For Too Long Have We Been Under the Rule of the Detergent Industry – Image courtesy of U.S. Library of Congress
Since the beginning of civilization, mankind has been using some sort of washing solution to clean self and/or clothing, but it wasn’t until very recently (1946) when the first surfactant/builder detergent took off, according to the Cleaning Institute website. They tell us, “The surfactant is a detergent product’s basic cleaning ingredient, while the builder helps the surfactant to work more efficiently.” Before this breakthrough, the soap and detergent industry had been building up to the monumental discovery which now affects our everyday lives (and budgets), and which we now lovingly refer to as ‘laundry soap.’ Today, detergents of all sorts compete on the market, and we Americans are forced to pick and choose which of these pricey products to purchase, as our income grows smaller and our budgets grow tighter. Well, America, there is an old-fashioned solution. Are you prepared for a little DIY?
Homemade Laundry Soap: You Can Do It Yourself
Yes, you can make your own laundry soap. All you need are a few ingredients, all of which are available at your nearby supermarket or grocery store, and about 10 minutes of your time.
Such Cheap Simple Ingredients, it Almost Seems Impossible! – Image by K.S.
Here’s a list of the ingredients:
- One ½ cup of Borax (I prefer 20-Mule-Team brand of Borax, but pick whichever brand you want, or buy different brands and compare – however you want to do it; all borax is really the same.)
-One ½ cup of SUN Oxygen Cleaner (or any other OxiClean knockoff)
-One ½ cup of Arm & Hammer All Natural Super Washing Soda
-One bar of grated Ivory hand soap (One bar makes about one cup when grated)
Powdered Laundry Soap: Combine Ingredients First
It’s Ricotta! It’s Ice Cream! No, It’s… Laundry Detergent? – Image by Kate Singer
Combine all of the ingredients above in a plastic container with a lid, and mix thoroughly. (I use a recycled yogurt container) Once you’ve mixed everything together, you’ll end up with 2 1/2 cups of powdered laundry detergent.
Keep Reading to learn how much homemade laundry soap to use!
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Not quite as home made as I thought it would be, since soap is a requirement to make it.
Great how-to on making your own laundry soap out of easy-to-find products! Thanks for the ‘no-slime’ tip, I would be the first to admit I always use too much soap – and if my family got slimy laundry, I’d never hear the end of it! Have you calculated the actual money savings in this recipe? (How much money will you save per load of laundry or per month or whatever if you use this stuff rather than the regular off-the-shelf detergent)