Homemade Laundry Detergent

I've been making my own laundry detergent the last little while because of my neighbor, Whitney Prows.  I was pretty skeptical at first because I'm pretty picky with my laundry but it's turned out to be such a blessing!  

Love that it's liquid instead of all the homemade powder recipes I've seen before.  Oh, and it's super super cheap...comes out to probably $4 for each batch which last me about 3 months.  I think it may be helping with sensitive skin at our house as well.  Just passing it along...

Liquid Laundry Soap

4  Cups - hot tap water
1  Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

Another idea-- put 3/4 to 1 whole bottle of the Purex Crystals in the soap. The Downy UnStoppable are more expensive and they don't dissolve as well.

I don't use a scent at all and rely on my Downy to give a wonderful smell to my clean clothes.


-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!