Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe and How To

For many years I've been reading that laundry detergent can be easily made right in your own kitchen. I was skeptical, after all I do have three kids one of which is a dirt magnet. There's no way I can make my own detergent that works as well as a store bought brand, right? Wrong. I made 10 gallons of detergent a few months ago and we've been through about the equivalent of two large store bought bottles. I've washed everything from towels, stuffed animals, every day clothes to princess costumes without a single problem or stain that I couldn't get out.

What you will need:

Clean 5 gallon bucket
Large saucepan
Wooden spoon
Cheese grater
Measuring cup

Ingredients:

1 bar of Fels Naptha soap
1 cup of washing soda (NOT baking soda)
1/2 cup borax
4 cups very hot tap water

Directions:

Grate the bar of soap with the cheese grater as you would a cube of cheese. Add hot water and soap in saucepan and heat on stove top on medium or medium low heat until soap has melted. Stir occasionally. Meanwhile, fill bucket half full with hot tap water. Add melted soap and water mixture, washing soda, and borax. Stir to combine. Fill bucket to top with hot water, cover, and leave overnight to thicken. As it cools and thickens it will become gel-like. I stirred it when I walked by it to make sure it had mixed well.

To use, fill empty detergent container (or any other clean container) half full with detergent. Add water to fill. It will gel between uses so you have to shake it before using. For top load washers use 5/8 of a cup for about 180 loads. For front load washers use 1/4 of a cup for 640 loads.

I found Fels Naptha soap in my local grocery store (Giant Eagle). They had it with the body soaps even though it is specifically a laundry soap. The Borax I also found at Giant Eagle, but it was cheaper at Target with the laundry boosters. The Arm and Hammer washing soda proved to be a challenge. Before I could ask the manager at Giant Eagle if they could order it, I called Church & Dwight directly at 1-800-524-1328. I was able to see if there was a retailer close to me who carried it. There wasn't one near me, so I placed an order on the phone for two boxes.

I haven't figured out my total cost to the penny but I think I spent somewhere are $2.50 for 10 gallons of laundry detergent or 180 loads. Or 1.4 cents per load. My total time to make the 10 gallons was about 20 minutes and that included prep, making it, clean up, and cleaning the kitchen during down time.

The one thing I don't like is that my laundry has absolutely no smell. We like non scented things, but I like just a little scent on my clothes. I will be adding fragrance oil to the next bottle I mix. You can purchase fragrance oil and most craft stores or online. It's suggested to add about 15 drops per two gallons of detergent.