Home laundry detergent £1.50 for 10 gallons

[Benny&Co]

Ah righty-ho Lilia, those two products you mention seem to feature in all the US recipes.

I used:

500mg Borax
500mg Soda Crystals
2 tablespoons Soap Flakes
Optional - 2 tablespoons oxygen bleach

But I keep adding extra soap flakes because it doesn't seem to be working

[Lillia]

Ah righty-ho Lilia, those two products you mention seem to feature in all the US recipes.

I used:

500mg Borax
500mg Soda Crystals
2 tablespoons Soap Flakes
Optional - 2 tablespoons oxygen bleach

But I keep adding extra soap flakes because it doesn't seem to be working

Yes, you are right about the US recipes...I have to find my old recipe but yes, I feel only 2 tablespoons of soap flakes seems like too little. And are soda crystals the same as Bicarbonate of soda? I think I will add an entire bar of shredded soap. I really want to see if I can get some Arm and Hammer washing soda too (different than baking soda). Thanks~

I don't know if this was mentioned but it's better for front loaders to add the detergent directly in the tub with the clothes; putting it in the dispenser will clog the hose inside, over time. Just a suggestion~ :)

[Benny&Co]

Ah righty ho, thanks for that Lilia as I was putting the powder into the drawer

I've done two bits of washing today, we'll see.....

[manda]

6 cups HOT water
3 cups white vinegar
2 cups Suave Refreshing Waterfall Conditioner {or other favorite scent}

Mix conditioner & hot water well, until conditioner is dissolved completely.
Add the vinegar, and mix well.
Store in a large container {empty fabric softener container, empty large vinegar bottle, etc}
2 tbsp. in the fabric softener spot.

I don't know if you can get the conditioner in the supermarkets there but it's here
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Suave-Naturals- ... B000WIHR92

To be honest I don't know how much it costs to make fabric conditioner over there if you do this....for me I buy fabric conditioner but then I decant a 1/4 of it into another bottle and dilute that back up to a full bottle so I get 4 bottles for the price of one...I still find the clothes are soft (well they are soft enough for me anyway)...if you find them still not soft enough then dilute more conditioner....it's still saving you money.

[Hellebore]

Found myself with some time on my hands a couple of weeks ago so had a go at making this. I grated three quarters of a bar of Sunlight together with a quarter of a bar of green Fairy soap and boiled at all together with a cup of washing soda and 2 litres of cold water until the soap disolved. It didn't take too long as I grated the soap very finely. Didn't have any borax so couln't use that. I then diluted it with a forther 3 litres of water. The following morning it had set like jelly but turned into 'gloop' when stirred.
So far it has been very good on lightly stained coloured laundry, it removed mascara from towels, mud from jeans and chocolate from my dressing gown (don't know how that got there someone must have borrowed it ) The washing smelled lovely too. Don't know how it would cope with tomato based or other such hard to remove stains.
Must admit it's not brilliant on whites as it lacks the stuff the commercial powder has make laundry really white, and I am a bit of a snob about my whites looking sparkling.
I am happy to continue using it for my coloured washing as it is so much cheaper, I hate being ripped off by the likes of Mr P & G just to keep clean.
I had good results with soapnuts too, but got fed up with bags opening and having to retrieve them from the washing.
I have also used white vinegar as a fabric conditioner, washing was lovely and soft and didn't smell at all vinegary however when I came to working it out it was actually dearer than fabric conditioner. Worth a try if you have allergies though

[Hellebore]

Forgot to mention I added a teaspoon of lemon fragrance oil

[hetty]

Someone said that they were having difficulty finding Borax. That is because you can no longer buy it in the UK but can get something called borax substitute.

I haven't made my own laundry powder for a while but plant to get back to this this year. When I was making it I added some ecover laundry bleach as well when doing a white wash.

I don't miss the smell of commercial washing powders as that is what I don't like and why I am going back to making my own. I might keep a small packet of bio washing powder for soaking some stained things before washing though. I like to hang out my washing as often as the weather allows. I am based at home a lot of the time so I am able to keep an eye on the weather more. Nothing beats the smell of washing dried in the fresh air.

[manda]

Nothing beats the smell of washing dried in the fresh air.

I agree Hetty..we don't use the tumble drier ...it's either washing line or by the fire.

[Benny&Co]

Oh yes I love washing dried outside too, can't beat it can you

[HedgeHugger]

I still haven't tried making my own, but that is because I was having problems finding borax without spending loads of money having it delivered :)
I did find this recipe though, no borax and as a bonus it's a UK one :)
http://frugaldom.blogspot.com/2011/01/s ... undry.html
I have all those ingredients (apart from the essential oil) so can give it a go tomorrow.

Does boiling the soap 'flavour' the pan? not sure if I have an old one knocking about.

[LittleBrownFrog]

I've never had a problem with soap flavouring a pan - I just give it a good clean out afterwards, and a soak with bicarb and water if I think there's any remaining soapiness, never had complaints soapy bolognaise, so it must be OK!

[HedgeHugger]

You were quick
Thank you, shall give it a go then :)

[LittleBrownFrog]

You were quick

I'm home alone tonight, so listening to some music, crocheting, and hitting f5 now and again to see what's happening on here.

[HedgeHugger]

I have now made and am using my homemade laundry stuff.
It is very thick and gloopy and is known as 'laundry-cow-snot' :)
It works, doesn't have a smell as I didn't use any essential oils or perfumed soap.
Best of all it cost less than 50p for about 8 litres worth of mix (I think if I had added more water, it would be thinner, but then I would need to use twice as much) I just use the dose cap from whatever laundry liquid I had already. One scoop seems to be enough.

The mix I used was just a bar of soap and a quarter bag of soda crystals (+ water)

[wolfpelt]

Hey guys
I've been making this laundry detergent for about a year now.
FOr thoseof you that have problems finding borax:

BORAX 1kg - Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate - Lab Grade trye bay about £2.50 for half a kilo lasts a year

It's not really an exact science and does make the clothes clean and more to the point doesn't make me itch
I use
1 cup=(standard ikea tea cup)

1 cup borax (cost £2.50 500gm e bay)
1cup washing soda(cost .90p from .500gm txxxxsco)
2 bars of your fav soap( cost 2 for £1 pound land)

Grate the soap and put it in a large pan with about 2 litres water bring to boil to dissolve it takes about 15 mins
In an old swing bin I place the cup of washing crystals and cup of borax.
Add 3 gallons of tap hot water.
When the soap has dissolved add this to the mixture in the swing bin and stir As it cools it becomes gloppy.
Leave over night
Stir next day as it will have turned into the consistency of gorilla snot.

I use old 2 ltr milk cartons to decant into.
I use a used yogurt pot to measure amount into the front loading part of the machine. As the puppies chewed the golf ball measure that comes with shop bought detergent

The borax acts as a bleaching agent so if you wear lots of black or dark colours omit the borax.

If you use perfumed soap this will add smell
Essential oils add smell too
If you don't want smell don't add perfume
the borax and washing soda crystals have no smell


You have to shake the bottle before you use it as it separates out( hence the 2 ltr empty milk cartons work well)
I love it and swap it for veg from my friends
It's easy to make it you have the room to store it.
Stephen