Thrifty Thursday

Thrifty Thursday tip of the day:
Make your own laundry detergent.    A super-smart lady over on another site clued me into a few recipes for homemade high efficiency laundry detergent.   I'm sure that many of you out there who have HE washers (like yours truly) have realized just how much more expensive the HE laundry detergent is compared to regular detergent.   Making your own can help to really put a dent in those costs.

Here's a copy of the messages she sent me with the recipes:

Original Recipe -


1/3 Bar Fels Naptha

1/2 C. Washing Soda

1/2 C. Borax Powder



Grate soap and put it in a Saucepan.

Add 6 C. water and heat until soap melts.

Add the washing soda and Borax then stir until dissolved.

Remove from heat.

Pour 4 C. hot water into the bucket.

Add your soap mixture and stir.

Add 1 gal. and 6 C. of water and stir.

Let the soap sit for 24 hours for it to gel.

Use 1/2 C. per load



*Super-smart lady's* FRIEND’S Modifications -

1 whole bar of Zote

1 C. Washing Soda

1 C. Borax Powder

5 gal. bucket



Grate Soap and put in a big saucepan.

Mix washing soda and Borax Powder in a bowl (dry).

Put 12 C. of hot water in with Zote until soap melts.

While soap is melting, put 8 C. of water in microwave to boil (about 3 - 4 min).

When the soap melts, add the powder mixture.

Stir until all is dissolved.

Pour soap mixture into the bucket.

Pour water from microwave in bucket and stir.

Fill up rest of bucket with hot tap water until it is full & stir some more.

Put lid on bucket and let sit for 24 hours.

Stir before use. (mixutre is like “egg drop soup”)

Use 1/2 - 1 cup



MY *super-smart lady's (Jeannie)*  Mods -

Ingredients -

1 bar Zote soap - grated

1 ½ cups Borax

1 ½ cups Washing soda

5 gallon bucket

12 cups water - tap - (no need to microwave)

8 cups water - hot (from tap)

Grate soap and put in a sauce pan.
Add 12 cups tap water & heat on medium until soap melts.
Add washing soda & borax, and stir until dissolved.
Remove from heat.
Pour 8 cups hot water into a 5 gallon bucket.
Add soap mixture to bucket and stir.
Let soap sit for about 24 hours to gel.
This will yield a mixture that is a thicker than “egg drop soup”.
Use ½ - 1 cup per each load.
Note - You can use Zote soap, Fels Naptha, Ivory, or whatever soap you want. I like Zote, and so does my friend. I am going to try using Ivory on my next batch so I can compare.

Have fun! -

End Transmission :D

PS.  WASHING soda is not to be confused with baking soda.