I make my own laundry detergent – yes, I admit it, and no, I don’t have a lot of extra time on my hands either.  I simply got sick and tired of watching my hard earned money go into the pockets of big corporations and really prefer more natural cleaning products around me and my family.  In a mere 30 minutes, I’ve made enough laundry detergent to last me just under a year.  I do about 10 loads of laundry per week, and more when college kids come back home or during my son’s dirtier sports seasons.   My total cost for a year’s worth of ingredients – under $20.

There’s a considerable savings here!  Simply look at the bottle of detergent you just purchased, divide the number of loads into the cost (don’t forget to figure in tax) and you’ll have the price per load you are paying.  My homemade laundry detergent costs me NO MORE THAN .10 per load every time!

I buy the following:

• 2 boxes Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (average price is $3.25 each)
• 2 boxes of 20 Mule Team Borax (average price is $3.50 each)
• 6 bars of Fels Naptha heavy duty laundry bar soap (average price is 1.00 per bar)

This will make three of the recipes below.

One time cost:

• Food grater – (dollar store grater works fine and I used it exclusively for my bar soap)
• Bucket

Double Recipe:

• 2 Bar Shaved Soap (Fels Naptha)
• 6 cup of Borax
• 4 cups of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

Place all ingredients into the bucket and stir well.  This is very powdery so turn your face away or cover your mouth so not to inhale the dust from stirring. This detergent does not produce suds.  Don’t let that scare you – suds do NOT clean clothes.

This recipe makes enough detergent for approximately 200 loads if using the 2 T per load.  I have used up to 4 T if the clothes were really soiled (like out in the mud all day soiled).

My clothes smell fresher than ever, are bright and clean, but most of all, the ingredients are natural; good for you, your machine and the earth! It’s great if you have any skin sensitivities too!