Make Your Own Powdered Laundry Detergent

Laundry detergent can be quite expensive. But the truth of the matter is that the main ingredients that actually clean your laundry are pretty basic and not too expensive before the scents and other additives get thrown in. It is quite a bit cheaper to make your own laundry detergent. There are many recipes for homemade laundry detergent, and some you can make the liquid detergent if you like, but below is my recipe for powdered laundry soap. The key is to remember that this is not going to create suds. but it WILL clean your laundry! It only uses about 2 tablespoons to clean a load.

Making your own laundry detergent is not for everyone, but it definitely saves money–sometimes just costing pennies a load!

First Some Tips:

For the bar soaps required in the recipes, you could try Fels-Naptha, Ivory soap, Sunlight bar soap, Kirk’s Hardwater Castile, and Zote. Don’t use heavily perfumed soaps.
Fels-Naptha soap bars, Arm & Hammer Washing Soda(This is NOT baking soda) and Borax can normally be found in the laundry and cleaning aisles.

Powdered laundry soap:

2 Fels Naptha Soap bars grated (enough to equal 2 cups) with a cheese grater or food processor (finely grated – you could also try the other bar soaps listed at the top)
1 cup Washing Soda( NOT baking soda)
1 cup Borax

Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
Use 2 tablespoons per full load.