I recently shared my favorite store bought laundry detergent and dryer sachets by LeBlanc. Because these are specialty products they are not available at your typical grocery store or super store. So, I decided to make my own specialty homemade laundry detergent!
I really do love the scent of the LeBlanc products (pictured above & available on Amazon) and I will continue to use them on my sheets and towels, but for everyday clothes and beach towels, I wanted to find something a bit more economical. Feel free to check out more on my love for LeBlanc!
I researched several different recipes for laundry detergents and they all seem to contain similar ingredients. Most of the recipes include Borax and/or Oxi-clean. I am a huge fan of Oxi-clean. It really seems to boost the cleaning power of any detergent so it just makes sense to add it to the recipe.
Most recipes call for Fels Naptha or Vote soap which requires grating but I found Zote Laundry Flakes on Amazon. One box of Zote Laundry Flakes equals two bars of grated soap. It is available for $8.99 per box with free delivery on Amazon Prime. Since I don’t want to put soap in my food processor and I’m not a fan of grating by hand, this seemed like the perfect solution! (See? Nicely grated for you!)
Everyone online seems to rave about this recipe or something similar, so I decided to give it a try! I purchased all of the other ingredients at the grocery store and my Zote Flakes arrived yesterday. I have a large 5 gallon bucket from our chlorine tablets so I used that as a mixing bowl. Below is the recipe:
1-4 lb. Box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
1-3 lb. Box Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1-4 lb. Box Borax Detergent Booster
1-3 lb. Container Oxi-Clean Stain Remover
1 Box Jabon Zote Laundry Flakes (equal to 2 bars of Zote grated)
2-13.2 oz Downy Unstopables Scent Boosters (Fresh Scent)
Downy Unstoppable Scent Boosters (Spring Scent)
With all of my ingredients assembled I put a plastic bag liner in the bucket and added the ingredients a little at a time. I stirred everything together, breaking any clumps as I went along. I couldn’t decide between the two Downy Unstoppable scents, so I added one container of each. (Spring and Fresh Scent Boosters) Now my detergent is pink, blue and white and smells quite nice! I must say the Zote Flakes smell a lot like Ivory Soap and is a bit strong. Perhaps half of the box (equal to one bar) would be enough for this recipe.
Once thoroughly mixed, I filled the glass jar in my laundry cabinet and stored the rest in an airtight container for later use. The Oxy-Clean came with a blue plastic scoop and I measured out 2 tablespoons, which is approximately half a scoop. I will use that as my measuring guide.
To test my new detergent I washed one load of whites but did add ½ cup of Clorox Bleach (as always). The detergent melted nicely and the clothes are fresh smelling and white. (as they should be!). I washed a load of colors and was pleased with the fresh smell and softness of the clothes. I have a “high efficiency” washer and dryer and it worked fine.
Conclusion? I like it! For about $35 I have enough homemade laundry detergent to last for months! I bought most of my ingredients from the grocery store but I’m sure with some bargain shopping and coupons it can be made for less money. Some say this recipe will last a year and I’m inclined to agree based solely on the amount of detergent made. At least I won’t need to shop for laundry detergent for a LONG time! Have a great day!
And, in case you missed it, find more laundry tips here:
How to Add Vintage Storage to your Laundry Room
How to Add Vintage Charm to your Laundry Room
Best Smelling Laundry without Breaking the Bank