I like clean laundry. As I am sure most people do. I enjoy the smell of fresh clothes as I switch them to the dryer and the soft feeling of warmth on my skin when I put a freshly dried robe on during a cold night.

I also love when the clothes I am wearing are NOT full of chemicals. So I have searched and used many recipes from people all over. I finally created a recipe that works well for me and is SUPER easy to make.

These so called “GREEN” and healthy detergents you get from the store are not actually as clean as they are made out to be. Plus, I can’t imagine spending $15-$20 on store-bought laundry detergent. There are plenty of other things my money can be going to besides falsely advertised detergent.

WHY DO I PREFER HOMEMADE DETERGENT?

There are many reasons i choose to do this for my family and one of the main reasons is that I love to make things. Hence the “handmade home”. I feel like it adds value to my home and to those who live within it. I truly feel my Proverbs 31 role coming to fruition in these tiny and daily DIYs.

IT TAKES ALMOST ZERO EFFORT

This is one of the easiest places to start when you are beginning to get rid of toxins within your home.

I can typically make a batch of detergent in less than 15 minutes. This recipe can yield roughly a gallon of detergent. I only use about 2-3 tbsps per load so it truly does last me awhile.

IT IS WAY MORE AFFORDABLE THAN YOU THINK

This detergent roughly costs my family around $120 per year and we do laundry at least every other day.

I have also research prices from a few places and it is seriously astonishing how much the average family spends on detergent a year. The average family, ya’ll are you ready, is spending a whopping $160 to $600 on detergent PER YEAR. Ladies, even at the lowest average cost, I am still saving $50. And these low numbers are most likely not using the so called “green” and “clean” detergents that are far more expensive and they actually are still full of toxins.

This detergent is way healthier for your home and family.

Detergent from the store is full of cancer-causing chemicals, plenty of neurotoxins, endocrine disrupters, and synthetic fragrances.

Which, in my opinion, is the opposite of what you are intending. Laundry is meant to clean and purify. And using toxic detergents is creating toxic clothes and poisonous towels and sheets.

Keep in mind that the clothes you wear stay on your body for long periods of time and if they are laced in chemicals, your skin is absorbing it. Just think about the sheets you sleep on as well. That is reason enough to switch to a homemade detergent.

HERE IS MY RECIPE

• 1-3 grated bars of soap
• 2 parts borax
• 2 parts washing soda
• 15-30 drops of two essential oils
• 1 tbsp of baking soda

1. The longest part of this recipe is grating the soap bars so I would start with that first to get it done and out of the way. Try to use bar soap that doesn’t have a lot of extra oils in it so you don’t ge greasy clothing. I prefer to make my own soap.

2. Now, depending on the amount of soap you grated, measure that out in cups. However many cups of soap you have you will do 2 parts of washing soda and borax to it. So if you have 2 cups of grated soap then you will do 4 cups of borax and washing soda.

3. Add those all together and add your tbs[p of baking soda.

4. Finally, add in your drops off essential oils (the more you add the more fragrant the detergent) and give the whole thing a good shake. I like to store this in gallon size glass jars and I use 1-2 tbsps per wash so it lasts A LONG time.

WHY I USE THESE INGREDIENTS

SOAP BARS

Soap bars, especially homemade, can give you that heavy cleaning power with no added oils.

BORAX

Borax is very good at neutralizing strong odors and is also, great for cloth diapers. It is so powerful that it can help to prohibit the growth of mold on your clothes as well as your washer.

WASHING SODA

Washing soda can help to prevent hard water, it can remove stains, as well as brighten your clothing. This also helps with neutralizing odors.

BAKING SODA AND ESSENTIAL OILS.

The oils speak for themselves and I always add baking soda to help regulate the pH levels in the washer’s water. By adding baking soda, this detergent becomes more effective and can reduce bacteria.

FOLLOW ALONG AND CHECK BACK FOR MORE HOMEMADE RECIPES TO GROW YOUR COZY AND HANDMADE HOME.