How to Make your own Laundry Detergent

[kia027]

You will need:
1 bar laundry soap*
1 cup Borax
1 cup washing soda**
1/2 cup oxygen cleaning powder

*I use savon de Marseille, which has a lovely subtle scent that I quite like, but you can get unscented and even add a bit of essential oil if you like.
**Washing soda is called cristaux de soude in French

First, I mix together the Borax, washing soda and oxygen powder, since they are all powdered anyway. Then I start to grate the laundry soap and folding it into the powder as I go. I find it mixes together better than grating all the soap at once and trying to mix it together at the end.

You only need a heaping tablespoon for a load of laundry and one batch should last several months! I find this works really well, and even Fry's clothes that has suffered from... accidents (ahem) come out perfectly clean and stain-free. As you can see from the photo, I keep mine in a very large jar with the recipe taped on so it's always handy Source

[Diplomat]

Re: How to Make your own Laundry Detergent

Is this a just a matter of good economics or is this home-made detergent on par or better than its commercial counterparts?

[kia027]

Re: How to Make your own Laundry Detergent

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ChurchDude</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Is this a just a matter of good economics or is this home-made detergent on par or better than its commercial counterparts? </div></div>

it is environmentally better than the chemicals used by the large scale detergent manufacturers

[Tulip]

Re: How to Make your own Laundry Detergent

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kia</div><div class="ubbcode-body">it is environmentally better than the chemicals used by the large scale detergent manufacturers </div></div>

Kia, I thought the manufacturers had removed those chemicals or at a minimum they are illegal here in the U.S. I think it is specifically one ingredient that I can't remember the name of right now.

Ariel (same as Tide) in the UK has it. The Mexican version of Foca has it. You can buy the ingredient from Home Depot, but I still can't remember the name. The point is that the thing harming the environment apparently cleans clothes better.

Do you find that your detergent works as well as what you're used to?

[kia027]

Re: How to Make your own Laundry Detergent

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tulip</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kia</div><div class="ubbcode-body">it is environmentally better than the chemicals used by the large scale detergent manufacturers </div></div>

Kia, I thought the manufacturers had removed those chemicals or at a minimum they are illegal here in the U.S. I think it is specifically one ingredient that I can't remember the name of right now.

Ariel (same as Tide) in the UK has it. The Mexican version of Foca has it. You can buy the ingredient from Home Depot, but I still can't remember the name. The point is that the thing harming the environment apparently cleans clothes better.

Do you find that your detergent works as well as what you're used to? </div></div>


The sewage runs off into a treatment plant which adds more chemicals and then releases it out to the waterways where people fish or get their drinking water from. How dirty do the clothes get where they cannot get cleaned from a little sun with lemon on a piece of zinc and den more handwash wid the scwips scwips scwips (&lt;---credit to peasie here )

[sistactry]

Re: How to Make your own Laundry Detergent

me baxside, Kia u really mean to tell me say u grater soap and mix up soap ingredients, me raaa, once in a while me we bounce out me sheets and esp pillow cases, but fe mek soap, u pass me man - dwl

[kia027]

Re: How to Make your own Laundry Detergent

I cheated and grated the savon de marseille (you can also use fels naptha) with a large handheld grater then further ground in in a food processor. Mixed the borax and washing soda (mi neva bother with the oxy sitten) in a large bowl and then added the ground soap. Put it in a jar. I use 1/8 cup per load and have found so far I dont need to use fabric softener (but again it has only been 4 loads of laundry so far).

It did not take long to make, I know what is in it and save plastic by not buying plastic containers.

[Tulip]

Re: How to Make your own Laundry Detergent

Kia, you have a front loader or top loader washing machine?

[Gen]

Re: How to Make your own Laundry Detergent

Savon de marseille comes in a liquid form as well.

Dr Bronners seem to have similar ingredients

No surfactants and/or lye etc

[kia027]

Re: How to Make your own Laundry Detergent

front loader Tulip


I was trying to avoid the plastics

We bathe with Dr Bronners

[Nanook]

Re: How to Make your own Laundry Detergent

I will have to give this a try. I am a Dr. Bronners fan from decades. Peppermint in Summer, and Almond in winter.

[kia027]

Re: How to Make your own Laundry Detergent

I think it was you who had posted about Dr Bronners that turned me onto it Nanook!

[Gen]

Re: How to Make your own Laundry Detergent

Dr Bronners eucalyptus for shampoo &amp; the lavender for body wash.

I just get the large 32oz bottle each time I don't like the plastic either but they don't offer a refill service like the bodyshop

got my eyes on L'occitane for quite a while now

[Gen]

Re: How to Make your own Laundry Detergent

Kia do you get the Savon locally ???

[kia027]

Re: How to Make your own Laundry Detergent

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gen</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dr Bronners eucalyptus for shampoo &amp; the lavender for body wash.

I just get the large 32oz bottle each time I don't like the plastic either but they don't offer a refill service like the bodyshop

got my eyes on L'occitane for quite a while now
</div></div>

I don't know if you have a Wegmans in your area but I have seen the body wash in what may be a gallon size. I saw it there for $34.99 and it was going quickly.

Years ago the health food stores used to have a refill service but times have changed