Homemade Laundry Detergent

I’ve been wanting to share this idea for sometime now, but I wanted to show a picture with it.

Well, I’m impatient, and I decided to do it without a picture.

My Works For Me Wednesday is not necessarily a new concept, it has been circualting for sometime…Homemade Laundry Soap.

I was very skeptical at first, but since it is econmical, I thought I would go ahead and give it a whirl.

I’m glad I did. Since orginally trying it, I’ve done it 3 different ways (amazing that I never got a pic of any way, eh?). The first way was the dry method. No water added.

Second, I tried adding the items in a different order. Liked it, but not as much as I like way #3.

Here is what I do:

1. Grate a bar of soap into small flakes. You can use a food processor, or a microplane. I use just a regular Antibacterial bar of soap, or I’ve heard Fels Naptha is great (I cannot find it here). The only tip I have here, is to try to keep the bar of soap at a reasonable price, mine is a quarter a bar. Also, the Johnson Buddies Soap that we have been getting for free would also work!
2. Add 2c water to a pot, and add grated soap. “Cook” until all the soap flakes are melted.
3. Add 1/2 c each Borax and Washing Soda (not baking soda). These can both be found in most grocery stores in the laundry aisle. My local Walmart sells the borax, but not the washing soda. Again, “cook” this until fully dissolved.
4. I use an 8gal trash can, but you can also use a bucket. Add the soap mixture, and about 4-5 gallons water. Stir.
5. Let this mixture sit atleast overnight. It will become very “gel-ly” (I don’t think that is a real word!).

The other way you can do this, is to add the borax, washing soda and HOT water to your bucket, stirring until it is dissolved, and then add soap mixture. It isn’t near as thick, and the water amount is 2gallon, instead of 4.

I use 1/2 cup detergent to every load unless it is heavily soiled, then I use 3/4 cup.

I have 3 children, and a very messy husband, and I have never had an issue with stains. Of course I still pretreat w/Shout.

The price per load comes down to about a PENNY a load, unless I add essential oil. This jacks the price up since the oils are not cheap. When I did the oil, I added 1/2 oz, which made it close to .06 a load. I think if I were to do it again, I would add less.

Cheap commercial detergents (Purex, Sun, etc) are right around .06 a load, and that is if you follow what the package says you can get out of it. I’ve never been able to get that many out of ‘em.

It is economical, and you don’t have those pesky plastic containers to get rid of!

For more WFMW posts, visit Rocks in My Dryer.