Make your own laundry detergent

Having three kids means doing a lot of laundry. And with the addition of a very unplanned baby, we're trying to cut costs wherever we can. However, I was very skeptical about all of the make-your-own laundry detergents floating around Pinterest.

 

But the recipes are fairly cheap and easy, and so I decided to give it a try. We've been using this detergent more than a year now, and it really is great. I started with a very basic recipe, but did add a container of OxyClean Baby, because every five loads or so, there was a stain that didn't come out.

 

And I originally grated the soap, which was a lengthy process. Before the baby was born, I grated soap while watching TV. Now, I don't have that much downtime. So I tried grating it with the food processor--it turned out great, and the soap completely washed out of the food processor. I was a little worried about that.

 

So here's my recipe:

 

1 box of Borax

1 box of washing soda

1 containter of OxyClean Baby (optional, and regular OxyClean would probably work too)

2 bars of Fels Naptha soap

 

I put the soap in the microwave for just a few seconds (it softens the soap and makes grating easier). Then, I slice each bar into four slices. I put those slices, one at a time, into the food processor using the grating blade. If you don't have a food processor, you can definitely grate by hand. I recommend doing it while watching an NCIS marathon on USA.

Mix the other ingredients together in a large container.

Mix in the soap.

Pour into containers to store the laundry detergent.

When you use the detergent, you only need about 2 Tablespoons. I sometimes add more, just out of habit from years of laundry.

Also, when I first made the detergent, I had no idea what any of the ingredients are or where to find them. I've been able to find them in the laundry aisle of two nearby grocery stores, but I can't find any of the ingredients at Target. I know some people order them off Amazon, too.