Where I live there have
been certain items this past year that have been harder to get than other
things and if I do find it on the shelf it is at a much higher price than I've
ever paid before. Laundry detergent is
becoming one of those things that isn't fully stocked at the stores and the
prices have soared. Last year and the
year before I had stocked up on jugs of liquid laundry detergent I found on
sale or at Dollar Tree for 99¢, $1.49 or $1 each. Sometimes I even had coupons which shaved 50¢
or $1 OFF the sales prices so I was able to stock up for pennies, which
was fantastic. But, once the pandemic
hit all of those great sales, coupon offers and better prices went right out
the window. A combination of panic shopping
and supply chain issues had played a huge part I'm sure, but regardless of the
reasons things have dramatically changed.
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| 1 grated (Zote) laundry bar, 3 cups soda, 3 cups borax, 3 cups powdered laundry detergent or Oxyclean, 1 cup scent beads (optional) |
In the past I've tried
making my own homemade laundry detergent using soap shavings, washing soda and
borax powder. Initially it seems to work
well, but over time I became less and less impressed with its cleaning
power. My laundry began to look dingy,
feel different and developed an odor, especially with our towels. So I ditched the homemade stuff and went back
to using commercial liquid detergent.
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| Looks like laundry soap |
Prior to trying the homemade detergent I was using Kirkland brand powdered detergent from Costco, almost exclusively. In an effort to be
thrifty I decided to go ahead and try purchasing only detergents I found on sale
and had coupons for. That worked for quite a long a while. Over time I amassed quite a collection of
various brands of liquid laundry detergent.
My laundry was bright, clean and it smelled great. I've looked back and really put some thought
into what I've been doing as far as laundry isconcerned and realized, now
that I'm no longer brand loyal in anyway, I've been consistently rotating the types
of detergent I've been using for several years.
I believe is this what has allowed us to keep our laundry really clean
and fresh. Changing detergents on a
regular basis keeps the build up on our clothes and linens at bay. Plus, I don't notice any funky odor or build
up in my front loading washing machine anymore either.
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| I like to use white distilled vinegar in place of fabric softener, especially when laundering towels, to help keep things fresh |
With this in mind I
decided to explore homemade laundry detergent once again and I researched some
of the recipes others have been using too until I came up with a recipe of my
own to try. I made a new batch and it
filled up my one gallon Mason jar perfectly.
My plan is to alternate using the new homemade detergent along with some
commercial detergents to see if I can successfully keep my laundry clean and
the costs low. I've been using this new
detergent for about a month and so far it seems to be working pretty well. As soon as I suspect it is losing its
cleaning power I'll run a few loads with commercial detergent and then switch
back.
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| Keeping this space clean, tidy, warm and inviting makes doing our laundry much less of a chore |
This is all really
experimental at this point, but I think it is really important for me to
consider alternative options at this time.
As part of my prepping as well as for daily use I want to expand our
laundry supplies in an efficient and affordable way with items that are easily
obtainable. As things evolve I will keep
you posted and let you know how it goes.
Do any of you use homemade laundry detergent? If so, how has it worked out for you?
I have not made my own. I use ECOS and get the huge bottle at Costco. It was time for a new one recently and it was just $12.99. The bottle will do 225 loads. At pennies per load, it's not worth my time to make my own. I don't use or need fabric softener as we get very little static with it. I hang dry sheets, tshirts, sweatshirts and items that call for it so our use of the dryer is limited as well. (We have a double line hung 10inches from the ceiling in the guest room.)
ReplyDeleteWow, that's quite the system. :)
DeleteI agree with your experience that over time, handmade detergent seemed less and less effective so I also went back to commercial detergent. I think your experiment is a good idea, and I will await your feedback. I still have extra ingredients to make my own again ;)
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of the homemade detergent so I'm pretty hopeful about this.
DeleteI got no further than unwrapping the laundry soaps and could not breathe. I did figure that I am spending less on liquid ALL on sale. Of course, I am using plastic bottles, but I cannot spend money on being ill and think I am being thrifty or earth-earth friendly. But, if other people want to make detergent and can stand the smells of the grated soaps, it is fine with me.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you had a bad experience.
DeleteThe only thing that has consistently improved my laundry is getting rid of HE machines (I've had 3!) and returning to an old fashioned agitator washer. It uses less water because I don't have to constantly re-wash things. Maytag commercial -- I wish I had bought it 7 years ago when the HE machine nightmare started.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to you!!
Honestly, when I need to replace my HE washer I'll be getting a top loader with no agitator. I much prefer those. The front loaders are a lot more work to keep clean and they easily get stinky if you don't stay on top of it.
DeleteI have been making my own laundry detergent for several years. I have any change in cleaning power or any odor with it. I use Ivory soap instead of a laundry soap because the main thing is using a pure soap. Also, I noticed that you had used baking soda the first time around. Washing soda should really be used instead as the two are not the same. One of your problems the first time may be your water. Hope this time you are more successful.
ReplyDeleteI actually used washing soda the first time around and I have no doubt our water is suspect. Right now I am experimenting with what I have readily available. We'll see how it works. ;)
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