Laundry Detergent

Today I embarked on a money saving, environmentally friendly project that I have wanted to do for a while... I made my own laundry detergent! Yep! I am very excited about this project and can't wait to do some laundry tomorrow! It was so easy and inexpensive to make... and that thrills me! This is just one more step that will help Charlie and I get closer to our goal of being financial free! Praise God! I really encourage you to try this out and see if you like it! Anything is worth a try when it comes to saving money. If you don't like it you will only be out about $13.00 so you won't have a huge loss there. Okay, here is what you will need to get started:


*Cheese grater, a bar of Ivory soap, 100% sodium carbonate (NOT SODIUM BICARBONATE), borax and a food processor (not pictured)

Here is the recipe that I used:
*1 bar of soap
*1 cup sodium carbonate
*1 cup borax

Measure out the sodium carbonate and borax, mix together in bowl. Grate bar of soap and add to mixture. Put mixture into food processor and blend until soap is powder consistency. Store in an air tight container. Use 1 tablespoon for regular size loads or 2 tablespoons for larger, heavier soiled loads.

My Finished Product!

I made a double batch just to save myself the trouble of making it again in a few weeks. I love bulk! I love the smell of this detergent! It reminds me of being a little kid because we used nothing but Ivory soap growing up! The total cost per batch of this detergent is $2.50! Each batch should wash roughly 65 to 75 loads!

Here are a few things that you may want to know before you get started:

*The purple and white bottle above (sodium carbonate) is a substitute for Arm and Hammer Super Washer Soda. I was unable to find the actual Arm and Hammer brand but they are the exact same thing.
* I used Ivory soap because I love the smell, but here are some alternatives: Fels-Naptha, Zote, Kirks Hardwater Castile. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps.
*Washing Soda and Borax can usually be found on the laundry isle of many stores.