Yesterday Emily showed us how to make a number of bathroom cleaners with just a few simple ingrediants. Along the same lines we're going to show you how to make your own eco-friendly laundry detergent with only 3 ingredients, it only takes about 3 minutes and it's cheaper than the regular stuff. We got the recipe as a gift from an Aunt and it works great!
What You Need
Ingredients
1 Cup Washing Soda (we actually used a generic version of OxyClean because our store was out of washing soda, but with its primary ingredient being sodium carbonate it is essentially the same as washing soda &mdash not to be confused with baking soda)
1 Cup 20 Mule Team Borax
1 Grated Bar of Fels Naptha soap (can substitute any castile soap such as Kirk's Castile or Dr.Bronner's)
½ to 1 oz. of Essential Oil or Fragrance Oil (optional &mdash we prefer fragrence-free soaps)
Sealed Storage Container
Equipment
Food Processor (can also use a cheese grater or planer)
Medium Mixing Bowl
Instructions
1. Cut up the Fels Naptha soap into chunks and toss into a food processor, blend until powdery.
2. Pour the grated soap into a bowl and add 1 cup of the Borax and Washing Soda each.
3. Stir until well blended and store in a sealed container (it fits perfectly in our 8.8oz coffee can &mdash any tupperware will work also).
4. Use 1-2 tablespoons per load (we just use the scoop that came with the OxyClean). It is best to dissolve in water prior to adding clothes.
Additional Notes: Do not confuse washing soda with baking baking soda. Washing soda is sodium carbonate or soda ash (baking soda is sodium bicarbonate); it comes in the form of white powder and its purpose is to help remove dirt and orders. Also we prefer the powdered detergent because it requires less water, energy to make and is just easier, but if gel detergent is your preference, try this tutorial at The Family Homestead.
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(Images: Rachel Wray)
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Is the blender food-friendly afterward?
@ How Green Is My Valley- Fels Naptha rinses off very easily so if you gave it a good rinse, it would be ok to use with food again.
Would this work for front loaders as well?
Yodanja,
The person who gave me this recipe said it does work for front loaders and is low suds. However, I don't have a front loader and can't personally attest to how well it will work and have seen mixed statements on the internet...
How big is a bar of Fels Naptha soap? Is it the same size as bathroom soap- a bar of Pears soap, or Dove, for example?
International conversions are tricky!
Thanks everyone.
eek... i'm not sure i'd be comfortable using a food processor for food after it's been used for soap... then again, we wash it with soap, so...
Paula,
Yes the Fels is essentially the size of a standard bar of soap or perhaps a little bit larger (I already discarded the wrapper - sorry!).
Borax is indeed toxic if eaten, but that doesn't mean it's not eco-friendly. Read more about it at http://www.greenfootsteps.com/borax-information.html.
So, i checked out that link that bobbidy gave us up there, and it says that borax works best in hot water. so does it work ok in cold water? if i have to switch to using hot water, that kind of negates some of the cost benefits, not to mention the possible eco-ness of it.
Use soap nuts if you're washing below 60 degrees C (140 F); you can use the nuts a few times and they are biodegradable. Why it works? Saponins: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapindus
yodanja, I make the liquid version of this and it works great in our front loading washer.
To make a liquid soap, just melt the grated Felz with a little water on the stove, pour you soda and borax in a 5 gallon bucket, add melted soap. Add 5 gallons of water and stir. Let sit overnight. Then using an old soap container (we have one with a dispenser) mix equal parts soap mix and water. Shake to mix before using. Makes 10 gallons of soap for less than 5 bucks. And if your only doing a couple loads a week lasts for months.
14.1 oz is the Zote brand of Felz which is 2 bars.
i had the same thought about soap in the food processor!! oh my...but then realized we wash the thing with soap! duh.
So...how much do you use for a full load? Useful information was left out!
Hmmm... if the object is to be eco-friendly and save money, why not just wait until you see a sale on eco-friendly detergent and stock up (better yet, double-up your savings with a coupon)? I am all for DIY but this seems like a lot of effort to me; and in Canada, at least, Borax and castille soap are not cheap (about $5 each).