POWDERED LAUNDRY DETERGENT

My goodness, it's been almost a year since I've posted to this blog!!  Nice to know it is still hear waiting :o)

Previously, I posted about making a Liquid Laundry Detergent.  After doing so, and using it, I was not that pleased with the results so I then tried making a Dry Laundry Detergent and have been very pleased with both the ease of making it and the cleaning results.

So, one of the things I've done since being snowed in during our February Blizzard is making another batch. 

Here is the recipe:  Powdered Laundry Detergent

2 cups Fels Naptha soap, finely grated.  

1 Cup washing soda (not baking soda)
1 Cup Borax
Mix well & store in an airtight plastic container.

Use 2 Tablespoons per load.

This amount I have made will last me a good long time and is sooo very much cheaper than purchased laundry detergent.

Let me know if you try it, and if you like it.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I have been reading on different blogs and the internet about making homemade laundry detergent. Back in May I finally worked up the courage to mix up a batch.
I made the detergent and have been using it since May and have been extremely satisfied with it's performance. Our clothes are coming clean just fine. I estimate this recipe cost about $2.00-$3.00 to put together.

There are several ways of making detergent. Some make a dry mix and others a liquid detergent. I decided to go with the liquid.

These are the three ingredients used to make it. I found Zote soap at a smaller grocery store in our area. I could not find it at the big chains. Also found the Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda there also. Remember Washing Soda not Baking Soda.

The Recipe:

1 Bar of Zote Soap (some use Fels-Naptha)

2 Cups of Borax

2 Cups of Arm & Hammer SUPER WASHING SODA

Pot with lid

Clean 5 gallon Bucket

Use a grater and grate the entire bar of soap.


Place the grated soap in a large pot with a lid. Pour in enough warm water to completely cover the soap. Bring heat to medium and completely melt the soap. Stirring as it melts.

In your bucket (I actually used a 4 gallon bucket that my pool chemicals come in. It has a lid)
add the washing soda and the Borax and SLOWLY fill with hot water. Stirring continuously to dissolve. NOTE: Leave enough room in the bucket to add the soap later.

Add the soap and continue to stir until all is well mixed. You may need to come back and stir every hour or so to keep it from separating.
The consistency is like a jello. I keep mine in the bucket I mixed it in, but after a couple of days and the mixture completely cools you can re-package if you'd like.

I have a front loading washer and use about 3/4 cup of the detergent. If you have a top -loader I would put the detergent in and let the water help to dissolve it before adding the clothes.

Using 3/4 - 1 cup of the detergent.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments. It was a messy process to put together, but I'm happy with it and will continue to make this as I run low in the future.

Great money saver.

A Clothesline

Since Spring is beginning to show its sweet head I thought I'd post about the clothesline that we put up last year.

Using a clothesline has many benefits: it not only cuts down on the electricity bill but it gets you out into the fresh air and your clothes smell wonderful!!

When I first told Mickey I wanted a clothes line he wasn't too thrilled at the idea. After a trip to price timbers for poles and cross bars, etc. it was like most things and was getting more expensive by the minute...oh and the cement to set it in, etc.

After we got home I went out in the back yard, came in and said, "Can't you just string me a little line between those two trees." He wasn't too thrilled about the idea. At first he thought he'd have to move his bird house but I pointed out it was just the two of us and I didn't need anything big or fancy.

He went and bought a clothesline wire that is covered with vynal and......as simple as that ......... I had a clothesline. YEAH!!!

Picture from last August when the line was put up.

So look around your yard and see if there isn't some way to run some clothesline wire and enjoy another frugal step in simplifying our lives and cutting our costs.

Another frugal tip...use an ice cream bucket to hold the clothes pens. I seem to find multiple uses for these ice cream buckets. Clipping it to the line you can just move it along as you are hanging up the items. This way I didn't have to keep bending over and deal with my back. It had been about 39 years since I'd hung clothes on a line!!!

This was my first small wash and it dried in 1 1/2 hours. Mickey teased me that it would have taken 30 minutes in the dryer. Right...but I wonder how much electricity I saved?

Anyway, I am still delighted with my little clothesline. Who knows.....I may even start wearing aprons again but I hope I'll NEVER have to give up the washing machine :o)