Why You Should Make Detergent at Home

A few months ago my family decided to try making detergent at home. Not only is homemade detergent inexpensive,  it is also extremely easy to make and contains less chemicals that can irritate skin. If there is one supply you make at home it should definitely be laundry detergent.

Ingredients:

1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda
1 bar soap (We use Fels-Naptha, but other soaps work just as well, you can even use homemade soap!)

Directions:

1. Gather the ingredients as well as a bowl, a mixing spoon, and a cheese grater.

2. shave the bar of soap into a powder (because of the texture of Fels-Naptha, is won't become completely powder, but you can use the mixing spoon to break it up more.

3. Add one cup of Washing Soda and mix thoroughly.

4. Add 1 cup of Borax and mix once more.

5. Store finished detergent in a seal-able container, such as Tupperware or a mason jar.

6. For regular loads use 1 tbsp, for especially large or dirty loads use 2 tbsp.

Why Should You Make Homemade Detergent

Cost:

 

Homemade is much cheaper than store bought versions, and it performs just as well. Using Fels-Naptha, Arm & Hammer Washing Soda, and 20 Mule Team Borax, my family spends about $0.04 per load of laundry. With most leading brands of store bought detergent, one load of laundry will cost between $0.20 and $0.25.

Simplicity:

Unlike other cleaning supplies, detergent is one of the simplest to make. The recipe takes no longer than 1/2 hours to make and can last more than a month depending on how many people you are washing for.

Health:

Unlike store-bought brands like Tide and Oxi-Clean, homemade detergents contain minimal chemicals. This means it is gentler on your skin and better for your septic tank than the other brands. However, despite this lack of chemicals, I have found that homemade detergent cleans just as well as name brands.

Click here for more information on making detergent at home.

If you have any tips on making detergent or need help making this project happen, please comment below. I would love to help you make your own detergent.