Recipe for home made laundry detergent.

Wow! Three posts in one day.  *lol* Several friends have asked us how we make our laundry detergent...a few have even made it and are using it.  So far, everyone has loved it and not looked back! Thought I would share it here...please note, there are several versions of this recipe...we tweaked ours to what works best for us.  I will say that this is safe and much better for your washing machine than store bought detergents...it will not get all bubbly (bubbles are not actually cleaning your clothes...they are more of a "wow" factor) :)

We purchase our supplies about twice a year and spend an approx. total of $23 per year!!! That is much better than $25 per month! There are 5 of us, 3 of which are kids, so, I wash ALOT! I make up a 5 gallon bucket and wash clothes every day (not to mention towels and bedsheets every week)...so I say on average, a 5 gallon bucket of liquid detergent will last me about 3 months! So, I make about 4 batches per year and have been doing this for 3 years now.  Will NEVER go back to store-bought detergents.

Another reason, why I make my own, is skin allergies. My husband and daughter have very sensitive skin and could only use one store bought brand...now, that I make our own, they have not had any skin irritations.  We believe it is due to the fact that no perfumes, preservative or unnessecary "wow" factors are added.

So, here is the liquid version...again, we have "tweaked" ours to suit our needs...and this list below is to make one 5 gallon batch (we buy enough ingredients to last us 6-12 months).

2 cups Twenty Mule Team Borax powder
2 cups Washing Soda (we use Arm & Hammer)
1 1/2 bars Fels Napa Soap OR Ivory Soap OR Colgate laundry soap
 (we like the Fels Napa or Ivory the best)
1 bottle of liquid incense oil (just a few drops...what they use to fragrant soaps and candles..the
  lavendar is esp. nice)
5 gallon bucket with lid

First, grate your soap using a cheese grater...add to a med/large pot and fill with water. Cook on med. watching and stirring constantly until all the soap pieces have completely melted. Set aside. Take your 5 gallon bucket and poor the melted soap in, add 1 1/2 - 2 cups of Borax powder and the same of washing powder...stir well! Now, start adding hot tap water to the bucket all the way up to the fill line. Stir well!!! Now snap the cover on and let it sit covered overnight.  The next day, get yourself a "stir stick"...something long enough to reach the bottom of the bucket and that you can keep in your wash room next to it. You will need to stir it up before each use. It is now "gel like"...this is why you need to stir it each time. Now you can add your fragrance drops...just a few...maybe 5-10 drops is all you need. Stir well and now you are ready to try it out. I keep a plastic cup and use half for a smaller load and a full cup for really large and/or extra dirty loads.

**Please note, I highly recommened adding water to your wash tub and then adding your laundry detergent...swish it around with your hands some and then let it fill up BEFORE adding your clothes. You don't want the detergent to sit on dry clothes..the borax powder can cause white spotting if added ontop of dry clothes and left to sit** This is what I found out the hard way, when first using it :)

Ya'll feel free to comment and let me know how you like it. It really does not take that long and saves you lots of money! The picture of the bucket above is about 2/3 full...I meant to take a picture when I first made it! :)