My Daily Thrifty Tip for March 31, 2011

#122 Make your own laundry detergent at home. Laundry detergent is very expensive! Want to try making your own at home? Here's a great recipe for making laundry detergent at home:

What you'll need:

• 2 bars of Lever 2000 soap

• 1 cup of Borax (20 Mule Team Borax, which can be found in a big box store or grocery store in the laundry aisle)

• 2 cups of Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer)

• 5 gallon bucket with lid

Instructions:

Using a grater or knife, shred both of the bars of soap. Boil 8 cups of water. After the water is boiling, slowly add the shredded soap. Be careful so it doesn’t boil over. Reduce heat and stir until soap shavings have completely dissolved (about 5 minutes or so).

Put 3 gallons of water in bucket, add borax and washing soda then stir. Add the soapy hot water to bucket and stir again. Cover and let sit for 24 hours. Standard washing machines require one cup per load.

Have a better recipe or tip for making this? Leave me a comment! I'd love to hear it!