Cheaper Alternative to Super Washing Soda

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Mary Hunt in Home & Family 39 Comments

I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that last minute congressional decisions in 2012 resulted in a 2 percent cut in everyone’s take-home pay beginning 2013. That hurts!

I immediately began thinking where ordinary households could cut the cost of goods and services they’re paying for now to make up for the loss of income. You may already know what I’m thinking: Laundry detergent. No, really. Laundry detergent!

By reducing your per-load cost for detergent from $.35 or more to just $.03, you’ll have made a good start in recovering the lost income.

I recently wrote about my Homemade Laundry Detergent recipe, including photos and an update here. The ingredients are still the same: washing soda, borax and Blue Dawn. I make three gallons at a time, for about $1.50 total. Because it is not concentrated I get about 48 loads (1 cup per load) from three gallons.

I’ve learned that washing soda (sold for years by Arm & Hammer as Super Washing Soda) has become increasingly difficult to find. My supermarket stopped carrying it, and I can no longer get it at Target or Walmart. Still available online, Super Washing Soda is no longer cheap. At $18 for 3.5 pounds (with shipping), that’s more than $5 per pound. But not to worry. I’ve got you covered.

Washing soda contains just one all natural ingredient: sodium carbonate (which is not edible and should never be confused with sodium bicarbonate which is baking soda). Soda ash, used in swimming pools to lower the pH, contains just one all-natural ingredient: sodium carbonate. Bingo!

I stopped into a local pool supply store and picked up 10 pounds of soda ash for $1.89 per pound. The product is identical in all ways to washing soda because, well, sodium carbonate is just sodium carbonate!

Even at $5 per pound for washing soda, making your own laundry detergent is still incredibly cheap. But why pay more for washing soda when soda ash is so much cheaper? You can easily order soda ash online in 5-lb. quantity for $12.91 plus shipping or save big on a 50-lb. bucket at $36.50 plus shipping. Or, just find a store that sells swimming pool supplies in your area.

I will let you know when I discover cheaper alternatives for borax and Blue Dawn. While both can be found online, for now they remain available in most supermarkets and discount department stores.

Question: It’s been two months since the 2-percent pay cut took effect. What are you doing to make up for the loss of income? Share your ideas here. 

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Posted on March 5, 2013 by Mary Hunt in Home & Family 39 Comments
  • Debbie Sue

    What is the difference between original Blue Dawn and the concentrated? Are their alternatives to Blue Dawn? I’ve only found it in one place and this is hit or miss. I’m in Canada so I would love to find something a little more generic if possible. Thanks so much for looking out for all of us watching our financial bottom line.

    • RoxieRenae

      I have been using the re-labeled ‘concentrated Blue Dawn’ and since it’s concentrated I’ve been using less to make my laundry detergent. I’m suspicious that the company re-labeled their product to keep consumers interested. I know a gal who has used other dish soaps to make her laundry detergent. I’m not sure how well they’ve worked and I’m reluctant to use other products since my skin is sensitive to some additives.

  • Beck

    When my tax refund comes I am going set aside a grocery fund to buy what is on sale enough to last 6 months to a year. I want to stock enough meat in the freezer as it comes on sale, canned goods and so forth to the point that weekly or biweekly shopping would just be for fresh items. This would help my budget while getting the best prices.

  • TX Grandma

    The pay cut – it’s really just restoring us to the level before a two-year “tax cut”. I always figured it would end, because it was robbing our social security system. I didn’t see that big a rise in my paycheck when the tax cut was given, and I mentally prepared myself for when it was gone. I believe this is just smoke and mirrors. Living debt-free is the BEST way to be prepared for anything! By living below our means, this kind of government “adjustment” doesn’t have to hurt!

    • Renita

      Thank you for pointing that out, it was not a pay cut, it was ending a tax break that was always meant to be temporary. It seems really disingenuous to call it a “pay cut”.

  • Q

    You can probably buy Dawn online…

  • BellaTerra66

    Soda ash comes in “light”, “medium” and “dense” grades. I would suppose we would need the ‘light’ grade, yes?

  • D Hatfield

    I am reworking old clothes of mine to become my daughter’s new clothes.

  • Ruth

    A nice alternative to the very expensive oil from the beauty supply store that you put on your hair ten minutes before you wash it is olive oil. This is especially helpful for curly hair. Just put a nickel size amount in your palm and rub it into the ends of your hair (not your scalp) ten to twenty minutes before washing it and your hair will look like you’ve had an expensive conditioning treatment.

  • RoxieRenae

    I found Super Washing Soda at ‘Menards’, a home improvement super store.

  • renee

    Is Soda ash bio-friendly to our skin? I had border line cancer 7 years ago and am very careful what I put in my wash and bathing and eating. Any input would be helpful

    • sheila

      If you swim in a swimming pool, you are exposed to soda ash, albeit in diluted form. It is added when the pH is too acidic (too low). The soda ash is rinsed out in your washing machine and then your clothes are dried. I’m no expert, but I do not worry about using it.

  • Joyce

    Haven’t noticed much change with the 2% cut. Just doing what I normally do… by being frugal.

  • KCarter

    Mary, my concern about soda ash you recommend from pool supply store is how has it been processed? Although it may be the same product, chemicals used in processing could vary greatly and make a difference whether it is safe at smaller ratios for washing clothes compared to a larger dilution in a pool.

  • Priscilla

    My adjustment was simply to stop buying alcoholic beverages…..better for my diet, too.

    • Sheila

      Not just better for your diet…better for your life. Congratulations on giving up alcohol. I drank very little anyway, but in 1993, my husband and I joined the LDS (Mormon) Church, gave up all alcohol and have saved soooo much money.

  • Jim. Capistrano Beach, CA

    You can buy the 3lb. 7 oz. box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda at http://www.acehardware.com for $4.79 and shipping is free to your local Ace Hardware store. Or you can go to your local Ace Hardware store and they will probably have it in stock as mine does.

    • http://www.facebook.com/momijen Jennifer Palermo

      I got mine for $3.24 at Walmart. Borax (76oz) at Target for $2.99

  • IL Mom

    Interesting and sad that I haven’t noticed it because of the decreased amount allowed for my Health Savings Account. Last year I had $4000 deducted from my salary for the HSA and this year it is limited to $2500. So my take home pay is about the same, maybe a little higher. But, I have $1500 more in taxable income.

  • chirping

    In a word “SOUP”. We have soup at least every other day; sometimes as a side dish,sometimes as the main course. It can be bean, lentil, vegetable with or w/o meat. It’s filling, its healthy and it’s cheap! It is a great way to use all those tidbits of left overs.

  • Munchie

    Back to couponing and frugal eating like I grew up with.

  • Eco gal

    I too continue to be frugal. More soups have been added to our menu and one day a week is meatless. While I continue to use coupons I have noticed that there seem to be fewer and fewer coupons available for the products I use. Additionally I have started using Dr. Bonner’s soap as my go to cleaner for just about everything. A very little goes a long way.

  • Denise

    I have found a business to earn extra money. http://www.denisemccall.com

  • http://www.facebook.com/mary.gibbs.9 Mary Beth Gibbs

    I have trouble with the odor of my clean clothes after washing them in this detergent. They don’t smell bad, just not fresh and clean. I bought some essential oil (cheapo at WalMart) and that didn’t make one bit of difference. Can you give me any ideas? Thanks, love the hints.

    • http://www.facebook.com/victoria.brofman Victoria Brofman

      Im new to this site but can tell you that my friend uses homemade detergent all the time. Instead of Dawn she uses Ivory soap (grated and melted in 1/2 gallon of water, 2 cups of Borax, and 2 cups of ph+ soda and 4 1/2 gallons of water. She told me she also buys a small bottle of CHEAP scented laundry detergent and adds it to her soap. She says she gets some strang looks when she’s opening bottles and sniffing but whatever it takes.

      • Sheila

        Check out my reply to Mary Beth Gibbs for my solution to the scent issue. You are willing to work harder than I am. No way would I grate/melt bar soap. And 2 cups of Borax and soda ash will get expensive really quickly.

    • http://www.facebook.com/lorrie.ney Lorrie Rooney Ney

      We too find that the detergent can leave an unusual smell that doesn’t stay fresh smelling for a long time. I think it might be the condition of the water in your area–and mine–which mixes with the detergent. But even with purchased detergents, in our hardened water we’ve found that our washed/dried and stored linens will eventually smell “weird” in just a few days. A friend across town from us made the same comment about her own linen closet, and many of us in our Bible study that day shared that our towels, dish cloths, etc. would smell like a “garage” smell. Some of us using self made soaps and other using the store bought. Dryer sheets don’t seem to help. It seems to be a petroleum based smell. And then sours quickly.

      • Sheila

        See my reply to Mary Beth Gibbs and Lorrie Rooney Ney. Add Downy Unstoppables (scent booster pellets). Great smell and I can’t even tell I didn’t use Tide.

    • Sheila

      Me, too. I like a scented detergent. I add Downy Unstoppable (scent boosting pellets). I think I bought it at WalMart, but you can find it at any grocery, etc. I add about 1 T. to 1.5 gallon jug while the water is still hot so the pellets dissolve. Shake jug before each use. The bottle was $8, so I need to do the math to find out how much more is spent per load.

      • Bethany Twine

        Hey! I am loving the tips on here! Here is a tip for you on the scent-issue. Purex Crystals works great and on Walmart.com, 55 oz. is under nine bucks. Plus, you get free shipping on orders of $45 or more of qualified items so I tend to stock up. Also, I have anxiety issues and I have noticed that anything scented with lavender works wonders for my nerves (I even grow it in adorable pots around my home for extra help), so I buy the lavender scented crystals and I stock up when I go to buy it online since there is never any guarantee that my local walmart will have it in stock. They also have “fresh spring waters” scent. Hope it helps

  • JM

    Not only has our pay been cut, but I am on unemployment and working part time 2 days a week, so we have to really watch our $. We are really watching our electric bill and that is going really good. Our bill for last month was $86.54. We unplug our computer when it is not in use, unplug anything that is not being used, like our microwave. We plug them up only when we are using them. Some evenings we eat by candlelight and leave the kitchen light off – nice. Coupons for everything also help out. We have also cut out eating out to one time a week, usually at a place that we have a coupon for and before usual dinner hour. Hope that this helps someone else cut their output. JM

  • Wildflowernbloom

    The Sequestration is resulting in a 20% reduction in the pay of Federal employees for 22 weeks. That means from April 1 until August 31.

  • Diane, Science enthusiast

    I must comment on something even better, you can make your own washing soda out of baking soda!!! All you need to do is bake it. Seriously! The differrence chemically is water and carbon dioxide and baking removes them both. If you don’t believe me, google it.

  • Chris

    I just bought Super washing soda at Walmart last week. They always have it.

    • http://www.facebook.com/lorrie.ney Lorrie Rooney Ney

      Don’t know where you are Chris, but my Walmart does not carry it.

  • Cath

    What happened to your recipe for detergent that was a cup of borax, a cup of washing soda, and a grated bar of Fels Naptha? That’s what I’ve been using for years. I haven’t figured out the cost. I can get all three at Giant Food Stores, as well as other supermarkets around Philadelphia. It seems logical to me that Fels Naptha would work better than Blue Dawn simply because it is made to wash clothes, while Dawn is meant for dishes. I’m a little nervous about the pool supplies. Have you run this by a chemist?

  • Cbart343

    I saw that regular baking soda says to add to your laundry so I used your recipe using that instead of washing soda, I liked how the clothes came out but wonder if there is harm in using the bicarbonate instead.

  • sheila

    I ordered 50# of soda ash (used in pools and the same exact product as washing soda) from Amazon.com for just over $30. Even with the shipping, it will be “cheap”. It will take me years to go through the 50# bucket. I make it in 1.5 gallon jug, but add about 1 T. of Downy Unstoppables (scent booster pellets) while the water is still hot so the pellets dissolve. Adds a bit to the cost, though, need to figure out how many more cents per load.

  • Bethany Twine

    I grow a container garden of vegetables and use the Square Foot Garden Method, I get more veggies, less work and use a special section for harvesting seeds for the veggies like carrots and potatoes and onions. I make my own spaghetti sauce, alfredo sauce, tartarsauce, etc (plus my recipes are healthier than store-bought) and then I can them since I always cook in large batches. I also make my own pasta which has saved us a lot of money since my family eats a lot of pasta! The $80 for a pasta machine (hand-cranked at my local JungleJim’s) saves us money on energy and more than paid for itself as the savings at Kroger’s built up. I can all of my extra veggies and I also can my homemade raviolli that I make practicly from scratch. Also, since my fiance loves to go hunting (I also love it since I get to use my compound bow) we substitute ground vennison for ground chuck. When we take out deer to be processed we have it all ground up. Plus the time out in the woods hunting and camping is excellent for bonding and we save energy on cooking since we do it over a campfire. We save energy on electricity too, since we don’t use all those electronics we love so much. A hunting license and tags (etc.) is generally about $50 so we spend $100 on licenses (make our own arrows so it is less expensive than buying and we also sterilize them and reuse), and we generally spend about $15 each trip in processing fees at our local butcher shop. We go for the biggest buck/doe we can find so we maximize our food store. I also only wash in cold water for laundry and make my own detergent. We plan to have solar panels put in so that we can pay Duke Energy less and also earn a small profit for the excess energy we sell back to the electric company. And though we have an energy efficient dryer, we try to hang our clothes on a line to dry as often as weather permits and unplug our dry in the meantime to cut energy costs. This is how my household cuts back on spending.