- Cost: I'm pretty sure that the environmentally-friendly stuff costs more, although I've never bothered to check prices. It will definitely be less expensive than either option, nonetheless.
- Fragrance: I can't handle the perfume-y smells of the conventional detergents. Thankfully, the enviro-stuff we've been using is fragrance-free.
- Going green: I'm on the track and have been for quite some time [since I fledged, but not always knowing my options]. It can be a sometimes-slow changeover, as it takes time to gather the information, resources, and finally taking the plunge, which can be intimidating in some circumstances.
Here's what I've got to say about it: I made it this evening and seriously I cannot believe how easy it was! Oh my goodness, it was almost too easy. I simply grated 4 bars of soap and mixed the ingredients together. I was surprised how easily the soap grated; maybe some are quicker to grate than others. I used Ivory. The whole process probably took 10-15 minutes, including finding the storage containers. Total cake.
I got the recipe from Frugal Upstate, a blog I found when I googled "cloth napkins" [another project I want to tackle soon]. I believe she got her recipe from this site.
Homemade Laundry Detergent -- Recipe:
- 1 cup grated soap
- 1/2 cup borax
- 1/2 cup washing soda (different from baking soda)
Amounts:
- 1 Tablespoon for regular loads
- 2 Tablespoons for heavily soiled loads
Like I said, I used Ivory, but Fels Naptha or Zote (laundry soaps) are used in most of the recipes I found online. Both can be found in the laundry aisle, I believe. I found washing soda in the laundry aisle as well. [I remember now...part of the reason why I hadn't made my own detergent is that I had never been able to find washing soda...but I finally found it at a grocery store in Large Town, SD.]
As I just made the detergent, I haven't used it yet; but I'll be sure to post on my impressions of it. The true test will be Squeeze: he is very particular about his laundry detergents. I feel very optimistic about the whole deal, as so many others make their own laundry soaps and have had good results.
3 comments:
I'm going to have to try this! Yeah, I'm almost out of detergent and hate for fork out $20.00 at Costco for the big detergent container! So where do you get the washing soda? I've never hear of it, is that the stuff you get at costco in a big bag? It says baking soda on it and it says you can use it for washing, which I do.
Oh, I'm excited to see your new detergent works. I have been buying the "natural" stuff, and yes, it is quite a bit more expensive.
Jenni: I just added a link to a site about washing soda on the original post. Washing soda (sodium carbonate) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) are different -- washing soda is more alkaline. I believe it is almost (if not) caustic. It is recommended that the you wear gloves while handling it.
Jennifer: I figured it was more expensive. Funny that I've never bothered a price check, but I just didn't care. What I was getting was more important than what I was paying for it, you know?
All in all, I'm very pleased with the whole thing. 1 tablespoon per load is excellent, excellent. Not to mention the fresh clean results!
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