Frugal Friday...Super Cheap Laundry Soap

I've been sitting on this post for about 2 months now. I originally got the idea from De'Etta's blog a few months ago. But, I wanted to give this a try before I started recommending this to everyone.

I'm a believer now, and I whole-heartedly recommend that you do this!

Recipe:

1 Cup Borax

1 Cup Washing Soda

1 Cup grated Ivory soap

1 Cup Baking Soda (optional)

Now, don't just go and make the 3 or 4 cups. These are just proportions. Make a bunch since you've got everything out already:)

Mix equal amounts of the ingredients above and whirl them in a blender or large cuisenart. If you don't have one of those appliances (like me), use a pastry cutter to "cut" in the Ivory soap and mix well.

Use 1-3 TB in each washload, depending on how soiled they are.

Really. 1-3 TB, that's it. I know it's tempting to get out your measuring CUPS and not your spoons....just trust me.

You will end up with clean-smelling, not perfume-smelling laundry, that doesn't even NEED a fabric softener. I still use the 'ol sheets in the dryer, but you don't HAVE to. We have really hard water in the SW, so it's just habit to use them.

Don't be alarmed when you don't see any sudzing-action going on. Suds don't clean your clothes.

Repeat after me, "Suds don't clean my clothes..."

Thank you. Now, don't you feel better?

This is also virtually allergy free so it is perfect for sensitive skin too!

Cost Breakdown:

Borax (aprox. $3.29 at Walmart)

Washing Soda (aprox. $3.79 at the grocery store)

Ivory soap (3 bars for $1 at the Dollar Store, buy 6 bars)

The cost should be around $.02-$.03 per load, depending on how much the supplies cost in your area, and how much you use per load. Store-bought detergent can cost anywhere from $.12 a load for a lower-end brand like Fab to almost $.23 a load for a high-end brand like Tide X2.

Talk about major savings!

Fels Naptha or Zote soapbars are also commonly used and can be found in the laundry-care aisle at the store. I'm also seeing online that people use almost any kind of bar soap. I'd caution against using one with moisturizers in it like a Caress bar. I make soap from "scratch" and those "moisturizers" are really unsapponified oils. You don't want to be putting oils on your clothes!

Try it and let me know what you think!
Blessings!

P.s. For those of you with HE washing machines, this should be safe for you to use. This detergent is non-sudzing so you shouldn't end up with a laundry room full of suds:)