DIY Laundry Detergent

This DIY is a huge money saver and it's easy to make! It is a very simple recipe and is great for those with allergies or skin irritations because it's made with all natural ingredients. You can make a powder or liquid. I always make the powder because it's easier to make and store.

Here is everything you will need:

I wrote my recipe on the old yogurt container that I keep the laundry detergent in so that I know exactly what to do for the next batch.... but believe me, this stuff lasts a loooong time.

You will need to shred 2 bars of soap. Many recipes call for Fels-Naptha soap, found in the laundry detergent aisle, but really any old soap will do. My cheap ass got a great deal on a huge box of Ivory soap, so that's what I use.

*Tip- Buy a separate grater for your crafty projects. The cheap $1 variety works fine. You don't want your shredded cheese to have a slightly soapy taste :)

This is what the grated soap looks like. I like to separate my recipe into two yogurt containers during the prepping/mixing time to avoid a mess, but this recipe will fit into one yogurt container.

Borax is key in this recipe, aka sodium borate. It can be found in the laundry detergent aisle of most grocery stores. The brand I found is called 20 Mule Team.

Next up is Washing Soda, aka sodium carbonate. Common baking soda, aka sodium bicarbonate, cannot be substituted in this recipe. Like the other ingredients, it's easy to find in the laundry detergent aisle.

And here is the finished product. You could add a couple drops of essential oils to make it smell nice, but you really don't need it. Using homemade laundry detergent makes your clothes naturally clean, you'll forget about that artificial smelling laundry stuff that you used to use.

DIY Laundry Detergent
2 bars of soap (such as Ivory), grated
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda

Use 1-2 tbs per load of laundry

But what about DIY stuff for the dryer, you ask? I'll show you how to do that next time!

-Amber