Homemade Laundry Detergent

Oh, my gosh, I love this stuff!  I get so tired of paying exorbitant prices for laundry detergent that is mostly water.  And truth be told, I think that's why the detergent companies have pushed the liquid detergents over the last couple of decades and cut back production on the dry, they make way more money on the liquid.  The homemade stuff is pennies per load and works just as well. 

To make:

1 bar of Fels Naptha bar soap, grated
1 cup Borax
1 cup Arm & Hammer washing soda
1/2 cup baking soda

Grate the Fels Naptha with a cheese grater, then add the rest of the ingredients in a big bowl and stir.

Put about half of the mixture in a blender and grind until the Fels Naptha is a more grain like consistency. 

Transfer to the mixture from the blender to a storage container (mine is an old plastic Folgers can) and then grind up the rest of the mixture.

By the way, that's not my normal blender pitcher in the picture above.  That's an old pickle jar.  (Bonus hint, you can use a mason jar or any old screw top jar that fits on your blender and make your own Magic Bullet.)  I had planned to store my laundry soap in that jar but then my husband dropped a jar of jalapenos in the garage when he was unloading the groceries and I decided since he helps with the laundry quite a bit, I probably ought to stick with something non-breakable. 

For light loads, you only need 1 tablespoon of soap.  For heavier loads, 2 tablespoons.

Because this is low sudsing, you can use it in high efficiency washers.  I have a Fischer-Paykel machine and this worked great in it.  The first load of laundry I did using this contained one very gamey sweatshirt and my favorite sweater that my grandson had spit up all over.  Both came out smelling great and clean as a whistle.