My faithful kenmore washer of 20 years died this past fall. While shopping for a replacement we reviewed a ton of high efficiency (HE) models. We decided upon an HE LG top loader. So we are now using less water with every load of laundry: yea!
I have made homemade liquid laundry detergent with much success with my older washer. However, with the way my new washer is set up, I don’t think my old recipe will work as successfully. Therefore, I have decided to make homemade powdered detergent. (I like making my own because I know exactly what goes into it and there are no phosphates or other sudsing agents that are harmful to the environment). Based on scouring the web for recipes along with my old liquid recipe, here is the recipe I have used for the past week with great results and it requires just 3 ingredients:
Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup borax
- 1 cup washing soda
- 1 bar fels-naptha laundry soap (some people say you can use ivory or ZOTE but I have had good luck with fels-naptha with my liquid soap so I am going to stay with what I know works).
- Optional, 5 drop of lavender essential oil (this is optional but I love how lavender has some disinfecting qualities and smells wonderful!)
- Grater or Food Processor with grating blade
- Food Processor with “s” blade or blender (if you do not own either of these, see the note below at the end of the instructions)
- Measuring Cup
- Bowl
- 1 Tbsp for small loads
- 2 Tbsp for regular loads
- 3 Tbsp for heavy loads
- If you don’t own a blender or food processor, unwrap your soap and allow it to dry out for a couple of weeks. If your soap is dry, it will be much more powdery when you grate it and much easier to incorporate into your mix of borax and washing soda.
- You will have a lot of borax and washing soda leftover. These are both great general cleaning agents for other uses and you can use borax to make flubber! I pulled my borax and soda off my shelf so I do not have a cost. I will add that later.
countrymommacooks.com
Cool tip I will be trying this! Thanks.
Kim @ Too Much Time
Love it! I have used Ivory, but don’t really like all that fragrance. I have to look for the Fels-Naptha and give it a shot. I was also thinking of trying the Dr. Bronner castille bar soap. Those natural scents I can handle:)
Rebecca @ My Girlish Whims
Hey Marilyn, I came over to your blog to help you add my linky button, but looks like you already got it up! Let me know if you have any more questions Thanks for linking up!!
Anne @ Domesblissity
This is a great simple recipe. Often they’re too complicated. I’ll make this up for sure. Thanks for linking up to my Thriving on Thursdays linky party too!
Anne xx
YarningToo
Thanks for the simple / easy to follow recipe. Definitely going to try this! Also, just started reading your blog. Love it!
Danielle
This is awesome! Where did you find the washing soda? I have a had trouble finding that before.
Oh and thanks for linking up and sharing!
Danielle
I am doing a thrifty living segment on my blog each week and would love to feature this post in the next few weeks. Would you like to be a guest on Blissful and Domestic?
Katie Goldsworthy
Thanks for the tutorial! I’ve been need a recipe for this!
–Katie
@ Creatively Living
Eleni Poulakou
Besides my thumbs-up for the eco-logical attitude, I must say I admire the clarity and detail of your tutorial, as well as your little tips on how to solve potential problems. Excellent!
Joyfulploys
I make a laundry soap that’s similar….I use equal parts of washing soda and borax and throw in a scoop or two of dollar store oxygen cleaner. When I do a load of wash, I add one scoop(Oxi-clean scoop) and put in a big squirt of Gain Dish Detergent. I love this laundry powder…it’s great! We have extremely hard water and the clothes come out very soft…I use a dryer sheet in the dryer. I went with this formula because, I kept reading that the oil based bar soaps would not break down in a septic system.
Mary
ghardym
I’m mixing this recipe today. I also use a ball of aluminum foil in the dryer. I heard about this as my husband has to be careful of static with his heart pump. It works like magic and I keep it in a lingerie bag so it won’t flake off pieces.
ghardym
I’m mixing this recipe today. I also use a ball of aluminum foil in the dryer. I heard about this as my husband has to be careful of static with his heart pump. It works like magic and I keep it in a lingerie bag so it won’t flake off pieces.