Make Your Own...Homemade Laundry Detergent

I hate shopping. Plain and simple. So when I can come up with ways to shorten or eliminate my need to shop, I am very happy. This summer I started making my own laundry detergent again. It had been years since I had last done this. I don't know why I ever quit. Convenience I suppose. This is the recipe I have been using and liking very well. I gleaned ideas from tipnut.com. Note: I have very hard well water that is softened and a hubby that get very greasy, dirty and sweaty and THIS WORKS!!

Liquid Laundry Detergent

1 cup washing soda (NOT baking soda)
1 cup borax
1 cup oxyclean
2/3 bar of Fels Naptha soap, grated

In a large pot, heat 3 quarts of water. Add the grated Fels Naptha and stir until melted. Add the washing soda and borax. Stir until the powders are dissolved. Turn off heat. Add the oxyclean, stir until dissolved. The oxyclean will make this mix very foamy and expand - that is why I turn off the heat first!

In a large, clean pail (I use a 3-5 gallon bucket that has a lid) pour 2 quart of hot water. Add the heat soap mixture. Add about 3 quarts of cold water and stir well. (sometimes I add more or less water, I just kinda eye-ball it to see how it looks. Sorry!)

The soap will continue to look very foamy (at least it does for me). You will have to stir this well each time you use it. Once stirred, it is more gel-like.

I use 1/2c per load (I only run large loads). Use more or less depending on you water quality and how dirty your laundry is.

The ingredients:




The Fels Naptha and my grater:


Melting the Fels Naptha:


The mix getting foamy after adding the oxyclean:


Pouring the mix into the bucket. See how much foam forms for me!:


This is how thick the top gets after is sits a few days. You have to stir it well!


I have not figured out the cost of this detergent yet. I can't imagine it costs ANYWHERE near what you'd pay for Tide or similar detergents! So far it seems that this amount of detergent will last me about 75 loads. Give or take a few (I am not the best at remembering how long things last). One thing I will note is that I do pour about a 1/4 cup of pinesol into my washer per large load. It helps get rid of the perspiration odors. I also never use fabric softener - I use white vinegar. It does not make your clothes stink!

Please visit the tipnut site, there are so many comments and suggestions for the different kinds of water and washers you may have. It helped me greatly! Homemade Laundry Detergent tips.