Friday, June 29, 2012

Homemade Laundry Detergent





I have been wanting to make my own laundry detergent for a couple of months now.  Today, with my son's help, we decided to tackle it.  And it actually wasn't that big of a task to "tackle."  :0)




I wrote the "Recipe" down for this detergent months ago, so I do not remember what website I ended up getting it from.  I do remember, however, doing a lot of research and trying to find the one that had the best reviews.  I also read the comments on the bottom of many posts.  I didn't want to put all that energy and money into something that seemed 'frugal' but I would end up throwing away because it just didn't work. 

Because of not wanting to waste money I also only made 1/3 of the recipe.



Homemade Laundry Soap

Ingredients:


(full recipe)


1 4 lb 12 oz box of Borax
1 4 lb box of Baking Soda
1 3 lb 7 oz box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
3 bars of Fels-Naptha Soap
2 small containers of Oxy clean powder


(1/3 Recipe)


 2 3/4 cups of Borax
2 3/4 cups of Baking Soda
2 cups of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 bar Fels-Naptha Soap
1 small container of Oxy clean powder 


Directions:


Grate your bars of soap as finely as you can.  This is where my son came in handy.  He had a great time!






Mix all of the ingredients together very well.  Mix, mix, mix.....

Store in an airtight container.  Use 1-2 heaping Tablespoons for each load of laundry.   

The recipe that I ended up using said that their laundry detergent lasted them 9 months.  We'll see how long my 1/3 recipe ends up lasting. 

All the ingredients that I purchased came to about $11 total.    I  believe I bought all the items, except for the oxy powder- that I purchased at the dollar store-, at our local Walmart.  I have had the ingredients on hand for several months, as I also wanted to make my own dishwasher detergent.  I was a little disheartened when the dishwasher detergent didn't really work, so it took me a long time to decide to try this laundry soap.  But I'm sure glad I did!

I was also surprised that the laundry after washed, had no smell.  I didn't expect it to smell dirty, I just expected it to smell like something.........but it doesn't.  From reading articles it sounds like some people mix essential oils and white vinegar and poor that in the fabric softener container 1/4 cup per load to soften the laundry and make it have a nice scent.  I haven't crossed that path quite yet.  I have done whites and colors, and both have turned out nice and clean.  I also have not noticed any stiffness or a need for softeners.

If you try it out, let me know what you think!!  I'd love to hear your experiences with homemade laundry detergent.



The soap is a value added to our remodeled laundry room.



PS - After using this for quite sometime we love it!  We are on our second batch.  A full one this time.  The detergent did last as long as it was expected to.

Many more great ideas to come.


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27 comments:

  1. have you tried it in cold water? does it dissolve well?

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    Replies
    1. I only wash in cold. I cleans well, but the soap does not dislove.

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    2. I have made this exact laundry detergent and I love it - I'm on my second full batch. I truely believe the borax makes the whites whiter! I've never had any problem with it dissolving, but I wash on warm. My mom has even used this with her HE washer and likes it for her whites. My laundry doesn't smell any different (I have allergies so I always used an unscented free and clear detergent) and I don't use any softener. دانلود آهنگ های پرطرفدار جدید

      Delete
  2. I have made this exact laundry detergent and I love it - I'm on my second full batch. I truely believe the borax makes the whites whiter! I've never had any problem with it dissolving, but I wash on warm. My mom has even used this with her HE washer and likes it for her whites. My laundry doesn't smell any different (I have allergies so I always used an unscented free and clear detergent) and I don't use any softener.

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  3. I have used a small coffee grinder to grind up my soap. I cut it into small pieces and then put it in the coffee grinder, which I got at Goodwill and use only for this purpose, and it comes out like a powder. I have loved this detergent as well. Thank you for all of your wonderful suggestions.

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    Replies
    1. That's a great idea.....I'll keep my eyes peeled for one at our local second hand store.

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  4. Melissa, I make my own detergent and add Purex laundry enhancer scent crystals to the mixture. My clothes smell sooooo good! My recipe doesn't include baking soda, which is basically just a refresher. I grate my soap with a small cheese grater (think Olive Garden) which results in a very fine powder, thus eliminating my having to use a blender to get a fine mixture. Try those crystals if you want a nice scent and let me know what you think! :-) Sue

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  5. I'll have to try the Purex laundry enhancer Sue. Thank you for the suggestion.

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  6. Can I use this in the HE machines?

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    Replies
    1. I personally do not have an HE machine so I cannot say based on my practice. However, I read a lot of comments from other blogs that seem to say that they have no problem with the homemade laundry detergents. The big thing seems to be that HE machines cannot use detergents that suds a lot. This detergent does not have any suds.

      Trust this helps.

      Delete
  7. Me encanta la idea de ahorrar, podrias poner la receta en español y con algunos productos q se consigan en mexico... saludos... Jossy Jacobo

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  8. My recipe contains 4 bars of Fels Naptha, which I grate in my food processor. The recipe also calls for 2 containers of Downey Un Stoppables. Otherwise, everything is the same.
    I made some floral labels(clipart online) and put the laundry detergent into pretty jars. I've given several away as gifts. Everyone that I've given it to wants the recipe. It's great, my clothes are really brighter and they smell wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 4 bars.....that should really get the clothes clean.....I might have to try that. What is the Downey Un Stoppables? A softener?

      Thanks for sharing!

      Delete
  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  10. Having now browsed through your blog more thoroughly after discovering some questionable similarities between your "Mixes" post and another, older post on a completely different blog, I can say I'm bothered by this post as well... Just copying and Googling your recipe, as-is, I am fairly certain I found your source - it's virtually verbatim, down to the various notes throughout this instructional... I'd really like to like your blog, but I have a moral line in the sand... I don't support those who utilize unethical practices. There isn't anything wrong with sharing great recipes and tips you've learned, but if you are using someone else's work - recipes, reviews, notes... for personal gain or even for others to see in any capacity, you need to credit the original author. It isn't okay to cut and paste and cry ignorance later, and I hope that you respond to one or both of my posts (here and in Mixes); I'll be watching for it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As I mentioned in my post I do not know the exact source. If you recognize this recipe from a certain blog I'm more than happy to give credit to where credit is due. You can go to contacts and email me the source. Thank you!

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  11. I use a very similar recipe that I found on Stone Gable blog. She uses 4 bars of the soap, which I just grate with a cheese grater. I have an HE machine and the detergent works great with it. I the the Downey Unstoppables are only used to make it smell good, not a necessity but it does smell nice. I use about 4 tablespoons and get about 10 weeks of laundry, but I do a lot of laundry.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep! Depending on the size of your family, one can go through laundry detergent pretty quickly! :)

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    ReplyDelete
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