Let's Talk: Homemade laundry soap doesn't work?

Becky,

I was wondering how to make homemade laundry detergent. Do you have a recipe you could share?

-Grace

Grace,

Interesting that you'd ask this question now. My Mom-in-law, Lark, started making the detergent for all of her kids (including me) two years ago. She has been using it non-stop for that entire time. I wish we'd kept track of how much money she has saved by not purchasing commercial detergents!

After a year of using the homemade laundry soap, I started having major problems. I wrote about it here. Until yesterday, I thought the only problem was hard water. So, what happened yesterday?

Hard water

Soooo...admitting defeat, I hang my head and pout a little. My home's hard water has won the fight. Calgon & all the vinegar & bleach in the world were not enough to overcome it. Commercial detergents come complete with chemicals that make them work, even in hard water. Homemade detergent, we had a good run. And someday, when I own my very own home, I will have a water softener installed and go back to making my own detergent. The savings are remarkable!