DIY All Natural Laundry Detergent

DIY All Natural Laundry Detergent

Good for your Clothes, Good for the Environment, Good for You!

I have not bought laundry detergent since sometime in 2012. For real! I wish I could calculate the money savings but also the environmental impact. Laundry detergents are full of phosphates and other chemicals that are bad for our water supplies and other environmental details (go google it if you need more but otherwise, just roll with what I'm saying). Not to mention most laundry detergents are full of fragrances and other stuff that is just plain bad for your skin, irritates your eyes, nose, sinuses, and over time may damage your health and clothing.

Since switching to this all natural detergent, our clothes are softer and cleaner feeling than ever before and skin irritations are greatly reduced. We all have pretty sensitive skin and the youngest has had bouts of bad eczema. And I am sure we have saved a ton of cash! :)

There are a bunch of better-for-you detergents on the market, but I like making things from scratch and these ingredients are things I already have on hand and use lots of in other things anyway (including my dishwasher detergent). It's so easy you'll think, "this can't possible work"...but it does and we personally love it. I won't ever buy laundry detergents again! If you don't want to make your own, I bet I'd sale ya a batch if you ask! :)

ingredients & directions 

• 4 oz. bar natural castille soap (I used to use Zote, which is fine, inexpensive, and easy to find but too much fragrance for us. The batch I made this week I have used Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Bar Soap, Dr. Bronner's Citrus Blend, and Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Unscented. I prefer the unscented. None of them give a scent to your clothes though. You can use any soap you choose, but look for natural soaps.)
• 2 cups borax (yes, sure there are debates about its safety now. But this stuff has been used for laundering clothes since the 1800s.)
• 2 cups washing soda

Grate your bar of soap with your cheese grater's finest shred. (It's OK, it's just soap. To wash it...just add warm water! ;) You can also do this with a food processor. Mix all your ingredients together in a container with a lid (large glass jar or I'm using an old Charlie's Soap plastic tub with a screw-on lid). 

• Use about 1 Tbsp for a regular load of laundry
• 1/2 Tbsp for small load
• 1.5 Tbsp for large load
• 2 Tbsp extra-large or heavily soiled load. 
• For heavily soiled clothes and whites, I add about 1/4 borax & 1/4 cup washing soda. 

You will have no need for fabric softeners as over time your clothes will lose the build up of commercial detergents and feel  incredibly soft! And this gets really dirty clothing - think: working farm man & messy little boy dirty clothes - truly clean. I use this in my regular, ol' Kenmore washer (not a front load or HE) but I have seen the websites saying this is safe for the newer HE machines.

I have a great recipe for pre-treater/stain remover too that keeps my four-year-old's shirts looking newer, stainless longer. It gets out mud, blood, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce. I'll getcha that recipe the next time I whip some up! 

Feel good with what's on your skin! Happy clothes = Happy people! :)

UPDATE 9/2/14: Pour full-strength vinegar into the softener dispenser in your washing machine for all natural fabric softener. (Thank you Sisters Shopping on a Shoe String!)