Easy Laundry Detergent Recipe

Sometime after we had our first baby, we realized how fast we were going through detergent. Every time we went to the store we were buying another jug. So I decided to try a homemade laundry detergent and was hooked!

At that time I was making a liquid detergent and it would make 10 gallons at one time!

It worked great for the 1 1/2 years we used it. I have since moved to a powder recipe and have to say I love it even more! The liquid recipe is pretty time consuming with melting down the bars of soap. So I decided to try a powder detergent recipe I haven't looked back since! 

There are no perfumes or dyes in this detergent and is safe for those with sensitive skin. However, this is not a good recipe for washing cloth diapers. The Fels Naptha can build up on the diapers and create repelling.

This recipe is a modified version of one I found online. I can't remember where I first saw the original recipe or I'd post a link. 

Homemade Laundry Detergent

3 bars Fels Naptha

1 box Baking Soda

1 box Washing Soda

1 box Borax

First, pour the baking soda, washing soda and borax into a large bucket. We bought a 5 gallon bucket at Lowes for around $3.

Then the Fels Naptha bars need to be grated. I use a cheese grater or chop up the bars and pulse it in a food processor. I personally like to use the food processor to save on the labor and time.
If you don't have a food processor, look at garage sales and thrift stores. I bought mine at a yard sale and come across them all the time.

Add the soap flakes and mix it up well.



My kids love helping me with this job!

We use around 2 tablespoons of detergent per load. If I have a particularly dirty load (very likely with 3 kids!), I'll use a little bit more and add a scoop of oxi-clean. 

This batch usually last our family of 5 a few months. So for around $14 we have detergent for several months! This recipe saves money AND time, since I am not running to the store every week for more detergent.

So there you go! Start saving some money and give this recipe a try!


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