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Alternatives to washing powder???

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  • tori.k
    tori.k Posts: 3,592 Forumite
    Laundry gloop. there is a post on how to make on the sneaky ways to save the pennies thread. its just a soap and soda crystals mix and so far its worked a treat and cost me 62p to make a months worth of washing powder
  • Natty68
    Natty68 Posts: 3,465 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 4 March 2010 at 9:20PM
    I've been using a mixture of borax, bicarb of soda, Aldi's Oximat stain remover and one tablet of ariel. And a good splash of white vinegar as fabric conditioner. I have definately cut my costs down with regards to the washing stuff. This mix gets all my washing clean, lovely and white and will even clean at either 30 to 90 depending on what you are washing.

    Meant to say that Dh suffers with severe Excema and since I have stopped using fabric conditioner and only using the above mix his excema has disappeared completely :D
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  • candygirl
    candygirl Posts: 29,455 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    They've got the washer balls in ALDI at the mo for £5.99:D:D
    "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf"

    (Kabat-Zinn 2004):D:D:D
  • anguk
    anguk Posts: 3,412 Forumite
    jackieb wrote: »
    I'll have to try that. I agree that the smell's not the best, but hanging them outside seems to get rid of most of the smell. I hope it would be okay for my son's skin as well - it sounds good.

    Did you try the fragrance-free version?
    I haven't tried the fragrance-free one just the lemongrass or magnolia & lily (my favourite). I have really sensitive skin and have awful bother with "normal" washing powder/liquid and fabric softener but I've never had any sort of reaction with the Earth friendly stuff, maybe because it's chemical free? They do a baby laundry liquid with chamomile & lavender, I imagine that would be very gentle on skin?
    Dum Spiro Spero
  • cdodd wrote: »
    the site also says that the soap nuts can be used in the dishwasher?!

    We now use soap nuts for a lot of our cleaning needs. We boil some up once a week and use the liquid produced for our laundry (with some essential oils to give it a fragrance and some oxy bleach for the whites). We've also made hand wash by thickening the liquid and glass cleaner by adding water and vinegar.
    If you put the liquid in a blender, you can also shave with it.
  • Dont have a dishwasher, but hear they work in there too.
  • I've just started making my own washing powder using Soda Crystals, Soap Flakes and Borax Substitute and it works a treat! Found the recipe here is anyone wants it...http://dri-pak.co.uk/laundry-cleaning-tips/make-your-own-washing-powder.html
  • bramble1
    bramble1 Posts: 3,096 Forumite
    Is there an OS alernative to washing powder for our clothes?

    I'm sure there must be a cheaper alternative!
    Annual Grocery Budget £364.00/£1500
    Debt payments 2012 £433.27
  • Fruball
    Fruball Posts: 5,739 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I don't use one of the alternatives but what I do now is use a tiny scoop (the one from the days when i used to buy vanish in wash:eek:) and i literally use a fraction of what i used to use. About a tbsp full and the clothes are still clean and smell fresh (I use a bit of white vinegar as softener and it keeps limescale at bay too)

    I would never go back to using the amount I used to use and a big box lasts probably around 8 months :T

    (I apply the same principle to other things, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel... use half of what I used to use = 6 months free stuff :rotfl:)
  • Pink.
    Pink. Posts: 17,650 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 11 September 2010 at 3:05PM
    Hi bramble1,

    I use half washing powder and half soda crystals. Better results than washing powder alone and cheaper.

    These threads should give you more ideas:

    Alternatives to washing powder???

    Laundry Gloop - Gloopy Thread !!!

    Home-made washing powder

    Dare you stop using washing powder?

    Help No Washing powder left-No Money

    Homeade Fabric Conditioner

    I'll add your post to the first link later to keep the suggestions together.

    Pink
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