People who strive for frugality in their daily lives have realized that making laundry soap at home is an easy way to save money. Homemade laundry soap costs significantly less than name brands yet it cleans as well. Most homemade laundry soap recipes contain borax (sodium bicarbonate). Borax can be difficult to find in some areas. Also, some people are concerned with the effect of borax on their health. Nevertheless, you can still make your own laundry detergent without this ingredient. Does this Spark an idea?
About Borax
Borax is sold under the brand name 20 Mule Team. It works well as a cleaning agent, but it can be harmful if ingested. It can be particularly irritating to the eyes, nose and throat. However, borax is usually sold to consumers in a crystalline form, not a powdered form. The crystalline form is difficult to inhale, unlike the powdered form. Any substance can be toxic in large amounts and borax is generally safe, but because of the possible dangers, some people prefer not to use it.
Materials
Making laundry soap without Borax requires a few common ingredients. You will need 1 cup castile liquid soap, 2 cups water, 1/3 cup salt and 1 cup baking soda or washing soda. You will also need a large pot, a large spoon, a one-gallon container and a stove.
Recipe
This recipe makes one gallon of laundry detergent. Add the baking soda, salt and water to a large pot. Turn the stove to medium heat and warm the mixture until it is mostly dissolved, stirring occasionally. Warm the salt and baking soda in the water until mostly dissolved. Transfer the liquid to a one-gallon container. Add the liquid castile soap to the container and stir. Fill the container the rest of the way with water.
Use
Measure out 1/2 cup of laundry soap per load, and add it to your washing machine as you would with a store brand. For added softness, add a tablespoon of vinegar to the rinse cycle. If you have a lid for the bucket, you can store the laundry soap in it. You could also re-purpose old liquid detergent containers and transfer your homemade soap into them.
Tip
Borax is used in homemade laundry soap because it helps boost the soap's whitening power. It also acts as a deodorizer. These properties can improve the performance of homemade laundry detergent, but are not essential to clean clothes. You can leave the borax out of laundry soap recipes and your clothes will still come out of the washer clean.
Tags: laundry soap, baking soda, laundry detergent, crystalline form, homemade laundry, homemade laundry soap, laundry soap