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One of my first big money savers for our home was making homemade laundry detergent. We had 2 children at that time and it felt like I was constantly going to the store to pick up another $10-$15 bottle of laundry soap.

I decided to try a recipe that I found on the Duggar’s website. I added a few adaptations to my recipe, but use this as the basis.

I was amazed by how easy it was to make; and by how much laundry detergent it made! No more running to the store every week to pick up laundry soap. I now had a concentrate, waiting for me in a bucket. That first batch lasted me 2 months. It saved me a bunch of money and (best of all) I had a supply! And I love having a supply!

I was now hooked! What else can I make? I have adapted the liquid laundry to fit the needs of our family. I encourage you to this too.

You will need these ingredients:
A bar of Fels Naptha Soap
Arm-N-Hammer Super Washing Soda
Borax
A 5 gallon bucket with a lid for storage
An empty, liquid detergent bottle
A large spoon for mixing ( I keep one exclusively for laundry soap)
The next few are optional
A food processor (this one is similar to the one I use).
Lavender Essential Oil
Tea Tree Oil
Dawn Dish Soap
Downy Unstoppables (for extra scent)

You will begin by shredding the Fels Naptha bar. You can do this by hand. It is a messy job and can take a bit of time. (Make sure to save the small piece that is left over from shaving. This small piece is great for stain removal in the laundry room). If you have a food processor, that can make this task very easy. I found this food processor at a garage sale for $3 and it has definitely paid for itself just by helping me with my laundry detergent. Check out this video to see how fast it goes.

Some food processors have a lid to keep the contents from getting all over the place. If I was to buy one new I would get on with a lid. This Aiock Food Processor is similar to mine and has a cover. These also work great for shredding cheese.

Put 4 cups of hot water in a large pot and add the grated Fels Naptha soap to it. Heat on medium low, stirring continuously until it is completely dissolved. You then will want to get your 5 gallon bucket and fill it half way with hot water. Add the soap mixture to your bucket and mix.

Add 1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda and 1/2 cup Borax to the 5 gallon bucket. Mix until everything is dissolved. This is where I add a few additional ingredients to fit my needs. You do not have to do this. It is just something I like to add to mine. I am a big fan of Dawn Dish Soap and it;s grim fighting abilities . I will add 2-3 Tablespoons of Dawn at this time. I also sometimes will add a cup of Downy Unstoppables at this time and mix them in. This will give it a stronger scent. (Or you can choose to add them in per washload).

Fill the bucket to the top with more hot water. I fill mine up til 3-4 inches from the top. You want to be able to stir the contents of the bucket. Leave yourself some room.

You will now cover the bucket and let the soap contents sit overnight. The contents will gel. The next day you will mix it all up and make it into a pourable substance. If you did not add scent to your concentrate earlier or if you would like to add extra, then this is the time you can add your essential oils. I add 10-15 drops of lavender essential oil and 5 drops of tea tree oil for mildew. This next part is fun! Mixing! My kids LOVE to participate in this. Sometimes, we just get our hands in there and squish and mix it the best we can. This thick mixture will be your soap concentrate. Fill your old liquid detergent bottle 1/2-3/4 full with the soap concentrate. Add water to fill the container. Put the lid on it and shake it up to mix it. That’s it! Now you have a bottle of homemade laundry detergent. I add 1-2 capfuls to each load of laundry I wash. I also use a little bit OxiClean in most of my loads. Living on a farm, our clothes tend to get really dirty! But still, this recipe has saved my family a ton of money and I hardly ever run out of it.

Good luck on making your very own detergent! I would love to hear how it went. Would you add anything else to yours?

-Lindsay from Life on Misty Acres

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