Sunday, February 27, 2011

Homemade Laundry Soap

Last summer, one of my friends made some homemade laundry soap. She shared the recipe and then I compared the cost of making my own or using store-bought soap. The price difference was unbelievable. I made a big batch of it this summer and it cost less than $10, and that included the container to keep it in. I still have about half of it left. A generic bottle of laundry soap that washes 40 loads is about $4.99. The homemade laundry soap costs less than a penny per load. Here is the recipe that I used:

1 cup 20 mule team Borax
1 cup Arm and Hammer washing soda
2 cups grated bar soap (I used Ivory soap. One bar is about 2 cups grated.)

Once the soap is grated and mixed with the washing soda and borax, I put it in the blender to get it to a fine powder. Store it in an airtight container. You only have to use 2 tablespoons for each load of clothes. You can even use this soap in high efficiency washers.

Giant tub of laundry soap
What are some money-saving ideas that you have tried? 

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