Made My Own Laundry Detergent!
January 12, 2011 by Marci
In our house, we have always bought natural brand cleaners or made our own. Most messes in our house can be cleaned up with microfiber towels, vinegar and/or baking soda. I have no idea how any grocery store brand cleaners work. I can’t even stand to walk down that chemical laden aisle of the store. The smell alone seems toxic! I’m not putting that stuff in my house!
While I have tried my hand at homemade cleaners throughout my house, I have never tried them in my laundry room. I have always been intrigued with the concept of making our own laundry detergent, but was skeptical. Would it really get my clothes clean?
Last September, we took a family vacation out east to see our friends. We stayed with them for several days and I packed light knowing we could do laundry at their house. Sandra had just started making laundry detergent and was loving it. Here was my chance to see for myself!
I was shocked! My laundry was clean and smelled great! As soon as we got home, I made my own and haven’t looked back. I found this super easy detergent recipe on the Duggar family website.
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup – Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax
-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)
I make one batch at a time and keep it in a Quaker Oat box. (By “I make”, I mean my daughter grates up the soap bar and mixes it with the other ingredients in the food processor.) Sandra makes several at one time and keeps it in a bucket with a lid next to the wash machine. I am amazed at how long this lasts and how good it makes my whole laundry room smell!
Do you make your own laundry detergent or cleaners?
Comments (10)
Sounds like a great idea!! How does the price all even out? How much are those ingredients and how long do they last? Just wanting to see if it is cost effective too!
Jessica- One batch lasts about a month. I’m not sure about the price details. I think Sandra worked it all out and it was definitely less than store bought. (without all the filler junk!)
I have contemplated trying this, but I’m nervous because M has super sensitive skin. We use All free & clear, since that works for her. But I think this is worth a try, especially now that you’ve tried it too.
Erin- My son has sensitive skin and he has no problem with this!
Where do you find the stuff to make it with?
Ginger- I found everything at our local Kroger store just last month. They didn’t have it before. I actually bought the ingredients the first time in New Hampshire (Market Basket) while visiting friends and hauled it back to Illinois!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Stef. Stef said: RT @OvercomingBusy: I made homemade laundry detergent! http://ow.ly/3Csf5 [...]
wow! i love this. i am going to look for the ingredients on my next shopping trip. i’m with you ~ chemical cleaners are YUCK.
[...] * Need to know how to make your own laundry detergent? Visit Marci at Overcoming Busy [...]
Thanks for this post! I plan to try this out very soon