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How to Make Homemade Laundry Detergent

There are several benefits to making your own laundry detergent.  For one, it is cheaper (about half the price of regular detergent).  Two, it works well for people with sensitive skin.  My husband has always had minor skin irritations from many other detergents, so we experimented with making our own detergent and the results were great (no more itching).  Here are two recipes (for liquid and powder) and tips to get you started.

Liquid Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe

• 1 bar of soap  (Fels Naptha works well)
• 1 cup Washing Soda
• 1 cup Borax
• Water

Instructions:
Grate the bar of soap using a food processor, cheese grater or knife.  The soap should be free of oils and perfumes.  Fels-Naltha (most commonly used) and Zote are soap brands that work well.  They can be found in the laundry aisle.  I have also heard of Ivory and Irish Spring being used.

In a large pot add the soap to a gallon of water and bring to a light boil.  Stir soap until melted.  Next, turn your stove to low and add the washing soda and borax.  Stir until fully dissolved.  Remove from heat.

Combine 1 gallon of warm water and the soap mixture in a large container.  Mix thoroughly.  Let your mixture set for a day, this will enable your laundry detergent to become more of a gel like substance.  If your detergent seems to be a little watery or lumpy in places, that ok.

Your laundry detergent will not have much of a fragrance.  If you would like to add a scent to your detergent, mix approximately 15 drops of an essential oil.

If you have an old laundry soap container, this will work well for storing your detergent.  Use a half to a full cup with each load.

Powder Homemade Laundry Soap

• 1 bar of soap
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1 cup borax powder
• 1 cup of Baking Soda

Instructions:
Grate the bar of soap using a food processor.  The more finely ground the soap, the better. Next, combine the rest of the ingredients with the soap and mix well.  Now store in a sealed container and you are done.

The harder the soap is, the better you will be able to grind it up into finer pieces, which will enable the soap to dissolve better in the washing machine.  The two that I have used are Fels-Naltha and Zote.  Fels-Naltha is a little harder to find but grinds up better.  Zote is softer and doesn’t work as well (I also did not like the smell of it).  If you use softer soap, cut it up and let it sit out for a few days.  This will help it dry out a little and be easier to grind up.  Someone once suggested sticking it in the freezer so it will grind up better, I tried it and it did not work out well for me.  Ok, enough about soap.

Use a 1/8 cup (more if needed) for each load; this should give you 32 loads.  I like to times the recipe by five so it lasts me a good six months.

Tips for Making Homemade Laundry Detergent

• Depending on your laundry needs and water (hardness), you may need to alter the soap ratio.
• Don’t worry if there are not a lot of suds when using this detergent, it is not supposed to have a lot.
• Washing soda can be difficult to find.  I buy mine at King Sooopers, but not all King Soopers carry it.  Wal-Mart is the same way, some have it, some don’t.  If they have it, it will be in the laundry aisle.  If you are not having any luck finding it, you can request Wal-Mart or your local grocery store to order it for you. Most stores are good about this. You can also try a pool store or order it online.  If you call A & H, they can also help you find it in a store near you (800-524-1328).
• I have heard of many people with HE wash machines use homemade laundry detergents with no problem, but it is not a proven fact.
• Add a cup of OxiClean for extra power

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