Making Your Own Laundry Detergent
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I have read MANY reviews on making your own laundry detergent and there seems to a vast majority of different recipes as well as different opinions as to whether it really does work and if it really does save you money.
The only way to find out was to try it for myself! I found a few articles on how to make your own and they all pretty much consisted of the same ingredients:
- Naptha Fels Soap
- Borax
- Washing Soda
Well of course, my local stores did not have the Naptha Fels Soap so I decided to look online. I found this AWESOME site, Soaps Gone Buy, where they have all these different types of hard to find soaps and cleaners that are all purpose and from way back when! The site was very informative & helpful even offering recipes & tips for some of their well known products. But my FAVORITE part about the site was that they offered a Make Your Own Detergents Kits section!
One of the 1st steps to making your own laundry is to grate the Naptha Fels soap, and I don’t know about you, but I do not have a specific grater just for soap, nor did I (after reading so many reviews) want to grate my own as it seemed to be a real hard task for some and I like easy to say the least. With Soaps Gone Buy Laundry Kits, you have the option of purchasing pre grated Soap! WooHoo! And a kit, what could be easier??
Stephanie, owner of Soaps Gone Buy was more than happy to send SisterlySavings a Kit to try out and I was ever so anxious to get it! I specifically saved laundry day for the day it would come!
The Laundry Kit came neatly packaged in a box with all of the ingredients I needed packaged securely in plastic ZipLoc Bags (Great job Stephanie!). She also was kind enough to send me a package of Powdered Homemade Laundry Soap that she had made. Off to the laundry room I went armed with all my supplies as well as my recipe.
First, I had to decide whether I wanted Liquid or Powder. After reading and seeing how the liquid form looks I decided to go with powder as it was all a matter of measuring the ingredients and placing them in a container:) I did mention I like easy right?
I tried the whites first with this new Homemade Version with 2 tablespoons and then I did a batch with my regular 1 cup laundry detergent, Gain.
Conclusion: Amazingly enough, they both came out about the same! Two differences I noticed:
- With the homemade version, there is no scent. Just clean clothes
- An AMAZING SOFTNESS like you would not believe!
Now let me talk some more on the softness issue as I was really loving the feeling of my clothes. I’m talking about the kind of softness that you get when you have a well worn favorite shirt that is worn till its so soft! Know that feeling or am I the only one? I never got that kind of softness even with my Snuggle Fabric Softner!
Ok, now on to the color clothes, this time I added a little softner to the homemade version for scent purposes (Ok, I’m a glutton for the fresh, clean smell of the towels when I come out the shower!). Still no difference in overall cleaning compatibility. Both the homemade version as well as the store bought version worked the same in my opinion.
So what is the overall price comparison calculations based on per load vs the the 2 different forms? I am not a mathemetician nor am I gonna sit here and try to figure them out for you. But you can get a real good idea from this article here that I found to be helpful with pricing the two and definitely made me rethink about buying vs making my own!
Here are the ingredients that Stephanie from Soaps Gone Buy uses:
Powdered Laundry Detergent (Her favorite)
1 cup grated Fels Naptha Soap
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup 20 mule team borax
Mix and store in airtight container or bag. For light or small loads, use 1 tablespoon. For normal loads, use 2 tablespoons. For heavy loads, use 3 tablespoons. Cost per load .15.
To make a large batch – grate 6 bars of Fels Naptha Soap and then add 3 cups of Washing Soda and 3 cups of 20 Mule Team Borax. Mix well and store in covered container.
Stephanie was also kind enough to share a few tips with us as well:
There are a couple of things to remember when using the homemade detergent:
1. It DOES NOT SUD! If you like to see suds in the washer, you will hate this detergent. It is a pure soap so there are little if any suds present.
2. A little goes a long way! If you are using the dry version, you only need 2 tablespoons per normal load. One tablespoon for light load and 3 if it is a really heavy load.
3. If you use fabric softener, you should reduce the amount by at least half. If you do not reduce it, your towels will become so soft, they will no longer absorb water. Most people eliminate fabric softener completely or only use a dryer sheet.
4. If you make the liquid version, SHAKE it up before you use it. A great reader tip is to put marbles in the bottom of the jug so it helps to mix it all up when you shake it. If the liquid becomes too thick, simply thin it with HOT water to the desired consistency. This will not hurt its effectiveness.
There you have it! My final decision is to stick with the homemade version and I plan on purchasing at Soaps Gone Buy for the added ease and practicality they offer:) But don’t take my word for it!
Soaps Gone Buys has graciously offered one of our readers a chance to make their own at home with a Make Your Own Laundry Kit!
Kit Includes:
* 2 Pounds of GRATED Fels Naptha Soap
* 76 ounce Box of 20 Mule Team Borax
* 55 ounce Box of Washing Soda
* 5.5 ounce bar of Fels Naptha Heavy Duty Laundry Soap
To enter, visit Soaps Gone Buy and tell us what Recipe would best suit you or 1what product tip would benefit you!
To gain extra entries:
Blog about this Giveaway, then come back here and leave a second comment along with Link to Blog Post!
Has anyone tried making their own laundry detergen or uses it? Tell us about it an earn an additional entry!
Giveaway will end Sunday, Nov 23rd at 12 am EST and winner will be announced on Monday, Nov 24th. Winner will have 24 hours to claim prize before another winner will be chosen. Please be sure to leave an email so that we can contact you!
I have been making my own laundry soap for a couple of years now and I absolutely LOVE it! The best thing about it is I can make a batch for about 25 cents! Tide at my local grocery store is selling for $12.00 a bottle! Wow!
I make the liquid version, because I have a front loading washer and I don’t think powder works well in them. I don’t much like the goopy consistency of the liquid version, but it works extremely well.
If you can’t find the Fels Naptha soap (I can’t find it here in eastern Canada), Ivory soap works just as well. I’ve been using soap that I got in Mexico called Zote and it is amazing.
Melanie’s last blog post..Getting Out of Debt and Staying That Way
I have thought about this for a while too and think I may just have to do this. I went to the website and really liked the suggestion about using marbles with the liquid detergent that you would make. That makes sense to stir it up!
I did not see though how many loads the powdered mixture would make.
http://www.thebargainscout.com/my_weblog/2008/11/make-your-own-laundry-soap.html
I have been reading about this for a while and I would love to try the Powdered Soap recipe.
Natalie’s last blog post..Book Giveaway
I would love to try making my own homemade laundry soap. The powdered laundry soap I think would best benefit because it looks pretty easy to make. Thanks for the chance at this giveaway!
Blogged about it
http://kyrepomanager.blogspot.com/2008/11/win-homemade-detergent-kit.html
Natalie’s last blog post..Book Giveaway
I am so excited about making my own laundry soap, and am definitely going to try this. I’m commenting to possibly win the laundry kit–that would be awesome! The recipe I would use would be the dry laundry soap–already use powder. I think I’m going to try to grate the soap to see how easy/hard it is. And I’m interested in the tip to use Fels Naptha Heavy Duty Laundry Soap to clean your shower. I hate cleaning my shower–grout lines–uggghh!
(I’m new to actually commenting on a blog, so not sure if I’m leaving this comment in the right spot. Tried to enter Blog at top of site, but am not allowed. If I understand, I should leave a comment at my own blog and send you the link to be entered more times. Have to get my own blog first. Anyway, would still love to win that laundry kit!
Jen Wallace
Enter me in the contest please! I checked out the recipes and I think the powder version would better suit me. It seems to be easier to store and make. I have actually made and am currently using homemade laundry detergent. I got the recipe from another website but it is very similar. I made a liquid version, although it did come out somewhat lumpy, it still works very well.
I posted about the giveaway on my blog. you can read it here http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ILoveToSave/621914/
I would use the powder because it looks like it would take up less room and be more efficent.
The powdered laundry soap I think would be the best because it looks pretty easy to make. Thanks for the chance at this giveaway!
I use All Small & Mighty, and though it does a fine job, my clothes are not very soft. I have been using vinegar the last 2 weeks as a fabric softener, and have been adding a bit of Borax as a laundry booster, but they are still not as soft as I’d like, so I’d love to win this to actually have soft clothes! What I learned from the site: Fels Naptha can be used to get rid of poison ivy-who knew? And I would pick the same kit as the one you are giving away-I’m not one for grating, either! thanks
Jill W’s last blog post..Win a Go-Blanket at Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls! ends 11-26
Making my own detergent is something I’ve been interested in but just wasn’t sure how to go about it! I’d love to win a kit! I think I would go with the powder though!
Fels Naphtha is GREAT at getting rid of poison ivy. I tried it several years ago and it worked WONDERFULLY!! After that, I keep it on hand and use it as a pre-treater on tough stains. It really works!
Although I already make a similar liquid version of homemade laundry soap, I would love to win.
I would love to have the opportunity to win this laundry kit. I too would opt for the powdered version. I’m so excited about ways to save money.
I have made this and added 15 drops of lavender oil to the final batch of liquid soap after it has set up. That way I have some fragrance and it kills germs too. You can also add Tea tree oil and it will not harm your clothes in any way.
I was wondering about this and how it would affect my daughter who has sensitive skin. I have found a detergent that doesn’t irrate her skin, but it costs way more than I would like to pay. Does anyone have any experience with this? I would love to try out the powder. Thanks for the information!
I would love to try this out. I have read about it and have been considering buying the ingredients to make it. Thank you for the great giveaway.
I would LOVE the pre-grated kit. I’ve also been wanting to make my own soap but have been waiting until my current detergent stash is close to the end. I would need to use the liquid recipe since I have a front loader. Thanks for the chance to win!
Kristen’s last blog post..Yes, we cloth diaper
I visited the Soaps Gone Buys site and was surprised to learn that Borax is a great shower cleaner! I’m all for natural and frugal! I’m slowly transitioning our family towards organic and frugal living and think making your own laundry soap with these natural soaps would be fantastic! Please enter me in your laundry kit giveaway!
I just started making my own laundry detergent, mainly for the savings. But I also like the fact that it is better on our environment. I also don’t use fabric softener anymore. I found these two blue balls (I have no idea what they are called) and they fluff my clothes and towels much more than the softener could. I use essential oils for nice smell. A little goes a long way if you want smell. I don’t mind the liquid consistancy when I know I don’t have to buy laundry soap:)
I’ve been making the powdered soap for nearly two years. I used to make the liquid recipe, but I found that the powdered version gets my clothes cleaner and is more cost effective. I went to the Soaps Gone Buy site and saw a few products I’d never seen before, such as Boraxo powdered hand soap. That sure is different! Thanks for the giveaway and good post.
mommy_34695@yahoo.com
I would love to make my own! Great giveaway
Sonia’s last blog post..Christmas Early
Holy Cow! My husband would fall off his chair if I succeeded at making my own laundry detergent! I would LOVE this kit! GREAT GIVEAWAY!!
katelkimball@yahoo.com
Kate’s last blog post..WELCOME!!
I have read about making this but have not tried it yet but I would love to try!
What a great ease of convenience. I have been wanting to try this but like you, cant find that bar soap anywhere. i would try to make the Dry Recipe.
thanks for the awesome givewaway!
Kathie
tndrkiss4u(at)hotmail(dot)com
I have been planning on making my own detergent here soon, so this kit would be fabulous! I think I like the powdered recipe best, but maybe I’ll try them all just to see. Thanks!
Stephanie’s last blog post..Steve & Barry’s
What a great idea! After checking out the Soaps Gone Buy website I am very impressed. Especially with all of the positive reviews.
I am interested in making the powder version because it will be easier to store. The tips page is awesome. I already use borax as a pretreatment so it was nice to get some other ideas. The best new tip I took from the site was using naptha soap to remove old stains from colored clothing. This will be good for my 21 month olds clothing…
tashara26@yahoo.com
I have been kicking around this idea for quite a while, but have not tried it yet. Would love to give it a try!
I would prefer the powdered form.
I’ve been interested in making my own detergent but just wasn’t sure how to go about it. I’d truly love to win a kit! I think I would go with the powder. Thanks for the chance.
I would like to try the powedered detergent. I think the recipes are great because i’ve been interested in making my own for awhile now, but wasn’t sure of the amounts to use. Thanks.
I’ve been thinking about making my own laundry detergent now for a couple of weeks. I like the dry recipe, as it takes up less space. I would love to win this prize!
http://thedesertfleamarket.blogspot.com/2008/11/contest-laundry-detergent-kitmake-your.html
OOPS…I didn’t copy before pasting…my bad! Here is the link!
I would try the powdered soap recipe. Thanks!
babygoodbuys at gmail dot com
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I love the marble Idea.. I never thought of doing that..
Tara
cloudspassby78 (at) yahoo (dot) com
I started making my own detergent a few months ago. For a year, my sister was trying to get me to make my own and I have to say I made fun of her hahahah and finally I tried it..and fell in love with it. I love how soft my clothes feel.. I love how clean..they feel.. and most importantly I love that it is safe for my kids. Now I have convinced a brother and his family to make their own as well as my parents haha. The power of peer pressure!!!
Tara
cloudspassby78 (at) yahoo (dot) com
Tara’s last blog post..Aloha Friday!
I’m very interested in trying to make and use homemade soap. Does it work with the the front loader machines?
[...] I recently decided to make my own laundry detergent. After seeing posts on blogs about people making it themselves, I decided to give it a try after seeing this post at SisterlySavings.net. [...]
I just started making my own laundry detergent, mainly for the savings. But I also like the fact that it is better on our environment. I also don't use fabric softener anymore. I found these two blue balls (I have no idea what they are called) and they fluff my clothes and towels much more than the softener could. I use essential oils for nice smell. A little goes a long way if you want smell. I don't mind the liquid consistancy when I know I don't have to buy laundry soap:)