A co-worker of mine had been talking about how she was starting to make her own laundry detergent. I guess I had never really thought of doing that but when we started talking more I decided to look into it. For me, the interest was mainly on the cost effectiveness of it. We are a family of 5 and laundry is a constant in our house and it can get quite costly. I still had a lot of questions, does it whiten clothes, how is the smell, is it hard to make. So being intrigued I decided to research it. What I had found out was enough for me to try it.
The money saved a lone by making it yourself was the biggest attraction to it. The cost is fractions of what brand name detergent is. Most of the research I found had compared the effectiveness of the detergent to brand name detergents and the results were almost identical. Then the question about scent, there are essential oils that can be added if you choose to but it many cases the bar soap you add may have enough of the good smelling stuff everyone likes. Also, it appears to be rather easy to make, you can either keep it in powder form or make it into a liquid. I personally think I will leave it powder form to start with. But maybe will dabble with the liquid form in time.
Below is a list of ingredients needed and how to make it. I have yet to make a batch but wanted to share with you what my research had found. I am excited to try this and will definitely will be posting again once I have made it and give it a whirl.
They make it easy because you just have to type it into the search plane. And the third way would be to borrow from someone that would be willing to give you some to try…lol. I feel that you will love this so you might as well get it yourself.
After I make a batch myself, I am going to break down the cost analysis personally for me. For things that I have researched, the best cost ratio was about $7:312 loads….now that is a great deal. But for myself I want to break it down with how I use it.
So check out a few things and give it a whirl, I know I am….
Here’s the breakdown of the ingredients in homemade laundry detergent and their function:
Bar Soap – The most crucial ingredient, soap gives the detergent its cleaning power. DIYers recommend several brands to use in homemade detergents, including Kirk’s Castile
Borax – Also known as sodium borate, borax is a naturally occurring mineral that acts as a whitener and deodorizer.
Washing Soda – not to be confused with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), washing soda is sodium carbonate, also known as soda ash, and it helps to remove dirt and odors.
Fragrant or essential oils – you can add some of your favorite oil essence to give a nice fragrance to your detergent. Recommended amounts are one to two ounces per load. Tea tree oil has the added benefit of acting as a disinfectant, so it’s great for washing cloth diapers, hand towels or linens from a sick family member.
Powdered Laundry Detergent
1 bar of soap
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
Use a grater to shave the bar of soap into small flakes. Mix well with borax and washing soda until you achieve an even, fine mixture. Store in labeled, air-tight container. This recipe makes approximately 32 ounces of detergent; use one to two tablespoons per load depending on size.
Liquid Laundry Detergent
1 bar of soap
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
You’ll also need a grater, a medium sized pot, five-gallon bucket and some water.
Use a grater to shave soap into a pot. Add two cups water, turn heat to low, and mix until combined. Remove pot from heat and set aside. Pour borax and washing soda into bucket and mix. Add soapy water from pot and mix quickly and thoroughly. Add enough water to fill three-quarters of the bucket, and continue stirring. Allow mixture to set overnight. Use one-half cup for small loads or one cup for large loads
No comments:
Post a Comment