Comments on: Homemade Laundry Detergent Not For Us

By: bill

bill — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:46:16 +0000

Just a few things: Adam, post 19: consumer reports rated FOLGERS very low. I have found that it’s the COFFEE MAKER, not the coffee, that make the difference. I have a coffee maker that I got free by trying Gevalia coffee. Its a great coffee maker, and the coffee was good too. But I brewed a pot of store brand in it, and it tasted almost as good. Needless to say, I stopped my automatic $25 shipments right away! the secret to good coffee is to use a good maker, with a cone filter, good COLD water.

By: Condo Blues

Condo Blues — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:27:37 +0000

I make powdered laundry detergent and it gets even the dirtist workout clothes clean in cold water. How well the homemade stuff seems to depend a lot upon the water in your area – if you have hard water it doesn’t seem to work as well as it does for someone like me w/o a lot of extra minerals and stuff in my water.

I use the homemade stuff because I didn’t have much of a choice. I saved my pennies for a new HE washer and needed to switch to powdered HE detergent – pricey, doesn’t go on sale, nor has store brands. I figured it’d be worth it anyway but the brands I tried made me itch or didn’t clean my clothes well. I made a powdered version of the HE stuff and it worked – no itching either. And super cheap. I like it when the better option (for me) is the cheaper option!

By: annie

annie — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:55:47 +0000

I find that homemade detergent doesn’t properly dissolve in cold water so I usually have to end up dissolving it into hot water first before I put it into the washer. It washes clean but doesn’t get rid of bad work stains,baby food/formula stains well. I still buy a box of laundry detergent( 1 bottle of tide free) and then add it to the bucket of homemade stuff. Lasts me 6-8 months and cleans great!

By: sarah

sarah — Thu, 28 May 2009 06:24:21 +0000

I don’t understand your reason for not using homemade detergent. Is it laziness? I coupon,hang dry,etc.I even make my own tortillas. Now I do only use toilet paper thats name brand but thats because it ends up being the same price as the cheap that you have to use twice as much. But i will use anything if its the cheapiest overall.

By: Carrie Shindorf

Carrie Shindorf — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:45:52 +0000

I have been making my own Laundry Soap and Fabric Softener and I love them! I wish I would have started years ago. I also make most all of my cleaning products, candles, linen spray and Pleasures Perfume! Check out my recipes~you might just find you like them! I like being able to make everything from my well stocked pantry. I do not like relying on Walmart!

I refuse to go cheap on my Diet Coke~gotta have the real deal.

By: Frugal People Focus Too Much On The Outgo | Frugal Dad

Frugal People Focus Too Much On The Outgo | Frugal Dad — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:01:08 +0000

[...] our finances if we thought bigger. Instead of spending our life energy saving a few dollars on homemade laundry detergent (yes, I’m going there again), maybe we should spend that time finding creative ways to make [...]

By: EAL

EAL — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:51:12 +0000

While making your own laundry detergent can take time its worth it not because of the dollars you save but because most store bought detergents are filled with really bad chemicals, phthalates, and allergens.

By: Griffin

Griffin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 19:15:55 +0000

@Lauren: I think about that as well, and there are some ways that I am making biodegradeable cleaners. I hate hate hate the smell of bleach and most cleaners, so I just make my own.

I usually use a vinegar mix (or straight) with some essential oils mixed in. It’s a good anti-fungal, mold-killer, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, metal polisher, and it even removes grime from my stove. I just soak a rag (dripping-wet) with water or vinegar and let it sit on the stove for 15-30 mins and even the most stuck-on stuff comes up.

Works great. AND it’s cheaper than 409 AND it smells better!

By: Lauren

Lauren — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:46:55 +0000

Even though this post is a little old, I had to add my own comment (which will probably be read by no one!) Don’t forget the environmental component. I get teased by roommate that hanging my clothes to dry only save a few bucks, but what’s more important to me is all the energy I’m saving by not using an electric dryer. Same thing with detergent. It’s off better for the environment to make your own detergent and cleanin gproducts than buy store brands.

By: Rhonea

Rhonea — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 03:26:27 +0000

There should be balance in all things, I believe.
On one hand, is it worth it to purchase things at rock-bottom prices if the true cost means an eleven-year-old is making $0.05 an hour to make it in a third world country? Choosing cheap groceries is good for your purse but may be bad for your health. White, refined sugar, white flour, white bread and white rice are all less expensive than the brown alternatives, but are all terrible for your health. Meaning later in life, your medical bills may be higher.

And yes, I come from a lower-income family, so my income does sort of dictate many of my choices. However, most Americans of all income levels waste money. I know people who make $10 an hour and buy take-out everyday. I know someone who says she doesn’t have money to contribute to her children’s savings accounts for college, but she spends $50 a week in the thrift store, “treating herself” to bargains . . . and trust me, she’s not loaded. I know someone else who is a high-end organic product toiletry-junkie but is on unemployment. Not judging, just observing because many of us have been there.

My family members will have TV sets running in every room of the house and the radio, but use space heaters because they don’t want to pay the gas bill. Hello! Isn’t the former running up the electric bill?

All of us, need to let go to some degree of inflated egos and our sense of entitlement in the name of financial health.