Make Your Own Detergent: Cheap and Easy!

About a year ago I started making my own laundry detergent.   I am pretty picky about the kind I use, and previously have only been happy with Tide With Bleach; however, that was getting very expensive, so I decided to try to make my own.   I found a good recipe, and have taken some short cuts that make it pretty easy.  All of the ingredients can be found in the laundry aisle at most grocery stores.   I paid just over $20 for the ingredients.   I wash A LOT...but it will last me about 6 months.   That is a good deal!

      

1 4 lb box of Baking Soda
1 4lb 12ox box of Borax
1  3.7 lb box of Washing Soda
1.3 lbs container of Oxi Clean
1 container of Purex crystals
3 bars of Fels Naptha Soap

I mix my detergent in thirds to make it easier.

First I cut my Fels Naptha soap in half.

 I bought this Salad Shooter just to make
laundry soap with.  The first time I grated it, but
it hurt my hands, and I knew that I would not stick with it.
I paid about $29 for mine, but I know that I have already
saved that much in buying detergent.

It looks like cheese! 

I add about 1/4 cup of washing soda to my little blender.
This will allow you to blend the soap without it sticking
to your blade.

Add 1/2 of the bar of soap and pulse
until it is fine like sand.  It doesn't take long.

It looks like this when you are done pulsing

I add 1/3 of all of the rest of the ingredients and then
Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake Your Booty!

I use a piece of cardboard box as a funnel to
keep me from loosing detergent down the sink,
and I pour it up in my pretty container.

I then do all of those steps two more times until all of my ingredients are mixed.  

Here it is all ready to go! 

Since it is such a big batch and pretty heavy, I put some in a smaller container for convenience. 

  

I use the scoop from the oxi clean container.  It is
about two teaspoons, which is what you need to do
a load.   

I am done for another 6 months!