Natural Laundry Detergent

I read a great line on DIY Natural’s blog the other day:”If they sell it in the store, you can make it at home.” This is SO true. In my quest to go all-natural, one of the easiest things to get rid of is that toxic crap they call laundry soap. It’s bad for you, it ruins your clothes, and destroys the environment. To add insult to injury, they charge ridiculous prices for it!

I am going to show you the two recipes I’ve been using that are all-natural. The best part is they are EASY to make and SUPER CHEAP! I’ve read a ton of blogs and articles about making your own natural laundry soap; some are more complex than others. The point of this blog is practical ways to live healthy and green on a busy schedule, so without further adieu, here’s some stuff that will clean your clothes:

The Original Recipe:

• 2 C. Borax
• 2 C. Washing Soda
• 1 bar of Dr. Bronner’s soap, grated

I have a huge glass canister that holds this recipe, tripled. I use an old 1/4 c. measuring cup in there to measure out my scoops. This recipe does a great job cleaning our clothes, however, there is a downside:

The grated bits of soap don’t always dissolve, so sometimes, I will find little chunks of soap on clothes. I try to remedy this by putting the washer on a 15-30 minute soak cycle. I allow the basin to fill with water, add the soap (while it is filling), and once it is filled, I add my clothes. This extra time allows the soap an oppotunity to dissolve. 

The New and Improved Recipe

• an empty 1 gallon container (like an old water jug)
• 1/4 c. Borax
• 1/4 c. Washing Soda
• 1/4 c. Baking soda
• 1/4 c. Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Liquid soap
• Water

Use a funnel to put the borax, washing soda, and baking soda in the jug. Fill the jug 1/3 of the way with hot (not boiling) water. Put the cap on and shake to dissolve the borax and sodas. Now add the peppermint soap, and fill the rest of the way with cool water. Give it a shake, and it’s ready to go!

I like my new recipe much better. It is less work than the first one (grating soap can be tiring), no soap chunks, and it seems to clean better! I do use more of this, about 1/2 c. since it is a diluted mixture. Our clothes are always clean and fresh. Since there are no harsh chemicals, our clothes last longer and don’t fade. Win Win!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Until next time, I send you peace, love, and good energy.

~Sharon