Making My Own Laundry Detergent

I've been using what some would consider "natural" laundry detergents off and on for awhile, but it's gotten rather expensive. I've seen a few recipes before to make my own laundry detergent at home, but most of the time I tell myself I'd rather pay a little extra to have someone else do it.

I've finally come to the realization that making my own laundry detergent is going to be very simple. These days it's super easy to find 1000's of different recipes online to make your own liquid or powder laundry detergent, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, and dishwasher detergent. In most cases not only does it save cash in your pocket, but it also helps to save the environment a little.

Have you ever researched what type of harmful chemicals are in fabric softeners and laundry detergents? The list is scary!

After looking over a ton of different recipes I found one I'm going to try. I decided I want a powder detergent just because it's easier for me to store right now. I'm going to make it in small portions at first so I can adjust for my skin. I have very sensitive skin, so I have to choose bar soaps that don't irritate me. A lot of recipes I've seen recommend using Ivory soap, but I'm highly allergic to it. Another choice is Fels Naptha Soap, but I've never used it. With my skin I'm afraid to try it without hearing from others with sensitive skin who have used it before.

This is the recipe I'm going to try:

12 cups Borax
8 cups Baking Soda
8 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Bar soap (grated)

• Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub.
• Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load.

Optionally you can add essential oils (10-15 drops per 2 gallons) to the liquid versions. I don't know about powdered versions, so if anyone has any ideas for that please share them with me.

After using this for a few weeks, if I like it I'm going to move on to recipes for fabric softeners and dish detergents. I'm not sure if I'll ever try the dryer sheet recipes since I hardly use my dryer (only on rainy days when I can't put my clothes on the line).