DIY Laundry Detergent

Mystery2B

I know that the board is pretty obsessed with CC, but I had been looking into making my own detergent for a while now and was just waiting for my stockpile of Tide to decrease and to get the ingredients together. If people have posted about DIY'ing this before sorry for the repeat, but I hadn't seen it in my time on the board.

It's now made, smells great, and was super cheap, and should be more EF than my well loved Tide  

Here's what I did with some pictures:

Ingredients:
2 cups grated Zote laundry soap
1 cup baking soda
1 cup washing soda
1 cup Borox
2/3 c Oxy-Clean

 

Directions:
Grated 1/2 the bar of Zote on a box grater, then added 1 cup of grated Zote and 2 of the powdered ingredients to the food processor. Pulse until the soap shards are broken up/small. Then I did the other half of the Zote and remaining powder. I should have looked at the texture of the powders and used one course/one fine with each load of Zote since the second round got the soap much finer, I think because the Borox and Oxy had a rougher consistency than either soda powder. Mix the two batches together and put in a container. Use between 1-2 Tablespoons per load (I'll probably start with 2 and see how it goes).

Some people mixed essential oils into their recipe for scent, but the Zote has a light citrus scent so I skipped adding EO's.

Rough Costs - outlay/approx amount used for a batch:
Zote: $0.80/$.40
Borox: $4.49/$.50
Washing Soda: $2.79/$0.50
Baking Soda: $1.89/$0.50
Oxy-Clean: I had it on hand, but you could get an Sun brand for $2.00 at Big Lots, and use about 1/8 of the container, so $0.25

So I laid out just under $10 and have a ton of ingredients left. Zote is my limiting ingredient for future batches - I have enough for 1 more batch, but it's also the cheapest item at under $1 or I may try a different type of soap next time. Some recipes said they used whatever they had on hand including mini bars from hotels (I donate these to the Ronald McDonald Family Room, but you get the idea).

Here are a couple links to info on making detergent (I probably looked at 20+ versions) - I added the baking soda based on the CC ingredients and some other recipes, and used a higher amount of OxyClean since some individuals (who were using an Oxy free recipe) said they has some issues with dingy whites over time and we do a lot of whites here!  The 2:1:1 ratio on soap to washing soda and borox seemed pretty consistent in recipes I read so I stuck with that.


https://modcottage.com/?p=117
https://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

AmandaHearn

Let us know how it goes

I don't use baking soda in mine, but I do like a little more of the oxiclean than most recipes call for as well

I also use fels naptha, but that's mostly because it's old timey and I love the appeal, plus I love the smell of it

If you don't already, try vinegar as a softener   I love it.

mrs.a.butler

I make all my own.  That's pretty much the same as I make it, except I ust Dove soap

Also, you do not want to use soap or borax on your diapers.  I just omit both of those

Mystery2B

I already use vinegar and love it! 

I smelled both the Zote and Fels Naptha and liked the smell of the Zote better - it's wasn't a very scientific decision  

It seems to dissolve well - I put 2T in the washer and added an "extra small" load of cold water and there is no visable residue, nor can I feel any "grit" with my hand at the bottom. 

Mystery2B

mrs.a.butler:

I make all my own.  That's pretty much the same as I make it, except I ust Dove soap

Also, you do not want to use soap or borax on your diapers.  I just omit both of those

Thanks My baby won't need diapers for about 5 months, so this recipe is purely for clothes/linens. 

Hippinski

mrs.a.butler:

Also, you do not want to use soap or borax on your diapers.  I just omit both of those

It depends on the school of thought really.  I know many people who use borax on diapers and I actually consulted with 2 chemists on what happens when sodium borate mixes with water and it is essentially the same chemical reaction that you get with Oxy-Clean.

Mystery2B

Hippinski:

mrs.a.butler:

Also, you do not want to use soap or borax on your diapers.  I just omit both of those

It depends on the school of thought really.  I know many people who use borax on diapers and I actually consulted with 2 chemists on what happens when sodium borate mixes with water and it is essentially the same chemical reaction that you get with Oxy-Clean.

Good info...I'll have to do some more reading on the subject. 

AmandaHearn

Hippinski:

mrs.a.butler:

Also, you do not want to use soap or borax on your diapers.  I just omit both of those

It depends on the school of thought really.  I know many people who use borax on diapers and I actually consulted with 2 chemists on what happens when sodium borate mixes with water and it is essentially the same chemical reaction that you get with Oxy-Clean.

I use borax in my CD detergent.

pixieprincss

Try using a food processor for your soap, it goes much faster. Here is what we do, and I have another blog entry coming at some point with pictures of the cooking process. I have done several dry recipes and done a liquid one twice. It is so fun and works great!