I’ve been making my own laundry detergent for years – not only is it economical, it cleans better than any detergent I’ve ever used. Fels Naptha soap is a great stain remover, and is one of the ingredients used in this recipe for laundry detergent. I used to grate the soap on a box grater, which was time consuming, then I bought a Salad Shooter on eBay – but recently I’ve discovered a easier way I had to share with you. You can microwave the soap – no more grating!!!
The basic recipe:
- 1 cup of Borax
- 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
- 1 bar of Fels-Naptha soap
- 1/2 cup of Oxy-Clean (I used a generic brand)
I put the Fels Naptha on a paper plate, and microwaved it in 30 second increments – you don’t want to burn it. The soap will expand, and look similar to the photo up top. I should also add that I have an 800 watt microwave and my total time was 2 1/2 minutes – your time may vary. Let the soap cool completely, then crumble it by hand into a container – it’ll look like this.
Then add the borax, washing soda, and Oxy-Clean – shake to combine. Use a tablespoon for small loads and two tablespoons (a coffee scoop) for large loads. Note – this detergent doesn’t produce any suds, but that’s okay, it will still get your laundry clean! No suds means it will also work in High Efficiency washers.
I’ll have to try that… good for people with soap allergies too?
I would replace the Fels Naptha with Ivory – you can microwave that too (you can’t do that with all soaps). The Ivory will puff up. Let it cool, then you can crumble it up or put it in a blender and process until it’s powdery, add the other ingredients, and store them in an airtight container. Another suggestion is to use Kirk’s Original Coco Castile soap – but that one you would need to grate.
Have you added any oils for scent like Lavender or Geranium (may keep skeeters away in summer) & citrus?
No I haven’t, but you could add any essential oils to the mix!