The prices on products we use every single day have steadily been on the rise. But, believe it or not, with just a little time and effort there are things you can make yourself that will save you a ton of money throughout the year. Laundry detergent is one of those items as it contains mostly water and you only need a handful of ingredients to prepare it.

How Homemade Laundry Detergent Saves You Money

The branded liquid laundry detergent you buy from the store is marked up significantly. Those brands spend a ton of money on advertising and brand recognition as well as slotting fees at your local grocery store to get the best positioning on the store shelves. All of these costs are passed on to you, the consumer. By making your own detergent you're bypassing all of these unnecessary expenditures and paying only for what you actually need.

Laundry Soap That is Safer and Healthier for Your Home

If you research the ingredients added to the laundry detergent you buy regularly, your mind just might explode. Big brands like to develop bio-engineered enzymes and other chemicals that they can call their own. This is because they can't patent and profit from the simple readily available ingredients that do basically the same job. When creating your own laundry detergent you are 100% in control of what goes into it. So, you can leave out all the unnecessary scents and irritants the big guys leave in there.

How to Make Your Own Detergent

The process for making your own liquid laundry detergent at home is surprisingly easy and you only need a few things that you probably already have hanging around the house.

What You'll Need

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Soap

Take one bar of castile soap and shred it up with a cheese grater. The finer you can shred the soap the better but you don't need to go crazy with it.

Step 2: Melt the Soap

Throw your soap shavings into a cooking pot with 4 cups of water. Turn the heat on medium and stir often until all the soap has melted into the water. Do NOT let the mixture boil as it will change the overall consistency of your detergent.

Step 3: Add Ingredients

Turn the heat off and add 1 cup of washing soda and 1 cup of Borax. Stir until all the ingredients are completely dissolved into the mixture. If you want, this is also when you would add other ingredients like essential oils or natural scents.

Step 4: Finalize Your Detergent

Take your bucket or jug and pour the mixture into it. Then, fill the container with warm water until just about to the top. Mix the detergent well and let it sit overnight in a place it won't be disturbed.

The Results You're Looking For

After sitting overnight your newly crafted laundry detergent may look a little weird, but don't worry about it! Since your detergent doesn't have all the crazy chemicals big brands use it'll look a little different. What you made should resemble a watery gel that may be somewhat separated.

Using Your Detergent

If you have a high-efficiency washer you'll use about 2 tablespoons per load of laundry, and for standard washing machines you'll use about 1/4 a cup. You can kinda eyeball the amount though. If your load of laundry is a little bigger or smaller you can use as much as you feel is necessary. Trust your gut, you probably know your washing machine pretty well.

Enjoy Your New Detergent and The Savings

Once you're up and running with your newly made laundry detergent you'll notice the savings almost immediately since you'll be spending pennies on the dollar compared to what you were spending before. You may also notice a big difference with your skin as well since your clothes won't be assaulted with alien-like foreign chemicals.