Homemade Laundry Detergent

Once I had Baby J and quit my job, it didn't take long for me to start looking for ways to cut back and save money.  One of the ways I thought we could do that was by making our own laundry detergent.  It also appealed to me because I like knowing what goes into my detergent.  I did not know anyone who made their own detergent though so I turned to trusty Google.  Luckily I stumbled upon this recipe.  Their claim: you could save $0.16/load with the homemade detergent compared to commercial detergents.

*If you hate math then skip this paragraph*

I decided to give it a try but track the number of loads I got out of a batch of the detergent to see just how much I was paying per load.  I bought the ingredients at Walmart: Borax (76oz) for $3.96, Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (55oz) for $3.24, and a bar of laundry soap (5.5oz) for $0.96.  I made a double batch of the detergent so I used $3.69 worth of detergent products ($0.83 Borax, $0.94 A&H soda, and $1.98 bar soap).  Most of the time I do large loads of laundry so I opted to use 2 tbsp per load (they said you could use just 1 tbsp).  Out of a double batch of detergent (meaning I doubled the recipe) and using 2 tbsp/load, I was able to do 67 loads of laundry.  That amounts to $0.06/load ($3.69/67 loads) which is a savings of $0.10/load in comparison to commercial detergents.  It seems like small savings at first but it adds up over time.

The website gives a great step-by-step tutorial on how to make the detergent but here are a few tips:

• They suggest many different types of bar soap.  I have tried Zote and Fels-Naptha.  I do not recommend Zote, I think it smells weird.  I do recommend Fels-Naptha, it has a nice scent that is not strong so it doesn't linger on the clothes.  I haven't tried any of the other soaps.
• They suggest grating the bar soap, I don't, it's a pain.  I recommend chopping it first with a knife as so: cut into 1/2 inch pieces across the width of the bar, then cut two sections along the length of the bar.
  
• After you have chopped the bar soap into 1/2 inch pieces, blend it in a food processor using the metal blade.  First blend for 30 seconds, stop, shake it up a bit to make sure all the pieces are at the bottom, blend for another 30 seconds, shake again, then pulse a few more times.  
  
• Once you've blended the soap, measure out the Borax & washing soda, pour on top and pulse about 5 times. 
  
• Once you have a nice distribution of white (borax + washing soda) and yellow (bar soap) in the mixture, stop pulsing and pour into an airtight container.
  
• Even if you are going to make multiple batches of the detergent (I usually make a triple batch), do it one batch at a time because it'll give you a better consistency.  Plus I can only fit about one batch of the detergent in my food processor at one time (I have a 12-cup food processor).  
  

Leave a comment if you have any questions.  Happy washing!