Homemade Laundry Soap

Brand/Type of Laundry Soap / Ounces / Number of Loads / Cost per Bottle/Batch[1] / Cost per Load
Arm & Hammer Dye/Perfume Free / 50 oz. / 32 loads / $3.99[2] / $0.12
Dynamo / 50 oz. / 32 loads / $1.99 / $0.06
Wegmans Dye Free / 150 oz. / 96 loads / $12.99 / $0.14
Dreft / 100 oz. / 64 loads / $16.49[3] / $0.26
Homemade (display version) / 6 gallons / 192 loads / $2.83 / $0.015[4]

·  Homemade laundry soap is easy to make, takes little time, and the ingredients can be found in the grocery store.

·  There are many recipes and you can make as large or small a batch as you like.

·  There is no residual smell from added fragrances.

·  If you do not like the absence of smell you can add essential oils.

·  Homemade laundry soap is safe for people with eczema or sensitive skin (some bar soaps may not be so check labels if you do not use Fels Naptha).

·  It does not create suds, making it better for the environment and safe for High Efficiency (HE) washers.

·  A large batch can last months and cost only a few dollars.

·  Making soap is a fun project to do with children.

Many recipes are available online, but TipNut has 10, including liquids and powders:

http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

You can add white vinegar to the rinse cycle for fabric softener and added odor control. Vinegar also helps clean your washer and works as an antibacterial. Other homemade fabric softener recipes can be found online.

[1] Prices from the Chili-Paul Wegmans on June 2nd 2012. For Homemade Laundry Soap, the cost is calculated based on the Wegmans cost for raw ingredients and the amount of ingredients used.

[2] On 9/12/2012 Arm & Hammer Dye Free laundry soap was on sale at the Chili-Paul Wegmans for $1.99 per bottle.

[3] Cost check done on 9/12/2012 per Wegmans website.

[4] Actual price per load is 1.474 cents per load.