1.09.2012

Homemade Laundry Detergent



I first made homemade laundry detergent 3 years ago. I liked the idea of it, and the process wasn't so bad. I made 2 or 3 batches of it overall, and then I got lazy. I've been using store-bought for the past year and a half. I decided I was tired of paying so much for something I know I can do on my own, so I dug up the stuff I still had and found another recipe.
I've always made liquid, but it bothers me, because the detergent seems too gloppy (technical word, i know) and I feel like it can't be an even mixture in every load because of that. So this time I looked at a recipe for dry laundry. It's the same recipe other than the water added in the liquid version.

Ingredients
Soap: Most laundry detergent recipes call for Fels Naptha, but I've found that any bar I've used has worked fine. The one this time is actually some lavender scented bar from Ross. I use whatever I have on hand. 
Borax: There seems to be a lot of back and forth about whether or not borax is toxic. According to 20 Mule Team, borax is safe to use in laundry. It is NOT the same as boric acid. As with any cleaning product keep it away from children and pets, but it is safe to use.
Washing Soda: Make sure you get WASHING soda. This is NOT the same as baking soda. They have different pH levels. If you're having trouble finding washing soda nearby, Arm & Hammer's website has a store finder. Most people have seemed to have luck finding it at Walmart. Make sure to check the top and bottom shelves in the laundry section. It always seems to be in an out of the way place.


Grating your soap is going to be the longest part of this process. I played a game of Monopoly on my phone while I did it. After about halfway through the bar I was tired of it, and handed it off to my boyfriend to finish.


I measured out the borax and washing soda and mixed them in with the soap really well. Then I transferred it to a container and shook it for a while to make sure it was definitely mixed enough. 


I stir it each time and use 2 TBSP per load. 

Results: My clothes come out completely clean. There's no scent to them, but I'm planning on making some fabric softener soon which will change that. I like the plain clean smell though. I haven't tried this on anything with stains, but any odors have been washed out completely. 


Here's the original pin I got the recipe I used from:
Source: Totally Ovar It via Victoria on Pinterest
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3 comments:

  1. Wow! I would never even attempt to make my own detergent. I'm impressed.

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  2. You should try! It's so easy, and such a money saver.

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  3. Found you through the BlogHer January blogroll. I too have the problem with gloppy liquid soap. Will try this dry idea when I run out of what I have. Thanks!

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