Making your own laundry detergent is a great money saver, and it works very well. Here’s a link with pictures to show you how:
There is some controversy around making your own laundry detergent:
*Some worry about damaging the machine due to sudsing, but after using it myself, I couldn’t see any suds at all!
*Others wonder if it works as well, and I thought that it did. I even used the Fels Naptha soap bar to rub on stains to be very effective, working just as well or better, than Shout.
*Some think colors look dull after a while; that could be, since commercial mixes contain brightening and whitening agents that fluorescent under ultraviolet lights, and also makes clothing appear cleaner. Yes, they appear cleaner, but that doesn’t mean they are cleaner. These chemical can cause skin irritation and reactions in some people, as well as hurting our environment. Homemade detergent doesn’t contain these chemicals. More information in Smart Klean Blog.
*Finally, there is some concern also, whether the soap can cause build-up inside the machine, in tubes and hosing etc. People have different opinions on that, but if you have an older machine that you don’t worry too much about, it is a great way to save money and your clothes will come out very nice and clean. I did notice build-up in my machine, but after I stopped using the homemade detergent, I still noticed build-up after a while. So apparently there will be some build-up no matter what. Washer Magic worked wonderfully to remove this gray, slimy build-up in my machine:
Here are some tips on how to save money on softeners, great alternatives, while keeping your machine clean at the same time:
Prevent Washer Build-up; Alternatives to softeners
