Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

 This is an easy home made laundry detergent. It's much easier on the skin, wallet and environment than the regular stuff.

I was a bit dubious at first, but it does a great job of cleaning our clothes. It removes dirt and mud stains really well. For greasy stains I per-treat the spots by making some baking soda into a paste with a small bit of water, rubbing it in gently onto the offending fabric, and then spraying it with vinegar before it goes into the laundry. I've had no itchy red skin while using this, and it costs a whole lot less than store bought brands, especially if you buy the baking soda and soda crystals at a bulk store .

This is only recommended for regular washing machines. High Efficiency washers are some kind of magic and you have to use special stuff.

Home Made Laundry Detergent
Yield: 3 1/2 cups or approx. 30 loads
Time: 10 minutes
Cost: <$5

Hardware:

- 4 cup food processor
- Cheese grater
- Container to keep detergent in

Software:

- 2 bars of soap - Sunlight, Castille, Irish Spring, Zest, whatever soap you like, totally 250g
- 1 cup soda crystals – or “washing soda” or Borax would work as well
- 1 cup baking soda
- White Vinegar


Grate bars of soap with a cheese grater.

Mix baking soda, soda crystals and soap flakes together in food processor until very fine. If there are a lot of large pebble sized bits of soap I find they stay on your clothes through the wash.

Use about 2-3 tablespoons of the detergent per load in the detergent slot of your washing machine, add about 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the softener compartment.