Laundry Detergent (Dry)

I'm not opposed to store bought detergents.  I didn't start making my own detergent because it was greener or less toxic, though it certainly is.  I started because a) I wanted to know if I could do it b) It seemed, in theory, to be a lot cheaper.  Truthfully, I haven't done the math yet. (Will update soon).  I KNOW that it's a money saver...it has to be!

The laundry smells amazing!  We don't have any children, so I haven't tested this on kid-like stains, however, I've read many articles online that have said it works well for heavy stains.  This recipe also has an option of adding Oxiclean. This is not a recipe that I came up with myself.  I found quite a few recipes on Pinterest and found one that I thought would work for me.  I chose this one because it was EASY and quick! I have a top loading machine but know that this works just as well on front loaders, although you won't see it bubbling and lathering.  My grandma has a top loader and she now uses this and hasn't had any issues.

My husband thought I was crazy at first.  I'm also certain he thought this wasn't going to work. When he saw me struggling when grating the soap (I clearly need to lift more weights) he wondered why I was putting so much work into this when we could just go out and buy detergent! He chimed in on my most recent batch and grated the last bar for me, and was able to do it in half the time!  I think he's sold! ;)

Here's what you'll need:

-1 4 lb box of Baking Soda. (Some stores may only carry the 2 lb boxes, just purchase 2)
-1 4 lb box of Washing Soda
-1 4 lb box of Borax
-2 bars of Zote Soap (I have 3 pictured here because I bought an extra.  It won't HURT to use 3, but it isn't necessary). You can also use Fels Naptha.
-1 1 lb can of OxiClean (OPTIONAL!) Just to help with stains.

Additional materials:
-Cheese grater
-Large container to store
-a TBS measuring spoon

This makes about 25 cups. And at 2 TBS per load, that's about 200 loads of laundry!


The more laborious part of this is grating the soap.  It's a good arm workout! You can purchase soap that is already grated but it's over double the price.

Combine all ingredients into a container.  I grate my soap into a bowl and then transfer it into a rubbermaid container. Make sure you mix it well to ensure each load has all the ingredients.  I close my rubbermaid container then shake it up.

I keep the rubbermaid container on the top of my laundry room shelf and fill a tea pitcher with the detergent for daily use.  I also keep a TBS measuring cup in the pitcher to measure out for each loud.  Use 2 TBS.

That's it!  Your first load is ready!

Try my recipe for fabric softener