DIY: Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent!

Guest Post by Daphne

Homemade liquid laundry detergent, it’s something I never thought I would be making. I’m not your typical ’’Susie Homemaker’’ who makes everything from scratch…or anything from scratch. However, my mom, Susie (yes, seriously, it’s Susie) jumped on the bandwagon and made several batches. She passed some on to my family to use and I really liked it! It was gentle enough for my son’s sensitive skin, not an overpowering smell and it got the job done! Plus it is DIRT cheap, yes pun intended!!

Thus began my journey into making homemade laundry detergent! Now I get to share it with you!

Recipe for Homemade Laundry Detergent

• 1/3 bar Fels Naptha
• 1/2 cup Washing Soda
• 1/2 cup Borax Powder
• 2 gallons Water

Additional Supplies:

Bucket (2+ gallon size) *I used a used and cleaned cat litter container

Now, let’s begin: Grate the Fels Naptha soap and put it into a large sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the Washing Soda and the Borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture into the bucket and stir. Add 1 gallon of water plus an additional 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. Give it a stir before you use it.

You use ½-1 cup per load. (I use closer to 1 cup).

I also want to show you how much money you are saving by making your own laundry detergent (*All prices are from my local Wal-mart).

Cost Breakdown:
Here are the prices of each item:

• 1 bar Fels Naptha (5.5oz): $.97
• Washing Soda (55oz/3lbs 7oz.): $ 3.24
• Boarx Powder (76oz/4lbs 12oz): $2.98
• Water: FREE!

Here is the price break down per batch:

• 1 bar Fels Naptha: $.32
• Washing Soda: $.24
• Boarx Powder: $.16
• That’s a total of $.72 a BATCH, which is $.02 per load (if using 1 cup).

Still not convinced??

Look at these two different kinds of liquid laundry detergent I found at Wal-mart. Here are their prices based on their cost and how many loads of laundry it says it does on the container.

• All 2x Ultra Clear Liquid Laundry Detergent, 150oz $10.97 ($.11 per load)
• Gain Liquid Laundry Original Fresh Detergent, 150 fl oz $15.47 ($.16 per load)

 Are you ready to join me on the bandwagon?

Daphne married her husband in November of 2005, and became a stay at home mom in September of 2010 with the birth of their son! Daphne blogs about their life as a family, her crafts, DIY projects, and recipes. She likes to give the price break downs on different projects/recipes to help her readers understand what they are saving/spending. She blogs over at Life’s A Project, The Life and Projects of a Homemaker!

*Disclaimer, this post is intended for general laundry purposes, not cloth diapers.  Please consult with each diapers manufacturer approved detergent list before trying this on your diaper stash.