Homemade laundry detergent

I had never even heard or thought of making your own laundry detergent until my friend Nicole posted the recipe she uses a couple months back. Ever since then I have been excited to make my own and have waited patiently for our large box of store-bought detergent to run out. Why make your own laundry detergent? It can save you money, it can be a fun and satisfying project to do with your kids (or by yourself), it's quick and very easy, and, most importantly to me, it is great for kids/adults with sensitive skin. Joe and Dan both have eczema that comes and goes, and I have been meaning to try using a gentler detergent for quite some time. I also wanted a skin-sensitive detergent for when the baby comes, so I'm happy to now check that off my list. Read on for the recipe! You'll be amazed at how simple it is.



What you'll need:
1 cup Borax
1 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 bar Fels-Neptha (or Ivory Soap)

Finely grate the bar of Fels-Neptha (or Ivory Soap). You could also use a food processor to get a more finely grated soap... wish we had one of those :)


Add 1 cup Borax and 1 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda


I wasn't satisfied with having the bigger chunks of soap mixed in with the 2 finer powders, so I threw it all into my blender for a minute or two.


Pour it all into the container you want to store it in and start using it! Use 1-2 tablespoons per load, 2 for a large or heavily-soiled load. One batch of detergent should be enough for about 64 loads of laundry, but it's easy to double or triple the recipe so it will last longer. So far no complaints from me!