Thursday Q & A - laundry savings

Z.T. writes:

Do you have any recipes for homemade laundry detergent or any ideas about how I can save money on laundry for a family of four?

Z, I do have a recipe for homemade laundry detergent and several other ideas as well that you can use to save money cleaning your family's clothes.

The recipe for laundry detergent is one I have been using exclusively for about a year. Before I began making my own, I used Purex for several years. I have noticed no differences in the cleanliness of our clothes when they come out between the homemade & the Purex. If anything, the homemade has been getting them cleaner, and they definitely smell better. Personally, I am very sensitive to chemical smells added to cleaning products, so I appreciate that the clothes don't have an overwhelming scent when they come out.

You will need the following items, all found in the laundry aisle:

1 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated
1 cup Washing Soda (not baking soda)
1 cup Borax

Grating the Fels Naptha soap will take about 30 minutes. I typically do it while watching TV. I have a separate grater that I use only for the soap -- the Fels Naptha grater should never be shared with any food. The Fels Naptha soap does have chemicals in it, so if you are sensitive to chemicals at all, you should wear kitchen gloves as you grate the soap. A hands-off method would be to use an old food processor (that is never used for food) just for this purpose.

Combine all three ingredients and store in a lidded container. Use only 1-2 Tbls. per load. The recipe will last for about 60 days at 3-4 loads/week.

The cost of the recipe at my local store is as follows:
Fels Naptha - $1.29
Washing Soda - $3.49
Borax - $3.49

Each box of Washing Soda & Borax will make about 8 batches of the recipe. This makes the price per batch, at my local prices, $2.16.

It is worth noting that the Borax contains boric acid, a pesticide. If your children have any chemical sensitivities, especially dermatological in nature, I would take caution with this recipe. You might want to try just one item of their clothing & monitor for skin reactions before converting to using it for all of your laundry.

A completely natural alternative to this recipe & conventional laundry soaps is Dr. Bronner's liquid soaps. Trader Joe's, if you have one in your area, sells a generic version of Dr. Bronner's soap for a very reasonable price. I have not found the Dr. Bronner's to clean my clothes as effectively, though others report exactly opposite results.

By far, the most cost-effective way to reduce your laundry costs is prevention. My preschooler still wears a "bib" with messy foods in the form of a dishtowel clipped around her neck. This reduces the need for expensive stain removers & reduces time spent on stain removal. If your family is in the habit of throwing all clothing worn that day into the hamper before getting dressed for bed, you should try to change those ingrained habits. Instead, examine each piece of clothing briefly to see if it actually needs to be washed. Each of us have our own criteria for clean vs. dirty, so do what's comfortable for you. Just focus on reducing the laundry where you can.

I have had much success with hang-drying clothes for part of the drying cycle. It's simple to hang-dry fresh out of the washing machine, then tumble-dry on low for 15 minutes to soften the clothes & towels. This is a big money-saver for items that take a long time to dry, like towels, jeans, & sweatshirts. This also eliminates the need for static-cling sheets in the dryer altogether. You will not want to hang-dry clothes in a basement with exisiting moisture problems, however, or you could end up with mold. A vented attic space or the outside sunshine is a much better plan for these homes.

Here's one last thing you should note. Laundry does not have to be washed with detergent every single time. If you have ever used cloth diapers, you already know that laundry holds a lot of built-up soap within the fabric. If you run out of detergent, don't run to the store before your scheduled shopping trip. Go ahead & wash them just as you would ordinarily, except leave out the detergent. If you want to reassure yourself they are still getting clean, check out the tub your washer drains into & you will see it full of soap bubbles on the rinse cycle.

Get Moving: When your family changes into their pajamas tonight, take a moment to briefly inspect each item of clothing before tossing it into the hamper. Could it be worn again or should it be washed? Also, if you have children under 6, find a fun dishtowel or two that can be all theirs & introduce it at dinnertime. You can call it their "dinner cape." Who knows, maybe they will eat like a superhero with their dinner cape on!

Thanks for writing, Z.T.! Every Thursday The Tightwad Trainer will answer one of your questions. Email me at tightwad_trainer@fuse.net and I will do my best to solve your dilemma. Sign your name if it's OK for me to include it!

Annoying but necessary disclaimer: All information contained herein express my opinions only and are based on my health status & location. Each person's situation, health, and local laws & ordinances are different. By all means, use your own common sense & don't do anything you see here if someone more important than me (like your doctor, your local police, your own conscience) would disagree. If you're easily persuaded by everything you read, and you think I might cause you to hurt yourself or break the law, quit reading my site, please.