DIY Laundry Detergent

It has taken me a few months of reading blog after blog, seeing pin after pin and reading comment after comment before I finally decided to jump on the band wagon and make my own laundry detergent.  I am very particular (OCD) about laundry detergent.  It has to smell good and get dirty clothes (from teenage boys) clean!  I read multiple blogs and recipes until I decided on one I would use.  

Here are all the ingredients I purchased.......all for about $35......and this recipe should last us around 9-12 months, which makes me very happy!  Now I won't be spending $10-12 every 3-4 weeks on laundry detergent.

1 box of Borax (4 lb 12 oz)

1 box of Pure Baking Soda (4 lb)

1 box of Super Washing Soda (3 lb 7 oz)

2 bars of Fels-Naptha (you can also use Zote Soap but I got my ingredients at Walmart and they don't carry Zote Soap)

1 bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener (55 oz - this is purely optional but like I said  I like my laundry to smell good and I hang dry a lot of our clothes)

1 container of Oxi Clean (3 lb - this is also purely optional but I used it because our clothes have to be clean)

1 container to mix and store all the ingredients

If you opt to not use the Purex Crystals and Oxi Clean, it will obviously lower the cost of ingredients.  If you have coupons, which I didn't, that will also lower the cost.

Now, before you mix everything together you have to grate the soap.  This took me about 30 minutes and definitely built some muscles grating!  

Once the soap is all grated you can start layering all the ingredients in a large container.  I poured a little bit of each, then stirred and repeated until it was all mixed together.  Then I put some in the Purex container to use since the cap is just the right measurement we need to do one load of laundry.

I just got finished with 2 loads of laundry and have to say that I will never buy laundry detergent again!  Now I need to find a good recipe for homemade body wash.  LOL