What I find amazing about the following ingredients that we're going to use is that they're all-natural detergent boosters! Wonderful! What I find interesting about store-bought detergents is this: if they're so great for cleaning your clothes, then why do they need detergent boosters?! It doesn't make sense! So why not go straight to the booster source that's all-natural, cheaper, and does a better job?!
I had everything I needed to make this laundry soap lying around the house...honest! Most of these things can serve as multi-purpose cleaning agents and they're great things to pick up when you're at the store next time. An added bonus: this will make a HUGE batch of soap for a fraction of the cost.
Here's what you need (this card can be saved and printed off. It's a 4 x 6):
Gather all the items together.
Now add about 20 drops of essential oil if you'd like. I prefer lavender oil when it comes to laundry detergent. It's a very pleasant, soothing scent. Continue to stir so that all the detergent is coated in the essential oil and you don't have small pockets of oil. At this point your detergent should smell amazing!
Now start a load of laundry. Here's my favorite laundry combination for getting a load really clean and fresh!
Depending on load size add 1/8 to 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide in place of bleach.
Add 1/8 to 1/4 cup white vinegar in place of fabric softener.
Add 1/8 to 1/4 cup of the laundry detergent that you just made.
There you have it! Start your load and it comes out beautifully! No more need to waste your money on laundry detergents that are pricey and ineffective!
I promise that even your largest load setting will get clean with 1/4 cup of this detergent! It lasts a long time which I love and there are several other uses for the detergent if you're short on the following:
- Sink or shower scrub
- Toilet scrub (you can use Eucalyptus oil instead of lavender for added antibacterial properties!)
- Fixture Cleaners
- Dish Detergent (Use 2 TBSP in detergent compartment. I would eliminate essential oil for washing dishes.)
Also keep in mind that this works in HE washers. You don't need all that "fancy-schmancy" HE detergent! Just use this! This detergent also keeps your washing machine in better shape...no chemical build-up or detergent residue. It's a win-win! Another positive is that this tends to be gentler on sensitive skin. We are no stranger to eczema and allergies in this house and things like this detergent help keep things at bay. Detergent is on some of the most intimate parts of our lives: underclothing, clothes, bedding, blankets, towels, etc. So why not be as nice to your skin as you can?!
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
What's your favorite detergent or laundry tips?
Happy Laundering!
The Queen
I make my own laundry detergent and it calls for Fels Naptha or Zote soap, is that really necessary do you think? It's a pain in the booty because you have to grate it!
ReplyDeleteI've actually made the very recipe you're asking about and here's what I think: I don't think that the Fels Naptha or Zote is necessary. Yes, it smells great and offers a "lather" that the other ingredients may not. But a lather isn't necessary for clean clothes. And because we're using essential oils in the above recipe, you don't need the Fels Naptha or Zote for smell. And you're right....it's a beast to grate!!!! Almost dangerous! I've also found that it doesn't always dissolve completely, which I'm not a fan of. So if you'd like to eliminate those two items, it's perfectly fine and you'll still get great results.
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