Frugal Finds

Pinterest isn't just a good place to find neat craft ideas, you can also find things to make yourself and save a little bit of money. For instance: your own laundry detergent. 

I actually found two different recipes using mostly the same ingredients. One made a liquid detergent, the other a powder. For me, the powder recipe was easier, less messy, and smelled better. It required a few more ingredients than the liquid one, but it makes more, uses less, and some of the ingredients were optional depending on if you wanted a good smell/fabric softener. 

So just exactly what ingredients do you need? Well.... 

1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax- Found in the detergent aisle

1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda- Found in the detergent aisle

1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean- Found in the detergent aisle. (This is optional but I highly recommend adding it)

2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Zote Soap- Found in the detergent aisle (we chose to do pink for the scent but the white would be just fine. You can also use Fels Naptha)

1 (4 lb) Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda- Found in the cooking aisle (You could also get two 2 lb box, couldn’t find the larger 4lb box when I went)

1-2 (55 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener- Found in the detergent aisle (This is 100% optional. It's for smell and softer clothes/towels.) 

According to the website, the hardest part was grating the bars of soap. I'd have to agree. In fact, I actually got the worst blister I've ever had from doing this. Lucky for you, you can learn from my mistakes- in the detergent aisle of Wal-Mart, where the bars of soap are, there is actually pre-grated soap for just a dollar or so more. I didn't see it, but then again it took me awhile to find the Pink Zote too, but a girl at work said they had it so just look for it. 

So just exactly how do you make this? Well it's simple... 

Just mix everything together. 

I'd recommend a large bucket of some sort to mix everything in and then just go with a layering method. Take a small amount of each ingredient and layer it on top of each other, grabbing a large spoon to mix everything together occasionally. 

This makes a TON of detergent. Especially considering a load only takes a 1/4 of a cup. It's done well with our laundry- no complaints. And we've probably gone about two months on what I've made and still have a good half a bucket left.