Homemade Laundry Supplies Part 3: Powdered Detergent

The last installment in the Homemade Laundry Supplies series will be covering powdered laundry detergent.  Like liquid detergent, powdered detergent ingredients are pretty much the same across the board.  If you don’t have the room for a big barrel of soap, I suggest the first or third recipe since they’re in a much smaller quantity.

Powdered Laundry Detergent #1

• 2 bars (aka: 2 cups) Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated – you could also try other bars of soap)
• 1 cup Washing Soda
• 1 cup Borax

1. Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed container.
2. Use 2 tablespoons per full load.
3. Servings / Loads: 32 loads
   
4. Cost: $2.83
5. Dollars and $ense comparison ratio: This would be like a 96 load detergent costing $8.49.
   

Powdered Laundry Detergent #2

• 12 cups Borax
• 8 cups Baking Soda
• 8 cups Washing Soda
• 8 cups Bar soap (finely grated)

1. Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed container.
2. Use 2 tablespoons per full load.
3. Servings / Loads: 288  loads
   
4. Cost: $19.02
5. Dollars and $ense comparison ratio: This would be like a 96 load detergent costing $6.34.

Powdered Laundry Detergent #3

• 1/4 cup liquid castile soap
• 1 cup Washing Soda
• 1 cup Baking Soda
• 1 cup Vinegar (white)

1. Mix all ingredients well in the order given and and mix after the addition of each ingredient.  You will have a thick paste; keep stirring and it will turn into a powder.
2. Use 1/2 cup per full load.
3. Servings / loads: 6 loads
   
4. Cost: $1.73
5. Dollars and $ense comparison ratio: This would be like a 96 load detergent costing $27.68.

Dollars and $ense

• Powdered Laundry Detergent #1 = 96 loads for $8.49
• Powdered Laundry Detergent #2 = 96 loads for $6.34
• Powdered Laundry Detergent #3 = 96 loads for $27.88
• Cheer Powder = 80 loads for $16.18
• Gain Powder = 80 loads for $12.29
• Tide Powder = 80 loads for $14.35

The verdict: Homemade powdered detergents are much cheaper!  The liquid castile soap and the amount used per load in Detergent #3 make it a much more expensive option.  The benefit of the homemade detergents is that you know what’s in your detergent and you aren’t out there purchasing container after container of detergent that will probably end up in a landfill.