Suds Up! Homemade Laundry Detergent

Laundry detergent is one of those necessary items we all have to buy unless you pay to have your laundry done or you don’t wash your clothes. Commercial detergents can be very expensive and contain chemicals that can be hard on your skin and clothes. Here is a recipe for homemade powder laundry detergent that works just as well as the commercial stuff and is much cheaper!

You will need:

Fels Naptha Soap
Washing Soda
Borax
Large container

Directions: Grate Fels Naptha Soap to product 1 cup of soap flakes. Combine soap flakes with ½ cup borax and ½ cup washing soda in large container. Stir to combine.

To use: For large loads add 3 tablespoons to your washing machine while it is filling up, before you add clothes. For smaller loads use 2 tablespoons.

You should be able to purchase all 3 ingredients at your local Wal-Mart, Target or grocery store. In my area though I can only find Fels Naptha soap at Hy-Vee or Whole Foods. I have found that ½ bar of Fels Naptha soap grates up into approximately 1 cup of soap flakes. I usually score a bar in half and then grate until I reach the halfway mark. I use a stand up cheese grater on the small side and grate the flakes directly into my container. No matter how careful you are, soap dust and flakes will end up outside of the container. Keep that in mind when selecting your laundry detergent making location. Store the other half of the soap for a refill later.

Borax and washing soda come in large boxes that will last you awhile. Borax is great for other things around the house like homemade all-purpose cleaner. Washing soda was a little hard to find in my area, again I could only find it at Hy-Vee. It looks just like baking soda but it’s in a yellow box. It should be with the commercial laundry detergent or cleaning supplies. Look on the top or bottom shelves.

As for the container, I use a large round Glad-ware type container. If you purchased the round Ziploc containers for homemade cleaning wipes, you could use the second container for homemade laundry soap. I also repurposed an extra tablespoon from my kitchen to keep in the container at all times for scooping the soap.

The title to this post is actually misleading because this soap does not suds up at all. It’s still cleaning your clothes, its just not getting all sudsy. I would assume this would mean that this laundry detergent would work well in front-loading high efficiency machines, but I have not tried it to say for certain.

The whole process for making a batch of this soap took 10 minutes. I know because I made a batch tonight and I timed myself. This will last you for several loads however it is not the same amount as one of those huge jugs of commercial laundry detergent. If you have a lot of kids or do a lot of laundry for whatever reason, I would recommend spending an extra 10 or 20 minutes to make a double or triple batch. That way you are not grating up soap every other week. For your first time out of the gate on this one make a single or even a half batch to make sure you like it before going all out.

I do keep some commercial laundry detergent on hand for those times when I’m out of homemade laundry soap and I really need to do laundry and I don’t have time to make a new batch of homemade. It’s nice to have in a pinch. I also do not use my homemade laundry soap on my delicate clothes, so I keep Wool-lite or the equivalent on hand as well.

The Economics: I didn’t do my own cost calculation since I’ve been using this laundry soap for awhile now and I already have all the ingredients. I can tell you that a bar of Fels Naptha soap costs about $1 and a box of washing soda and borax costs between $2 and $3. Instructables.com did a similar cost analysis and says that the cost per load is $0.10 - $0.12 depending on the ingredients you use. That site also had some great pictures and says to use a food processor to grate the soap – great idea!

So is it worth it? If you have time to make this soap I say it’s worth it. You will save a lot of money by switching from commercial detergent. I also like that there are no chemicals either. I can say from experience that I did not see a difference in my clothes at all after I started using this soap. Next time I will try using a food processor to make the detergent. Sometime I would like to try making liquid laundry detergent too.

Cleaning With Baking Soda

I used to use those powder cleaners in a can (ie. Comet or Bon Ami), to clean my bathtub and kitchen sink. Now I’ve found a better, homemade powder cleaner to use instead that does not contain any of the chemicals that the commercial cleaners contain. Here’s what you need:

Baking soda
Empty parmesan cheese container

Directions: wash parmesan cheese container and remove label. Let dry completely. Pour baking soda into container and replace lid. Label outside of container with a sharpie.

To use: dampen surface to be cleaned. Shake baking soda all over surface and scrub clean with a damp sponge. Alternatively you can shake baking soda directly onto a damp sponge and then scrub your surface clean. That works better when cleaning areas like the inside of your microwave where you can’t exactly shake the baking soda onto the sides and the top.

That’s it! So simple. I love using the parmesan container as the shaker because it allows you to distribute the baking soda more evenly rather than shaking it straight from the box where it comes out in a big clump. Once you save up several empty parmesan cheese containers you can keep one in each bathroom and the kitchen to make cleaning quicker and easier.

Baking soda is extremely useful around the house. I buy it in big boxes, not those tiny refrigerator boxes. Here are some other uses for baking soda from Real Simple Magazine:

Exfoliate skin. Wash your face, then apply a soft paste made of three parts baking soda and one part water. Massage gently with a circular motion, avoiding the eye area; rinse clean.

Erase crayon, pencil, ink, and furniture scuffs from painted surfaces. Sprinkle soda on a damp sponge, rub clean, and rinse.

Unclog a drain. Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, then slowly pour 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar after it. Let sit for five minutes (covered, if possible). Follow with a gallon of boiling water.

Remove tough stains from enameled cast iron and stainless steel. Scrub enameled cast iron with a soft nylon brush and a thick paste of baking soda and water. Clean stainless steel with a soft cloth and 4 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 quart of water. Wipe dry with a clean cloth.
Scrub pans. Sprinkle soda on crusted casseroles and roasting pans and let sit for five minutes. Lightly scrub and rinse.

Brush teeth. Use a paste of baking soda and water.

Fight class-B fires (flammable liquids, such as gasoline, oil, and grease). Baking soda can be used to smother only a small flame.

Deodorize. Dust baking soda under your arms to absorb body odor.

Clean up minor oil and grease spills on a garage floor or driveway. Sprinkle baking soda on the spot and scrub with a wet brush.

Settle a stomach during occasional indigestion. Stir 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into 1/2 cup of water and drink for a safe and effective antacid.

So is it worth it? Yep. I use this method regularly in my household. Luckily you can try this out without a big initial cash outflow to see if it works for you too!