If you are one of those who would like to find ways to cut costs, then making your own laundry soap is one of them. Not only will you save money, you will also contribute to the promotion of “going green” and help save the planet. Homemade laundry detergents don’t contain harsh chemicals that could be toxic to the environment.

While it also costs to put the needed ingredients together to make your homemade laundry soap, the price of commercial detergents is costlier. Read on and find out how you can make a cheaper cleaning agent that gets the same clothes cleaning job done at a price that won’t break your bank. The time spent on making the soap could also be a good time to enjoy bonding moments if you get the children involved in the project.

Powdered Detergent

Ingredients:

• 1 box of borax
• 1 box of washing soda/sodium carbonate/sodium ash
• 1 bar of castile soap (scented or unscented)

Procedure:

• Using a cheese grater or food processor, grate the entire bar of castile soap. Make sure to finely grate, almost to a powdery substance.
• In a big bowl not used for food, place 2 parts each of borax and washing soda. Mix very well.
• Add 1 part of the grated soap into the mixture.
• Place mixture in covered plastic container, ready for your next laundry day.

To help make clothes smell fresh, you may add a little baking soda and a few drops of perfumed oils for that refreshing scent of newly-laundered clothes.

 

Liquid Detergent

Ingredients: same as those of the powdered soap plus water.

Procedure:

• Grate the soap bar to a very fine powder.
• Place grated soap in a saucepan. Add 2 quarts of water and place over medium heat. Stir until the grated soap is completely dissolved.
• In a separate pot, heat 4.5 gallons of water to just about boiling point then place in a large heat resistant container.
• Thoroughly dissolve 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of washing soda in the water before adding the concentrated soap mixture. Blend well by stirring.
• Let the mixture stand overnight before transferring into smaller containers for storage.

Should you required larger quantities, simply double or triple the amount of each ingredient. Just make sure you have enough large containers to hold the detergents you will produce.

Homemade laundry soaps are meant to be low-suds formulas. Generally, this makes a good choice for high-grade washing machines. However, for new washers that are still under warranty, it is best to observe manufacturer’s instructions to avoid the warranty becoming invalid.

In areas where water type is “hard”, you may need to increase the amount of detergent you use per load to get better results.

Homemade laundry soap is reasonably easy to make and you only need three basic ingredients. Whether you want to save money or stay away from harsh ingredients and other chemicals in commercially available laundry soaps, the satisfaction you get makes it all worth it.