Homemade Laundry Detergent

Making my own laundry detergent was one of those things that I had thought about doing for a long time before I actually decided to give it a try.  I also waited several months to post about it because I wanted to make sure the stuff actually worked. :)

But, here I am several months in and no complaints. In fact, the other day I got raspberry juice on my light colored rain coat after the kids and I went picking and it came right out in the wash. :)

This detergent "recipe" is extremely economical.  It also is a great recipe for those with sensitive skin. The fact that my youngest doesn't have trouble with it is saying a lot.

I have tried two different homemade recipes, both of which can be found on the Duggar Family Website. One is the "dry" version and the other is "wet". I couldn't use the dry version because whenever I opened the tub that I stored it in, the smell was overwhelming. So, I switched to the wet version and I like it better for several reasons. It' not intoxicating like the dry version, it lasts much longer, and is actually easier for me to store since I just put it in an old detergent container.

I put my batch in this 5 gallon bucket and it fills it right up. I then use my Pampered Chef Flexible Funnel to pour it into the old detergent container. I love the squeezable funnel for this job because sometimes there are bigger "chunks" in the detergent and if I just give the funnel a little squeeze it usually wiggles right through. Seriously, this flexible funnel could make it or break it for me!

Homemade Laundry Detergent
  
4 C. hot  water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 C. Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
½ C. Borax
I also add an essential oil of some kind to give it a nice scent. Lavender is always a good choice!

Directions:
 

1. Grate the Fels-Naptha bar of soap and add to a large pot with 4 cups of water. (I'm lazy and don't take the time to grate it so I just cut off chunks and toss it in!) Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
2. Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full with hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until everything is dissolved. Fill the bucket a couple inches from the top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
3. Add essential oils of choice, stir and then fill a used, clean laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill the rest of the way with water. Shake before each use because it will gel a bit in between uses.

This recipe will make 10 gallons of liquid laundry detergent.
A Few Extra Laundry Tips

To shorten the drying time in our dryer I use wool dryer balls. (I've been using this kind for three years now and they're still going strong!) Since using the dryer balls, I find that I don't really have a problem with static in our clothes which makes it not necessary to use fabric softener.

Also, to disinfect loads of towels and such I always add white vinegar to  the fabric softener dispenser. This helps to disinfect my machine (always leave the lid open after use to air it out) and it keeps me from getting that yucky softener build up in my softener cup.


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