Home Brew for your Laundry

Recently a friend sent me an email with a recipe for home-made laundry detergent.  I’ve read about folks making their own cleaning products, but I hadn’t tried it myself.  I justified my hesitation because I was still using my store-made purchases and I didn’t want to waste it.

However, the truth of the matter was that I had a healthy dose of skepticism about making my own detergents… I had visions of decaying fingernails and toxic fumes floating through my house.

(a bit melodramatic I know – it’s soap after all, not uranium).

Last week, however, when my nifty jug of fancy, well marketed detergent started sputtering over it’s last few ounces, I realized it was time to throw caution to the wind. I dug out the e-mail, purchased all of the necessary ingredients (three to be exact), and started brewing.

The results? Surprisingly, really positive.

I’ve now been using my home-brew for about 10 days and I’m really happy with it. My clothes are nicely cleaned, they smell fresh and have a lighter feel to them. I’m actually thinking that my white/light clothes are cleaner than they were previously.

And, as an added bonus, I’ve retained all of my fingernails!

The one down-side is that this recipe makes a ten gallon portion. That’s A LOT of laundry detergent.

I’ve offered to share it with my friends — a strange gift I know, but I’m generous like that.

From a cost saving perspective, this is a no-brainer.

I spent less than $10 to buy all the ingredients and I’ve barely touched them to create ten-gallons of detergent. Therefore, this $10 investment should last me until our little guy graduates from middle school.

So yeah, this saves me money.

Here is what you need for making your own liquid detergent:

4 Cups hot water
1 bar of soap (Fels-Naptha, Ivory Sunlight, Zote – just find something without perfume)
1 Cup Washing Soda (I used Arm & Hammer’s version found in the laundry aisle)
½ Cup 20 Mule Team Borax

Here is how you brew it:

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
- Fill a 5 gallon bucket half-full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved.
- Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken
- Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use (it will gel).
- Optional: once soap has cooled you can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

- Top Load Machine use 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
- Front Load Machines use ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

There was also a powdered option for your consideration – I haven’t tried it (and based on my current supply, I won’t need to for awhile) but if powdered detergent is your cup of tea, feel free…

Powdered Detergent for a top loading washer:

- 1 bar of soap (Fels-Naptha, Ivory Sunlight, Zote – just find something without perfume)
- 1 Cup Washing Soda
- ½ Cup 20 Mule Team Borax
- Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered
- Mix all ingredients

For light load, use 1 Tablespoon
For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons.
Yields: 3 Cups detergent (~ 40 loads)

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Full disclosure: this recipe can be found in it’s original form on the Duggar’s Website.  I’m guessing they do a lot of laundry, so that’s a good endorsement!