By paying only 1 cent per load (not including equipment costs), homemade laundry detergent is at least 10 times cheaper than buying cheap store-bought laundry detergent (11 cents a load).
DIY cleaners offer control over ingredients and cost savings, but when it comes to homemade laundry detergent, experts say to skip it. Jolie Kerr is a cleaning expert and the author of the New York Times bestselling book, My Boyfriend Barfed In My Handbag ... And Other Things You Can't Ask Martha.
How Much Homemade Laundry Detergent to Use Per Load. For standard loads, add 1 tablespoon of homemade laundry detergent. Up that to 2 tablespoons for heavily soiled laundry to remove excess dirt—but don't overdo it. "Using too much laundry detergent can leave a residue in the fibers of your clothing," says Balanzat.
Powdered detergents have been around since the 1930s and are less expensive to use than liquid or pods per load. When you look at store shelves, there are very few left as more consumers have moved to liquids and pods.
When calculating the cost per load, powder detergent is generally the more economical option in comparison to other types of detergent. Its lighter weight makes it less expensive to transport and often easier to manufacture in comparison to liquid detergent, making it cheaper for you to purchase.
The Results. We're sad to say, none of the DIY detergents performed very well—at least not compared to the name-brand detergent. Even just glancing at our test strips, the store-bought soap visibly cleaned the fabric more effectively than any of the hand-made options.
The bottom line: A family doing five loads of laundry a week can expect to save $15 per year on their first batch of homemade laundry detergent, and will save $26 a year on second or subsequent batches. Those doing more than 5 loads of laundry each week will save even more.
Still, homemade detergents can reduce the lifespan of your expensive and beloved washing machine. It could clog up the dispense, build up in the water lines and cause all sorts of other problems, especially if you do not clean your washing machine.
Just add the powder to the drum of your washing machine. You'll need 2 tablespoons per load. This recipe lasts a long time and for a small family or couple will likely last you a year. For larger families, you should get 6 months out of it!
Detergents trap soil and suspend it in the water and are easily rinsed away. Soap, however, can react with hard water and cause insoluble residue that clogs drains and sticks to clothes.
Epsom salt is another name for magnesium sulphate. When added to your laundry load, the magnesium will increase the hardness of the water and therefore, your clothes. Hard water not only makes your clothes stiff and scratchy, it also stops soap being as effective.
In your washing machine, borax helps absorb dirt. In your kitchen and bathroom, it's great for cleaning rust, grout, and even mold and mildew. Borax helps laundry smell better and is also extremely effective at fighting pet urine odor because it combats the ammonia.
As blogger Julia from Simply Living Well explains, borax can be a safe yet powerful natural laundry booster (as long as you're not planning to eat or inhale the powder while washing your clothes). It can also be used for other cleaning.
For an HE washing machine, halve these amounts. Both the Sal Suds and Castile soap biodegrade readily and are safe for septic and greywater systems. For the inevitable ketchup/grass/last night's dinner on clothing, I pre-treat the stain by dabbing a small amount of Sal Suds directly on to it before washing.
As mentioned earlier, homemade laundry detergent can and will separate – it doesn't contain stabilizers to keep it homogenous. The remedy for this is simple: fill containers only two-thirds to three-fourths full to allow airspace at the top for shaking or re-blending.
Though dish soap is great as a stain pretreatment option, it's not meant for direct use in a laundry washing machine. That's because dish soaps are uniquely formulated to break up grease and stuck-on food particles with foamy suds—something you don't want to happen in your washing machine.
Baking soda makes a great laundry product because of its mild alkali qualities. Dirt and grease are easily dissolved, while clothes are softened. It is especially helpful in homes with hard water because it will clean clothes better, and prevent the stain buildup that can come with hard water.
It's formulated to deliver a deep clean for all of life's messy moments. Persil laundry detergent is great for everyday laundry, even activewear, as it not only helps brighten and whiten your clothes, but also helps fight tough stains.