Laundry Soap and Fabric Softener

I have been making my own laundry soap for about 5 years now. Mostly because I'm allergic to pretty much every single kind at the store. Out of desperation I started making my own. Over the years it has saved quite a bit of money, my clothes are clean, my skin doesn't itch so I keep making it. Recently, I have been striving to be "chemical-free" in my home, which caused me to change my detergent recipe. This new recipe is great! It is a liquid, which I recently learned is much better for your washer, and it is very easy to make. This is one of those things I can throw together even while holding my son if necessary. I make a gallon at a time. Feel free to make a big 5 gallon bucket of it if you want, the only reason I don't do this is because I use my bucket for other things and never remember to buy a new one with a lid, and I really don't want to mess with where to keep it and getting it out. For me, one gallon at a time works great. One gallon does about 48 loads, and cost aprox: $2.21 (about .05 cents per load). If buying in bulk it cost about $40 to get all the ingredients (you can get it as cheap as $15 but it makes less detergent), however, I use every single one of the ingredients for other purposes so I buy in bulk, it makes more sense that way. If you spend only $15 on the ingredients it will make several batches (about 3-4 gallons) and you will know if you want to invest in the bulk versions next time.

 Here is what I use:

Laundry Soap

• Dr. Bronners liquid castle soap in lavender (you can use any brand, or scent) 
• Borax
• Washing soda
• Warm water
• Gallon container (I use an empty vinegar bottle)

I put 1/4 cup each of borax and washing soda into the bottle, add very warm water and shake until dissolved. Then I add 1/2 cup of the liquid castle soap. I usually shake before using, and I use around 1/3 cup per load in my HE washer.

Feel free to add a few drops of essential oils. Sometimes I add extra lavender, or if I use the unscented castle soap I will add peppermint, lemon, or just whatever smells good.


Mixing Tip:

• Once you put the powder into the container then put a little water into the container, shake, and then fill about 1/3 full of water before you add the castle soap.

Fabric Softener:

I fill my fabric softener container on my washer with pure white vingear. My clothes are soft, static-free, and they do NOT smell like vinegar. Also, I keep several wool dryer balls in the dryer to help dry the clothes faster (saves money on electric), and really helps the static if you forgot the vinegar.

Just a side note: 

Fabric softener sheets are very hard on your dryer. The waxy junk on them builds up in the vent area and is basically impossible to remove, which eventually can be a fire hazard (and makes you use more energy to dry clothes, therefor, costing more money).

Want to get good quality essential oils? Click here.