Making your own laundry detergent only takes a few ingredients and is super easy. It also is free from all of the added chemicals and artificial fragrances that are found in commercial detergents.
With the tight budget that my family is on, I have to save money where ever I can. I started to make my own laundry detergent, which saves so much. This recipe makes 5 gallons of detergent and costs less than 3 dollars for me to make.
It is actually really easy to do and the ingredients can all be found at the grocery store. This detergent does a great job of cleaning the cloths and leaves them with a nice clean smell. I use a bar of castile soap for my detergent. I really like Dr. Bronner’s lavender soap. I like to add lavender or lemon oil to mine, but you could use whatever fragrance that you like. Just make sure it is a pure essential oil.
The detergent works great on its own, but I like to add a cup of white vinegar to the washer if I have clothes that are really dirty or smelly.
Laundry Detergent
1 bar of soap (I use Dr. Bronner’s castile)
1/2 Cup Borax
1 Cup Arm and Hammer washing soda
essential oil of your choice for fragrance (optional)
Grate the bar of soap into a pot and fill it 3/4 full with water. Heat the soap and water over medium heat until all the soap shavings are dissolved. Stir it occasionally. Once the soap is all dissolved pour it into a 5 gallon bucket. Add in the borax and the washing soda. Fill the bucket almost to the top with hot water and stir to combine it all. Add the essential oil if you are using it. You will have to let it sit overnight for the laundry detergent to gel. Stir it again before you use it. Use 1/2 cup of detergent for a large load.
Laundry Detergent
Published by