My children bring so much joy and happiness into my life.  They also seem to multiply our household laundry load- I feel like I’m forever catching up on washing or folding!  If you do a lot of laundry, the cost of detergent can add up fast.  Why not make your own?  It’s easier than you might think, and it can save you a load (pun intended) of money.

What you’ll need:

  • 1 bar of whatever bar soap you prefer
  • 1 Cup Borax
  • 1 Cup washing soda (This will be near the Borax.  The brand I use is Arm & Hammer.)
  • large pot, at least 2 gallons
  • grater
  • funnel
  • long spoon
  • 2 empty gallon jugs

It’s a good idea to use the pot and utensils only for detergent making.

What to do:

  1. Grate soap into the pot
  2. Add one gallon of water to the pot and cook until the soap is completely dissolved
  3. Add Borax and washing soda
  4. Bring to a boil until mixture is thick
  5. turn off the heat and stir in one gallon on cold water
  6. using the funnel, divide into your gallon jugs

Use ½ cup per load of laundry.  Depending on the brand of soap you use, supplies for this homemade laundry detergent will cost you about $6.00, and the Borax and washing soda will make multiple batches of soap.  That comes to less than 10 cents per load of laundry!

Have you ever made your own cleaning supplies?