Finally- Homemade Laundry Detergent

I’ve been meaning to do this for a very long time, but I’ve somehow ended up with free or crazy cheap detergent for the last two years. (Tough life, right? 😉 ) I actually still have some from the store, but I got impatient.

I made this in the beginning of December and this is how much I have left. Most of the recipes I read said 1 tablespoon per load, but I always 2 because that seems so teeny. The second picture is of my tablespoon scoop to give you an idea of just how much detergent is left. I’ll be using this forever! That said, my laundry always smells so fresh now. It’s been especially nice for my towels, which I always felt like I was fighting the water funk smell with. Not anymore.

This is what I ended up doing after reading- I don’t know how many recipes.

 

• 1 4lb? box Arm & Hammer Washing Powder
• 1 4lb box Borax
• 3 bars Fels-Naptha
• 1 3lb box of oxi-clean

 

I wish I had written down the exact pricing, but as I recall, the total came out to something under $20 and I figured out that using 2 T would make it 2 1/2 cents a load. It would be even cheaper if I had used off brand oxi clean or had a coupon, but I was afraid to try on off brand for something I knew nothing about, on a project that would produce this much stuff I would have to use….

Anyway, I grated the bar soap in the food processor, and then I send it through again with the blade to make it powder. After that I poured it, along with everything else into a trash bag and mixed it up. Don’t do this in the kitchen, by the way. No reason, other than the powder that will try to escape everywhere.

That’s it! It was very fast, and I LOVE the final product.