Homemade Laundry Detergent

You probably already know that I love a clean and organized house.  But did you know that I hate buying cleaning products?  It's just my thing.  I feel that the chemical market has exploded with so many different products and competitors that we've been brainwashed to believe that cleaners have to be expensive and "green" or loaded with fancy chemicals and synthetic scents in order to be effective. 

Last year, I converted 80% of my cleaning products to homemade concoctions.  I've played with a few different recipes to find the ones that work best for me, and so far I've been impressed with how well the homemade versions work compared to the store-bought ones. 

Once I ran out of my Seventh Generation's Free and Clear Powdered Detergent, I decided it was a good time to try laundry detergent too. 

It turns out that making laundry detergent is way easier than I thought.  Luckily, homemade laundry detergent is all the rage right now so there are plenty of resources online for different recipes (like here, here and here).

I sorted through all the recipes and found one that was mostly natural, safe for sensitive skin and still powerful enough to clean, whiten and brighten.

I chose a pretty basic version because (1) I prefer powdered detergents over liquid and (2) I wanted an unscented detergent.

All it takes is 5 ingredients.  Most of which you can find at your grocery store!

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Over the last 6 months I've tested this detergent on stains, colors, whites, delicates, hand washables, towels, drapes, duvets, comforters, rags, etc.   This combination of ingredients has done an excellent job of cleaning all types of fabrics.  I have no complaints.  Everything smells fresh, comes out clean and all stains have been eliminated (and I have a tendency to spill quite of bit of olive oil and red wine on myself).

Not to mention that I also appreciate that there is absolutely no build up of detergent or fabric softener in my washer (you know that gummy stuff that forms around the edges of the washer and in the detergent dispenser...yuck). 

The Best Homemade Laundry Detergent

5 lbs. of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (I buy the 12 lb. bag from Costco) ($5.00)
1 (3 lb. 7 oz) box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda   ($3.24)
1 (4 lb. 12 oz) box of Borax ($3.29)
1 (3 lb.) box of Oxi-Clean ($7.50)
3-4 bars (5.5 oz) of Fels-Naptha OR 2 bars of Zote  ($1.99)

You'll also need:
Grater (or a food processor) to grate the bar soap
3 gallon bucket with lid
Tablespoon scoop (you can reuse the scoop that comes in the Oxi Clean container)
Smaller container to keep a manageable amount of detergent in for daily use (I found a jar at HomeGoods that stores enough soap for about 40 loads of laundry - the jar was $5.99)

1) Grate the 3-4 bars of Fels Naptha.  I used the grating attachment on my food processor
2) Add the grated Fels Naptha to the bucket, then add the remaining four ingredients.  Mix thoroughly.
3) Store in air-tight container

When washing a load of laundry you will only need 1 TBSP of mixture.  For heavily soiled clothing, I would recommend 2 TBSP of the mixture.  I normally start the washer, add the detergent and then add the fabric to be washed.

This combination and amount will make enough detergent for about 260 loads of laundry (if using 2 Tbsp per load).  That works out to about $0.08 per load! The homemade detergent will not create suds so it is safe for an HE washer.  Less is more when it comes to laundry detergent. 

Each ingredient in the mixture does it's part to clean, deodorize and brighten/whiten the fabrics.  See below for a quick description of what each ingredient does:

• Arm & Hammer Baking Soda - deodorizer, removes stains and works as a natural fabric softener (also great for softening hard water)
• Super Washing Soda - removes a wide variety of stains, ensures no residual detergent is left in clothing fibers
• Borax - disinfects and naturally brightens clothing and whitens whites
• Fels Naptha - laundry booster, eliminates hard to remove stains (even oil-based and set-in stains)
• Oxi Clean - stain remover and detergent booster, whitens whites and brightens clothing

I wouldn't recommend substituting regular bar soap.  Fels Naptha and Zote are both laundry boosters and stain removers.  Ingredients in bar soap, such as Ivory, could make whites dingy.

I keep a tablespoon scoop in the detergent for easy measuring.  A tablespoon doesn't sound like much, but I assure you it's plenty for most loads of laundry. 

Don't believe me? Here's an article from the New York Times that states many households use 10-15 times the amount of detergent that is necessary for each load of laundry, shortening the life of both the washing machine and the clothing. The article suggested trying out a trick to see if you're using too much soap: Place a clean towel in the washing machine (5-6 clean towels for a front load machine), don't add any soap and start the cycle. Check the water in the machine a couple of minutes later (while still in the agitate cycle). If you see suds or cloudy water, this is the residual soap left on the fabrics and it could mean that you're over-soaping.

I will add an extra scoop of Oxi-Clean (on stained clothing or whites) and a scoop or two of baking soda (for sheets and towels).  I keep containers of both near the laundry for easy access.

This is the only detergent I add to the washer. I don't use bleach, fabric softener or dryer sheets. When washing my towels and sheets I add 1/2 cup of white vinegar (with a few drops of lavender essential oil) in place of fabric softener. No need to worry if you don't like the scent of vinegar - it completely fades in the dryer and it acts as a great fabric softener that won't build up over time on the fibers! 

Have you ever made your own laundry detergent? What's your favorite recipe?

Mary

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