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Monday, July 28, 2014

Monday Made It: Homemade Laundry Soap

 I'm linking up with Tara today for Monday Made It!

A few years ago I stumbled across THIS blog post and became intrigued about making my own laundry soap.  I do a lot of laundry, and when my son was younger he struggled with eczema and his skin got irritated really easily.  I loved the idea of 1. saving money on laundry detergent and 2. having a laundry detergent that was gentle on my little guy's skin.
I tried making the detergent once and have never gone back.  It's easy, lasts forever, and is super inexpensive.
If you want to try it, you'll need this...
...and this.
My hubby was a gem and grated the soap for me before I got started on the rest, so I didn't have it for my photo.  But, it looks like this.  You need it.  It's important.
You'll also need a way to grate it.  I use a hand-held cheese grater like this one.  Since I don't ever actually grate cheese, I use ours as a soap grater instead.  And, this isn't actually a photo that I took.  Remember that my hubby did this while I was gone?  So, it's not him.  But when we grate the soap, it looks almost exactly like this. 
This photo actually came from here.
Grating the soap is the most strenuous part of the process.  Everything else is easy peasy lemon squeezy.  Seriously.

After you have the soap grated, combine it with one cup of Borax, one cup of washing soda, a scoop or so of the Oxi Clean, and half a lid or so of the Purex crystals.  As you can see, this is a very strict recipe.  Add all of those things give or take whatever you feel like.
 I ended up with a few clumps that I had to work out.  It didn't take me long at all to break them all apart.  And if there are some small clumps left, no big deal.
After it's all mixed, I pour it into the container where I keep it in my laundry room.
 See how there are still some clumps?  Totally fine.
I use 1-2 tablespoons per load.  I add a little more if the clothes are extra dirty.

 Another recap of the ingredients:
Make sure to use washing soda and not baking soda.  I find this by the laundry items at the store.
This stuff is amazing whether you make your own detergent or not.  It's excellent for getting stains out.
In my local store, the Fels-Naptha soap is kept by the other bar soaps, NOT by the laundry soaps.  But I've seen it both places.
There are several of types of Oxi Clean.  Buy whichever you like.
If you need to stay FREE from all dyes and perfumes, just leave the Purex Crystals out.  I tried adding them in slowly because I like the freshness they add to the detergent.  They don't affect my son's skin anymore.  They are NOT a necessity and can be left out.

TA-DA!  This is a double batch of detergent and will last me 4-6 months.  I do anywhere from 3-7 loads of laundry each week.

I'd love to hear from you if you try this, or if you already make your own detergent!

Happy Monday!!

4 comments:

  1. I think it's so cool that you made your own detergent. I would love to make my own. Do you have a front load washer or a top load washer? Do you think it matters?

    -Maria

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  2. I have done this and it has worked out great for me. There is also a liquid version that just requires you to use hot water and let the mix sit overnight. Works well also.

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  3. I made some with a friend last spring, but I'm running low. Love it! Thanks for the recipe...I'll definitely be making some more soon.
    Sarah from Mrs. Jones Teaches :o)

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  4. I use a liquid recipe from One Good Thing by Jillee's blog. I love it!

    Brandi
    Swinging for Success
    Follow me on Facebook!

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