It's amazing how expensive laundry detergent is. Several years ago, when I realized how much I was spending on it, I decided to start making my own. Not only did I save a lot of money, my son's skin stopped itching. Turns out all the extra chemicals they put in that stuff was the cause of his rashes.
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A few years ago, Tide started making and promoting laundry pods. They aren't any cheaper than regular detergent, but they are more convenient. Just toss one in the bottom of your washer and you're ready to go.
Still, the cost is too much to be worth it, and I assumed I would never use pods… that is, until I came across this video by Big Bear Homestead. In it, she explains how to make your own laundry pods, which are way cheaper than Tide pods (and they don't look like candy, either).
Here's what you need:
- A really big bowl (preferably metal)
- Several ice cube trays
- 3 soap bars
- 3 cups of washing soda
- 3 cups of borax
- 1 cup of OxiClean stain remover
- Essential oils
- Spray bottle filled with equal parts water and vinegar
Here's how to make it:
- Grate your soap into a big bowl.
- Add the washing soda, borax, and OxiClean.
- Stir it all together thoroughly.
- Add 20 drops of your favorite essential oils (she uses 10 drops each of eucalyptus and lemongrass).
- Mix the oil into the mixture really well.
- Continue to stir up the mixture while spraying it with your water/vinegar bottle.
- Keep doing this until the mixture clumps up like sand (use plenty of water/vinegar as it is essential to making them clump into pods).
- Pack the mixture into the ice cube trays.
- Let them sit for 8 hours.
- Pop them out of the trays. If they fall apart, you need to use more water/vinegar, so repeat the last 4 steps.
- Place them in a jar or bucket. All done!
This recipe should get you about 50 laundry pods. Watch the video below to follow along.
