Right before our youngest was born (three years ago), I started hearing talk about making my own laundry detergent. I didn't think much of it really. It wasn't until about a year ago, I began to give it considerable thought. I was paying $17 a MONTH for detergent for our family of 5...eeek...I wanted to change that, but I really liked the eco-friendly version I was using. A good friend of mine started making hers; I decided to give it a go. All of the ingredients needed cost me around $10. I figured I wasn't out much if I hated it.
We have been using it for about 6 months and I just bought the ingredients for only the second time- WOW! That is great savings.
It takes me MAYBE 15 minutes to make.
Recipes abound all over the Internet. I adapted mine from one I found on Pinterest.
So, now for the recipe...complete with pictures for you.
Homemade Laundry Detergent Ingredients:
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup washing soda
1/3 bar Fels Naphta soap- finely grated
Water
Heat 6 cups water on the stove as you grate the bar soap. Heat to boiling, add the soap and reduce heat to medium. Stir until all the soap is melted. Don't let the soap boil.
Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until completely dissolved. Stir for a few minutes longer until it thickens slightly (kind of like cooked pudding before it is cooked.) Remove from heat.
Add 4 cups hot water to the soap mixture and stir. (You can add essential oil here if you like- sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.) Add 6 more cups water. Allow to cool.
Most recipes, tell you to let it sit overnight; I do not let mine sit...I am a get-it-done-check-it-off-the-list kind of girl...so I let it cool enough to pour it into my old detergent containers. Leave room at the top to give it a good shake when you use it. (Someday, I might get pretty containers, but for now...these are FREE!)
Use 1/4 cup detergent per load. The detergent I make is more concentrated than a lot of the other recipes you will find- why store water? It is necessary to shake this up before using as it will settle into "layers." A good shake and you are all set, though!
DONE. I can NOT imagine buying detergent now. Let me know what you think after you try it.
Michelle, I know you all have well water out there..any word on how it works with clorine in your water? you have any city folks that use this? I add borax to my laundry now for a boost... what about stains how is it on stains?
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who has been using it with no problems with city water for well over a year now. I was actually worried about my septic system with this, but asked someone who installs septic systems and gave me the "green light" to use it.
DeleteI still use a pretreat spray when I need to; I haven't run out of that yet, but I have heard GREAT things about using the Fels Naphta bar soap right on stains, though. (I don't normally have real dirty laundry, but my dad does and my mom just uses a little more detergent and she says it is working great.)
Rachel, I have been using the recipe for shower cleaner that Michelle posted on this site (equal parts white vinegar and Dawn dish liquid) as a prewash spray for my clothes! It works amazingly well even on old, greasy stains. Super effective and super cheap. . .can't be beat!
DeleteI have recently started using 1/2 cup per load in most of my loads of laundry. I like it better; still way more economical than buying detergent at the store.
ReplyDelete