To celebrate the day I have a couple Environment Friendly projects.
Going Green for me is not just about helping the environment, it's also about saving money.
I thought a good way to start is making my own laundry detergent.
Of course I can't find my receipt so I don't have the numbers on this.
The last time I bought "regular" commercial laundry detergent I think it cost me around $15.00-17.00 and I bought the HE kind for 64 loads.
The ingredients to make this detergent only cost a few dollars.
The recipe it self would be under $2.00 for approx. 40 loads (maybe less if I knew the numbers LOL).
Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent
What you need:
1 Bar Soap (Pure & Natural, Kirk's, Fels-Naptha or one you prefer)
1 Cup Washing Soda (not baking soda)
1/2 Cup Borax
You can Grate or Chop the bar soap.
If you Grate you do not need to use a Food Processor.
Since I am making a Powder Detergent I wanted it really fine, so I chopped and put it in a Food Processor.
If using a Processor, put all your ingredients in...
Pulse until well mixed and fine.
I recycled a plastic container to store the powder.
If you didn't use a Food Processor, just Grate the bar and mix the ingredients.
You can mix a few drops of essential oil in as well, perhaps orange, lavender or tea tree.
To Use:
1 TBS or 2 TBS for heavily soiled loads
There is also a recipe to make this a liquid detergent. I haven't tried it yet.
When I do, I'll post it.
additional info:
Why I chose Kirk's Soap
No Animal By-Products, Never Tested on Animals, Hypoallergenic, Biodegradable, No Synthetic Detergents
Check back later for a fun Upcycle project!
~Patricia
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3 comments:
Laundry detergent is defiently getting expensive, thanks for the reciepe i will try and gather the ingrediants for this weekend!
Hi Patricia ~
This is my first time reading your blog. We have MANY of the same interests!!! Anyway, I'm wondering about your laundry detergent. I made a very similar batch but added water to it and made a liquid version. It left some strange spots on my clothes that took many washes to get out. Do you have any trouble with spotting with the powder? If not, I think I'll give it another try. I still have the ingredients. Thanks! I'm excited to check out the rest of your blogs!
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer, Sorry for not replying sooner. The kids are really keeping me on my toes this summer.
I have one of those HE front loaders so I did not have much luck with the powder I made. Perhaps I don't know how to use powder properly in my machine?? But I did use it to hand wash some items and it worked fine.
Right now I am finishing up my store bought detergent. I hope to make my own liquid this week. I will post an update when I do.
One thing I do think I will change is the Kirk's Castile Soap I used in the powder. I didn't like the smell of it and I found it to be harsh on skin.
You can contact me through my website http://oneboyonegirlboutique.com
Hey, and where's your blog ;)
I'd love to see what your up to!
Thanks, Patricia
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