I am SO excited about this week’s DIY: laundry detergent! Yep, homemade detergent. Now, I’ve never been one to buy the cheapest detergent- I pay good money for my clothes and I’m not about to have them ruined or worn down faster by the cheap stuff. I generally use the middle-of-the-road, average, All Small & Mighty. It works alright and doesn’t cost me a whole lot, so I thought! After researching homemade laundry detergent and searching for the recipe with the best reviews, I found a great one on this blog. I was actually pretty nervous to try this DIY, but this recipe has fabulous reviews and costs almost HALF what a normal detergent does! The recipe from the original blog costs about $28 a YEAR and makes enough to do 6 loads a week! Carlos and I definitely don’t do that many, so it will last us quite a bit longer. Plus, I decided to only make half the amount she did, just in case I don’t love it. But it still made a TON! Anyway, my normal detergent costs about $5 for 40 loads, which means it would cost around $39 for the same number of loads. If I add softener, that ups the price to about $66! $66 vs. $28? It’s at least worth a try, right?!
So here’s my recipe, adjusted to make half of the original mix. Everything can be found in the laundry aisle, except the baking soda, which is in the baking aisle. 
1/2 of a 4 lb 12 oz Box of Borax
1/2 of a (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 (1.3 lb) Container of OxyClean
1 (14.1 oz) bar of Fels Naptha soap (or Zote)
1/2 of a 4 lb Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
1 (28 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener
The first step is to grate the Fels Naptha. Yep, grate it. Hand grate or use a food processor, NOT a blender. My food processor is broken and I’m waiting on my replacement to be shipped, so I used a hand grater. Mix this with all the other ingredients in a large bowl or a bucket. I used a mixing bowl with a lid for long-term storage. I removed the label from the Purex bottle and poured some in for everyday use. The cap can be used to measure out the detergent for use- only 1-2 Tablespoons per load!
I can’t wait to try my detergent. I’ll let ya know how it works!
xoxo
