Comments on: Homemade Laundry Detergent Not For Us

By: Susie H.

Susie H. — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 21:48:47 +0000

Detergents did not exist until petroleum processing hit in the 1920s and 1930s. The choice for many people who make their own laundry SOAP (when you make your own, it is not detergent) is to use a pure and natural product with no harsh ingredients, no chemical colors or scents, and something that is mild enough for sensitive skin. Homemade laundry SOAP has no environmental issues. In fact your wash and rinse water can be used on your garden or lawn. For me, the extreme cost savings is an added bonus.

As to toilet paper, Scott 1000 has the fastest breakdown of any. The thick or quilted stuff stops up sewer and septic lines and is slower to break down. Chemicals are added to make the paper fibers cling together in the thick papers. Just one more reason to boycott them. Never use the thick papers on a baby’s bottom, because they leave behind fuzz and fibers that can be irritating, especially on baby girls. Scott 1000 begins to break down before the flush. After 27 years in this house using nothing but Scott, the septic system works 100 percent with never a problem. (And this is hardpan clay soil.) Ask the guy who pumps tanks or replaces septic field lines, and if he’s honest, he’ll tell you that those thick papers are a good part of what keeps him in business. With new water-saver toilets, it is very important to use paper that disintegrates rapidly in the smaller amount of water.

By: kristina

kristina — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:48:18 +0000

okay, i am a stay at home mom, far from being rich. i clip coupons, i upcycle just about everything possible, make my clothes, my kids’ clothes, my own glass cleaner, furniture polish, dish soap, cosmetics, and laundry detergent. i decided to make my own detergent when buying tide was becoming too expensive and i needed a good cleaning detergent for cleaning my two young kids clothes. i first tried store brand, it didn’t clean well and it made my son’s skin break out….. i threw my hands up and said that’s it i’m making it. it was INCREDIBLY easy and works better than tide without the dyes and perfumes. the payoff is great, it takes about 30 minutes to make about 7 gallons of detergent and it costs me about 15 dollars! if you say it doesn’t clean well use more soap, if you say it doesn’t make your clothes smell good use essential oils in the solution. there is no reason why anyone HAS to pay a fortune for good laundry soap.

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!