Just in case you missed this article on DIY an update on making your own laundry detergent the first time we shared it a couple of years ago, we are republishing it. After Marne wrote this blog originally, we got an awesome response. This is one of the PYP Best Blogs!

Remember my previous post on how to save money and make your own laundry detergent?

Well, I wanted to post an update for you. I just ran out of it about a week ago. So this mix lasted me 7 months. Not quite as long as I had thought, but I do A LOT of laundry. With four kids and three of them in sports (and the other a messy 3 year old0, my washer rarely gets a rest. Here is the breakdown for you for me and my lifestyle:

Cost of original detergent: approx. $20
Amount made: approx. 2 gallons (see photo above)
Length of use: 7 months (29 weeks)
Loads done: 10-15 loads per week (average)
Amount of detergent used:1-2 Tbl. per load

So, if I am doing my math correctly, for each week I did laundry for 29 weeks my detergent cost me $.69 cents (I divided $20 into 29 weeks). And…as I am doing between 10-15 loads per week, that means each load of laundry was between $.04-$.06 cents per load!

That is pretty awesome.

For now I am going to keep on making my own detergent. I like how easy it is to make, how well it cleans my clothes, and how cost effective it is to make. Remember, the recipe I gave you has Oxi Clean in it, which does raise the price of the original cost. You can leave it out of the recipe in order to lower your overall cost. HOWEVER, I think it is worth it because it helps keep my whites from getting too dingy.

Did you make this recipe of detergent? How has it worked for you?