Thursday, June 19, 2014

Saving in the Laundry.....

I've been pinning this quilt... delicious fabrics in a simple design


.. then I needed a stretch so I went to replenish supplies ....

Another of my savings is with Laundry Powder....

Yea, I know.... better things to do with your time....

There is such a range of detergents available.. the cheapest I saw was about $4/kg (homebrand).  Based on 1/4cup needed per wash that's probably 15 washes...... or 26c a wash.....

Assuming one wash a day using the cheapest brand it's about $94.90 a year on laundry powder....

I spend $12 a year and it takes me 5 minutes to get it together

This is my recipe:

2 bars laundry soap (homebrand) 
1 x 500g bag of baking soda (homebrand)
(you can use Borax instead of baking soda but if you use grey water, which I do, it is not advised)
500g (or half a bag) washing soda (Lectric is found in woolies)


(If out of Australia I don't know any equivalents... sorry)

Grate up your laundry soap..... this is what takes up the time .... about 3 minutes per bar!!


Mix them all together....


I find the 1kg yoghurt container is perfect ..... this is over 6 months supply for me


Use 2 level teaspoons per wash (in most detergents there is a lot of extra salts... they don't do anything but add bulk because we seem to think a big cup of detergent means a better wash...)

I have a fun spoon which holds the 2 teaspoons nicely....


That's it....
of course if you do more washing you make more savings

P.S. I do use a tablespoon of the Di-san (Aldi's napisan equivalent) in my white wash... adds a bit of extra cost and also I do need help with hard stains (but I think we all do whatever detergent we use)

.. and then I made a big mess with cutting blocks and applique preparations....


Righto, Gotto Go... I've just saved $100 ... shall I use it on fabric?

Wendy is hosting

Grab the Friday Night Sew In (FNSI) button

this Friday... sign ups are HERE.... hope you can join us.... Wendy has made chocolate pudding.  I've got a load of handwork I want done....

30 comments:

kiwikid said...

Are you off to the quilt shop to spend that $100 then??? Great idea - I used to make one but it left white marks on the clothes so am going to give yours a try!
Have a great day!
xx

Melody said...

Your laundry mix sounds great grate great (sorry my strange sense of humour), thank you for sharing the recipe with us.

Mistea said...

I'll have to remember your laundry soap recipe if I ever run out of the bulk one I got from my last workplace!
Pretty fabrics in you quilting. I wonder what those applique shapes are decorating.
Enjoy your sewing time.

Chantal said...

Really? Just that? I have read homemade soap recipe that needs to be boiled for 3 minutes and you end up with 5 liters of stuff that looked so gooey!! I will definitively give this recipe a try and I will give you my opinion of it later. Thanks for sharing.

Sharon - Lilabelle Lane said...

Definitely food for thought here. thanks

Googy Girl said...

Love the quilt.
Can u use that washing mixture in a front loader?

Daisy Jayne said...

I would of to the LQS.... thanks for sharing the recipe ...off to the supermarket this weekend

Tarnyia said...

I have never made my own soap powder, water on the station was very harsh... but I might try it now in this lovely rainwater xxx

Roma Patchwork and Crafters Inc said...

Wonderful Fiona.

If we don't have homemade laundry soap in a cake would something like sunlight soap do the job?

Thank you for sharing.
Debra

Queen Of The Armchair aka Dzintra Stitcheries said...

I've been pinning what looks like suspiciously the same quilt....mine is called Diamonds at Large! I keep meaning to make my own detergent but will get there!

Cheryl (aka Kayly) said...

Thanks for the recipe. A few questions - Do you add it straight to the machine or do you dissolve it first? Do you use your grey water on the garden (I do) and if so do you have any problems with salt build up?

Anonymous said...

awesome Fiona thankyou for sharing,we are on tank water so would i use the baking soda or Borax ? Cant wait to see what you are making,catch you tomorrow night,and i hope you have a wonderful day my friend.xx

Jan said...

Love your recipe, Fiona. I've been making soap with friends lately and now have lots of blocks ready to use and more to come; how many cups of soap do your bars make? I have a front loader machine, cold wash only - would the mix have to be dissolved first?

Noela said...

Sounds good Fiona. I was going to ask the same question as Jan, mainly use cold, only warmer for dirty work clothes. Thanks for sharing. Hugs.....

Christine M said...

Thanks for the recipe Fiona. Do you think it be good for those yucky muddy footy clothes I have?

Jane said...

Love the look of that table, so much going on. I use soap nuts for my laundry,and add some extra bicarbonate of soda for the whites if needed. So much cheaper than commercial laundry products

Karen said...

Smart move with the detergent. I am guessing this is only for top loaders.
That quilt is looking good.

marina said...

beautiful fabrics in your latest quilting project.
interesting recipe for laundry powder. Now can you tell me the recipe to get someone else to do the washing?
those applique shapes are looking very interesting..

Susan said...

I'll be there sewing - looking forward to seeing what you do...

Maria said...

I buy my laundry powder in bulk and it's very cheap that way. Good recipe pleased it saves you lots.
Be joining you all tomorrow night.

Michelle Ridgway said...

Thanks for the recipe. Like Marina I want the "washer person" recipe!!! Your quilt looks lovely.

Wendyb said...

what a clever girl Fiona.....I've often looked at the American versions to try and save a buck, but don't know where to get some of the 'ingredients'. I'm going to have to give this one a try....looks good
thanks for the tip.....looking forward to tomorrow night...can't wait to see that quilt finished! xox sugary hugs Wendy :o)

Jeneta said...

Yes - spend it on fabric! Or chocolate! I must say I'm a bit excited about your laundry detergent recipe. My 9.5kg washer does about 12 loads a week, so I welcome a low cost alternative. I already buy my bi carb in 5kg boxes and I have a bag of Lectric washing soda. Just need some laundry soap and I'm good to go! I'm going to cheat and get the Thermomix to grate the soap. One question - how big is your washer? How much of your detergent do I need in my 9.5 kg washer?

Lin said...

Probably an odd question but why havnt you done your safety pins up? Thanks for the recipe - I have never seen such a big bag of bicarb - it comes in tiny tubs here.I use a liquid wash but have never worked out how much it costs per year - you have me thinking. Shall be sewing along with you tomorrow. xx

Sue SA said...

Thank you, certainly opens my eyes if we are just flushing excess salt through the waterways! Do you have a front or top loader?

Sheila said...

Thanks for sharing your recipe fir laundry soap , sounds interesting and simple :-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Fiona, I love the quilt you are working on! The fabric is gorgeous. I think this question was asked previously, but do you dissolve the laundry mix in hot water before you add it to the washing water? We use enormous amounts of washing detergent and I worry about the chemicals (I'm allergic to some of them too and they take the skin off and leave me with huge, red, painful raw welts). We also recycle our grey water. I've been searching for a good alternative washing soap, I've tried a few, but they didn't get anything clean or they were hugely expensive (like washing with grated gold) LOL. Thanks for sharing, toni xx

Wendy said...

Nice looking sewing prep. The laundry wash sounds interesting, I wonder if you can use it in a front loader?? xx

Chrissie said...

Like you, I am erring to using non toxic, make your own household cleaning products. Back to the old vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda etc, remembering the tricks my grandmother used to use, like buffing windows with newpaper. One of the best ones is for cleaning the front glass on our log burner, dampen a piece of newspaper, dip it in some of the ash and wipe, comes up clean every time. xcx

Rachaeldaisy said...

What a fun post! That soap mix looks almost good enough to eat!

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