Laundry Detergent on a Dime

Actually, cheaper than a dime!  More like 6 cents a load!

If you guys have never heard of Itty Bitty Farm in the City, you should check it out.  It is one of the most interesting blogs out there.  Generally it is about a small family with a couple of pygmy goats, chickens, and a garden in San Francisco trying to make is work on about 1000 square feet. The writer, Heidi Kooy, is so open and honest and you really feel like you are part of her farm when you read it.  One day I would love to go visit, maybe she can pass along some tips about working full time, raising a family, and keep a farm up and running.  She really is Super Woman.

Well, recently she posted her sister-in-law's recipe for home-made laundry detergent and I was inspired.  I had already made my own batch of bar soap, so what could be scarier than that?  You are only dealing with one of the most caustic materials on the planet... no biggie.  I laugh in the face of danger.. ha ha ha!  But laundry detergent is different, no lye involved and it is super easy.

Why would I want to make my own laundry detergent?  Well let's just say it costs Kevin and I quite a bit to keep Blue Antler running.  For example, this past Saturday the hubby and I walked into Pete's hardware store to buy one small gasoline tank...

Me:     Oh Kevin, I forgot, I need some flytraps

Kevin: I need another sprinkler head

Me:     Oh gardening gloves....

Kevin: I need a hand saw

$90 dollars later..... OUCH!

 But I digress...

So the recipe for the liquid laundry detergent can by found here: Itty Bitty Farm in the City.

The materials are not super hard to find. You need a bar of soap (I used the bar I made at home, but you can use any ol' bar of soap, borax (laundry aisle at the supermarket), water, and washing soda.  Washing soda is probably the hardest to find.  But here is a tip: Call this phone number 1-800-524-1328 and have the UPC code 33200-03020 ready. The sweet lady on the other line will ask for your zip code and then she will tell you the closest place it had last sold recently.  Score!  For me it was about a mile down from my office at Raley's.  

You will also need a 5-gallon bucket, a pot that you don't care about (I used my soap making pot), a cheese grater, and a broom handle.

So I started out by grating my bar of soap

 
Then I melted the soap in some water very slowly for about 15 minutes till it was hot and melted, but not boiling.

Added the borax and washing soda and let it get nice and thick.

Then dumped those contents into my 5-gallon bucket filled with warm water.  Let it stand overnight.

And now I have low-sud (perfect for HE washers) laundry detergent.  What I love about this, is that it does a great job washing my clothes, it doesn't have artificial colors, dyes, or fragrances (partly because there were none in my soap).   And did I mention it is cheap cheap cheap?

That's it!  This whole process was done and over with in about 15-20 minutes and it should last about 4-6 months!  I use about 1/2 cup for each load of laundry.  If it is an especially dirty load, I add more.  Now, that you all are inspired by how easy this was, go out and try it! 

Thank you Heidi and your Sister-in Law!