Frugal Living – Laundry

One of the easiest ways to cut costs at home is laundry.  It takes virtually no effort and can save a ton depending on the size of your family and how much laundry you do.  This summer I went old school and started drying my clothes outside on a clothes line.  The actual clothes line costs about $10 and the clothes pins around $4.  Since I am in a rent house, I didn’t want to set posts to string the line, so I simply stretched it across my yard and attached it to the posts already set for our privacy fence.  Super classy!  Ok, it may not be beautiful, but it works and it saves us money.  Plus, with the privacy fence, no one can see it but us.  In this OK heat, I can dry at least two large loads a day—three if I get started early enough.  I also have a line-drying plan for the winter, but I will post that when the cold weather hits.

Below is the recipe I really like to use.  There are actually two.  They are virtually the same except that the concentration is different.  If you have hard water or tough stains, I would go with the 1st one.  I also like these two because they make a manageable amount of detergent.  Some of the recipes you find online make like 10 gallons at a time.  I don’t have that kind of storage space.

I only do about 4-5 loads of laundry a week and I save anywhere between $70-$100 a year by making my own detergent.  Obviously the more laundry you do, the more you save.  It doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but combine it with a few other money saving ideas and all of a sudden your saving a bundle!

Things you need to know before you start…

1. From start to finish this takes about 20 minutes.  Then 24 hours for the detergent to “gel.”
2. Washing soda can be purchased at Homeland
3. You can use any laundry bar soap.  Most people use Fels Naptha (can be purchased online).  You can also use Zote or Ivory (can be purchased at Wal-Mart).
4. When the soap starts to “gel” it will separate.  The soap will float to the top.  You need to stir it before pouring it into a smaller container.  I use an immersion blender to speed up the stirring process.
5. Don’t throw away your detergent bottles.  Use them to store your homemade detergent.  Shake the bottle well before pouring detergent into your machine.
6. For tough stains, I still use a commercial stain remover.  You can also rub the Fels Naptha bar directly on stains before putting it in the wash.

Recipe #1

1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda

• Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water. Reduce heat to low and stir until soap is melted.
• Pour the soap water into a large, clean container and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
• Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
• Cover container and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it

Recipe #2

3 Pints water
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/3 bar Soap (grated)

In a large pot bring 3 pints of water to a boil. Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water. Reduce heat to low and stir until soap is melted.

• Then add the washing soda and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved (mixture will thicken), then remove from heat.
• In a 2 gallon container, pour 1 quart of hot water and add the heated soap mixture. Top pail with cold water and stir well.
• Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring soap before each use