Making your own laundry products not only saves money, it’s also really simple! Below we’ve included our 3 favorite laundry products to DIY instead of buy.
Powdered laundry soap is one of the EASIEST laundry products to make at home. Our preferred mix includes 3 ingredients that you can find easily at practically any grocery store or super store. While you’ll find some DIY detergent mixtures call for grated bar soap, we prefer not to use it due to potential for soap scum build-up on the washer drum and risk of clogging the drain pipe. This mix costs approximately $.02-.04 per load compared to about $.10-.12 per load for the average store-bought detergent.
Ingredients:
1 cup washing soda
1 cup baking soda
1 cup borax
Directions:
Combine washing soda, baking soda and borax in airtight container. Seal and shake to mix evenly.
Use 1-2 tablespoons per regular load.
For especially soiled or smelly loads, use up to ½ cup.
Bonus Tips:
If you prefer fragrance, add 10 drops of your favorite essential oil. Our favorites are peppermint, lemon or lavender essential oils. Experiment to find the scent that suits you best.
Feel free to multiply recipe to make a larger batch. Mixture holds up well over time.
DIY Liquid Fabric Softener
Liquid fabric softener is another easy product to make at home with 3 ingredients you probably have on hand already. We especially love that this mixture can be customized to your fabric softness, scent and natural ingredient preference by adjusting the ratio or your conditioner of choice. This recipe, as pictured, will cost you about $.08-.10 per load versus $.20-.25 per load for the equivalent store-bought softener.
Ingredients:
3 cups HOT water
1 cup hair conditioner
1 ½ cup white vinegar
Directions:
1) Pour hot water and vinegar into mixing container. We prefer to use a pitcher to make it easier to pour final mixture into container for storing.
2) Slowly pour conditioner into water-vinegar mix, stirring gently as you go. Stir until all ingredients are fully incorporated and smooth.
3) Use a funnel to pour final mixture into old fabric softener bottle or other air-tight, pouring container.
4) Pour ¼-½ cup per load into your washer’s fabric softener dispenser (or add directly to drum during the rinse cycle).
Bonus Tips:
Use all natural or organic hair conditioner if you prefer a more hypoallergenic fabric softener
Add a bit more conditioner for extra softness, less if you prefer a more crisp feel to your garments.
DIY Wrinkle Release Spray
Wrinkle Release spray is a great time-saver when you want to get rid of minor wrinkles without getting the ironing board and iron out. While the store-bought spray provides convenience, it’s also expensive. Instead, we prefer this mix using ingredients we already have in the laundry room. This recipe costs about $.10 per ounce versus about $.35 for the store-bought version.
Ingredients:
1 cup fabric softener
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
Directions:
Use funnel to pour fabric softener of your choice, vinegar and water into spray bottle.
Secure spray top back onto bottle and swirl bottle gently until mixture is smooth and even
Spray wrinkled garment, pull fabric gently to smooth wrinkles and let dry on a hanger.
Bonus Tips:
Substitute DIY fabric softener recipe (see above) instead of store-bought softener for extra savings
Use old Febreze or Wrinkle Release spray bottle for an extra fine mist that dries more quickly
Skip the fabric softener for even more savings or if you prefer a hypoallergenic fabric softener option.
If you’re too busy to do your own laundry, let alone make your own detergent or fabric softener, let us do it for you.