Until nontoxic, biodegradable, single-use,
disposable socks become a reality, everyone has to
do the laundry. And for many this is a pain. Besides
the obvious time sink, laundry can be fairly
resource intensive.
However, with this simple DIY project, you can
dramatically cut down the cost of cleaning your
clothes by making your own laundry detergent.
Even though it may sound daunting, making your
own laundry detergent is a worthwhile endeavor for
several reasons. Commercial laundry soap is very
expensive– gallon for gallon, it costs more than
twice as much as gasoline– and making it yourself
can save you a lot of money. It is also possible to
make laundry detergent that is much more
environmentally friendly than most commercial
brands are. All it takes is a little time and a few
ingredients.
The key ingredients in homemade laundry detergent
are available at any department store and include
water, bar soap, borax, and washing soda. Washing
soda is very similar to baking soda, but has been
processed differently so that it has an extremely
basic pH so it doesn’t emit fumes, but it can burn
your skin and take the wax off your floors, so wear
gloves and handle it carefully. However, once it is
incorporated into your laundry soap, it is diluted and
considerably neutralized, so it is no longer
dangerous to handle and won’t harm your clothes.
Borax is a naturally-occurring laundry booster that
has been used to help remove stains and odors
from fabrics for more than 4,000 years. It works by
converting some of the chemicals around it into
hydrogen peroxide, which helps your laundry
detergent clean in the same way that oxygen-based
cleaners like OxyClean do.
To make your own environmentally friendly laundry
detergent, follow these steps:
1. Decide if you prefer liquid or powder detergent.
Liquid detergent is easy to customize; you can
include essential oils to give it the scent you love
most. Powder detergent is easier to make, as it
doesn’t involve using the stove, and easier to store,
as you can put it in any box and don’t need a leak-
proof jug or bucket.
2. Assemble your supplies and ingredients and start
soaping!
To make powdered laundry detergent, you will need
the following:
-2 cups of finely grated bar soap (Any brand will do,
but avoid strong scents.)
-1 cup of washing soda
-1 cup of borax
To grate the soap, a food processor works well, or
if you are feeling strong, try a cheese grater and
some elbow grease. Mix all the ingredients well and
store in a box or other container. If the container is
air-tight, your soap will last longer. Use about two
tablespoons per load.
To make liquid laundry detergent, you will need
these ingredients:
-2 cups of bar soap
-2 cups of washing soda
-2 cups of borax
Boil one quart of water and add the bar soap,
mixing until it has completely melted. Then pour the
soapy water into a large bucket or jug and add the
borax and washing soda, mixing until it is all
dissolved. Add 2 gallons of water and mix
thoroughly. Once the mixture has cooled, you can
add a few drops of the essential oil of your choice
for scented detergent. This soap does tend to gel
when it cools, so be prepared to mix or shake it
before you use it. Use about 1/4 cup per load.
It couldn’t be easier to save money and the
environment by making your own laundry soap. The
ingredients are common and the steps are simple,
so get washing!