Homemade Laundry Detergent

Why make my own, you ask? Well, other than the satisfaction and the lovely soapy smell...

Its better for you and your clothes... it does not contain harmful chemicals, brighteners or perfumes that can irritate your skin and it actually makes the clothes really clean rather than coating them with brighteners that merely give the illusion of cleansliness. You'll be surprised at how much dirt will come off and how many suds in your rinse you'll find!

Secondly... its significantly cheaper. I think it can be as cheap as 3c per load compared to over 20c per load for Tide.


Although slightly labor intensive, if like me you do not have a food processor, I believe this is a simple, thrifty and natural alternative to store bought clothes detergent. This is also safe for washing cloth diapers although if you have hard water or are using microfiber, I suggest using Kirk's Castille over Fels Naptha.

The most reliable place to find all the ingredients you need is Kroger. I have however seen Kirk's Castille in liquid form at Albertsons if you prefer to make your detergent in liquid over powder form.

The main reason I chose powder, was because it takes up less storage space which is very important in student housing.

What you need...

Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (Not Baking Soda!)
20 Mule Team Borax
A bar of soap - Popular ones are Kirk's Castille, Fels Naptha or Ivory Soap

There are many variants but I use 2 cups of Washing Soda, 2 cups of Borax and 1 Bar of soap.

The soap will need to be ground up very fine. I grate it on the parmesan side of the grater, you can use a food processor its faster... believe me!

If you want to make it in liquid form... try here...

http://natural-products.suite101.com/article.cfm/washing_clothes_for_pennies

Also... you can change your recipe as you want, as with the no-shampoo, its about finding a good balance for you! Experiment. Have fun. I sure do!