How To Save Money By Making Your Own Laundry Detergent

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Brew laundry detergent that cleans your clothes for just three cents a load -- a fraction of what it costs with store-bought detergent.
Added January 2, 2009

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Step 1.
Heat four cups of water

Heat four cups of water in a large pot on the stove.
Step 2.
Shave some soap

Start shaving a regular-sized bar of bath soap, and begin adding the shavings as the water gets to just below a boil. Maintaining the water at that level, keep adding soap shavings and stirring until the entire bar is dissolved.
Step 3.
Boil more water

Boil three gallons of water, put them into a five-gallon bucket, and add the soapy water. Stir for a few minutes, and then add a cup of washing soda. Stir for a few more minutes; then add a half a cup of Borax. Stir a while longer; then let the mixture sit overnight. Use one cup per laundry load.
If you can’t find washing soda, buy sodium carbonate from a pool supply store; it’s the same thing.
Step 4.
Make dry detergent

If you’d prefer dry detergent, mix four cups of soap flakes with two cups of washing soda and two cups of Borax. Store it in a covered glass jar.
Step 5.
Save on fabric softener

And while you’re at it, save on fabric softener by adding a half a cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle.
The average American family does 400 loads of laundry each year.