Homemade Laundry Detergent

In today's crazy world, more and more people are looking for ways to not only save money, but to create a more natural and chemical free home. Here is a simple and extrememly cost effective recipe for  homemade laundry detergent.

Ingredients:

1/3 bar Fels Naptha 

½ cup washing soda

½ cup borax powder 

optional: add natural fragrance with essential oils. Add approximately 1/2 to 1 ounce. I use lavender

Grate the Fels Naptha and place in large pot. Cover with 6 cups of water and heat until soap is melted. Add the washing soda and the Borax and mix until desolved. In a large bucket (I used a 5 gallon bucket) add 4 cups hot water. Pour in soap mixture and stir until well combined. Now add water until mixture is 2 gallons (about 1 gallon 6 cups).

Place lid over bucket and let sit for 24 hours. It will 'gel up' a bit. But more of a watery gel. You use 1/2 cup of mixture per load of laundry. I use an old liquid detergent container for easier use.

This is a low suds detergent, so don't worry if it doesn't seem as soapy as the store bought stuff.

This recipe makes 2 gallons of detergent. Cost per load is below $.20 per load. 

A family favorite. I even converted my "Tide is the only thing I use" spouse!