Homemade Laundry Detergent

Laundry detergent is one of the first things I started making at home years ago, and I have loved it ever since. There are countless recipes out there, but most of them use the same three ingredients: washing soda (different than baking soda), borax (the powdered form of a mineral), and soap. After some fiddling around, this is the ratio I like best. You can do a powdered version without water, but here in the Northwest I find the humidity makes it clump up or turn into a solid block if you don't keep it really airtight. I prefer the gel version this makes, and while you can add more water to make it easier to pour, that makes quite a lot of detergent you have to store. This more concentrated version works great with about a half cup per load (slightly more or less for larger or smaller loads).  You can store in old emptied detergent bottles, but for this version I find a lidded tub easier, as you can just scoop rather than pour. This fills about three and half standard detergent bottles.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Washing Soda

1/2 cup Borax

Soap (either a whole bar of Ivory or other basic soap, or 1/3 bar Fels-Naptha)

Supplies

Saucepan

Large spoon

A bucket or pot that fits more than 2 gallons (and additional storage container if you won't be storing in the bucket)

Steps

1. Grate the soap and add it to a saucepan with 6 cups of water over medium heat, stirring occasionally until soap dissolves.

2. Add washing soda and borax and stir to dissolve. Remove from heat.

3.  Add four cups hot water to bucket, and then pour in contents from saucepan. and stir

4. Add another 22 cups of water and stir. Cover container, and leave for 24 hours.

5. You'll now have a loose gel, or a liquid with a top coating of gel. Break up the gel into chunks and mix with the liquid.

Scoop one half cup per load (slightly over or under for big or small loads). One box of borax or washing soda will make so many batches, so you will find this is amazingly cheap! Enjoy!
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