Everyone is looking for ways to save money, and an easy way to lower grocery bills is to make laundry detergent. It’s a simple two-step process using inexpensive ingredients, producing a nontoxic cleaning agent that does the hard work on dirty clothes while saving dollars at the store.
Many people have never heard of two of the ingredients: borax and washing soda. Both are available in most Wichita-area markets, such as Target, Walmart, K-Mart, Dillons and Checkers, and are located where the laundry detergent is shelved. Borax is a white powder that dissolves quickly in water and is a typical ingredient in many brand-name detergents. Washing soda (aka sodium carbonate) acts as a water softener and stain remover.
The basic recipe calls for a bar of soap; most recipes suggest using a lightly scented or nonscented soap, such as Fels Naptha, Ivory, Zote or Sunlight. The hardest part of the recipe is grating the soap — use the largest holes on a hand grater to make an easy job of it.
Because Wichita water tends to be hard, homemade laundry detergent recipes sometimes need a boost in order to get the whites their whitest. Try adding a 1/2 cup of baking soda or white vinegar — both inexpensive ingredients — to the wash.
Homemade laundry detergent
(Use 1 tablespoon per load)
- 1 cup borax
- 1 cup washing soda
- 1 bar of soap
- Grate the bar of soap.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well; store in an airtight container.
Happy laundering!
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