How Do You Make Powder Laundry Detergent For An HE Washer?
The average standard washing machine uses up to 40 gallons of water for each load. High-efficiency (HE) washing machines are designed to wash your laundry using reduced amounts of both water and energy. Using an HE machine can save you $500 in water over the lifetime of the machine. Special detergents are used in HE machines. Because they use less water, they need low-sudsing detergents. The good news is that a good, low-sudsing detergent can be made inexpensively at home–boosting your HE machine savings even further. Grate 1 bar of Ivory soap, using a hand-held grater. Using a hand-held grater is not necessary if you have a mini-chopper or a food processor–either works well to grate the soap bar. Just use whatever gives you a nice, finely grated soap. Measure 1/2 cup borax and 1/2 cup washing soda in a measuring cup. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir thoroughly to combine. Store your new detergent in an airtight, lidded storage container. You can skip mixing the ingr
