DIY Laundry Detergent

Original Source: DIY Laundry Detergent

1 Box (4 lb 12 oz) Borax- Found in the detergent aisle

1 Box (3 lb 7 oz) Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda- Found in the detergent aisle

1 Container (3 lb) OxyClean- Found in the detergent aisle.

2 Bars (14.1 oz) Zote Soap or Fels Naptha, grated- Found in the detergent aisle

2 Boxes (2 lb) Arm & Hammer Baking Soda- Found in the cooking aisle

1-2 Bottles (55 oz) Purex Crystals Fabric Softener- Found in the detergent aisle (This is 100% optional. Like I said, my laundry detergent must smell good and I really like soft towels)

The hardest part is now over and all that’s left is to mix everything together. I used a very large bucket that I got from my Father-in-Law and took a layering approach to mix it easier. I took a small amount of each ingredient and layered it on top of each other, then I grabbed a large mixing spoon and mixed it together. I did this probably 5 times but it was so much easier than dumping all the ingredients in at once and then trying to mix it well.

This batch makes A TON! Now for probably the best part…you only need 1-2 Tablespoons per load depending on the size…I’ll give you some time to re-read that since I’m sure your in total disbelief…recover yet? That’s right, you only need 1-2 Tablespoons per load! Now here comes the stroke of genius, if you opted to put the Purex Crystals in your batch, you can scoop the detergent right into your bottle and use the cap as your measuring spoon. There are 3 lines on the side and the middle one is approximately 2 Tablespoons…genius right?

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Me: I have done this before and it works great.  So inexpensive, and it lasted forever!  I used Fels Naptha before, but this time I chose to use the Zote Soap because…wait for it…it’s pink!  LOL  If you know me, you know I LOVE pink!  So pink laundry soap just makes doing laundry that much more fun!

I used my Bosh mixer to grate the soap.  Much, much faster than hand grating.  And it cleans off really easily.  I mean, it is just soap! 

I have read comments about people being worried about using this soap in cold water, because how is the Zote/Fels Naptha going to melt.  Really?  Melt?  Soap doesn’t melt, it dissolves.  And it dissolves in cold water just fine. 

So looking at this picture, you can see that I filled both bottles, I filled the OxiClean container, and my bucket is almost 1/2 full.  This will last me for months, and I do about 4-5 loads of darks every week.  I don’t use this for my whites and towels, I use Tide with Bleach for those.  But this is an amazing way to save money.  Try it out!