Budget Friendly Laundry Soap

Everywhere you look you can find a recipe for laundry detergent. Whether you prefer powder or liquid the internet is packed with solutions. The problem I ran into was everyone called for Arm & Hammer Washing Soap. Which in my rural town did not exist. So I came up with my own concoction using Zote, Fels Naptha or really any bar of bath soap you like. I have been using this recipe for about 6 months now and have not found it to be harsh at all. No one in the family has had any reactions and the 9 year old’s socks are actually staying white!


Now I will tell you that I have made old fashioned lye soap in the past and there is one rule that I feel very strong about. What ever items you use for making your laundry soap, softeners, or any other type of bath or beauty product should not be used again for food preparation. There are times that it is just a good idea to be cautious.



That being said lets get to the basic recipe.

• 1 cup grated Zote Soap (about ½ of the bar- see process below
• 2/3 cup Borax
• 1/3 cup Baking Soda

Use 2-4 tablespoons per load depending on size.



You will want to tweak this for your personal use. Hard water and mostly white/light laundry you might require a little more Borax. Colored but stinky clothes (you know those boy clothes) use less Borax and more Baking Soda.

Easy way to grate soap

Use a cheese grater and shred the soap on the largest side making long strips of soap. Then set aside for a couple of days to dry out. Zote soap is similar to bath soap and is very soft. After about 2 days the strips will break easily. Put the grated soap in a Ziploc bag and squeeze repeatedly until you have coarse crumbled soap. This is the point I take my measurement to mix. If you are in a real hurry you can put the shredded soap on a cookie sheet and put it in a warm oven, not hot, you don’t want to melt it just dry it out. I even put it in the car on a hot day to dry it quickly.


Cost:

• Zote .98 cents
• Borax $4.38
• Baking Soda .58 cents

Happiness

Vinegar in the Laundry

There are about a million recipes on the internet for using vinegar instead of fabric softener in the rinse cycle of the wash. After about 20 loads of laundry this weekend and as many different concoctions I realize something important. It is all about your personal preference.

I started with:

• Adding ½ cup of distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle

The clothes came out of the dryer soft and with no vinegar smell. But they also did not have that “April Fresh” scent that I enjoy.


A popular version on Pintrest is

• 2 parts vinegar
• 1 part water
• 1 part cheap hair conditioner

Again, the clothes came out soft and no static cling but I just didn’t like the idea of hair conditioner on my clothes. Especially my work clothes.

　

Another popular version is:

• 2 parts vinegar
• 1 part water
• 10-20 drops of essential oil

Although this one sounds good, I only had Tea Tree Oil on hand. If you aren’t familiar with Tea Tree Oil, I will tell you it is one of the best essential oils to have on hand for all kinds of medicinal purposes. Unfortunately, it does not have the best smell and it is one of those smells that will linger for a long time. Not my first choice in an overall laundry smell.


But the best combo for me was definitely this one.

• 2 parts vinegar
• 1 part water
• 1 cap full of my favorite concentrated fabric softener

It works great and still has a hint of that familiar scent I love. And since Vinegar is about $2.50 a gallon there is a big cost savings.

　

So get out there and try a few of your own. As you can see there are no right or wrong combos. Find one that works for you and put the savings towards something more fun than laundry!

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

To me, getting back to basics doesn't mean doing without, it means doing it with less. The first logical step seems to be starting by eliminating unnecessary chemicals. If you have done any type of Google search for natural cleaning products, or been on Pinterest you know that the first most basic ingredient is Vinegar. I has been used for thousands of years and has a number of uses besides cleaning. I've been using Vinegar off and on over the years but now is the time to test out some new recipes. Over the next few days I will share my favorites.

Here we go folks...Day 1 of Southern Sundries. You never know what you might find here. A new recipe, a craft, a home remedy, or just something that made me smile. Follow me on my quest to getting back to basics and celebrating the simpler way of life.