Homemade Laundry Detergent

It's hard to believe it's almost Thanksgiving!  This is probably my favorite time of year! And for some reason I've been in the cleaning mood around our house, guess I have "fall fever" instead of "spring fever!"  One of my chores for this weekend, was to make our laundry detergent.  Last April, I decided to try a laundry recipe from the Duggars (the family who has like 19 children and has the TLC show).  Much to my surprise, it worked great.  It's really easy to make (takes about 15 minutes) and I only have to make it about every 3 months.  Plus, it saves me approximately $194/year.  The recipe (liquid laundry detergent) is listed below, along with the fabric softener recipe (which I also use, and it saves me $70/year). 

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

(Front or Top Load Machines)

4 Cups Hot Tap Water

1 Fels-Naptha Soap Bar (You can find at Walmart and various stores in Laundry Aisle)

1 Cup Washing Soda (at Kroger in Laundry Aisle)

1/2 Cup Borax (Found in Laundry Aisle at most stores)

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with hot water (I usually cut it into blocks and throw it in the food processor vs grating).  Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap disolves and is melted.  (I have never got mine to melt all the way, but I usually let it heat up for about 15 minutes).

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water.  Add melted soap, washing soda, and Borax.  Stir well until all powder is disolved.  Fill bucket to top with more hot water.  Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

Stir and fill a used, clean laundry soap dispenser half full with soap mixture and then fill rest of way with water.  Shake before each use (will gel).

Optional:  You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons.  Add once soap has cooled.  (Lavender, Rosemary, Tea Tree Oil).

Yield:  10 gallons

Top Load - 5/8 cup per load (approx. 180)

Front Load - 1/4 cup per load (approx. 640)

Fabric Softener Recipe

1 container of Name Brand Fabric Softener

4 inexpensive sponges, cut in half

Pour entire container of softener (I use Purex) into a 5 gallon bucket.  Fill empty softener container with water twice.  (2 parts water to 1 part fabric softener).  Add sponges to the softener/water mixture.  When ready to use, wring out extra moisture from one sponge add add tot he dryer as you would a dryer sheet.  Once used, put dry sponge back in softner/water mixture to reuse.