Those who know me know that I'm sometimes frugal to a fault. I won't say cheap, since I will buy expensive things when I think they're well made and will last a long time ($600 bookcase and $750 HE washing machine illustrates this). I also don't skimp on food. I'll always pay more for healthy food that doesn't have preservatives, additives, or funky chemicals. Cleaning products are another story.
I found a recipe online in early spring for do-it-yourself laundry detergent that claims to work as well as store-bought detergent. I'm surprised I even tried this considering the luck I had with the homemade dishwasher soap. All of my dishes came out looking like they'd been dipped in milk and left to dry. Icky. And I've had poor luck with the natural laundry detergents as well. I've since learned that vegetable based detergents don't mix well with hard water, and they tend to stay in the clothes and make them stiff. Which is exactly what happened. I had finally settled on Method detergent, which was reasonably priced (~$15 for 64 loads), smelled nice, and was biodegradable. Oh, and it happened to do a good job cleaning my clothes...
But, like I said, I found the homemade recipe and decided to try it. I bought two bars of laundry soap, a box of washing soda, and a box of Borax at the store, grated the soap, and mixed it all up. I was a little nervous about using an unknown powdered substance in my new HE washer, but the information I found on the internet says it's low-suds and ideal for HE machines. Apparently, suds have nothing to do with cleaning power, even though that's what people associate with clean. Weird.
I've been using my homemade soap since then, with no complaints. It costs about $.01 per load (compared to $.23), and I estimate the homemade soap has cost me about $1.50. I use about 3/4 of a tablespoon per load, and I've never felt that my clothes weren't clean. They don't come out smelling like perfume, which, once I got used to it, doesn't bother me. They just smell fresh. I used a dryer sheet a few weeks ago and hated it, since the smell seemed overpowering. I don't use any kind of fabric softener or dryer sheets, but the clothes have very little static.
The recipe I use is 1/2 cup finely grated Fels-Naptha soap (about 1/3 of a bar), 1/2 cup of washing soda (I use Arm and Hammer -- not baking soda!), and 1/2 cup borax (I use 20 Mule Team). There are recipes that call for dissolving the mixture in boiling water, which makes it gel, but it seems harder to store and more of a hassle. I've never had a problem with the powder not fully dissolving, and a full batch takes up less than 2 cups of space. I don't think the Fels-Naptha is biodegradable, but I use 1/4 tablespoon or less per load. The wasing soda and borax are considered all natural and biodegradable. I'll try to find a biodegradable soap for my next batch, but I can't say I'm unhappy with what I've got now.
4 comments:
We've been using it since January (when we bought an HE), and the only problem I've noticed is that the whites aren't as white as they ought to be. Eventually, I'll track down the article I read that suggested a periodic washing in...something...to take care of that.
The other alternative I do remember is to dry whites on a line in the sun, but since we don't have a privacy fence and all of our whites are generally those not left in public view while being worn, I've hesitated to do that.
Another low cost, green eco friendly and really simple way of making homemade laundry non detergent is to use the soapberry which grows on the Chinaberry tree. It's been used for thousands of years and works very well. Just put three or four in a pouch and put in with the laundry. Borax can be added for whitening. It's really cost effective
Great recipe--ladies, I am from the South Bend area too, and where do I find Washing Soda and Fels-Naptha soap?
I bought both at Meijer. The soap was on the top shelf and very easy to miss... The washing soda is Arm and Hammer brand and comes in a yellow box.
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