Justin Texas Area Historical Society

Justin, Texas - Since 1883


 
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Old Fashion Activity - Updated
Making Your Own Laundry Detergent
 


Laundry day, from the collection of the Forks Timber Museum, Washington
Laundry Day, from the collection of the
Forks Timber Museum, Washington


Old Fashion Activity - Updated for modern day
Making Your Own Laundry Detergent
The following is from a presentation at the City of Justin Library on November 6th, 2014 at 7pm.
What follows was given out as an informational handout by Leah O., who led the
LEARN HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN LAUNDRY DETERGENT demonstration.
Please contact Leah O. with any questions you have re: this information that she generously provided.


Making your own Laundry Detergent

Let’s start with the 5 most asked questions

1: Is Homemade Laundry Detergent safe for my HE Washing Machine?
Yes! It is. The soap you use to make your detergent does not cause suds which makes it safe. From personal experience I purchased a new machine after I had been making detergent for a year. My new machine is a front loading HE and myHomemade Laundry Detergent still works fine with no complications.

2: My child/baby has sensitive skin will Homemade Laundry Detergent bother them?
No it should be fine. There are lots of people who switch to Homemade Laundry Detergent because members of the family have a sensitivity to other laundry soaps. By making your own Homemade Laundry Detergent you can have more control over what dyes and fragrances are added to the detergent.

3: Making Homemade Laundry Detergent sounds complicated and difficult to do. Is it?
It is amazingly easy. Mostly making Homemade Laundry Detergent involves opening boxes and mixing them together.

4. Will Homemade Laundry Detergent really save my family money?
Absolutely! You can easily make Homemade Laundry Detergent and cost wise it comes out to about $0.07 a load. If you can purchase the required ingredients when they are on sale it will be even cheaper.

5. Does Homemade Laundry Detergent really work? 
Yes. Many people say that Homemade Laundry Detergent cleans as good as if not better than the leading laundry detergents. You will still need to occasionally bleach your whites to brighten them up but you should have no problem with getting the dirt and smells out.
The Benefits of Homemade Laundry Soap

Better for the Environment
The materials in homemade laundry soap have no phosphates. Borax and Washing Soda are naturally occurring compounds. The laundry soap uses recycled dispensers, and for every 5 gallons you make, you save 10 plastic containers from going to the landfill.

It is Much, Much, Cheaper
The cost of homemade laundry detergent is much cheaper than the store bought versions. There is no commercial laundry detergent that can compare to the cost of the homemade version. I have heard suggestions of going to your local grocery store and asking for buckets from their bakery department. The icing arrives in 5 gallon buckets, and the grocery store will sell the buckets at a deep discount.

Safer for Sensitive Skin
Many find that homemade laundry soap is better for sensitive skin. Some have substituted Ivory soap or Fels Naptha,instead of Zote. It is also possible to substitute Baking soda for Washing soda, however the baking soda will not clean as well. Homemade laundry soap is fragrance free, and is gentle for sensitive skin.


Recipes for Powdered Detergent
There is a “base recipe” that you can go by, but after that you can add what you like at your own discretion. And just like with an omelet you can add more or less to fit your needs and wallet. But after that it’s to each their own.  The same is true of laundry detergent. Additional ingredients can be added to your Homemade Laundry Detergent batch. Since there is no set recipe for laundry detergent you can find a multitude of them online. Everyone has their own unique version. There are also differing opinions on what works the best. So launch out and do some investigating into what would work best for you.

Basic Recipe

Feel free to add any or all optional items listed below

Re: Zote
Zote soap comes in 2 kinds. White and Pink. You may also use Fels-Naptha however it only comes in 5.5 oz bars and a Zote bar is 14.1 oz. (Zote also sells a 7oz bar) When looking for supplies you will find most on the laundry aisle. I often find Zote at Big lots or Walmart for $1 a bar. There is some debate to the merits of both brands of soap. Some say that Fels-Naptha is a better cleaner. But others feel that Zote is more gentle and has a better

Re: Borax
If using Borax concerns you look online for a borax-free option. I saw one that used citric acid and coarse salt in place of the borax.

Re: Oxiclean
Dollar tree and other dollar stores sell a cheap $1 knockoff version of Oxiclean.

Directions
  1. Grate the Zote soap with a cheese grater.
  2. Add all your items together in a large plastic tub.
  3. Mix by hand or utensil until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
  4. Transfer mix from tub into sealable plastic storage containers.
  5. When needed in the future, portion out 2 Tablespoons of your Homemade Laundry Detergent mix into each load of laundry using a small measuring scoop.

 
Recipes for Liquid Laundry Detergent
By all accounts making a liquid detergent does take more time but can be even more cost effective. If making in large batches it is good to know that a little goes a long way so this could easily only be process that you only need to undergo once or twice a year.

Base Recipe Liquid Detergent is also customizable.
The bar soap portion of the recipe can be changed to Zote (pink), Ivory, or Fels Naptha. If desired, 10 drops of essential oil can be added per 2 gallons of laundry soap. Essential oils come in a variety of wonderful scents, so you can pick your own (and vary it by the season)!  Dr. Bronner’s Castile soaps….while more expensive are all natural, vegetable based and come in a variety of amazing scents (Peppermint, Lavender, Almond, Rose, etc…). As a bonus you can purchase the liquid version of these soaps for making liquid detergent. This soap is so gentle their website states that you can use it for washing your face, body, hands and hair, for bathing, shaving, brushing your teeth, rinsing fruit, aromatherapy, washing dishes by hand, doing laundry, mopping floors, all-purpose cleaning, washing windows, scrubbing toilets, washing dogs, controlling dust mites, and killing ants and aphids.
Directions
  1. Grate the Zote soap.
  2. Using a pot that will hold at least 6 cups, get 4 cups of water warming on the stove.
  3. Stir in soap until it melts and blends in. There may be a few lumps so don’t worry about getting it perfectly smooth.
  4. Fill a 5 gallon bucket ¾ of the way full of water.
  5. Add in the borax and washing soda to the bucket.
  6. Then add the soap and water mixture from the stovetop into the bucket.
  7. Stir until well blended.
  8. Add more water to bucket until about 2 inches from the rim.
  9. Allow mixture to sit overnight and thicken. (12 hours)
  10. Mixture will be really thick and needs to be further diluted with more water. Using a 1:1 ratio fill your dispenser containers half full with the soap mixture.
  11. Then finish filling with water and shake well until blended.
  12. When needed in the future, use ½ cup of the detergent for a full load of laundry.


Homemade Fabric Softeners

There are so many variations of homemade fabric softener.
1. Some simply use vinegar. Trust me the vinegar odor disappears in the rinse and your clothes won’t come out smelling like a pickle factory.
2. Some add essential oils to white vinegar and baking soda. (mix the two slowly and beware the chemical reaction)
3. Or you can make your own with three simple ingredients. Vinegar, water and a hair conditioner of your choice.
4. Another recipe uses a scent booster of your choice (Purex crystals or Downy Unstoppables), vinegar and Baking soda.
Re: Vinegar
Vinegar naturally softens laundry by removing the soap and residue build-up.  Vinegar contains small amounts of potassium and sodium, which softens hard water, dissolves mineral build up in the washing machine, and reduces static in the dryer.

Re: Baking Soda
Baking soda helps to regulate the pH level in the laundry rinse water by keeping it from being too acidic or alkaline. Adding baking soda to each rinse cycle acts as a balance to suspend detergent or mineral deposits that can make clothing feel stiff.


Homemade Dryer Sheets

When looking these up online you will find that anything will do. From coffee filters, rags, scraps of fabric, old towels, felt, or even sponges there is a limitless range of possibilities. All you need is to find the perfect fabric softener. Simply soak your dryer sheet of choice in the fabric softener and allow to dry. Toss them in your dryer with a load of laundry. Re-use up to a dozen times or until you feel the fragrance needs a boost then re-soak and dry again.

**Bonus-when it comes time to actually wash your dryer sheet just think how extra  soft that load of laundry will be**


Cost Breakdowns

Item Weight/Size Price cost per load (1oz = 2 TBSP)
Zote Soap
Zote Soap (total = 2)
Washing Soda
Borax
sub-total base

Optional
Baking Soda
Baking Soda
Baking Soda (total = 3)
Purex Crystals
Oxiclean
Oxiclean (total =2)
sub-total of options

New Total
  14.1 OZ
  14.1 OZ
  55 OZ
  76 OZ
159.2 OZ


  16 OZ
  16 OZ
  16 OZ
  55 OZ
  16 OZ
  16 OZ
135 OZ

294.2 OZ 		$1.00
$1.00
$3.97
$3.97
$9.94


$0.49
$0.49
$0.49
$7.50
$1.00
$1.00
$10.97

$20.91 		0.06 per load










0.07 per load
Comparison
Tide (liquid)
Tide (dry)
Gain (liquid)
Gain (dry)

$17.97
$17.97
$14.97
$14.97
  96 loads = 0.19 per load
102 loads = 0.18 per load
  96 loads = 0.16 per load
120 loads = 0.12 per load
Liquid Detergent
Bar of Zote Soap
Washing Soda
Borax

Recipe makes 10 gallons = 160 cups.
14.1 OZ
55oz/8oz (cup) = 6.9
76oz/8oz (cup) = 9.5
 
using 1/2 cup per load=320 loads
$1.00
$0.56
$0.40
$2.00

 0.07 per oz
 0.05 per oz

That’s $0.006 per load
Comparison #1
Washing 5 loads of laundry a week for the whole year is 260 loads.
Cost of 260 with homemade powder = $15.60 for basic or $18.20 with extras
Cost of 260 with Tide liquid = $49.40 with Tide powder $46.80
Cost of 260 with Gain liquid = $41.60 with powder $31.20
Cost of 260 with homemade liquid = $1.56
Comparison #2
Washing a average of 400 loads of laundry a year (a little over a load a day)
Cost of 400 with homemade powder = $24 for basic or $28 with extras
Cost of 400 with Tide liquid = $76 with Tide powder $72
Cost of 400 with Gain liquid = $64 with Gain powder $48
Cost of 400 with homemade liquid = $2.40


We hope you have enjoyed learning a modern method of an old time activity!

For More Interesting Information, see this off-site website:  History Of Laundry - After 1800
Justin Texas Area Historical Society
Justin Texas Area Historical Society
Justin Texas Area Historical Society
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- permission granted to print and distribute as long as it is for free, and credit is given -
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Justin Texas Area Historical Society