I've been on a mission to pay off our debt. I have started my own small business which is fun but time consuming. Pre-baby, I would have just worked harder and longer but now my time is even more valuable. This means that I need to find ways that we can cut some costs. One way to cut costs is by making our own laundry detergent. I was thinking that this would be WAY over the top, even for me and would involve some crazy potion and wouldn't work in our HE washer BUT after doing some searching and talking with a few people, I think I found a recipe that will work!
My coworker and friend Bonnie gave me a few articles she copied from the newspaper in 2009 (?) about making your own detergent and uses it already so I figured I would start there.
I bought a bar of Fels Naptha, and a container of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda. So far the cost was about 6 dollars total.
First I grated my Fels Naptha bar into a dust. I thought this would take a while but I sat on the couch with the bar and grater over the bucket and it took me about 10 minutes while I watched Undercover Boss.
Then I went to the kitchen and measured 4 cups of water into my pot and let it heat up on the stove. I added my Fels Naptha so that the bar would dissolve into the water in the pan. Meanwhile, I put the big 5 gallon pail in my kitchen sink. I used a cleaned out 1 gallon milk jug and poured 3 gallons of hot tap water into the bucket.
Once the Fels Naptha was dissolved into the hot water (not boiling) I dumped the fn and water mixture into my hot water in the 5 gallon bucket and stirred it up with a very long spatula. I added one cup of the Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda and stirred it up again. Last year I made some tea cup candles and had some pearberry oil scent left over so I added about twenty drops of that and then I just let it sit.
I took it out of the sink, put the lid on and I'm going to let it sit over night. I'll let you know how this works.
In total, this took me about 20 minutes. I paid about 1.50 for Fels Naptha, 4.50 for the A & H Super Washing Soda, and about 3 dollars for the Pearberry scent. This makes about 4 gallons of laundry detergent! The only thing I will have to by again is the Fels Naptha bar. And, I will only use a small amount for each load. This will save me at least 50 cents a loads. I'm practically paying myself to do laundry! PLUS, I don't have 20 plastic containers to recycle. I know what is in my detergent. I can add my own scent. I don't have to carry the detergent in and out of my house. I really hope that this works!
I'll keep you posted.
My coworker and friend Bonnie gave me a few articles she copied from the newspaper in 2009 (?) about making your own detergent and uses it already so I figured I would start there.
I bought a bar of Fels Naptha, and a container of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda. So far the cost was about 6 dollars total.
Bonnie gave me a nice 5 gallon bucket with a lid, I got out a pot, a long handled spatula, and my 1 dollar small grater (that I bought from the dollar store and never use) and was ready to start.
First I grated my Fels Naptha bar into a dust. I thought this would take a while but I sat on the couch with the bar and grater over the bucket and it took me about 10 minutes while I watched Undercover Boss.
Then I went to the kitchen and measured 4 cups of water into my pot and let it heat up on the stove. I added my Fels Naptha so that the bar would dissolve into the water in the pan. Meanwhile, I put the big 5 gallon pail in my kitchen sink. I used a cleaned out 1 gallon milk jug and poured 3 gallons of hot tap water into the bucket.
Once the Fels Naptha was dissolved into the hot water (not boiling) I dumped the fn and water mixture into my hot water in the 5 gallon bucket and stirred it up with a very long spatula. I added one cup of the Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda and stirred it up again. Last year I made some tea cup candles and had some pearberry oil scent left over so I added about twenty drops of that and then I just let it sit.
I took it out of the sink, put the lid on and I'm going to let it sit over night. I'll let you know how this works.
In total, this took me about 20 minutes. I paid about 1.50 for Fels Naptha, 4.50 for the A & H Super Washing Soda, and about 3 dollars for the Pearberry scent. This makes about 4 gallons of laundry detergent! The only thing I will have to by again is the Fels Naptha bar. And, I will only use a small amount for each load. This will save me at least 50 cents a loads. I'm practically paying myself to do laundry! PLUS, I don't have 20 plastic containers to recycle. I know what is in my detergent. I can add my own scent. I don't have to carry the detergent in and out of my house. I really hope that this works!
I'll keep you posted.
