I have been making my own laundry detergent for 4-5 years now. Sure, I can occasionally find it on sale really cheap with a coupon, and if I could buy it cheaper than making it ($0.48 a bottle of liquid) I would. I use to make Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent. In fact, I made it for 4 years. I made it until we moved and we were told liquid detergent makes the plastic washer drum get a yucky smell. We switched to powdered and had been buying the “cheap stuff” for about 4 months. I tried 3 brands and didn’t like any of them. I finally decided to look for a powder recipe and get back into making my own. The recipe I settled on is below. Not only is homemade detergent cheaper but I like knowing what is in it.
I purchased all items in WalMart’s laundry aisle with spot removers.
Borax – $2.38 – enough for 4-5 batches
Washing soda – $2.12 (NOTE: this is NOT baking soda) – enough for 4 batches
Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap – $0.99 – enough for 1 batch
Oxi Clean – $7.52 – 6 batches – you can get the generic brand at the $ store
I also purchased a small snap top container for $0.96. I am not sure it is going to be my permanent container but it works for now.
DIY Home Laundry Detergent
Ingredients
- 2 cups Borax
- 2 cups washing soda
- 1 cup Oxi Clean
- 1 bar Fels Napa Soap
Instructions
- Mix together first 3 ingredients.
- Grate Fels Napa Soap.
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Blend 1 cup at a time until the mixture is a very fine powder.
- Use 1 tablespoon per normal load and 2 tablespoons per heavy load.
- Makes approximately enough to 100 loads.
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The box shown says ” Pure Baking Soda”
Comments states ” this is not baking soda”
Do we use the Arm and Hammer laundry booster?
You will find this baking soda in the household/laundry detergent cleaning area. I’ve had mixed results finding it labeled as “baking soda” as you see in the picture and “washing soda,” which, I agree, can be confusing. Either way that it’s labeled, it will have language on it about being made for cleaning versus cooking. I’m sorry for that confusion.
Hi Lynn, Sodium Carbonate (washing soda, or Na2CO3) is essentially a higher PH version of Sodium BiCarbonate (baking soda, or NaHCO3). Washing soda is more grainy and inedible (and less easy to dissolve in water) but useful for laundry due to it’s high level of alkalinity. I’ve been using baking soda in my laundry wash cycle and vinegar in the rinse cycle for 2 years and I feel like the clothes are a lot cleaner. I’m experimenting with a different recipe than above though. Hope this helps!