Make your own Laundry Detergent
Last month I made my first batch of homemade powdered laundry detergent. I only made a half batch to check it out and see if I liked it. A friend of mine had started using it a year ago and swore by it. I finally got around to buying all the ingredients and mixed it together. I just have to say that I.love.it! The most time consuming thing about the whole process was grating the bars of soup but if you use ivory soaps it is super fast since it is a soft soap. My mother-in-law used her food processor for the harder soaps (she had the great idea to use the little bars of soaps she had collected from different hotel stays. Yes to free soap!) Other than that it was just measure, pour and stir. I think it cost me around $11 for all the items (I bought a big bag of baking soda at Sam’s for under $7. I have been using it for cleaning as well, but I think I could get two full batches out of it.) A half batch should last us about two months. Keep in mind though that A. I am washing diapers for two kids which is 4-5 loads right there and B. not only am I using it for the four of us, but my parents us it as well plus my brothers when they happen to bring their laundry out every once and a while. My grandma also used it the other day to see if she liked it, so I may be adding my grandparents to that list as well. So for a regular family of four who are not doing extra diaper loads I could see a half batch lasting at least 6 months. Eleven dollars for six months worth of laundry detergent is not too shabby!
Here is the recipe that I use (plus where I found everything)
*12 cups Borax (20 Mule Team-You can find this at Wal-Mart)
*8 cups Baking Soda (I got a big bag at Sam’s but you can pick up boxes as well)
*8 cups Washing Soda (You can get this at Baker’s and I think I saw it at Hy-Vee as well)
*8 cups Bar soap (grated) (If you are using Ivory soap you can regularly find it at Walgreens on sale around $1 for a pack of 3
Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub. Instead of using one huge container I put it in two smaller ones so that it was a little more manageable. I only made a half batch last time but I will make a full batch for sure next time!
Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load. If you have an old formula scoop lying around I use two scoops with it.
This recipe is great if you have someone in your family that is allergic to perfumes or dyes. I love it because my clothes smell clean and not pretty.
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Money Saving Mom
Yup, we love ours too! I won’t buy store detergent anymore.
can you do a huge amount at a time or (dumb question alert) is it better to do one recipe at a time so it wont go bad..or does it go bad?? also…if you could help me find a cure for stinkhorns in the garden i would love you forever. so far pouring bleach on my yard doesnt sound very healthy for my yard or my dog..ha. love the website!
how many bars of soap to make 8 cups? trying this this weekend!
@Telia-No it won’t go bad but if you are going to double I would do single batches for the sheer fact that it is a lot of volume and you want to make sure every thing is mixed well. I will say that I would start with a single or even a half batch. Since it only requires 1/8 of a cup per load it lasts for a long time, especially when you aren’t washing diapers!
@Abby-For a full batch it is about 6 bars of ivory soap. Good luck!
Just watch out, some of the synthetic fabrics don’t like lots of baking soda.
Your recipe is similar to mine and all of our under armor and stuff like that started to smell funny. I had to strip them just like you do with diapers. Which I have also heard don’t always like the home made stuff. It is fun and addicting to make though!! 
@Bridget-The diapers call for half the detergent you would normally use so I haven’t had any problems. You might want to try that with your under armor.
@Telia-I have found two organic options and one semi extreme.
Organic- 1) Cover in table salt. This allows it to cure and dry out. I am not sure if this is a lond term remedy but it is definatly a short term one. It gets rid of the smell within an hour or so. 2) Boiling water. It needs to be at least 104 degrees. Not sure if this one is a long term either. With both I would suggest digging up the area when you are done and disposing of it in a bag with no holes. Throw it in the trash not the yard waste.
Non-Organic- 1/4 cup of Good old gasoline. Yep not the most enviromentaly friendly but it will dry up the roots fast. The guy who said he tried this method said not to worry about the plants next to it because the fungus will suck it all up. There should be no smell in 3-4 hours and they haven’t returned for him in over two years. This is also what my grandpa has always used with thistles.
Hope that helps. Let me know how it goes!
you are a rockstar libby! awesome ! thank you so much. i will let you know how the gasoline works, the salt thing isnt permanant for sure. ugh be lucky you dont have this problem!
I switched recipes and so far so good. I also throw a little oxy clean in with the under armor every now and then and it helps too. Makes the laundry soap bill a little higher but better than smelling like that!!
I will have to try the 1/2 amount thing though… THANKS!