I've seen a lot of activity on Pinterest for homemade cleaners. People consistently said their versions were healthier, inexpensive, and worked well. I decided to jump on the bandwagon and try some of them. I initially started with laundry detergent.
Here's my recipe:
4 bars of Fels Naptha bar soap
1 7 lb. container Oxi Clean
1 3.7 lb. box of washing soda
1 4 lb. box of Borax
1 4lb. box of Baking Soda (they were out of the 4 lb. box so I used 2 2 lb. boxes)
(All of these ingredients can be easily found in the laundry section at WalMart)
Here's what you do:
Grate the bar soap OR throw it in the food processor and finely chop it. Mix all the ingredients together. Use two tablespoons of detergent per load.
Here are a few questions I've been asked:
Is it hypoallergenic? Probably not but my daughter, who has super sensitive skin, hasn't had any problems with this detergent and we've been using it a few months.
How much does it cost to make? This recipe is less than $20.
How much money do you save? Our laundry detergent bill is 25% of what it was.
How much does it make? It's about 20 lbs. of detergent. But, it lasts much longer than you'd expect since you don't use as much of the product as you do with your regular detergents.
Will it work in an HE washer? It sure does!
How well does it seem to clean? Well, I've got two messy girls and a hard working husband and their clothes seem mighty clean.
How does it smell? It's slightly citrusy. The Fels Naptha is the only ingredient that really has a scent. It's definitely a clean, light smell.
Are you apprehensive? Here's a suggestion: go in with a couple of friends, split the batch, and see if you like it. I have shared it with many. All who have tried it report back that they like it and will be making their own.
I wish you detergent making success.
