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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 

 

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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?

Easy Patriotic Mason Jar Cricut Craft for Summer Decorating

Mason jars really do earn their keep in the craft room, don’t they? One minute they’re holding buttons, the next they’re filled with flowers, fairy lights, paintbrushes, or the random collection of pens that somehow migrates from every drawer in the house.

This Stars & Stripes 4th of July Mason Jar Cricut Craft from CraftBits is a simple red, white, and blue project that turns plain pint-size mason jars into festive patriotic decorations. It uses paint, white vinyl, a Cricut machine, and a stars-and-stripes SVG file to create a clean, bold design that works beautifully for 4th of July table decor, patriotic porch styling, summer BBQs, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Veterans Day displays.

You can find the full tutorial here: Stars & Stripes 4th Of July Mason Jar – Cricut Craft.

What I like about this project is that it looks polished without being overly complicated. The jars are painted red and blue, then finished with white vinyl decals cut using a Cricut. The tutorial uses a Cricut machine with a fine point blade, standard grip mat, premium white vinyl, transfer tape, weeding tool, paint, clear glaze, and two pint-size mason jars with at least one smooth side.

The instructions walk you through painting the jars with 2–3 coats, sealing them with clear glaze, uploading the SVG into Cricut Design Space, resizing the design, cutting and weeding the vinyl, applying it with transfer tape, and sealing again before filling the jars with flowers, flags, or other embellishments.

These jars would be adorable lined up down the centre of a picnic table, tucked into a porch display, or grouped on a mantel with mini flags and battery candles. I especially like the idea of using faux white flowers so they can be packed away and reused next year — because let’s be honest, holiday decorating is much easier when half the job is already sitting in a labelled storage tub.

If you are already planning a front porch refresh, this project pairs nicely with our 15 DIY 4th of July porch decor ideas, which includes mason jar accents, patriotic wreaths, painted rocks, custom doormats, and budget-friendly red, white, and blue styling ideas. CraftGossip also notes that mason jars work beautifully for porch tables, windowsills, drinks stations, battery candles, fairy lights, flags, and wrapped cutlery.

A few handy tips before you start: make sure your jars are clean and dry before painting, let every coat cure properly, and use the smoothest side of the jar for your vinyl. Raised lettering on mason jars can make vinyl placement a bit fiddly, and nobody needs to be arguing with transfer tape the night before guests arrive.

For supplies, this is a natural place to mention a Cricut machine, white permanent vinyl, transfer tape, weeding tools, mason jars, clear spray glaze, and red and blue craft paint. Amazon works well for general Cricut supplies and mason jars, while Cricut-branded materials or vinyl bundles are a helpful affiliate fit if you’re turning this into a shopping-supported post. A small Cricut scraper or spatula is also worth having nearby because it helps the vinyl transfer cleanly without bubbles.

You could also change the look depending on your decorating style. Use navy and burgundy paint for a more vintage Americana look, bright red and royal blue for a party table, or chalk paint if you like a softer farmhouse finish. Add twine around the rim, tuck in mini flags, fill them with sparklers for display only, or use them as utensil holders for a backyard BBQ.

This is a lovely beginner Cricut project because it uses a simple vinyl application on a small surface. It gives you a finished project that looks impressive, but it doesn’t require a huge material list or complicated layering. And if you’ve been saving jars because “they might be useful one day,” congratulations — one day has officially arrived.