Is DIY Laundry Detergent Really Worth it to Make?

Everyone is all about the DIY lately. DIY clothes, accessories, decorations and now laundry detergent? We have to admit that when we saw DIY sunscreen on Pinterest, we shook our heads. And we’re not sure about DIY laundry detergent, so that dictated a bit of research. Does DIY laundry detergent really work? Does it really save you money? Does it take a lot of time to make? Is it more cost-effective and safer for the environment?

There are a lot of questions that one could ask about this kind of laundry detergent, and we decided to ask them. After all, someone has to do the job of figuring out if all the latest and greatest trends are really worth it or if they are just a shot in the dark. So, we took our little to no knowledge about making your own laundry detergent and did some research on the subject. Here is what we found; and it might interest you.

Does it Work on Laundry?

It’s a fair question; since you’re using it to wash your clothes, you would want to know whether or not it actually works. The answer differs from person to person. Some people swear by it and others hate it. It seems that you have account for the type of water you have, the stuff in your water, the recipe you use and just about everything else. At the end of the day, the number of times you have to rework your recipe, wash clothes to get rid of funky smells from recipes that don’t work and start from scratch until you find the right one for you might be a waste of time. It might also be less expensive to just buy detergent at this point.

Is it Cheaper?

If you quickly find a recipe that you like and enjoy and that works to clean your clothes, many experts believe that you can make a container of laundry detergent that will last you about a year and the total cost to make it is around $20. Of course, you’ll need to find that recipe quickly, or you could spend a lot more.

Is it Better for the Environment?

This is only a question that can be answered if you have specifics as to which ingredients you are using. If you’re using chemical ingredients, it’s probably not any safer than regular detergent. If you’re using things that have no chemicals in them, it’s probably a bit less harmful. The truth, however, is that most contain Borax or OxyClean, so it’s difficult to answer.

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