Laundry Loads

To maximize savings on laundry, here are some ideas:

• Do all your laundry on one day, starting a load as soon as another load finishes.  This maximizes the efficiency of your dryer...it stays warm inside, so you spend less money reheating the dryer for each load.
• Wash all loads in cold water to save heating costs.  (I must admit I don't do this...I'm too much of a germaphobe...gotta have it hot for certain loads to kill the germs.)
• Wash only full loads.  A full load uses almost the same energy to run as a small load!
• Use less detergent.
• Dry whatever you can on a clothesline.
• Fold or hang clothes immediately after taking them out of the dryer.  This saves money and time because it means less ironing!
• Iron your clothes in one big batch, saving money to reheat the iron multiple times.

What are your ideas?

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Thanks to R. for sharing this recipe and information!  She wrote:

1 bar (5.5 oz, 2 c.) Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap (I found them at ACE Hardware for $1.29 each)


1 c. Borax (found at Walmart, natural laundry booster, no phosphates or chlorine)

1 c. Washing Soda (found at King Soopers in laundry soap section, all natural)

Grate the bar soap (yes, this part is tedious). Mix with Borax and Soda and store in an airtight container. 1 TB for small loads. 2 TB for normal. 3TB for heavy. I usually use about 2.5 TB per large load.

Note: I read that whites might come out a little dingy so use color safe bleach with them. It seems to clean just as well when compared with commercial soap. Also, there is very little suds action because of using pure soap. This is perfect for HE front loading machines and regular machines.

R. also wrote, "All of the ingredients are advertised as being all natural. I read somewhere it comes to .15 per load but I really think it's cheaper than that."  She also noted that this detergent didn't seem to bother her child who has sensitive skin.  Thanks again for sharing!!

Fabric Softener Sheets

For years I saved money by never buying fabric softener sheets.  I had read that you shouldn't use them for baby's and children's pajamas because it negates the flame resistance of the clothing.  Since the baby's clothes were washed with ours, I never used them.  However, the static cling started to take it's toll!

We now have enough laundry to wash baby's clothing separately, so I enjoy the "luxury" :-) of fabric softener.  But I still want to stretch my dollar.  Take the fabric softener sheets and cut them in half.  Then use just one half sheet per load.  I promise it works just as well!

Jamie