I’ve tried a few different versions of the recipe, and this is the one I like best:
1 4lb box of Borax
1 4lb box of baking soda
1 box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (3 lb 7 oz)
3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap
1 3lb box of Oxy Clean or a generic brand
1 24oz bottle of fabric softener crystals (I switch the brand/scent) – OPTIONAL
Grate the Fels-Naptha soap using a regular cheese grater or a food processor:
Then mix everything else in. It should make about 2 gallons of detergent. That’s it! I usually store it in an air-tight container, since I keep it in my humid basement laundry room. There’s no scent other than the fabric softener crystals.
I use one tablespoon-size scoop per load, two if the clothes are really dirty in my front load HE washer. As a family of 3, we wash about 5-6 loads of laundry a week. This mix lasts us about 6 months and costs about $20. You can’t beat that!
Lately I’ve been experimenting with making my own liquid laundry detergent. More info coming soon…
Please let me know if you have any experience with home made laundry detergent!