homemade laundry detergent

I've known it was possible to make one's own detergent for at least a year, but assumed it would be harsh on clothing. A little Googling revealed that most people have actually found that homemade detergent is better for clothing. I read through a few recipes and decided to go with powdered detergent. Unfortunately, the big-box stores in my area have never heard of Borax or washing soda. Amazon.com has, but I'm not paying $9 to ship $9 worth of ingredients. Ace Hardware had a free ship-to-store option and a decent coupon code, but only sold multipacks. $83 for what looks to be several years' worth of detergent is a good deal...but not for someone who doesn't even know if she will like the stuff.

Then, quite randomly, I was in a grocery store about 40 minutes away...and just happened to find all three ingredients right there in the laundry aisle. Sold!

Here is what you need: Washing soda, Borax, and Fels-Naptha soap. I believe Zote or Dove can be substituted for Fels-Naptha, but Fels-Naptha is specifically labeled a "laundry soap" and I've been pleased with it.

Grate the soap until you have 2 cups. I used a cheese grater and then food-processed it. I also tried cutting the soap into chunks and processing it that way. Either way works, but if your processor is more of a "lite" model, you should grate before processing.

In a bowl, mix 2 cups Fels-Naptha, 1 cup Borax, and 1 cup washing soda. Mix, then process. This detergent won't leave any kind of a scent on your clothing; if you want to add in some essential oils, do it while the detergent is in the processor. I used a coconut lemongrass blend; lavender, lavender tea tree, lavender lemon, or lemon would be lovely, too.

Use 1 tablespoon for a regular load and 2 tablespoons for a heavy or heavily soiled load. This detergent is not sudsy, so don't fret if you don't see bubbles. If you want nice, soft clothes, pour a little white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser. I usually air-dry everything but linens and gym socks and plain vinegar does a great job at removing the soap residue that causes stiffness. Pardon me while I cringe at all the money I've wasted on Snuggle's vanilla sandalwood fabric softener when half a cup of cheap-o white vinegar does the job!

Honestly, this is fantastic stuff. Didn't bother my sensitive skin at all. Dirt cheap if you can find the ingredients locally. I've since been told that if your local Walmart doesn't carry all three of the ingredients, pool supply stores, stores with large Hispanic customber base, and old-timey general stores are all good places to look.

Store in an closed container with spoons for measuring. If your Lab confused a pitcher with a chew toy, this is a good use for it :)