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I make my own laundry detergent using Fels Naptha bar soap, Borax and Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. I was able to find the ingredients at my local market. If you can't find them there, they are available online, through www.soapsgonebuy.com but the shipping cost will eat up any savings. What I can buy locally for $11.35 would cost more than $30.00 if I bought it online.
Before I started making my own detergent, we used detergent in 40-load containers for $2.89. That's slightly more than 7 cents a load. Since we were using cheap-o detergent and Las Vegas has very hard water, we always add Borax to the wash, about a cup per large load, for an additional 26 cents. Bringing the total to 33 cents a load.
Ruby, our baby, has very sensitive skin and cannot wear clothes that have been washed in this way. The cheapest baby detergent I've found is All for babies, which comes in a 25 load bottle for about $4.00. Or, 16 cents a load, plus the 26 cents for Borax is 42 cents a load.
To make enough laundry detergent for 100 loads of wash I would need three bars of Fels Naptha soap, one box of Borax and two boxes of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. That's eleven cents a load, a savings of half over cheap detergent with a Borax booster.
All the ingredients in the homemade detergent are safe to use on my baby's clothes, even with her extra sensitive skin. The homemade stuff is an even deeper savings for her clothes.
The is also the extra bonus of the stain removing properties of both Borax and Fels Naptha. If I have an item that is stained or yellowed, I can stop my washer and let the whole load soak right in the detergent. Or just rub some detergent right into the stain before washing. No more Spray N' Wash.
And, lastly, if I buy Fels Naptha in bulk from www.soapsgonebuy.com I can get each bar for about half of what I would spend at the grocery store. Bringing my total cost down to 9 cents a load, with an initial outlay of $45.00 for 40 bars of soap (that's a LOT of laundry detergent!)
The verdict? The homemade detergent is a savings over what I was doing. And, if I buy the soap in bulk the cost will come down to about the same as the very cheapest way I can think of.
To make homemade laundry detergent, grate a bar of Fels Naptha. Mix in an airtight container with one cup each Borax and Washing Soda. One tablespoon is enough for most loads, use two tablespoons for tough loads.
About The Author: Shaunta Alburger publishes The Penny-Wise Journal, a print newsletter for those who want to use a short period of very intense thrift as a means of getting out of debt and building savings.
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