So as most of you know, I have a large herd of children, and with those children come LOTS AND LOTS of laundry. I typically do 2 loads of laundry a day just to stay on schedule, not including bedding and towels and the random child mess :). So the cost of laundry detergent really can add up here. I had heard of different "recipes" to make your own detergent but thought to myself, "Do I really have time or is it really going to save me any money?" The answer is OH MY YES!! :) It is super simple and costs hardly anything to make! I got this recipe from an awesome blogger :) whom I love over at My Blessed Life!
Here is the recipe:
1 c of Washing Soda
1/2 c of Borax
1 bar of Fels-Naptha Soap (grated) or any bar of soap that you prefer.
5 gallon bucket
Water
Put your grated bar of soap in a large dutch oven and fill it with hot water. Cook it on high heat until all of the soap is dissolved, stirring it during this process (don't let it boil).
Next get your 5 gallon bucket and put the washing soda and borax in it. Then pour the soapy mixture in and stir it all together. Then fill the rest of the bucket with HOT tap water and stir the mixture all together. Cover the bucket and let it sit for 24 hours.
After the 24 hours period, stir it up again and put it in your recycled laundry detergent containers!
Here is what I save by doing this:
Before making my own detergent, I was purchasing a large container of Gain twice a month and a large container of Dreft once every other month.
All of these prices are from Walmart:
Gain- $15.97 x 24
Dreft- $15.97 x 6
Total for the year = $479.10 (before tax) YIKES!
Now that I make my own, I had to purchase a 5 gallon bucket, one box of borax, one box of washing soda, and a bar of Fels-Naptha soap. I typically make 1 batch a month which takes care of all of our laundry, along with my parents laundry and my father-in-law too!
Bucket- $2.47
Borax- $2.97
Washing Soda- $2.97
Fels-Naptha Soap- $0.97 x 12
Total for the year = $20.05 (before tax) Ahh...much better!
That is an amazing total of $459.05 saved!! *insert happy dance*
My next mission is to find a great recipe for dishwashing detergent! :)
Blessings and Love!!
Will this work for HE washing machines and also, would it work for "sensitive" people who have to have "free" detergents? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYes! I have an HE washing machine and I haven't had any problems with it at all. And yes, I have had eczema my whole life and changing to this soap has drastically decreased my break outs. It is also very gently on the little ones skin too. I have used it on youngest as a newborn and have had no problems. :)
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