Make your own laundry detergent

One of the good things about these rainy days is that it helps me slow down, to take a deep breath and look around the house to see what needs to be done. It forces me to be happy while staying at home, whether it's from watching a movie, sewing, cleaning or something else. All that being said, I am very ready for the rain to be over! It's been almost a solid week of rainy-ness.

My rainy day project for today was a toss up between making an every day cake or making more laundry soap. I opted for the laundry soap. My friend Tandi shared a recipe and showed me how easy it is. Why do I make my own? Because I like it. I like that I know the ingredients in it and I like the ten minute process that it takes. I've used this stuff for a few months now and I like how my clothes turn out: clean but not too perfumey.

Here's the recipe:

1 C. grated laundry soap (2/3 bar of Fels-Naptha or 1/4 bar of Zote)
1/2 C. Borax
1/2 C. Arm and Hammer washing Soda
(all ingredients can be found in the laundry detergent aisle of the grocery store)
--> this will make 2 cups of detergent. you can make more if you want.

-Grate soap by hand or in a food processor
- Mix Borax and Washing Soda in

Optional: 10-15 drops of essential oils. I like a lavender/eucalyptus mix.

- Store in an air-tight container. I use a honey jar.

*Use 1-2 Tablespoons per load. It's a low-suds detergent.

The ingredients.


The finished product.