Homeade Liquid Laundry Detergent

Last November, I made laundry detergent for the first time. I was very proud of myself. Laundry detergent is the one thing I loath purchasing. I hate that it adds $13 onto my grocery bill. Even though it lasts me a month, I absolutley hate spending the money. So, when my friend told me that she had made her own detergent, I was so excited to try it for myself.

After a lot of searching the for best recipe, I found one I liked here and made it. It cost about $2 and lasted me two and a half months! And I liked it. Since I'm really picky about my detergent, I was surprised how much I liked it. Now that I have one batch under my belt, I have tweeked the recipe to work a little better.

This detergent will thicken up, so I suggest to store it in gallon jugs so that you can shake it before you use it. One blog said to use an immersion blender to combine it after it cools. I'm sure that would work, but I don't have one, so I haven't tried it.

Here it is....

***UPDATE- I've been doing this for a year  and I now add an extra 1/2 gallon of water. The detergent was really thick the first few times I did it, so I started adding water until I got the consistency I wanted. A half gallon has been perfect the last two times I've made it. 

Also- I've started adding 1/3 container of Downy Unstopables once you add the soap shavings. This isn't necessary, it justs adds a little fragrance to the detergent. 

Liquid Laundry Detergent

1 Bar FelsNaptha Soap
1/3 container of Downy Unstoppables (optional)

1 C borax

1 C Washing Soda

2 1/2 Gallons Water

Grate the bar of soap. I used my food processor and it worked beautifully.

Pour 1 gallon of water into a large stock pot and heat on high. Heat water for 5 minutes and add grated soap & Unstopables. Heat until dissolved.

Add Borax and Washing Soda. Heat to boiling. Be careful not to let it boil over.

Take off heat and add one gallon cold water. Mix very well with whisk. Let cool in pot for about 3 hours. Whisk soap every 30 minutes to ensure the soap doesn't get too thick. Pour into containers.  Use 1/2 cup for each load.