Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

I am not a fan of laundry. It is one of my least favorite chores, especially because it seems like every time I have to buy more laundry detergent it has gone up in price. That really irks me. There are far more interesting things I want to spend $12 on (like amazing coffee or a bottle of wine). I couldn’t help but feel like there was a better way. Maybe even a way I could make my own. Are you surprised? (And if so, hi, you must be new here. Welcome!).

Turns out, making your own laundry detergent is not really all that hard. And it’s SUPER cheap! You can google and Pinterest your heart out and find a bazillion recipes for DIY detergent, but I wanted to give you my version of what I’ve found works the best.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

2 cups Borax (found in the laundry section)
2 cups Washing Soda (also found in the laundry section–this IS NOT baking soda–big difference)
1 cup Oxy-Clean (or other laundry booster)
1 box Zote soap flakes (laundry section)
2 cups Scentsy Washer Whiffs (or you can use Purex Crystals)

First, mix all your ingredients in a giant bowl.

Then, working in small batches, pour your mix into a food processor and get it nice and fine. It took me about 4 rounds of dumping and mixing to get the whole mixture nice and finely ground.

Finally, dump your detergent in a cute glass jar or sturdy plastic container with a lid. You’re done!

I really like using this detergent because it smells fresh and clean without being overpowering. If you are the kind of person that doesn’t like (or can’t use) scent in your detergent, just leave out the Scentsy Whiffs. Not only does it smell good, it’s also HE safe and you only use about 2-3 tablespoons per load. Once batch of this lasts me at least three or four months! And the best part is that now I have more money to buy coffee and wine. Win-win.

Do you make your own laundry detergent? Share your recipe here!