Have you ever wished you could be in complete control of how your clothes smell and feel after a fresh wash? Well, that is exactly what I was thinking when I started my DIY laundry soap journey a year ago. I have been making homemade laundry soap for just over a year, and I am never going back! Through trial and error, I have come up with a laundry soap recipe that my family and I love. When I run out and have to use store bought detergent for a few days, my family definitely notices (and complains loudly)! Here is my top recipe that I use to make DYI laundry soap:
Ingredients
Four pounds Borax
Four pounds Baking Soda
56 ounces Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
35.2 ounces Zote Laundry Flake
Three pounds Oxi Clean
48 ounces Scent Crystals
Sealed storage container
Instructions
Layer ingredients into storage container and mix thoroughly.
Transfer soap into empty scent crystal container for easy use.
Usage Instructions
Hot Water:
For a small load of laundry use 1/6 cup soap.
For a medium load of laundry use 1/4 cup soap.
For a large or super load of laundry use 1/3 cup soap.
For loads of laundry that include towels or heavily soiled items always use at least 1/3 cup soap.
Cold Water:
For a small load of laundry use 1/4 cup soap.
For a medium load of laundry use 1/3 cup soap.
For a large or super load of laundry use 1/2 cup of soap.
For loads of laundry that include towels of heavily soiled items always use at least 1/2 cup soap.
This laundry soap works best when used in hot water. However, if you are like me, I do not have hot water connected to my washer (my landlord refuses to fix the hot water hookup, so cold water it is!). I've been washing all of my items with this soap on cold water for 8 months now, and it works just fine with as long as you increase the amount of soap used.
Substitutes, Alternatives and Omissions
Any type of scent crystals can be used. In this batch I used Purex crystals; in my most current batch I used Gain original scent crystals. It is completely up to you and you can even leave them out completely if you want! Oxi Clean is optional. I use it because my family is messy and tends to stain clothes easily. The Oxi Cleans helps boost the stain fighting power of this laundry soap. Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda is also optional. The Super Washing Soda acts as a catalyst for soap sud production and helps the laundry soap work better overall. However, it is optional. Zote soap bars can be used instead of Zote Laundry Flakes. If you use soap bars you must grate the bars into flakes manually with a cheese grater or mince cubes of the soap in a food processor. I use flakes purely for convenience.
First of all, I had an entire semester of classes with you and I had no idea you were so crafty! I really enjoyed reading through all of your post so far. I've seen tons of DIY laundry detergent recipes on Pinterest over the years, and I think its rise in popularity has a lot to do with consumers want to switch to more natural products. I admit I don't always give a lot of thought into the type of chemicals I bring into my home, but I would like to begin being more conscious about it. Is there anything besides being in control of the smell and feel of your laundry that you made want to try a DIY recipe? I commend you for sticking with something for so long! Id be interested to see how much money you've saved over the year by DIY'ing it. I use Tide pods and I know they aren't cheap!
ReplyDeleteOne of the main reasons I started on this journey was to save money. While I have saved a little bit, it hasn’t been drastic. Once you buy all the ingredient, the total adds up. With that being said, it does make a huge amount and lasts forever. I used to use generic laundry soap, but if you switch from Tide pods I bet there would be a lot more savings in it for you!
DeleteGirl, keep making these blog posts after this class. I'm following you for life.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I have been debating on making my own laundry soap and want to give this a try. You are so crafty that I have to send this link to my aunt because she DIY her own lotion, toothpaste etc. (Mostly she is a coconut oil fan)