The teaching profession has a lot of great perks...but the salary is not usually one of them. Through the years, I've learned some tips and tricks that helped me stretch my teacher's salary, all while working around my busy teaching schedule. During this series, I will be sharing them with you!
This week's tip....
Make Your Own Laundry Detergent!
... no laughing, 'kay?
To those of you who are thinking: "This lady has officially crossed over into CrazyTown," I'd like to invite you to come see me there...you know, just to visit for a bit. ;)
If that thought didn't cross your mind when you read the title of this post, it's because you're already a resident of CrazyTown and you're most likely one my neighbors!
Either way, I would encourage you to test this tip out just for fun. There's not a huge monetary investment on the front end and if you totally hate it, you can simply wander back over to the land of Tide.
To those of you who are thinking: "This lady has officially crossed over into CrazyTown," I'd like to invite you to come see me there...you know, just to visit for a bit. ;)
If that thought didn't cross your mind when you read the title of this post, it's because you're already a resident of CrazyTown and you're most likely one my neighbors!
Either way, I would encourage you to test this tip out just for fun. There's not a huge monetary investment on the front end and if you totally hate it, you can simply wander back over to the land of Tide.
Why does this work for me?
It's a big money-saver without having to commit a lot of time or sacrifice on quality.
I didn't have a lot of free time between grading papers, planning lessons, contacting parents, and trying to keep up with things at home. Most recipes are fairly time-consuming, but then I stumbled across a powdered recipe that was pretty simple. Since I use the powder version as opposed to the liquid one, it's super quick and easy to whip up a batch of this. (The liquid one requires boiling, cooking, melting, etc.)
Money Saving Queen calculated the savings for us. You can visit her site for a more detailed look, but the final numbers were:
40 Loads Homemade Detergent: $2.80
40 Loads of Tide (at Walmart): $9.24
It's easy to find the ingredients. Since my shopping options are limited where I live, I was super-excited to find a recipe that included three simple ingredients that I can buy at Walmart. Bonus: They are all in the same section of the store!
I didn't have a lot of free time between grading papers, planning lessons, contacting parents, and trying to keep up with things at home. Most recipes are fairly time-consuming, but then I stumbled across a powdered recipe that was pretty simple. Since I use the powder version as opposed to the liquid one, it's super quick and easy to whip up a batch of this. (The liquid one requires boiling, cooking, melting, etc.)
Money Saving Queen calculated the savings for us. You can visit her site for a more detailed look, but the final numbers were:
40 Loads Homemade Detergent: $2.80
40 Loads of Tide (at Walmart): $9.24
It's easy to find the ingredients. Since my shopping options are limited where I live, I was super-excited to find a recipe that included three simple ingredients that I can buy at Walmart. Bonus: They are all in the same section of the store!
It's easy to store. I don't have to keep large jugs of detergent everywhere. I just keep my container of powder on the shelf, along with a tablespoon measuring scoop.
One less reason to make a last-minute grocery store run. I can buy one box of borax, one box of washing soda, and a few bars of the soap and keep those in the cupboard. If I run out of detergent, I have everything on hand to make a new batch in just a few minutes.
One less reason to make a last-minute grocery store run. I can buy one box of borax, one box of washing soda, and a few bars of the soap and keep those in the cupboard. If I run out of detergent, I have everything on hand to make a new batch in just a few minutes.
Let's get started!
First, you'll need to get the following:
1 cup Borax (found in the laundry detergent near the Clorox or stain fighting aides)
1 cup Washing Soda (NOT baking soda- they are different. This can be found by the Borax)
`1f1 bar Fels-Naptha Soap (also by the Borax)
Grate the Fels-Naptha bar using a cheese grater, zester or your food processor. I prefer using my processor as it makes it into a sand-like texture, but either way works.
Combine the grated soap, the Borax, and the Washing Soda in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
Transfer the mixture to a mason jar or other container.
Use 2 Tbsp per load (for a typical large-sized load of laundry). I use 2 Tbsp when my washer is set to the 'super' load size. While I don't have an HE washer, everything I've read said that this is fine to use since it's a 'low-sudsing detergent.'
The Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cup Borax (found in the laundry detergent near the Clorox or stain fighting aides)
1 cup Washing Soda (NOT baking soda- they are different. This can be found by the Borax)
1 bar Fels-Naptha Soap (also by the Borax)
Directions:
1. Grate the Fels-Naptha bar using a cheese grater or your food processor. I prefer my processor as it makes it into a sand-like texture, but either way works.
2. Combine the grated soap, the Borax, and the Washing Soda in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
3. Transfer the mixture to a mason jar or other container.
For each load:
Use 2 Tbsp per load (for a typical large-sized load of laundry). I use 2 Tbsp when my washer is set to the 'super' load size.
Try it out for yourself. Then decide.
First, you'll need to get the following:
1 cup Borax (found in the laundry detergent near the Clorox or stain fighting aides)
1 cup Washing Soda (NOT baking soda- they are different. This can be found by the Borax)
`1f1 bar Fels-Naptha Soap (also by the Borax)
Grate the Fels-Naptha bar using a cheese grater, zester or your food processor. I prefer using my processor as it makes it into a sand-like texture, but either way works.
Transfer the mixture to a mason jar or other container.
Use 2 Tbsp per load (for a typical large-sized load of laundry). I use 2 Tbsp when my washer is set to the 'super' load size. While I don't have an HE washer, everything I've read said that this is fine to use since it's a 'low-sudsing detergent.'
The Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cup Borax (found in the laundry detergent near the Clorox or stain fighting aides)
1 cup Washing Soda (NOT baking soda- they are different. This can be found by the Borax)
1 bar Fels-Naptha Soap (also by the Borax)
Directions:
1. Grate the Fels-Naptha bar using a cheese grater or your food processor. I prefer my processor as it makes it into a sand-like texture, but either way works.
2. Combine the grated soap, the Borax, and the Washing Soda in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
3. Transfer the mixture to a mason jar or other container.
For each load:
Use 2 Tbsp per load (for a typical large-sized load of laundry). I use 2 Tbsp when my washer is set to the 'super' load size.
Try it out for yourself. Then decide.
I have friends who have tried this and hated it. They didn't think it cleaned their clothes very well. (Though they said it did a great job cleaning their machine- so that's something!)
I also have other friends (and some family members) who have used this forever and absolutely love it.
I would encourage you to make a small batch and try it out for yourself. Or better yet, find a friend who uses a homemade detergent and see if you can have a tablespoon or two to test it out on your clothes. If it works, great. If not, oh well. There's always the next budget tip to try, right? In the end, it's all about finding what works for you and your family.
Do you already make your own detergent? Do you love it...hate it? What works for you?
Find more great budget tips for teachers here.
I also have other friends (and some family members) who have used this forever and absolutely love it.
I would encourage you to make a small batch and try it out for yourself. Or better yet, find a friend who uses a homemade detergent and see if you can have a tablespoon or two to test it out on your clothes. If it works, great. If not, oh well. There's always the next budget tip to try, right? In the end, it's all about finding what works for you and your family.
Do you already make your own detergent? Do you love it...hate it? What works for you?
Find more great budget tips for teachers here.
I use a liquid version of this right now (and love it), but I think I will try the powdered kind as it sounds like it will save me a some time.
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