I am what a lot of people would call a cheapo!
I don't like wasting money on boring junk like laundry detergent and cleaning supplies when I could be spending it on updating my wardrobe or going on family outings.
This prompted me to start thinking about the way I spend my money and to start avoiding being ripped off by commercial detergents and cleansers.
In the process, I became more aware of the effect harsh chemicals found in cleansers and detergents have on my family as well as the environment.
I'm not going to lie, for some time now, I've been attempting to be “green” in as many ways as humanly possible but I will not waste money any longer on commercially produced products claiming to be green, environmentally friendly, biodegradable, or organic.
This appears to be one more way big companies find to rip the consumer off! So, I'm on a mission to go green and go cheap at all costs.
One of the biggest rip offs we deal with as consumers is laundry detergent.
Most people don't seem to realize this but I do because I'm just that cheap.
I decided a long time ago to figure out just how much I was being ripped off by the detergent company when my father got into an argument with his former wife about not needing to double the amount of laundry detergent a bottle suggests you use.
The argument went something like this:
“Why the heck are you using so much detergent, woman?”
“Because the bottle says to use this much but I don't see any suds and it doesn't make the clothes smell pretty unless you double the amount they call for.”
“You silly woman, do you really believe the company that makes that detergent is going to tell you to use LESS than you need to for a load of laundry? They are around to make money, if they didn't make money, they would go out of business. They likely tell you to use more than you need and you're doubling it!”
“Whatever you say you cheap jerk! I'm going to use enough detergent to make my clothes smell good, they aren't clean unless they smell good!”
At the end of the day, these antics were part of what turned me into a cheapo!
The conversation stuck with me and from that day on, I used half as much detergent as the bottle recommended and I promise you, my clothes still got clean.
They might not have “smelled pretty” but they were clean nonetheless.
So then, I took it one step further in the “cheapness” department. I started tallying directly on the detergent bottle just how many loads of laundry I washed out of each bottle (keep in mind I use half the recommended amount of detergent per load).
What I found was exactly what I expected, I wasn't getting nearly as many loads of laundry out of a bottle as it claimed I would and I wasn't even using as much as they claimed I should.
Something was fishy here. For years, I kept that in the back of my mind but figured, “hey, what can I do about it?”
Well, I'm here to tell you, there is something you can do, and I did it.
I make my own laundry detergent. I guess I need to point out for some of you that laundry smelling “pretty” has nothing to do with it being clean and suds also have nothing to do with a product's cleansing abilities.
In the age of H.E. washers that require low suds formula detergents, that is becoming more obvious to the general population.
The detergent I make does not suds up in the washer but it still effectively cleans my laundry. Another valuable point, it only has a smell if I choose for it to, and in all honesty, the “pretty smell” of detergent doesn't have anything to do with how well it cleans.
As a matter of fact, perfumes in detergent can mask odors in clothing so that you don't realize that the item didn't actually get clean.
"Perfumy" detergents also don't go over well in a household full of sensitive skinned people like my crowd. Thus, I like having control over the “smell” of my detergent and knowing exactly how it came to smell that way.
So, here goes nothing. I know that some people just don't have the time to make their own laundry detergent and if you don't, that's understandable.
If you don't have time and you're interested in having a more earth friendly option than you currently use for a cheaper price, I will include contact information and we can work out something about getting you some made.
If you are interested in trying this for yourself, I will advise that it is a trial and error system. I have looked into many different methods for making detergent and found one that works well for my family and me and I can personally work with you to help you find one for your family.
It is a great option and one you will most likely be very happy with. Just think of all of the money you can save doing this!
I figured up that I’ll save hundreds of dollars a year making this product myself and that figure will be true for you, even if you end up paying to have it made instead of taking your valuable time to make it at home.
I enjoy doing this and my family enjoys the money we save, the effect we are having on our planet and the fact that our skin doesn't break out in a rash from perfumes in our laundry detergent. I also make my own softener (unimaginably simply).
Again, if you are interested in this method and other natural, earth friendly, and cheap options, let us know and we will continue these periodical stories.
Also, if you inbox me about products you are interested in but afraid to try, or questions you have about going green, I will include them in the next installment.
Caroline Lee Moncure is currently a student and writes from Roanoke Rapids. She can be contacted at her