Home made laundry detergent

Several months ago, I started seeing all these recipes for cleaning products you can make at home on Pinterest.  I was skeptical at first, then tried one or two if I already had the ingredients on hand.  Last week I went through and made a list of the ones I wanted to try and headed to the grocery store to get supplies.  Everything is super cheap and it only takes a small amount.  I had tried a powdered laundry detergent a while back that had washing soda and I can't remember what else, but I wasn't overly impressed and I don't like using powdered detergent in my front loading washer because it gets all clumped up in the dispenser.  I was having to put the dry powder on my clothes before I started the washer instead of dissolving it in the water before adding clothes like you would do in a traditional top loading washer.  Anyhow... I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to give it a try.  It only takes a few ingredients, and was very easy to make.  Sorry, I didn't take pictures as I was making it.  I will add them when I make another batch.

Here is what you need to buy if you don't already have it.  One bar of laundry soap.  I used Fels Naptha which is found at Wal-Mart or your grocery store in the aisle where they sell laundry detergent.  It cost one dollar.  You can also use something called Zote soap, but I haven't seen it where I normally shop.  You will also need to use washing soda, which is found right in the same part of the store.  It looks like Arm and Hammer baking soda in the orange box, but this is a yellow box and says Washing Soda.  Similar, but different.  I think this is only a couple dollars per box.  I already had some from a tie-dying project I did in June so I didn't need to buy any.  The only other thing you need is Borax, also found in the same aisle.  Again, it is cheap, and I already had some.  My total investment was one dollar, but if you had to buy everything you would spend less than seven I think.  

Here is what you do.  Now the original recipe makes ten gallons.  Yes, I said TEN GALLONS!  I didn't really think I needed or wanted to store ten gallons of laundry detergent so I halved the recipe.  First, put two cups of water on the stove to heat.  Cut the bar of soap in half and grate it into the pot as the water heats up.  Stir as it melts.  It is important to get it melted all the way.  I had a few bigger chunks at the end that I didn't let melt and it didn't dissolve in the solution like I thought it would.  While that is heating up, fill a five gallon bucket about 1/4 of the way with hot tap water and add 1/2 cup of washing soda and 1/4 cup of borax.  Go back and check on the soap and if it is melted take it and pour it in with the washing soda and borax mixture.  Then fill the bucket to halfway with water.  Stir it well.  I used a big wooden spoon, but a paint stirrer would work fine too.  Let this mixture sit overnight.  The next morning it looks like a nasty bucket of snot.  Stir it up.  It is thicker now.  If you want to scent it, now is the time to add about 25 drops of whatever essential oil you prefer.  I don't like my clothes to be scented so I skipped this step.  Now fill the bucket the rest of the way up with water and stir well.  You are now the proud owner of five gallons of laundry detergent.  

Here is the cool part.  Five gallons is 640 ounces.  You use 1/2 a cup per load.  That is 160 loads of laundry!  Ready for the even cooler part?  If you have a high efficiency washer you only use 1/4 a cup per load so you can get 320 loads of laundry out of this bucket of slime!  Plus you still have the half bar of soap and enough of the other ingredients to make another batch.  And next time, you only need to buy the soap because you still have a bunch of the washing soda and borax left.  Even if you had to buy all the ingredients and spent around seven dollars that is only two cents per load for a regular washer and one cent for a HE washer.  I washed two loads of laundry today and so far I am pleased with the results.  It seems to do just as well as store bought detergent or the soap nuts I have been using.  I used to use Tide in the big container that has a pour spout on the jug.  You know, the one with the red button you push and it comes out like a gatorade cooler.  I think that would be an ideal way to store this detergent.  Unfortunately I threw mine out a while back when I switched from commercial cleaners.  I am using an orange juice container and think it will work fine.  

My grandfather was visiting this morning and I was telling him about my latest adventure.  He said he would like to try it so I put him some in a quart jar.  It gave me the idea to bottle up some more of it to pass out to some of my close friends.  I realize laundry detergent isn't what we all dream of getting for a gift, but it is fun to try something new, and it doesn't cost me much to pass some along.  This quart jar will do 16 - 32 loads depending on your washer.  This way they can try it before they made five gallons of it!  That is the main reason for this post, I told those lovely ladies that I would put the recipe on my blog so they could make their own if they like it.  So, if you are one of those ladies and have tried it, please comment below and let us know what you think of it.