Homemade Laundry detergent
I was finding myself running out of laundry detergent and fabric softener on too regular of a basis. My husband and I both have really sensitive skin. So, we were always having to buy a more expensive detergent. I was spending on average $20 every other week. Roughly $520 a year! My sister in law told me about a recipe she used that was a lot cheaper and worked great that included the laundry detergent AND fabric softener. I decided to give it a try. I make 2 batches of this detergent once a year (totaling $70 total) and it will last all year long! It is great for the sensitive skin yet cleans the clothes and leaves a fresh, clean scent.
Last Christmas I made several batches of this recipe all at once. I filled up two of the cereal storage containers you can purchase at Walmart and gave them to both my husband and I’s parents as a gift. Both sets of parents retired this year so practical gifts were perfect. Since they are only doing laundry for two, the detergent has lasted them much longer than it does for my family of 5!
Too often, teachers are given mugs, decorative items, etc. Those items more than likely are appreciated but placed in a yard sale box each year from the abundance of the same type of items. Giving a gift of laundry detergent in a decorated mason jar is not only decorative looking but it is practical. I also used a mason jar filled with detergent, piece of fabric, ribbon and a coffee scoop as a gift for my children’s teachers last Christmas. Each mason jar holds roughly 30-60 loads worth of laundry detergent. This saves your teachers around $20 without spending even close to that amount! It was a gift the teachers all loved very much.
Ingredients:
- 1 box of Borax detergent booster – 4lbs 12 oz (3.97)
- 1 box of Arm & Hammer pure baking soda – 4lbs (2.24)
- 1 box of Arm & Hammer super washing soda – 3lbs 7oz (3.97)
- 1 container of Oxi-Clean – 1.3lbs (7.56)
- 3 Fels-Naptha bars (.97×3)
- 2 containers of Downy Fresh Protect – 13.2lbs (6.97×2)
*prices are current from Walmart without any coupons. Check for coupons and make it even cheaper. You can also choose Purex Crystals for a cheaper alternative. I just can not use them because of sensitive skin.
Here is how you can make it.
Cut the Fels Naptha Bars into 10 pieces. Spread the ten pieces on a microwave-safe plate. Cook in the microwave for 3 minutes. The pieces will more than double in size. By doing this, the soap is very easy to grind into very tiny pieces in a blender.
Allow to cool then place the soap in a blender. Turn on blender until all pieces are a fine powder.
I took some of the Oxi-clean and blended it with the Downy Fresh Protect to grind the Downy Protect into much smaller pieces. Adding one of the dry ingredients such as the Oxi-Clean helps it to not become clumped. It will not completely grind like the Fels Naptha which is ok. I just grind it to allow it to mix more evenly while allowing it to dissolve better when used.
Take a trash bag (better to use a contractor type bag so you do not have any accidental spills) and start dumping all ingredients including the ground Fels Naptha.
Hold the bag closed while shifting around all the ingredients inside until well incorporated. Pour contents into a container of your choice. I chose to have my laundry detergent in a 5-gallon bucket I purchased from Lowes Hardware that sits on my washing machine with a coffee scooper sitting inside. The coffee scooper is 2 Tbsp. You can use 1-2 Tbsp for each load depending on how soiled your clothing is.
Give this practical gift to yourself and others this year! You will love how simple it is and the money it saves through the year.
