Homemade Laundry Detergent

I learn a lot at the grocery store...and not just the latest gossip from the magazines in checkout. Actual helpful life things. Like how to make my own laundry detergent. It happened one evening when Ryan and I had run in for just a few things...and we got a little stuck on the way out the door because of a conversation Ryan struck up with the greeter. {And he wasn't a short-winded fellow.} While I waited, my friend Lindsay passed by on her way out the door, and we started to talk about all sorts of things, including her homemade laundry detergent.

I'd seen such things on Pinterest, of course, but I had no idea if they really worked, if they really saved money...and if they were really worth it. Lindsay assured me the recipe she used had lasted quite a long time - and she has a husband and two kids at her house. She sent me the link to the recipe she used...and in my first week post-full time job, I made a batch for us. So....wanna hear about it?

I should preface by saying that I also know from my Pinterest research that some people with sensitive skin struggle with Borax. Ryan and I do not struggle with any skin sensitivities, so I can't speak to that end, but if that's an issue for you, I understand if this recipe might not work for you.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

1 box of Super Washing Soda (3 pounds, 7 ounces)
1 box of Borax (4 pounds, 12 ounces)
1 box of Pure Baking Soda (4 pounds)
3 bars of Fels Naptha (5 ounces)
1 tub of Oxi Clean (1.3 pounds) 
Drops of Essential Oils - optional

 Combine all ingredients except Fels Naptha and Essential Oils in a large tub or bucket lined with a garbage bag and stir together. Grate the Fels Naptha bars with a cheese grater, and to get the soap even smaller, run it through a food processor until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add oils (3 drops per bar of soap) to the food processor step if desired. Add crumbled soap to the rest of the mix and stir well. Store in a plastic tub or variety of large glass jars. Use 1-2 Tablespoons per load, depending on the size of the load and the amount of cleaning needed.

 Tips and Hints:

* According to the original post I read, this makes 18 pounds of laundry detergent, so it really should last you a while. The definition of "a while" depends on how much laundry you do!

* It does make a powder rather than a liquid detergent. I was a little nervous about that at first, because I've always used liquid detergent. I was worried it would cake up in the clothes and not get them clean, but that has not been an issue at all.

* The big test of cleanliness came from asking Ryan how he felt about his scrubs, because it's obviously really important to him that they are clean each day. He said they've been great!

* Truthfully, the oils were more for scent than any clean factor. The smell of the soaps is so overpowering, though, I can't smell the oils, so when I make this again, I will leave them out and save them for something else. I used Citrus Fresh and Lavender for the scent of the two, but like I said - I can't smell them. The original recipe did recommend using a bottle of the Purex Crystals or Downy Unstoppable beads for scent - but I didn't want to spring for the extra 3-5 bucks to pay for that. If you're really excited about a particular scent though, it might be worth it.

* Let's talk cost, shall we? I went to Wal-Mart for my ingredients, since I couldn't find all of them at Meijer, and the cost was actually a little cheaper at Wal-Mart. I paid a total of $16.95 for the ingredients {again not including the scent beads since I didn't use those} - and $2.94 for the storage tote I keep it in. {And I'll reuse that, so it was a one-time investment.}

* Let's talk time investment, shall we? It took me an hour to make this, most of that time of course being spent grating the Fels Naptha bars and further grating them in the food processor. Not a bad time investment for that much detergent, in my opinion.

* This does smell pretty strong - all the soaps are smelly! It's not offensive, but you probably won't want to make this in a small space. I made it in our galley kitchen and had to step back a couple of times to catch my breath from the soap powders rising as I poured.

* The Oxi Clean came with a measuring scoop that is 2 Tablespoons, so it works perfectly as the scoop for the detergent - and it didn't cost me any extra!

* Make sure you keep the lid on securely if you store this in a humid room. Our laundry is in our bathroom, so Ryan showers in there every day, and when the lid isn't on tight, I notice the soap clumps a bit. It's easily broken up again, but if I am careful about the lid, I save the hassle.

* Originally I was going to mix this up IN the storage tub, and I'm so glad I didn't. I would have had powder everywhere as I stirred. I used one of Ryan's 5 gallon buckets from the garage and lined it with a clean trash bag so I could have a big stirring space. It was helpful when I went to pour it out, too, because I could just pull the mostly empty bag from the bucket and finish pouring it in the storage tub.

* The soap bars grate very easily. Looks like shredded cheese, but it's very hard and tacky to the touch. The food processor step went quickly too. {And we don't have the highest quality food processor!}

* I wasn't sure if I could put the dry powder in the regular soap dispenser in the washer, but it turns out I can, and it works fine.

* The original blog post said {and Lindsay confirmed} that it's fine to use this in high efficiency and regular washers alike.