Okay I admit it. I am frugal by marriage. I can look at a variety of unmarked items and 9 out of 10 times, I would pick the most expensive one. My husband on the other hand would pick the least expensive and most practical. A few years ago we found ourselves in the midst of financial uncertainty and needed to learn fast how to stretch every dollar. I am always up for a challenge, so I dug in deep and tightened the spending belt. I learned fast that clipping coupons, shopping sales to stock up, and planning meals really did save our family money. I also noticed that even with coupons we were spending $20+ a month on laundry detergent. That didn't seem like much, but it is $240 a year. We needed a more frugal option. I remembered that my aunt had mentioned making her own detergent and that it was relatively inexpensive. Like any modern mom I began to search Pinterest for a recipe: Baking Soda, Super Soda Wash, Borax, and a shredded Fels-Naptha Bar. I mixed the ingredients in a 5 gallon storage container and it lasted our family just over a year and a half! AND it worked great, too! Except for the little chunks of Fels-Naptha, I would find every now and then.
Impressed by the cleaning power, but irritated by the little chunks of soap, I sought out an alternative to the Fels-Naptha Bar. It needed to be easier to mix and fight stains. Baby Oxiclean was a great substitute. This evening we mixed equal parts of Baking Soda, Super Soda Wash, and Borax with one tub of Baby Oxiclean.
Baking soda 6.59
Soda Wash 3.97
Borax 3.97
Baby Oxiclean 5.99
Totaling $20.52 lasting 18 months ~ $1.14/month
Instructions for use: Add 2 Tbsps to your wash.
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