Homemade Laundry Detergent

Like I said in the earlier post, we are going to have to find creative ways to make ends meet. So I started looking for ways to cut back spending on things we have to have that just seem to cost way too much. Laundry detergent is EXPENSIVE when you think about it. I looked in the laundry aisle of our local Walmart this morning and a gallon sized bottle of a popular name brand detergent was over $15.00!!! (And it wasn't the most expensive brand there.) A bottle that size will last me a week or two at best. Let's say you use a gallon bottle every 2 weeks....that comes to around $400 in a year! My family was spending around $600(or more) a year for laundry detergent a couple years ago. Then I started couponing and cut it down to about half that amount. Now I'm going even farther. By making my own detergent I should be spending less than $30 this year!!! Now that may not seem like a huge savings to you, but if I can find several things like this to eliminate from our weekly budget it will add up to significant savings. It is SO true that the little things add up.

I've been thinking of trying this for quite awhile. I've been looking at different methods/recipes online for the past several months. Since we started a new year I decided it was time to finally get on the ball and get this process underway. (P.S. If you don't think you would like this particular recipe, don't give up! There are powder detergents, liquid detergents with different ingredients, and different scents you can add. Just keep looking until you find the right one for you.) I was pleasantly surprised at how fast and easy this was!

So here is what I needed to get started:

Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap, Borax Powder, Arm & Hammer Super WASHING Soda (be sure not to get baking soda!), water, a cheese grater, a pot to cook it in, a bucket to mix it in (I used a mop bucket), and empty containers to put the finished product in.

First you will grate 1/3 of the Fels-Naptha bar into a pot/sauce pan. (I assume the finer you grate it the faster it will dissolve during the cooking process.) Add 6 cups of water and cook on Med or Medium High until the soap is dissolved. Once the soap is dissolved you will add 1/2 cup of Borax and 1/2 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. Cook until that is dissolved. It will look like this:

Next, put 4 cups of hot water into your bucket & pour the soap mixture in. Mix well then add another gallon plus 6 cups of water and mix again. This is what it will look like at this point:

Now you are ready to pour your finished product into your containers. If you don't have empty detergent bottles just be sure you have a container that has a lid. Let it sit for at least a day before use. It will make a watery gel that is a bit clumpy. I'm finding that it thickens up as time goes on and I like it much better when its a week old than when it's a day old. Instead of waiting until I run out, I think I will make my next batch when I get down to the last container of this one so it will be thicker when I start using it.

This is how much I got from one batch. Both bottles are full and you can see both quart jars are full as well. (I decided to give my Mom & little sister both some to see if they like it. I made some notecards with directions on the back to attach to the jars.) Be sure to shake well before each use. I use 1 cup for a large load. Don't forget to pre-treat stains! This won't have much of a smell. If you are a fan of the scented detergents I've read that you can add a few drops of essential oil or a bit of Febreeze. I haven't tried that yet and I probably won't; Chris isn't really a fan of the strong scents.

So there it is. Easy as can be and it doesn't take much time at all. I can't believe I've waited so long to try this!!!