Frugal Homemaking

Expensive chemical laden laundry products can not only damage our environment, but also the clothes we are trying to clean and protect. With these easy recipes, you can make your own laundry detergent both cheaper and safer.

Laundry Booster and Softener

Add a cup of white vinegar to your washer’s rinse cycle for a frugal laundry booster. This will whiten your whites, brighten your colors, eliminate static cling, remove lint, prevent the dye in new clothing from running, kill bacteria, remove soap residue from fabric and your washing machine, soften your laundry and neutralize any odors.

Laundry Detergent Recipes

(Laundry recipes courtesy of Soaps Gone Buy – Ingredients can also be purchased from them)

Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe 1:

3 Pints Water
1/3 bar grated Fels Naptha Soap
1/2 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (NOT baking soda)
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
2 Gallon bucket to mix it in
1 Quart hot water Hot Water

Mix Fels Naptha soap in a saucepan with 3 pints hot water and heat on low until dissolved. Stir in Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. Add 1 Quart Hot Water to 2 gallon Bucket. Add soap mixture, and mix well. Fill bucket completely with additional hot water, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. You may add additional HOT water if the mixture becomes too thick. Mix Well before each use. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load. Makes 64 loads. Cost per load .03.

Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe 2:

Water
1 bar grated Fels Naptha Soap
5 gallon bucket
1 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (NOT baking soda)
1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
4 1/2 gallons water

Put grated Fels Naptha in saucepan and cover with water. Heat on low until dissolved. Fill bucket with hot water and add soap. Stir to combine. Add 1 cup washing soda and 1 cup borax and mix well. As it cools, it will thicken. If mixture becomes too thick, add hot water to thin it to desired consistency. May be used immediately. Mix well before each use. Use 1/2 (normal) to 1 cup per load (heavy). Cost per load .04.

Powdered Laundry Detergent Recipe:

1 cup grated Fels Naptha Soap
1/2 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (NOT baking soda)
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

Mix and store in airtight container or bag. For light or small loads, use 1 tablespoon. For normal loads, use 2 tablespoons. For heavy loads, use 3 tablespoons. Cost per load .15.

To make a large batch – grate 6 bars of Fels Naptha Soap and then add 3 cups of Washing Soda and 3 cups of 20 Mule Team Borax. Mix well and store in covered container.

TIP: The above recipes will NOT make suds in your washer so don’t be alarmed. Fels Naptha Soap is a pure soap and typically makes little or no suds in the water. This makes it perfect for use in the new HE washers as well as traditional washers. You will also notice the need to either reduce your laundry softener or in most cases you can even eliminate the use of softener completely.

Photo Credit: Meghan Anderson-Colangelo via stock.xchng

Vinegar makes natural laundry stain removal a snap. Learn how to treat your toughest laundry stains with white vinegar and a bit of elbow grease.

Blood Stain Remover:

Fast action is the cure for bloodstains. Pour vinegar over the stain, and allow it to soak for fifteen minutes. Then, rinse with cool water, and repeat if necessary. Wash immediately after.

Coffee & Tea Stain Remover:

Flush the area with vinegar to remove the stain. Rinse and repeat as needed. Then, wash as usual.

Crayon Remover:

Rub vinegar into the crayon stain with a brush (an old toothbrush works great). Then, toss in the wash.

Deodorant Stain Remover:

Rub vinegar into the stain until it disappears. Then, launder as usual.

Grass Stain Remover:

Apply vinegar to the stain with a sponge, and lightly dab to lift. If the stain persists, make a paste of vinegar and baking soda, and brush it into the stain with an old toothbrush. Then, wash as usual.

Grease Remover:

Soak the stain in undiluted white vinegar. Then, wash as usual.

Ink Stain Remover:

Apply vinegar to the stain. Then, rub with a paste made of vinegar and baking soda. Let dry. Then, wash.

Iron Scorch Mark Remover:

Soak a rag in vinegar, and use it to dab at the scorched area. Then, blot the stain with a clean rag, and it should lift the stain. Note: It may take more than one application to fully remove the scorch mark.

Mustard Stain Remover:

Apply vinegar to the stain, and allow it to soak in. Then, spot treat with a bit of laundry detergent, and wash.

Rust Remover:

Pour vinegar over the rust stain. Then rub coarse salt into the stain (table salt will work if it’s all you have). Place the garment out in the sun to dry. Then, wash.

Set-In Stain Remover:

Saturate the stain in vinegar. Then, rub with a paste made of vinegar and baking soda. If the stain persists, add a couple tablespoons each of vinegar and laundry detergent to a bucket of water, and soak overnight. Rinse and wash as usual.

Sweat Stain Remover:

Pour vinegar over the sweat stain. Then rub coarse salt into the stain (table salt will work if it’s all you have). Place the garment out in the sun to dry. Then, wash.

Sugar-Based Stain Remover:

Saturate the stain with vinegar. Allow it to soak in. Then, wash.

Tomato Stain Remover:

Saturate the stain with vinegar. Allow it to soak in. Then, wash.

Vomit Stain Remover:

Rinse the garment in cool water to remove as much of the vomit as possible. Then, soak the stain in vinegar, and wash. If stain or odor persists, repeat the process.

Wine Stain Remover:

Saturate the stain in vinegar, and allow to it stand for several minutes. Then, rinse with water, and repeat the process, if needed. Wash immediately after process.

Photo Credit: Copta at stock.xchng