Thursday, April 25, 2013

HE-friendly homemade laundry detergent

The bad news: you don't get to make Flubber.

The good news: this actually takes a step out of my very easy regular laundry detergent, and it takes less storage space.

Equipment -- a largish container -- some plastic something or other. From painful experience, I would not use a recycled plastic coffee container unless you are a) totally sure the coffee smell is gone, or b) don't mind smelling like a soap latte.

A grater, like you would use for cheese. 


Ingredients: 1 bar of soap (nothing deodorant or moisturizing; I like Dr. Bronner's or Ivory)
1 cup of Borax
1 cup of washing soda (also labeled as super washing soda or laundry soda)

Borax and washing soda are usually found in Wal Marts or large grocery stores, but may be on bottom shelves or squirreled away. You'll only use a fraction of each box for this recipe.

Grate your soap. Add the other stuff. Stir. Use one tablespoonful per large load. Spend your savings on hookers and blow.


4 comments:

  1. If you like scent / softener with your wash, you can add the dry softener that looks like big sugar grains. Then it just mixes in with your dry soap and you don't have to use a downy ball or anything, unless you like extra fluff. As far as I know, it's all biodegradable.

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    1. Or a few drops of essential oil. Fabric softeners tend to set off allergies for a lot of folks.

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  2. I have had a hell of a time finding washing soda locally. I don't make my own detergent (yet) but it's pretty important to the skull-bleaching process, and I do some of that. I finally had to order it from a taxidermy supply wholesaler, where it was cheaper than, say, Lehman's, where I also found it.

    And apparently I can't comment with my actual name. This is Jules (but I was pretty sure you both would know exactly who it was when I mentioned "skull bleaching.")

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    1. Jules, I figured it was you or Hannibal Lecter. Interesting that you can find it cheaper through a taxidermist.

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