How to Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

The discovery of soap was perhaps one of the most underrated developments in the history of man. This is especially true seeing how diseases that are preventable by the act of washing and practicing hygiene ravaged Europe for centuries until the Moors had to show them ho easy it was to defeat those diseases.

That being said, it is absolutely appalling that something as vital as laundry detergent could cost an arm and a leg at some point. This is especially true if you have a large family and a literal mountain of laundry to deal with.

All the delicates and all the whites are going to be the biggest cost for you. Making your own laundry detergent would be the best way to reduce your laundry costs and help you cut costs. But how are you going to do it?

 

Here are the things you will need.

 

As with most things around the house, you will need a number of things to get your homemade detergent ready for use, and bragging rights among your group of friends and family. Here are the things you will need;

·         Borax.

·         Pure or scented bar soap, or soap flakes. Castile soap can also work.

·         Washing soda (Sodium carbonate)

·         Container with a tight closing lid.

·         A pair of rubber gloves.

·         A grater.

·         A measuring cup.

 

Getting things done.

 

Well, it’s time to get down to business. The ingredients you use will determine the outcome you get. If you do not want something with a lot of frills, you could use plain bar soap. For some, you may like some scents on your detergents, and ultimately your clothes.

The simplest scent that many people love is coconut. You can also use essential oils such as lavender if you want something common. You really want to show off your uniqueness? Why not try vanilla essential oils?

With that said, it’s time to get down to business. Get the grater and the bar of soap. Grate the soap into finely ground flakes. This will allow it to be dissolved easily in the solution you are going to make.

Take up the container with a tightly closing lid. You will then put in 2 parts of Borax, 2 parts of the washing soda, and then 1 part of the soap flakes. This is the ration that you will use to create the laundry detergent. It doesn’t matter how much you want to create, just keep the ratio constant and you will achieve the results you want.

The amounts you will use will be determined by the kind of washing machine you have. If you have a normal washing machine, three tea spoons of this detergent will do. If you however have a high-performance washing machine, 1 tea spoon would greatly serve you.

Keep this detergent container as air tight as possible. Bar soap are manufactured with agents to help prevent caking and when exposed to air, this detergent will quickly develop solid pieces. These pieces may be difficult to dissolve during the wash, and will show up on your laundry.