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Ideas For DIY

Save Big By Making Your Own Laundry Detergent For 1 Cent per load

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Laundry is something that we just have to do.  As much as we may or may not like it, it’s just a task that has to be done.  No matter if it’s just your own clothes to be washed, or if the pile of clothing seems utterly endless, doing the wash is just a regular task.    We have our very own DIY laundry powder recipes here.

Making your own laundry powder is one of those simple, old-fashioned household skills that still makes so much sense today. It is budget-friendly, practical, and a lovely little step toward a more self-sufficient home, whether you are fully embracing homesteading or just trying to make a few smarter swaps around the house.

Once you have made your first batch, you may find yourself looking at other everyday products differently too. If laundry powder can be made at home, what about surface sprays, carpet freshener, dish scrub, or cleaning wipes? Small homemade changes like this can add up over time, both in savings and in the satisfaction of knowing exactly what is going into the products you use around your family.

So if you are looking for an easy way to cut costs, reduce unnecessary packaging, and bring a little more homemade practicality into your routine, this frugal laundry powder recipe is a great place to begin. Your laundry room might just become the starting point for a more intentional, homegrown way of living.

 

laundry

This wonderful recipe is shared with us from the blog Why Not Sew, and tells us just what we need to make our own laundry detergent for only 1 cent per load.  Yes, I typed that right, 1 cent!  She made 2 gallons, which equals out to 576 loads, for only $6.  I’m convinced that I will start making my own detergent.  How about you?

Read the post here: How To Make Homemade Laundry Detergent 

 

Comments

  1. I’ve been making my own detergent with this basic recipe for many years – I love the cleaning properties, and will probably never go back to commercial detergent. I used to “cook” it like this, but for the past several years I have streamlined it for myself – it takes a while to get the soap and powders to dissolve when cooking it. I add the grated soap bar (I use Fels Naptha, a laundry soap bar – $1 each), and the one cup each of Borax and washing soda to my blender, and mix to a uniform fine powder. I use about a tablespoon per load. You can also add scent crystals, Oxy Clean boosters, essential oils, etc.
    The 576 loads claim is a bit misleading – at one half cup per load, the 2 gallon recipe will wash 64 loads. If you are figuring that a box of Borax, a box of Washing Soda and 9 bars of soap will make 9 batches, you can come up with a total of 576 loads. This is an older (2011) article, and prices have gone up – Borax and washing soda are $4-$5 per box where I live, and figuring .50 each for 9 bars of soap, the price has gone up a bit, but is still very economical at less than 5 cents a load!
    Good article – I hope more people start making it!

Have you read?

DIY Beaded Towel Holder: An Easy Boho Bathroom Update

A DIY beaded towel holder is a lovely way to add a little warmth to a bathroom without replacing the vanity, repainting the walls or convincing yourself that new tiles are a perfectly reasonable weekend project.

With wooden beads, strong cord and an existing wall hook, you can make a simple hanging loop for a lightweight hand towel. The natural wood works beautifully with boho bathroom décor, coastal colours and relaxed farmhouse styling.

My favourite thing about this project is that you can keep it wonderfully simple. A single colour, a neatly finished hanging loop and a pretty hand towel are plenty. Sometimes the craft stash needs a firm reminder that every project does not require a tassel.

This version uses flexible cord, so the finished holder will form a soft oval or teardrop when a towel is added. That relaxed shape is part of its handmade charm.

If you are updating a small space, our collection of DIY bathroom decorating ideas has more ways to bring in useful storage and handmade details.

What You Need

  • Approximately 26 smooth wooden beads, 20 mm in diameter, with holes large enough for your cord
  • Approximately 1 metre of strong, non-stretch braided polyester cord, around 2 mm thick, for the beaded loop
  • Another 40 cm of the same cord for the hanging loop
  • An existing, securely installed wall hook
  • Scissors
  • Measuring tape
  • Masking tape to help thread the cord
  • Fine sandpaper
  • Optional acrylic paint
  • Optional clear protective finish suitable for painted or bare wood in indoor humid conditions

Skill level: Beginner
Making time: Allow around 30 minutes for assembly, plus any painting and curing time
Best suited to: One lightweight hand towel or guest towel

Large-hole wooden beads are the supply worth checking carefully before buying. Bead diameter and hole diameter are different measurements, and a lovely bag of beads is rather less useful when the cord will not fit through them.

Choose smooth, sealed beads where possible. If you use unfinished wooden beads, apply a suitable protective finish before assembly.

How Big Should a Beaded Towel Holder Be?

For this design, approximately 26 beads measuring 20 mm across provide a useful starting point.

Placed in a straight line, those beads measure about 52 cm altogether. Once joined into a loop, they create an opening suitable for threading through a folded lightweight hand towel. The exact shape and opening will change as the flexible loop hangs.

Before tying anything permanently, arrange the threaded beads into a loop and test it with the towel you actually plan to use.

A thick, fluffy towel needs more room than a thin cotton guest towel. This is one of those little checks that saves untying a very determined knot later.

How to Make a DIY Beaded Towel Holder

1. Check and Prepare the Beads

Inspect each bead for splinters, cracks and rough edges around the holes.

Smooth any rough areas with fine sandpaper and wipe away the dust. Pay particular attention to the holes because sharp edges can gradually wear through the cord.

If you are painting or sealing the beads, do that now. Keep the holes clear and allow the finish to cure fully according to the product instructions before threading.

Dry to the touch does not always mean ready to sit against a damp towel.

2. Plan Your Bead Pattern

Lay out the beads on a tea towel so they stay put.

For a simple wooden bead towel holder, use beads of the same size and finish. This gives the loop a tidy appearance and makes sizing easier.

For a little colour, try a symmetrical arrangement with painted beads near the top and natural wood around the lower section.

Keep heavily textured embellishments away from the part that touches the towel. Smooth beads are easier to wipe clean and less likely to catch a thread.

3. Thread the Beads

Cut approximately 1 metre of cord.

Wrap a small piece of masking tape tightly around one end to make a temporary threading tip. Add the beads, leaving enough cord at both ends for joining.

Bring the ends together to form a loop.

Allow a little movement between the beads. Pulling everything tightly together can make the loop awkward to shape and leave too little space for the hanging attachment.

Test the opening with your folded hand towel before continuing.

4. Join the Cord Ends Securely

Join the two cord ends with a double fisherman’s knot.

To make this knot:

  1. Lay the cord ends alongside each other, pointing in opposite directions.
  2. Wrap one free end twice around the other cord, then pass that free end back through both wraps.
  3. Repeat with the second free end around the first cord.
  4. Tighten each knot, then pull the standing cords so the two knots slide together.

Leave tails at least 2 cm long, or longer if recommended for your chosen cord.

Pull firmly on both sides to check that the join holds. If your cord is unusually slippery or the knot slips, choose a more suitable cord before using the holder.

Position the join at the top of the beaded loop. Do not rely on hot glue or masking tape to hold the loop closed.

5. Add the Hanging Loop

Take the separate 40 cm length of cord and join its ends securely to make a small closed loop.

Attach this loop to the top of the beaded holder with a lark’s head hitch:

  1. Push a folded section of the hanging loop through the centre of the beaded holder at the top.
  2. Pass the rest of the hanging loop through that folded section.
  3. Pull gently until the hitch sits snugly around the beaded loop between