Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Works for Me Wednesday: Make Your Own Laundry Detergent--powdered version

I have been making my own laundry soap for nearly three years now.
Here is the recipe I use:

Last fall, I added a powdered version to my laundry repertoire.
Mostly I just wanted to see if I could do it, and I could!

The liquid is cheaper to make, but the powdered is, in my opinion, a stronger detergent.
I got the recipe from MckMama's site.

Here is what I use:
8 cups Borax
8 cups Washing Soda (not baking soda--washing soda is in the laundry aisle.)
1 Goat Milk Soap bar, scent of your choosing
(my personal favorites for this purpose are Rosemary Spearmint, Red Clover Tea, or Ocean

Grate the bars of soap and mix with the borax and washing soda.
I use 2 Tbls in my front loading washer.

What I love the most about making my own detergent, whether liquid or powder, is that
1) I know exactly what is in it
2) It's cheaper and works just as well
3) I feel resourceful and independent!

I stopped using the fels-naptha bar about a year ago because it seemed to just build up on our clothes.
Since switching to goat milk soap, I've been so much happier.

Let me know what you think!


5 comments:

  1. I'm still working my way through your liquid recipe, which I love. I really want to try a powdered version too. This will have to go on my list of things to do.

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  2. That sounds incredibly easy! We have been using the powdered laundry soap from Goat Milk Stuff, but I just read in their newsletter that they are having a hard time keeping up with demand and will raise the price on that while reducing the price of their laundry soap bar. I am thinking that once we run low on what we have now, I might have to give this a try! :) About how much does this recipe make?

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  3. Ok, I was wrong. Goat Milk Stuff is raising the price on their ready-to-use laundry soap, but offering a reduced price on what is basically a laundry soap kit- everything ready to used except you have to grate the laundry soap bar yourself. So, it looks like the choices are to pay more for ready-to-use soap, or grate my own. And if I have to grate my own, it would be cheaper and the same amount of work to just use your recipe. :)

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  4. Lisa, I read that, too. I have not used their ready-made powdered detergent because I didn't want to pay all that shipping! :) When I saw this particular recipe, I knew I wanted to give it a try. When I grate my bars, I usually freeze them to make them firmer to grate. It has worked well for me that way. When I make the powdered version, I store it in a big Rubbermaid cereal container. I don't know quite how to describe it to you, but with the borax and washing soda being 8 cups each and then the two bars of soap...you'd have at least 16 cups and then the soap besides. It lasts me a long time and I do A LOT of laundry! The liquid makes more detergent, though. I just think of them as different "tools" in my bag o' tricks! :)

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  5. I am definitely thinking that we will have to give that a try! I am actually excited to use up what we have and get this going. :) I have been really pleased with how well their ready-made detergent works, and I would imagine that this would work just as well since it contains the same ingredients. (Plus, we get to choose whatever scent we want to use, which is really cool!) I did read your other post about making the liquid detergent, but this just seems like a lot less work. :) Thanks so much for the info! :)

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