Just to cement my suspicion that deep inside of this single woman lies a 1950s housewife with a penchant for cleaning, this weekend I set about making my own laundry soap.
Natural laundry powders can be expensive and so I set about researching recipes to make my own. After a trip to Rainbow Grocery for supplies and the hardwares store for a storage container, I was off to the races. The soap works just as well as the store bought brand and cost under $10 for what looks to be a five or six month supply since you only use 1/8 of a cup. The best part was that is was super easy to make.
The recipe is simple: 6 cups Borax, 8 cups washing soda (which is different than baking soda and can be found boxed or in the bulk bins at natural food stores) and 1 1/2 bars of natural soap grated on a box grater. The recipe is free of lathering agents and artificial fragrances, so don’t be surprised if it doesn’t bubble or smell like your conventional soaps. That’s fine by me, as lathering agents can run off and contaminate waterways, while artificial fragrances rank among the top allergens.
That’s it. This is a modification of some other recipes I found online. I have shared those here as well in case you prefer to try another recipe.
Happy washing!
Tags: Borax, chemicals, cleaning, eco, eco laundry soap, Eco to the People, eco-friendly, green, green cleaning, greening the cleaning, laundry, laundry soap, natural laundry powder, organic, washing soda
I love that idea. I always find it interesting that more people don’t take a Sunday afternoon and prepare products that are good for their family and the environment. Recently, I made toothpaste and I find that it works so well, even better then the store bought stuff. Although, I must admit I like the Tom’s brand once I find a good way to store it… I’ll never go back. Where can I find a box grater?
Box graters are available at any store that sells housewares. Here is an inexpensive one from Bed, Bath & Beyond: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=11899307. You can also use a handheld cheese grater. I just found it difficult to hold it still while grating the soap. Good luck and happy holidays!