homemade Laundry Detergent from Tawra at Living on a Dime, and she gave me permission to post it here :).

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I have discovered that people either love or hate this soap. Try it and see what you think.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

1/3 bar Fels Naptha Laundry Soap, grated
6 cups water
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax

Heat 6 cups water and soap in a large pan until dissolved. Stir in washing soda and Borax. Mix and heat until dissolved. Boil 15 minutes. Remove from heat. (It will have the consistency of honey.*) In a 3 or 5 gallon bucket, add 1 quart of hot water, then add the soap mixture. Mix. Add enough cold water to make a 2 gallon mixture. Mix until well blended. Let sit 24 hours. The soap will gel*. Use 1/2 cup for each load.

Makes 2 gallons. (Approximately $ .40 per gallon)

*If the detergent doesn’t gel or reach honey consistency it will still work.

Notes:

Stir before each use as this soap does separate. Detergent can be stored in a liquid detergent bottle. Just shake it up each time you use it.

This detergent will not suds up in the washer, but it is still getting your clothes clean.

If you have extra hard water the soap may not clean as well. Add 1/2 cup borax or washing soda to the load and that may help.

If you do not like this laundry soap, you can still use the Fels Naptha bar for spot cleaning and to rub on stains. The Borax and Washing Soda are great to add to your regular detergent for extra cleaning.

Again, thanks to Tawra at Living on a Dime for all of her great frugal living tips!

So, I was intrigued at the time and made a mental note for future reference, but then…I saw what my friend Camille had on her blog, and I just had to share it with everyone! She has made an excellent photo tutorial on how to make this same homemade laundry soap from scratch! You should go and check it out! I think you’ll find you’re as inspired as I am…now I just need to find this ‘Fels Naptha’ soap they all speak of! I think I’ll make mine in milk jugs! Always readily available :).

Another frugal laundry find that came through my inbox the other day is a ready to go detergent that is quite economical and you need very little of, so if you aren’t up to making your own, you might want to check out this Norwex Detergent over at the Urban Homemaker. It seems a bit pricey up front, but it does anywhere from 80 - 400 loads for $24.00 depending on the type of washing machine you have, that is either $0.30 or $0.06/load, so worth checking out if you’d rather by detergent. If you do decide to purchase, can you mention that Jennifer Bogart referred you? Marilyn gives referal bonuses - and I have my eye on her mattress cleaner - this stuff looks amazing! It actually goes down into your bed and is made out of a special bacteria that gobble up all the gooblies in your mattress! I spray ours down every once in a while with tea tree oil, but that only sits on top!

Okay, I’ll admit it….neat cleaning products make me excited!