Before we moved into the new house and started using our new washing machine I read a lot of information about what types of detergent were the best to use in HE washers. In doing so, I learned just how many chemicals were in the typical name brand laundry detergents and how liquid fabric softeners coat your machines with a film.

That’s when I started researching natural detergents and discovered this DIY detergent recipe. It seemed pretty simple, just a few common ingredients and was supposed to last MUCH longer than the usual bottle of detergent from the store. I figured it couldn’t hurt to try it out, so I made a half batch and started using it. That was back in December. Apparently their claims about how long it would last were right because I just used the last spoonful of that half batch the other day!

And I don’t notice any difference in my laundry. Our laundry comes out just as clean and still feels as soft as it did before. But I do notice that my clothes seem to hold up a bit better. I’m not sure if that’s the improved washer or the detergent, but I’ll take it.

Because things were going so well, I decided to make another half batch with the ingredients left over from the first half batch. I haven’t priced out the ingredients in detail, but I probably spent around $50 for everything needed for the first batch. So that averages out to a cost of just $6.25/month for laundry soap. That’s definitely cheaper than the store brands, even in bulk! And because I had half of a box of most of the ingredients left over from the first order, I only spent around another $10 to make the second order. If that batch lasts as long as the first did that will average $1.25/month!

Next time I’ll make a full order since I think the container I’m using is big enough to store it. Doing so should bring the average cost to around $3.75/month. That’s certainly within my bargain budget.

Since the recipe is super simple and well described on the original website I won’t rehash it here. I did choose the option to microwave the bar soap rather than spend time grating it. This does result in bigger clumps so it doesn’t mix quite as much as their original picture, but it still works fine.  The hubs helped crumble it up just before dinner and joked that the pieces resembled biscuits so much that he almost tried to take a bite of one!

I couldn’t find Zote soap here in Alaska, but I did find the alternative yellow naptha soap, which goes better with my color scheme in the laundry room.  It’s not quite as pretty as their pink and purple concoction but it’s just laundry soap. 🙂