Laundry Detergent

Awhile back, a friend on Facebook posted a link to homemade laundry detergent. I have to admit, at first I thought she might be a bit crazy. But then, I was intrigued. I know I'm not alone, but I do an absolute ton of laundry each week. And supposedly, this stuff gets your laundry really clean, is relatively inexpensive to make (about a $25 plus an initial investment of the container I bought), you use only a tablespoon per load, and it lasts forever (about 9 months to a year). I've only used it a couple times, but so far so good! Here's how you do it:

1 - 4 lb 12 oz box Borax (2.15 kg or 76 oz)
1 - 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (1.81 kg)
1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz (3 lb 7 oz)
3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap or pink Zote soap
2 small containers of Oxy Clean or store brand Oxy Clean (try to get about 3.5 lbs total (1.58 kg)) optional (I added it into mine)

Grate the Fels-Naptha soap just like cheese. You can use a food processor or just use your hand held grater (NOTE: some people recommended putting the grated soap in the food processor again once it's grated -- next time, I will probably do this. I do find a random soap grating now and then).

Toss all ingredients in a 5 gallon bucket lined with a garbage bag. Once everything is mixed store soap however you like (I bought a large glass airtight jar). I used the scoop that come in the Oxy Clean, but a coffee scoop would be perfect.

This detergent is safe for HE washers and should be added to the barrel instead of the dispenser.

(And by the way, it really didn't take much time at all to make.)

(via Being Creative to Keep my Sanity)