DIY Day- Laundry Detergent

It’s again DIY day at A Soft PLace to Land. Today my entry is homemade laundry detergent.

This has saved me well over a hundred dollars in the last 9 months. ($100 bucks will get anyone’s attention)

It’s so easy! I researched several recipes before I finally found one that I could adapt for me.

This recipe makes 5 gallons of concentrate which can be made into 10 gallons of detergent. Depending on the consistency, I sometimes just use the concentrate.

What you need:

1 bar Fels Naptha Laundry soap (found in laundry aisle- I get my local pharmacy to order it for me. It’s a whopping $1.11!

 

1 cup borax

1 cup baking soda

1 cup of Washing Soda. Arm and Hammer makes this, but I have not found it. It’s sodium carbonate. I found out its the same as PH+ that we use in the pool, so I just head out to the shed for a cup full. (called soda ash)

5 gallon bucket and lid- bought mine at lowes

Directions: Grate the Fels Naptha- the finer the better. I use food processor.

 

Heat 2 cups of water in pot- add grated soap- stir continuously until FULLY dissolved.

If your soda, borax, or washing soda are lumpy- throw in food processor (not with soap) NEVER add the sodas to the stove mixture- unless you want your husband to have to take your stove door apart to clean it all out. It’s a mess!

fill bucket half full of VERY hot water- you can heat on stove if you want. Add dissolved soap mixture- add dry ingredients- stir

fill bucket to top with more hot water.

stir.

let sit overnight with lid on- in the morning you are ready to wash.

The color will be yellowish. The consistency varies and I don’t know why. Sometimes its liquidy (almost watery) and sometimes its a solid gel. Either way works fine. If its gel, mix with equal parts water and shake.

If you like a stronger smell add some regular detergent. We add some whenever we find a good sale. a little store bought goes a LONG way.

We fill this pretty blue pitcher with our detergent and wash away. It removes all stains and I am convinced that we are wearing clean clothes.

I make a 5 gallon bucket every 3 months or so. I share with another family and we wash a LOT of clothes. I even use this on the baby clothes. My daughter is VERY sensitive to EVERYTHINg and she has no problems from it. The recipe takes less than 30 minutes from start to clean up.

I keep a long whisk down in the bucket to stir it when I refill the blue pitcher. I have found that the best way to fill the pitcher is with an old laundry detergent bottle. (small one) You can always just refill any old detergent bottle, but we like the pretty one.