Save Money the Old-Fashioned Way

Ok, you've probably heard the old saying, "Simple is best". I have to agree that in many cases this is true. I am not one who only purchases organic products and a lot of times I go towards the convenience tunnel to make my life easier. However, about a year ago I discovered that I could make my own laundry detergent that works like a charm and is easy on my husband's sensitive skin. 

This all started when my husband was breaking out no matter what laundry detergent I used. I tried it all, including All (the free and clear kind), to no avail. We had already started using Ivory soap for showers and it works great and is simple; it claims it is 99.44% pure, right?

I started thinking, hmmm, wonder if I could make my own laundry detergent without all the harsh chemicals that are in the store bought kind. Even All Free and Clear has a list of ingredients as long as my arm. So I set out looking for a recipe and sure enough I came across something that looked heavenly, and it included our already successful Ivory soap. It looked simple, very simple in fact. I decided to give it a shot and what do you know? A year later I am still using it and there have been no breakouts on my husband's skin and my clothes smell clean and fresh.

Here is the recipe I use:

3 bars of Ivory soap, grated
3 cups baking soda
3 cups of borax (I use 20 Mule Team)

Mix together until the soap is in small chunks.

I use 2 tablespoons for a regular size load of laundry. I have a HE washer and have had no problems.

This costs a FRACTION of what a bottle of store bought laundry detergent costs and doesn't really take much time to make. You should give it a try!