Home laundry detergent £1.50 for 10 gallons

[Don Roberto]

Hey you frugal laners, I just came across a site on YouTube, it's called The Urban Farm Guys, and they show you how to make your own washing detergent. It costs about £1.50 for 10 gallons, that's enough for about 8 months of laundry for a family of 5. They use readily available ingredients from any supermarket, they are a couple of bars of household soap, some borax powder, and some washing soda, mixed together with hot water. Don't know how good it is, but the Americans on the site rave about it. Have a look at the site and maybe a couple of you could get together and give it a try, who knows it may be brilliant. Cheers me dears........

[Stef]

I might just do that. I'm sick and tired of the prices of nasty, hideously strong smelling tablets/capsules/powder.

I just want something that cleans. Mind you I'd be tempted to add my own fragrances.

I'm off to have a look!

[p.penn]

The video is HERE

[Don Roberto]

Hi Stef, the website for this video has a forum attached, and they say that you can add a fragrance by using about 10 to 15 drops of essential oils. Cheers me dears......
.

[Stef]

Thanks

I think I may have most of the ingredients in the house/shed.... no, the borax bucket is empty!

I shall order up some more in the NY and see how it works!

[Stef]

I found a site that gives instructions for a powder version (amongst others) http://www.easy-aromatherapy-recipes.com/homemade-laundry-detergent.html

So I have put an order in to Amazon, though I'll look at one of the brewing sites before I place the order.

It looks dead easy to make and use and sooooooooooooooo cheap!

[HedgeHugger]

That certainly does look soooooo interesting.
I will have to try half or quarter the ingredients though as there's only 2 of us these days :)

[Benny&Co]

There was a lady talking about this too on our local radio the other day.

It sounds very interesting as I love my washing, but at £4.50 for a tub of my usual it's getting a bit beyond a joke!!

[poncharetta]

Have used Borax in laundry for ages!! Fabulous stuff, Borax and Bicarb can achieve a multitude of things!
For an anti-creepy crawlies and freshening carpet sprinkle, try this . . .
Mix one cup of bicarb with one cup of borax. Add 20 drops of essential oils (10 lemon and 10 peppermint is ice as is 10 peppermint + 10 thyme or 10 thyme + 10 lemon). Press the oils in to the mixture thoroughly with the back of a spoon for a few minutes and mix again, thoroughly.
Put mix into a jam jar with holes punched into the lid. Sprinkle on to carpets, leave for 20 mins then vacuum, lovely!
Borax has also helped clear a fungal / bacterial infection in my horses hooves

[Benny&Co]

I'm really quite interested in this so was looking at various websites.

Managed to get hold of some washing soda crystals and the soap in Sasda's today and I'm going to order some borax from Amazon.

Does anyone know any UK sites that have recipes - I'm finding a lot of the American ones are making up huge quantities. I don't really want to do that in case I don't like it or it doesn't work

[Benny&Co]

I'm chuffed, have just ordered some soap flakes, bicarb and borax all from Amazon and it was free because I won a £20 gift voucher to spend with them.

Still trying to find a UK recipe though - also finding a lot of the american ones are using soap brands I've never heard of.

[poncharetta]

Benny&co I had a book once called 'The Green Clean', I'm sure I got my borax recipes from there. There's also a few sites that have recipes too. Maybe try searching tinternet for different phrases (borax around the home) (101 ways with borax)?? and ask for UK pages only?
Also mixed 50 / 50 with bicarb it makes a great shoe freshener!! Leave it in overnight, empty out and vacuum in the morning, like a daisy.

[manda]

You make it up with equal parts of borax, soap and washing soda and so if you want just mix a cup or even half a cup of each and see whether you like using it Bev.

Google it and add UK in your search and I'm sure there will be sites will come up.

Dont know if anyone else does this but when you want to break up the soap bar rather than grating it you can stick it in the microwave for a couple of minutes ..the bar starts to swell and the air bubbles in between the soap particles expand ..let it cool down and then rub it in between your hands to make the powder. You can then do a third quarter of a bar if you want so the rest is intact.

This one makes a powder and so you don't have bottles or liquid standing around everywhere....just a thought.

[Steve the Gas]

Even I could do that,

Don't know when though.

[Benny&Co]

Awww cheers for that guys

I've been goggling all permeatations trying to find UK sites but to no avail.

Not to worry though, sure I'll get there. Good tip about microwaving the soap Manda, cheers

Will have a little play when all my goodies arrive

Just told Hubbly what I'm planning to do....