Household Recipes: Homemade Laundry Detergent
I am a hardcore couponer.* My kids are even in on it. Whenever we go to the grocery store together they both want to know ahead of time “Do we get any coupons?”. I usually pick out a coupon I had planned on using (for a kid friendly item to make it more fun) and give one to each of them. Their job then is to find the item or items in the grocery store and put them in the buggy. They also get to put them on the belt and hand over their coupons when time comes to pay. Then we talk about how much money they saved that day by using them and I’ll usually go through a drive through for some sort of treat and explain to them how we got that “free” with the money we saved.
Consequently, Katy’s favorite thing to do is get my coupons out of the printer whenever I print them off from websites and such. As soon as she hears that printer going she hollers out “Ma! Can I get the coupons out for you?” and here she’ll come a running with pieces of paper, proud as a peacock. Hint: You can print out coupons directly from SouthernPlate.com by using the Coupons widget about middle ways down in the right sidebar!
One of the things that drives me half mad is the price of laundry detergent. This is one item which is absolutely necessary in your household but so seldom goes on sale. To make matters worse, Katy has had some sensitivity issues to detergent in the past (she broke out in hives when I tried out a lavender scented one and on one other occasion when I tried another detergent) so I am limited to which ones I can purchase.
A while back, I came across a Tipnut.com post on homemade laundry detergent. Now my initial thought was not to replace our laundry detergent but rather to simply know how to make my own in a pinch, if I ever had the need. I just love being able to do things like this on my own, must have been all those episodes of MacGyver when I was younger. I was pretty surprised to find that not only did it clean better than the high dollar brands but it also softened our clothes (I no longer use fabric softener) and made everything even smell fresher than the brand I had been using.
It has been requested by all members of my household (including the youngest, who thinks grating soap is just the coolest thing ever) that I only use this detergent from now on. We’ve been using it for a few months now and I’m totally won over. Of course, they love it for the smell and feel of our clothes, I love it for how great it works and the fact that it only costs me about eight cents per load of laundry now!
In my mind, the commercial versions can’t come close to this.
Tipnut has an extensive list of laundry detergent recipes on her site, including several for liquid detergent. She also has a great FAQ section just for laundry detergent questions! I considered the liquid detergent recipes for all of thirty seconds and went straight with the powder because it suits my commitment to keep things as low maintenance and simple as possible.
This is only my second batch that I’ve made up. It seemed to last forever so this last time I actually measured out how many loads were in each batch so I could give you an accurate figure. No wonder it lasted forever, I had made enough for 160 loads!
Today I’m bringing you the recipe I use which I found on Tipnut.com. After viewing this tutorial, hop on over there and check out her other recipes for detergent to find the one that works best for you. This one is the hands down winner at my house!
You’ll need:
- Laundry Soap (Fels Naptha or Zote are the ones I have used. You can also use: Sunlight Bar Soap, Kirk’s Hardwater Castile, or even Ivory)
- Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT baking soda)
- Borax
Note: You’re not likely to find all of these things in one store. I usually have to make trips to at least two different stores to get them. One store will have the Borax but put it beside a huge box of Baking Soda instead of washing soda and then another will have the soap. Just have fun shopping around for what you like but be sure you remember where you got everything! I am going to show you a recipe for detergent to make about eighty loads worth but I recommend you get four bars of soap and go ahead and make 160 loads worth because there is enough Borax and Washing Soda in one box to do that much. This will give you the absolute best savings!
The only real work involved is grating your soap. I use a cheese grater for this. I really want to use my food processor but I’m worried about hard soap damaging or dulling my blades so cheese grater it is!
Get your soap, a dishpan or large bowl, and grater and go find something good on TV.
If you have access to one of the first few seasons of Mcleod’s Daughter’s, that’d be my pick.
*I get about three cups of soap shavings from each bar. Measurements will vary according to the size of your bar soap and how finely it is ground.
We’re grating this kind of fine so it melts easier in the water.
If you like, you can run the shavings through the food processor when you are done to make it finer but this works just fine for me.
Measure out your soap grounds in a large mixing bowl. This is where the recipe gets easy.
However many cups of soap shavings you have, half that to know the number of cups of Washing Soda and Borax to put in.
So for six cups of soap shavings, use three cups of borax and three cups of washing soda!
Measure out Washing Soda
And borax..
Stir all of that up!
You’ll have to stir a bit each time you scoop some out to get a good ratio of soap shavings to powder but that’s no big deal.
I store mine in a little flip top container and leave an 1/8th of a cup measuring cup in there to measure it out. Can you believe this only takes two tablespoons per load? Seriously! I put this to the test, too. I’ve figure out that two tablespoons is pretty close to 1/8th of a cup so that is the measurement I use now.
The main difference you will notice between this and store bought detergents is that this detergent doesn’t suds up as commercial ones do. Don’t let that deter you! Once you pull out your first load of clean, fresh smelling, naturally soft and fluffy laundry, that only cost YOU eight cents to clean, you’ll be hooked.
Homemade Laundry Detergent
*This was based off of Tipnut.com’s recipe #4, I just altered the amounts
- 4 Bars Laundry Soap (to yield 12 cups of soap shavings)
- 6 Cups Borax (this is roughly one box)
- 6 Cups Washing powders (this is roughly one box)
Grate soap using cheese grater. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Place in sealed container and measure out two tablespoons for each load.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Smaller Batch Recipe
- 2 Cups Laundry Soap Shavings (you can get this easily from one bar)
- 1 Cup Borax
- 1 Cup Washing Soda
*Follow Instructions For Above Recipe
Soaps you can use: Fels Naptha, Zote, Sunlight Bar Soap, Kirk’s Hardwater Castile, or Ivory
*For great coupon strategies and advice, visit www.southernsavers.com.
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Christy,
Do you know if this mixture is safe to use in the “newer” machines that calls for one particular detergent so the machine will last longer? Will not mention the brand the washer maker recommends but it is a liquid and expensive!!!!!!! Answer if you know the answer!!!!!
Tipnut addresses that on her FAQ page about the detergent. She has had readers use it and report back that it works just fine!
I read someone one here saying that they had to watch the suds in their newer machines. If that is a problem, you’ll love this because it really doesn’t suds up like commercial ones do!
After after grating and mixing all of the ingredients, how big of a container do you need to store it in? Would a gallon size work?
A gallon size should work fine but you might want to get just a wee bit larger if you are doing the full recipe, just to make sure.
I like my little flip top container so I just fill it up and store the rest in a zipper bag until I run low.
Looking for these ingredients will be like a treasure hunt!! I always have a box of 20 Mule Team Borax on hand so I will be ahead of the game.
Another use for borax:
A couple of years ago my neighbors brought home two new puppies. My cat NEVER goes outside but sure enough, she developed fleas just from being out on our screened patio. Along with treating my kitty (I HATE using the flea meds on her), I took my trusty borax and put it in a flour sifter and walked every room with a carpet and sifted in a fine powder. (work it into the carpet) The borax dessicates the flea eggs.
First I vacuumed the carpets, then I did the borax and I left it in there for a few days and then vacuumed again. It stops the vicious cycle of eggs hatching new critters! You have to make sure the fleas are off your pet first or the cycle will just continue.
Christy, you’re saving me money, but you’re making me work! *grin*
Barbara
How clever! I seem to recall Victorian’s using Borax as a form of pest control by putting it on windowsills and such as well but I could be wrong. There is far too much information rattling around in this brain of mine to keep it all straight!
This is a brilliant and incredibly helpful tip! Thank you!
Hehe, if you have to work a little for it, you can sit back at the end of the day and survey all that you have done and then grunt in satisfaction, like a man. 🙂
~snickers~
I know, I ain’t right in the head!
I have used this now for about 4 months. I will not go back to a regular detergent. I mixed mine up in a 5 gallon bucket. And store it in it also. We even had to travel out of town to get the supplies!! One bit of advice-try not to inhail this stuff-especially if you have your head down in a bucket. It will make you sick. Fumes are strong. Also…..the best tip. I DO NOT USE FABRIC SOFTENER! You dont need it. Clothes are so much softer. I use baking soda also. Most Krogers carry all supplies. And, the amount I made uses only 1/8 of a cup and I wont have to make any more for a year!!!!
LOVE IT!!!!!!!!
AMEN! Folks are going to be really surprised by how soft and fluffy the laundry is. I’m so glad you agree!!
My sister (I Play Outside The Box) turned me onto this homemade detergent, and I love it! I use an old ‘Salad Shooter’ to grate the bars, and the bar fits perfectly into the hopper! I picked up the Salad Shooter at a thrift store for $1.00. It is just used for this purpose, saves time, clean-up and hand fatigue.(Just be sure you get one with the grater blade.) Isn’t it a little hint of Heaven, to walk into your laundry area and smell the soft aroma of your homemade detergent on wash day?
It does smell heavenly doesn’t it?
I had a salad shooter back in the day and sold it on Ebay, lol!
Oh the things we do when we are young! Wish I had it now!
I’ve been doing this for almost a year and love it. You can call Arm & Hammer and they will tell you where you can find the Washing Soda locally. I found the Fels at my local Ace Hardware. I also use a little vinegar for the rinse and it has kept my washer from smelling(front loader)as an added benefit!
I started using a food processor to make it and it really made it easy. I learned to heat the Fels just a little and it grates MUCH easier and faster.
Christy,
What a great post! My boys are going to love making laundry detergent. What’s not for little boys to love, grating soap, mixing soap,and pouring deterergent into water! We’re off to get all the ingrediants as soon as everyone is dressed ane ready this mornging.
The last time I bought detergent it was about $15.00 for the large bottle. Your approach I like much beter. With the money I’ll save, I’ll take the family to lunch at Chick-fil-A! Such a deal!!
Thank you again for your sweet birthday wishes! You made my day extra special!
Blessings,
Maralee
Happy Birthday to you, Maralee!! I know if I was in your town, that I would “treat” you to a Chick-fil-a lunch for your special day and then you would save even more. ;-} Have a wonderful birthday. P.S. The news said that today is National Doughnut Day………..SP has a great donut recipe ya’ll. weeeeeee
Hey Christy, can you pick me up a dozen eggs at the farm? Have fun!
Oh my goodness, $15?!?! Why is it so expensive?
They sell it here for about $3.99. The more expensive ones are about $6 – $8, and they’re usually either the eco-friendly or sensitive skin formulas.
The Detergent for my front loader is about $18 for a large bottle. If I’d known how expensive it was, I never would have bought the machine.
LOL Maralee, Terri, Su, and Bill, all of the members of my peanut gallery all on one post! lol
~giggles~
I love you guys!
We love u too. BIG CONGRATS to you too, on the Darla Shine radio spot. waaaay to go, girl.
Ah no, $18! That is crazy.
I have a front loader as well which does slightly restrict me in which detergents I can use (although I’m told regular detergent is fine but you just have to reduce the amount you use because is suds so much) but no way does it cost anywhere near $18!!
At least that’s one thing we have on you in the US. You may have better snacks but we have cheaper detergent! 😉
My homemade liquid does great in my HE front loader. There are no suds to damage the motor. That’s why when you by an HE machine the instructions tell you to buy the special soap.