Laundry Detergent

Making your own homemade laundry detergent is a cost-effective and eco-friendly way to keep your clothes clean. Here’s a simple recipe for a DIY laundry detergent:

Ingredients:

1 cup washing soda (sodium carbonate)
1 cup borax
1 bar of soap (Fels-Naptha, Castile soap, or any natural soap of your choice)
Optional: 10-20 drops of essential oil (lavender, lemon, tea tree, etc.) for fragrance (make sure it’s safe for laundry use)

Equipment:

Cheese grater or food processor
Airtight container for storage

Instructions:

Grate the Soap: Using a cheese grater or a food processor, grate the bar of soap into fine shavings. You can also cut it into smaller pieces and process it until it becomes a fine powder.
Mix the Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the grated soap, washing soda, and borax. Stir well to ensure even distribution.
Optional: Add Essential Oil (Fragrance): If you want to add a pleasant scent to your laundry detergent, add 10-20 drops of your preferred essential oil to the mixture. Stir again to disperse the fragrance.
Store the Detergent: Transfer the homemade laundry detergent to an airtight container for storage. Mason jars or old detergent containers work well for this purpose.

Usage: Use 1-2 tablespoons of the homemade detergent for regular loads of laundry. For heavily soiled clothes or larger loads, you may use 3 tablespoons.

Important Notes:

Always store the detergent in a dry place to prevent clumping.
If the detergent clumps together, simply break it apart using a spoon or fork before using it.
This detergent is low-sudsing, which means it’s suitable for both standard and high-efficiency (HE) washing machines.

Remember, this DIY laundry detergent is free of harsh chemicals and safe for most fabrics, but always do a patch test on a small area of clothing before using it for the entire load to ensure compatibility. Enjoy your homemade laundry detergent and the savings it brings!