Saving Dimes

I hate spending money on cleaning necessities.  Remember my homemade anti-bacterial wipes? I still use them and love them.  Although, on a side note, I would suggest throwing them all in the laundry every once in a while and starting over - if you aren't going through them very them often.  They can start to smell funny after a while in an airtight container.

I know people make their own laundry soap, so a quick "Google" search landed me with countless recipes. They were all basically the same, but I chose a "dry" recipe.  Super easy!

Laundry Detergent:
2 c. finely grated Fels Naptha (or Ivory) soap
1 c. washing (or baking) soda
1 c. Borax

Use 2T. per load.

The Moolah Details:
Borax  - $2.98
Baking soda - $0.48
Ivory (3 bars for $1.07) - $0.36/per bar

Grating the soap was kind of fun... and smelled oh-so fresh.

I already had a container at home, so I didn't have to purchase anything to store it in.  Although a Ziploc bag would work just fine.

So here's the fun part...

Store-bought laundry detergent: $4.98 for 32 loads = $0.16/load
*I have tried the cheaper detergents, and find that the soap just doesn't wash out a lot of times. My clothes go to the dryer with little white specks on them. Not cool.

Homemade laundry detergent (I made 1 1/2 times the recipe):
I used less than 1/4 of the Borax box, but 1/4 is - $0.75
1- 16oz. box baking soda (used most of it) - $0.48
2 bars Ivory soap (one bar = about 1 1/2 c. grated) - $0.72   - Total: $1.95

1 1/2 times the recipe made approximately 4 c. detergent...
4c. laundry soap = 64 T. = 32 loads = $.06 per load




Next on the agenda is homemade dishwasher detergent.
Let me know if you try it!  I'll be making it as soon as my store-bought is gone.

Dishwasher Detergent:
1 c. washing (or baking) soda
1 c. Borax

Use 2T. per load and vinegar for rinse agent if desired.