Laundry Detergent

Making laundry detergent is quick, easy, and best of all - inexpensive! After reading different recipes, I decided powdered detergent is the best option for my family. The website that will walk you through all the different types of detergent you can make is here.

The basic recipe starts with one bar of soap, finely grated. The first time I used Fels-Naptha, which I really liked. It was a little harder to grate, but dissolved nicely, which is important. I generally only use cold water for washing. The bar of soap cost me $1.19, and I found it in the laundry detergent aisle. I would recommend using a smaller grater than mine though. The finer you can get the soap, the better.

You need one cup of washing soda, which cost $2.19 for the whole box.

Then add one cup of Borax, which is the easiest ingredient to find. One box cost me $3.36.

Then you mix everything up and use 2 T. per load. I found an old coffee measuring scoop that was exactly 2 T. This is the batch that I made using Ivory soap. It works, but I like the Fels-Naptha better. However, my husband is convinced our son got a rash from it, so I'm going to try different soaps. (My friend tried the Castile soap and said it works great).

Make sure to store it tightly sealed. This container held three batches. I haven't figured out how many loads you can do or the price per load, but I'm sure it is pennies.

Overall, this is one of the best things I've tried! I don't imagine I'll go back to regular detergent anytime soon.