Back in the 1960s, people would do the family laundry with some pure soap, hot water and a bit of elbow grease to get out the tougher stains.
Today we have shelves of products available to us, but to get the best results some of these products rely on chemicals that may not be good for the environment. So why not get back to basics and make your own laundry detergent? It is easy and will possibly help you save some money on your grocery bill each week. Here is what you’ll need:
- 2 cups of grated soap (choose a vegetable-based, natural, fragrance-free bar and grate in a food processor or alternatively use a potato peeler)
- 1 cup washing soda (non-toxic and similar to baking soda, found in the laundry section of the supermarket)
- 1 cup borax
Mix well, label and store in an airtight plastic tub. Use approximately 2 tablespoons per wash load. Add vinegar to the final rinse to soften and remove soap residue. For a liquid laundry detergent recipe, click here.
I have used vinegar as a fabric softener – it’s great, but someone recently warned me against it as they said it eats away at the rubber seals etc in the washing machine (is this right?) so I have stopped using it
alot of the ideas are absolutely wonderful my favourties are ful of your great ideas= making your own washing detergent is my favourite so far and you are helping me to save money thanks