4 Tips for Spending Less on Laundry

I try to hang sheets and blankets outside to dry on a clothesline in the summer. It's amazing to hear kids comment when they've never seen such a thing before! If you do use the dryer, you can throw a couple of dryer balls in there (I've made my own from wool yarn that's been felted) and it will reduce your drying time.

Carrie – here is how WE save money (and the environment!) by doing our laundry as of the last couple of months –

For SURE worth the money as they pay for themselves in no time – even with coupons on buying your favorite laundry soap!

http://gustgab.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-dropped-bal…

Fabric Softeners: I buy generic store brand dryer sheets and cut it in 3 pieces. They are usually tri-folded in the box, so I cut it at the folds. I then gather 2-3 together that have been used once and reuse them.

For laundry detergent, I only use 1/2 of what the package calls or and add 1/4 cup borax OR washing soda as a booster.

There are recipes for homemade laundry soap. It only costs .01 -.02 cents per load if a person wants to take the time to mix up their own.

I use vinegar instead of liquid fabric softener and no dryer sheets as mentioned. Instead of dryer sheets I use 100% wool dryer balls- they help with drying time and static. They are no plastic and 100% natural and should last forever! I love them. They are a bit pricey up front but when you consider how long they last and they are chemical free they are worth it in my opinion. I asked for them as a gift :)!

I got mine from here http://wooldryerballs.com/

** another thing about fabric softener and dryer sheets – my husband is a runner and wears that moisture wicking fabric clothing while running- it specifically says not to use fabric softener when washing because it makes the fabric not able to do it's "wicking".

Meagan do you make your own? The reason I ask I just made a batch this weekend. Not sure if it gelled enough. It seemed alittle runny compared to the store bought stuff and I did shake the heck out of it to ensure mixing before using it. It seemed to clean the clothes ok-noticied no difference except for the whites but maybe it did not gel enough. It made a large batch for sure! Does anyone else know if it really" whitens" well or was is just me and my first time?!

I heard tennis balls in the dryer help with lint and static cling. Has anyone ever tried this?

I make my own laundry detergent, have for years but my recipe doesn't call for Borax. My whites stay white, altho' the staining in the underarms of my husband's undershirts is hard to get rid of, I soak them overnight in a mixture of hot water & Oxiclean & then wash normally. Borax, although a completely natural mineral, is partially converted to hydrogen peroxide in warm water so can have a lightening effect on dark/colored clothes. Also, I've read reports that store-bought fabric softener can be carcinogenic…I use vinegar in the washer and nothing else. My clothes are soft & towels are absorbent.

We use cold wash/rinse for most of our clothes, etc. I try to use less detergent especially because I am buying the ultra concentrated stuff, but I have a feeling I still use too much. Maybe that is why my whites get dingy so quick?! We also do not use fabric softener sheets. We stopped using them when we had our son who is now 16 months old because we use cloth diapers and like Carrie said ..the softener makes items less absorbent. Definitely not the problem you want to have with a diaper :) I do use hot water to wash the diapers.

We also hang our laundry out to dry as soon as it gets warm enough. In the late spring/summer/early fall we do almost all of our clothes drying on the line. If it's raining for days in a row or I really, really need an item then I will throw stuff in the dryer. Our gas/electric bill is super cheap in the summer even when we are using the AC.

I love love LOVE my homemade laundry detergent. I used to make the liquid, but it took too long. Now it takes me about 5 minutes and a food processor.

My dad was a chemical engineer that designed detergents. He helped invent Electrosol now Finish dishwashing detergent (I'm very brand loyal there!). Anyway, he said that laundry detergent's only active ingredients are the three that I use to make mine: soap(Fels Naptha, Ivory, or Zote), borax, and washing soda. The rest is "optical brighteners" and fragrances. Optical brighteners (Tide is the brand he mentioned that contained the most) actually atract more dirt.

He and my mom always bought those giant 5 gallon buckets of Bam, Boff, Wow, Whammo or whatever they're called (The Batman detergents I used to call them!) at Menards or Fleet Farm.

I dilute the cheapest fabric softener I can find 50% with water to make it last longer. One thing I read about fabric softener is to try to get used to natural feeling clothes again, so I started out cutting it by 1/4 with water and then increased it.

Does the vinegar really work? I've wanted to try it.

we do this too! we wear the same pair of pants 3 or 4 times before they get washed. ofcourse underwear we wash afterevery use but other items not till they're dirty.

Thanks. Maybe I used too much on the whites. I will try using smaller amount- I too love the idea of not buying laundry detergent again!

I'm so glad to read that several people are making their own laundry soap. I've been doing it for over a year now and love how cheap it is! I use 2 cups of Arm & Hammer washing soda, 2 cups of Borax and 1 full bar of Fels Naptha bar soap. I use a cheese grater to 'shred' ithe bar soap and it works great.( I store it in a tupperware container or you could wash out an old food jar and use that.)It ends up being about $2 for 40 loads! My husband said that it has actually helped with the build up in the pipes too.

I should have proofed my reply before hitting send – way too many typos! Sorry about that. Guess that's what I get for doing this instead of being in bed!!!

I LOVE MELALEUCA PRODUCTS AND THEY ARE SOOO MUCH CHEAPER…EVEN THAN SALE PRICES…UNLESS IT IS FREE, OF COURSE :)

We have a large family (13) so we use our washing machine a lot. The appliance repair man and I were talking soap and he said that because machines and soap are so efficient now, you really shouldn't use more than 1 Tbsp per load. (Yes, that's tablespoon.) I use less than that on most loads. My machine gets picky with the amount of suds so using less soap really helps. I'll use more on really muddy loads, but I use very little soap overall. This saves on soap and feels good on the fabric.

I used to rip my dryer sheets in half, but last year I invested in dryer balls. They really work well. The only issue is finding that 2nd ball. I bought mine for $15 I think, but they've saved me in sheets and will last a few more years before I have to worry about replacing them. Skin issues have also been reduced. I've also seen them for less.

I save so much money on laundry. I make a powdered detergent using Kirk's castile soap (3 pk for $2.69 or so at Cub). I chop up one bar of soap then throw it in the food processor with two cups of baking soda and then about 20 drops each of tea tree, lavender, and orange essential oils. I add 2 Tbsp to each load. I also fill up a jug of water with 1/2 water 1/2 vinegar and the same essential oils. I pour that into a downy ball and throw it in the wash. I use a collapsible drying rack (picked up at Ikea for about $20) and hang almost everything year round. For the few things I do need to dry, I toss them in the dryer with homemade felted dryer balls. You just take wool yarn and wind it up into a ball, then tuck the end in really tight, throw the ball(s) into an old pair of nylons, tying the nylons closed with string. Then wash and dry them a few times. Then wrap another layer of wool yarn over the core layer and toss back into the nylon and wash and dry to felt the outer layer. I recommend using at least two dryer balls at once. I usually use four.

There are a lot of great tips on here- some that will definately help. We make our own laundry detergent too- and it is working great. What surprises me is that I didn't see anyone on here suggesting using a combination of all these tips to master the laundry. I make my own liquid detergent, powdered detergent, as well as using vinegar (for smell or softening), store bought detergent, softner and bleach (bought with coupons). Different loads get different things according to needs. My white and light loads get brightened when needed but generally the homemade stuff works most of the time, darks and jeans get the homemade stuff, and I use the scented store bought detergents to do the towels (I never soften them because it reduces absorbancy and I love for them to smell good). I do have a weakness for softner (I love the smell) but thanks to coupons don't spend much on it. I have spent years using too much detergent- but have learned what many of you have said on here- too much makes the clothes dirtier, is bad for the washer and is expensive.

Bet could you please email me your recipe for this & your steps to make it Thank you sandra theriau5@yahoo.com

Megan, thanks!! I've been looking all over for a "make-your-own" laundry detergent recipe. I've been buying Gain powder for a while now, since it's cheaper than what I used for years (All liquid). I hope to try the recipe soon. Do you know of a powder-style concoction for detergent? I know I've seen one, but can't remember where. If nothing else, I'm sure the liquid version would suffice just fine.

Could you send me your ‘recipe’ to make laundry detergent in the food processor? thanks

P.S. One more question for all: Is it really more advisable to use Fels Naptha soap, as opposed to, say, Kirk's Original Castile soap? I've read so many things, it's confusing for a "make-your-own" stuff rookie like me. I already have several bars of the Kirk's soap, and am wondering if it would be an acceptable *and* effective substitute. I saw a woman's YouTube piece that suggested Kirk's soap, and I'd love to save any money I can on ingredients. What do you folks think? Thanks in advance!

I had a problem with finding washing soda too. You can go to Arm and Hammer's website and call them- they can give you a list of stores near you who carry washing soda. They will also try to sell it to you directly over the phone- but don't do it! They charge too much, plus they add shipping. If you do not have a local store that carries it, you can also find it on line at places like drugstore.com and they often have a free shipping deal.

For people looking for a FOOD PROCESSOR powdered recipe- just use the food processor to shred the bar soap instead of a cheese grater- then put it in a seperate contianer with the washing soda and borax and shake to mix evenly. A mild soap like Ivory shouldn't harm the food processor (should be cleaner than when you started!) It does make a bit of a mess when you do it- so I make a few batches of liquid detergent, powdered detergent and hand/body soap all on the same day just to cut down on the amount of cleaning afterward. Then I let the food processor container soak in water to get the soap residue out then wash in the machine like normal. Easy peasy and super quick!

I love using Ivory- the scent is light, but will fragrance 5 gallons of detergent well. Plus, Grandma used Ivory- so the smell takes me back down memory lane…

Bingo! We have a winner! — Ace Hardware carries the washing soda, Fels Naptha soap, and Borax. And may I say, after e-mailing one of their stores for help in my quest, I got very prompt and pleasant service. I really need to find reasons to shop there more often — what fantastic customer service! :-D

Here's my easy recipe and it was in the Strib recently and I have found it on the net too. No cooking or pails at all. 1 bar of fels naptha grated. I use a cheese grater and am done in less than 5 minutes. I cup of washing soda (Rainbow) and 1 cup of borax (Walmart is cheaper on this by a dollar over Rainbow). Now I have read that you can use Ivory or castile soap instead of the fels. Any pure soap with no additives will work. Mix it all up by shaking the container. I use 1 tablespoon per load. I store this in a coffee can with a tablespoon. With a really dirty load, you can use 2 tablespoons. I also have clothesline in my basement and have hung all but sheets and towels for years. Have been bugging hubby for an outside clothesline for years but still don't have one. At least in the basement I don't have to worry about weather changes.

Thanks, Barb! :-) I don't normally shop at Rainbow or Wal-Mart, so I didn't know that they would have the laundry soap making supplies. And yup, the hardware store would charge more — but I can't recall the prices I was quoted. It sure added up to more than $6, though. I haven't seen any of the supplies at Target or Cub, at least, not the locations I've been to. I think I'll try looking at Wal-Mart and Rainbow, and see what works for me. I've seen numerous laundry soap recipes online, and they pretty much seem the same. I hope to try my hand at it soon.