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Memoirs of Making Homemade Laundry Detergent – Part 2

By Amanda Brackney |

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Homemade Laundry Detergent Foul

I love my homemade laundry detergent! However, it took me awhile to narrow it down to which recipe worked best for me. I now use a mega stain fighting powder. You can read below about how I arrived at this decision or skip straight to the recipe I use now.

Many of you have been doing it for ages…making your own homemade laundry detergent.

About a month and a half ago, I made my first batch ever of Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent.

For the most part I was pleased. It was easy; it took under an hour to make six gallons. It was inexpensive; the cost of the ingredients was less than $7 with plenty left over for at least two more batches.

However, it just didn’t seem to clean very well, especially my husband’s work clothes. I ended up buying a container of oxi-clean and was adding 1/8 cup to every load of laundry. At $7 per tub, it kinda defeated the whole frugal purpose of this endeavor.

So I set out to find a new recipe that would pack a bigger punch. I found a Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent recipe, using Fels-Naptha and Oxi-Clean that seemed like it would do the trick so I gave it a whirl.

I decided this was NOT the recipe for me after this happened…..
Homemade Laundry Detergent Foul

….TWICE.

#don’ttrythisathome

So I went back to square one and remade six more gallons using the same recipe as before, but still using the Fels-Naptha as it’s a laundry bar specifically formulated to remove stains. I also added five drops of Jasmine essential oil to each jug for a little more fragrance.

And there you have it.

Homemade Liquid Laundry DetergentIt seems to be gelling like it’s supposed to (my first batch didn’t), but I don’t like the irregular consistency (which I was warned about), so I think I’ll use this up and next time around I’ll do what everyone else suggested and go the powder formula route.

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Comments

  1. Bonnie says

    August 19, 2012 at 8:38 am

    Thanks for sharing your laundry detergent saga! Please let us know what you land on for the powder detergent.

  2. Shannon says

    August 19, 2012 at 10:36 am

    I have a powder recipe that works awesome! Got it from my cousin, who’s husband works in construction! Let me know of you want recipe.

    • Amanda says

      August 19, 2012 at 4:45 pm

      Would love it Shannon!

  3. Kim S says

    August 19, 2012 at 4:37 pm

    I use a powder recipe too, and would love to see Shannon’s as well. It just seems like the powdered is too easy versus going through the process of making the liquid.

    • Amanda says

      August 19, 2012 at 4:46 pm

      I agree Kim. I’ve just always liked liquid detergent so I wanted to try it. If I could find one the way I wanted it to be, I’d still make the liquid. I just have too many requirements.

  4. Felicia says

    September 10, 2012 at 9:48 am

    Have you tried a powdered yet? I really like it. This is the recipe I use:

    1 – 4 lb 12 oz box Borax (2.15 kg or 76 oz) found in the detergent isle

    1 – 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (1.81 kg) found in the cooking isle

    1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz (3 lb 7 oz) found in the detergent isle

    3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap, found in the detergent isle (if you use Zote bars use 2 bars instead, Zote can be found at Home Depot)

    2 small containers of Oxy Clean or store brand Oxy Clean (this is optional, I added it into mine because I have pretty messy kids and the cleaner the better)

    **Use 1-2 Tablespoons per load. I know that does not seem like enough but this recipe does not have fillers like the store bought detergent so you only need 1-2 Tablespoons.**

    • Amanda says

      September 10, 2012 at 11:26 am

      Hi Felicia,
      Yes, I have tried powder. I am actually using it right now but haven’t had a chance to post about it. The recipe I used is very similar. One thing that would save you money is to not use the baking soda, just use washing soda. Baking soda and washing soda are basically the same thing except the washing soda is formulated so that it does not break down as easily in water and actually has a chance to clean. 🙂
      Amanda

I'm Amanda, and I'm so glad you're here! God has entrusted each one of us with a unique home to manage, a unique family to nurture and a unique life to live. Our job is to manage those things well. It’s no secret that managing a home is more than a full time job and can be overwhelming at times. We all need a little help, a fresh perspective and a whole lot of cheerleading along the way. I hope you find all three right here! Read more...

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