Homemade Laundry Powder

                       Ok, this post goes along with my homemade fabric softener post.

 I have made this before but sometimes get lazy and just go to the dollar store and buy SUN powdered laundry detergent which is a 1lb. box for $1.00 but honestly this, though a little time consuming, is better in my opinion.  While using this recipe my clothes just seemed cleaner and smelled fresher. There are many recipes floating around the net for laundry detergent and most call for 3 or more ingredients, usually including borax and washing soda. I do not have hard water so I donot think these ingredients are a must. Besides, for me, after buying all the stuff most recipies want its just as economical and easier to get SUN at the Dollar Tree. So, again, I have tweeked my recipe to make it super easy.



 Simple-


1 bar soap

2 cups baking soda

cheese grater  ( I got one at the dollar store for, yes, a dollar and it works fine for this)



Grate one bar of soap into a container with a lid, add the 2 cups of baking soda and mix well.  Use 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) to 1/4 cup for heavily soiled loads


Grating the soap is the most difficult part of this whole thing. My cheese grater tends to get clogged up and my arm hurts after a while, especially if I'm making big batches (which I tend to do) I think if my grater didn't grate as fine as it does I wouldn't have an issue but then I'm afraid I might have little soap particals left on my clothes as I only wash in cold water. This little inconvience is not enough to stop me from making the laundry detergent but it is a head's up.

 I prefer Jergens soap. Many people use Fels Naptha, which is a laundry soap. It can be hard to find and runs about $1.00 a bar. Some people use Ivory but I am allergic to Ivory soap. I don't know what in it but whatever it is makes me itch terrible. I have heard Cashmere Bouquet works well but that is another hard to find soap but its only $1.00 for a 2 or 3 pack if you can find it. I like Jergens because its 3 bars for $1.00 at Dollar Tree or sometimes $2.69 for a 8 pack at Walgreens or Rite-aid. Plus I love the clean soapy smell to it and  I can also use it on my body with no problems. I do not recommend using "luxury" soap for this. Keep away from Dove and Caress and those types of moisturizing bars. They will not clean as well, plus they are way more expensive than the others which negates the whole reason to make your own laundry powder.


 My husband is a mechanic and can get very dirty.  This removes heavy dirt just fine, I just add a little extra. For my whites I add the dollar store version on Oxy clean- they are just a white as when I used bleach but don't have the bleach smell.

 Try it. If you don't like it use the remaining soap up in the shower and use the baking soda in your bath or as an occasional face scrub.