Receta Improved Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent
New and improved DIY Laundry Detergent with the addition of Laundry Booster Beads.
Several years back I shared a recipe for Homemade Laundry Detergent. I love making my own laundry soap, because it's so much cheaper than store bought. With just one large batch recipe I roughly have enough laundry soap to last an entire year (depending on how many loads of laundry I do a week) for around $20.
Since sharing the original recipe I've found an improved version that I like even better. The current laundry soap I've been using cleans really well, but it doesn't leave much of a scent. Having laundry that smells like fresh daisies is the one thing that I miss when using store bought detergent.
I was poking around on Pinterest awhile back and found an improved version that I love! The only difference in the two recipes is the addition of laundry booster beads which is genius!!! I don't know why I didn't think of that. I also switched soaps from using Fels Naptha bar soap to using the new Zote's Laundry Flakes.
By using the Zote flakes it eliminates grating any soap by hand which is a huge time saver, and it smells wonderful. Homemade laundry detergents are low sudsing, so you won’t see a whole lot of suds in the wash. No worries, this is normal and your clothes will still come out clean. You only need to use 3 -4 tablespoons of laundry soap per load, so roughly it comes out to about 1/8 cup.
I just save the cap from the Purex crystals and use it to measure out the detergent. The cap has lines on the inside and the top line is just at 1/8 cups, so it works out perfectly. Making you own laundry detergent is a personal preference and some people think it's a big hassle, but the $avings is huge in my book.
If you want to try your hand and make a batch of homemade laundry detergent these are the items you'll need: 20 Mule Team Borax, Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda), Zote Laundry Flakes or 3 bars Zote Laundry Soap, and Purex Crystals or another brand of laundry booster beads, and one three pound box Oxy Clean (optional but good for work & sports uniforms).
After getting all the ingredients together everything is really just dumped into a container and mixed. It's as easy as that.
I store my laundry detergent in a large jar with a scoop inside, but a plastic container works just as well. To use just measure out 1/8 cup of detergent for each load of laundry.
Large Batch Improved Homemade Laundry Detergent
(approx $22 = 320 loads)
2 - 17.6 oz boxes Zote Laundry Flakes or 2 bars Zote Soap, grated
1 - 3 lb 12 oz box Mule Team Borax
1 - 3 lb 7 oz box Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda)
2 - 18 oz bottles or 1 - 55 oz bottle Purex Crystals or another brand laundry booster beads
1 - 3 lb container of Oxy Clean, optional Combine all ingredients in a large container and stir well. Place detergent in sealed container or jar. Measure out 1/8 cup per load of laundry.
3-4 tablespoons is = to about 1/8 cup. I use the lid that came with the Purex crystals for easy measuring and use the top line on the lid.
Small Batch Improved Homemade Laundry Detergent
(Approx. $15 =160 loads)
- 1 - 17.6 oz box Zote Laundry Flakes or one bar Zote Laundry Soap, grated
- 1 1/2 - cups Mule Team Borax
- 1 1/2 cups Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda)
- 1 - 18 oz bottle Purex Crystals or similar brand laundry booster beads
- 2 - cups Oxy Clean, optional
Note: all of the items can be found in the cleaning and laundry isle at you local grocery store. Keep in mind that homemade laundry detergent is low sudsing, so it is normal for the detergent to have little to no suds when using. If you have quite a few sports or work clothes I recommend adding the Oxy Clean. I have included a few helpful links with facts and information about homemade laundry detergent.