Washing Soda $2.99.............Zote Soap 95 cents..........Borax $5.99..................
.........Laundry detergent for 18 months? PRICELESS!
(Please note: You will need another bar of Zote to make enough for 18 months, but only one box each of Borax and Washing Soda.)
Compare this with what most of us pay for store bought detergent! I have a front loader, so I have to buy the low suds HE detergent, which is even more expensive in most cases.
This homemade laundry detergent works beautifully and smells so good! Here's the recipe I use:
1/2 bar Zote soap, grated
2 cups Washing Soda
2 cups Borax
To get my mixture this smooth, I ran it through my trusty blender for a few minutes after mixing everything together. You only need a tablespoon or two of this in any wash.
I use this handy little scoop that came in some coffee.Feel free to add a few drops of your favorite essential oil for different scents. I like lavender and lemongrass. I've also added tea tree oil to towels and sheets as it is a natural antibacterial/antifungal and smells nice to boot! I also think it looks so much more "Martha" on top of the washer than one of those ugly detergent bottles. Don't you think? ;-)
The main reason I'm attempting to tighten up our budget right now is that we are saving money to buy a bit of land. We want to be ready when the right place pops up for sale. Our plan is to find something with a pond, adequate fencing, and perhaps a loafing shed or barn. Aside from moving our horses closer to us (the currently live with family 2 hours away), we will stock the tank with fish and raise some cattle. DH has agreed to raise one steer each year for our own meat. He will be raised as organically as possible. The remaining steers will be raised for profit.
This plan will provide us with a reliable source of beef and fish at a minimum. Also, we'll get more time to ride, which we both really enjoy. This will also be a place where we can possibly raise a few sheep for wool. I've got to get busy practicing my spinning before this will happen, though.
13 comments:
Ooh....land. I'm really torn right now between the benefits of a larger piece of land (I'd love to raise chickens for meat and also a dairy cow or dairy goat(s)), and the benefits of having our little half-acre in the middle of town that's likely to be paid off pretty soon. Decisions, decisions!
I have always wanted to make my own detergent but haven't. I have also read that you can add bluing to the wash so that the whites don't get dingy and stay white.
I started making homemade laundry detergent just after Christmas. I made small batches and experimented with a couple of different recipes. Though I make the liquid detergent since our water doesn't always wash out the powder. It really does work great!
Where did you buy the washing soda and the zote soap? Can you find it in a "normal" grocery store? I would really love to try to make my own detergent and any help would be appreciated.
I love this! Your blog is a blessing!
Hi, Anke! I buy all the ingredients at my rural grocery store. In fact, I've had more luck finding the washing soda (this is not baking soda) at larger chains. The ingredients are usually on the laundry aisle along with all the commercial detergents. The one exception is the Zote soap...I found it on the import aisle when I lived in south Texas as it is traditionally used in Mexico for laundry purposes. Here's a link that will tell you a bit more about Zote: http://reviews.ebay.com/Zote-Soap-is-Great-for-Cleaning-and-Fishing-too_W0QQugidZ10000000003252259?ssPageName=BUYGD:CAT:-1:LISTINGS:1
Beautiful stuff. I love that homemade detergent idea.
I just made some of my own laundry soap a week ago, same ingredients except I used ivory soap instead of Zote. It cleans the clothes really well, and yes the supply lasts quite a long time.
Where did you find that handy grating tin? Is it as handy as it looks?
Love your blog!
My grater is from IKEA and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. The best part? Everything at IKEA is so inexpensive! I miss living near the one in Houston!
Thank you for sharing this. I had been wanting to try my hand at this and because of your super simple recipe I did it in less than 10 minutes! Now that is an easy recipe.
Has anyone tried the homemade detergent with cloth diapers? I have cotton diapers with polyester covers. It always seems so complicated about what detergents/soaps you can and can't use to avoid buildup on your diapers and such. Anyone know?
Thanks!
Jodi
So in order to use the entire box of borax and washing soda, do you use two full bars of zote?? Thanks! I am making this now! :)
Post a Comment