Preschoolers and toddlers (and husbands for that matter!) create a lot

of laundry. But store-bought detergent is just too expensive and full

of unnecessary additives, so how do you keep up with the

seemingly never-ending laundry piles affordably without sacrificing

cleaning power?

So much laundry!

There are a zillion recipes available online, but this one is my very

favorite.

The total for all of the needed supplies comes in under $15, and one

batch of detergent hardly puts a dent in most of it! (All that’s needed

to make future batches is the Fels Naptha soap.)

MAKE YOUR OWN!

• 1 bar Fels-Naptha bar soap (usually located in the laundry aisle

near the stain removers)

• 1 cup Borax

• 1 cup Washing Soda

• 1/4 cup Baking Soda

What you’ll need:

1. Finely grate the entire bar of Fels-Naptha soap. I recommend

using a good food processor because it turns the soap into a powder

(and takes a fraction of the time), but if you don’t have access to

one, use the smallest grates on a hand grater. The soap will end up

looking like shredded cheese, but it still works just as effectively as

the powder.

2. Add 1 cup Borax.

3. Add 1 cup washing soda.

4. Add 1/4 cup baking soda.

5. Stir well (or continue mixing in food processor).

6. Place in an airtight container. Use 2 tablespoons per regular load

of laundry.

Follow these steps

This even works well with high efficiency washers; just use less

soap with each load. Powdered detergent takes less space to store

and doesn’t drip like its liquid counterpart, but if you prefer the

liquid variety, check out this tutorial.

It’s so easy!

Our family usually makes a double batch and it lasts about three

months. We've been using this homemade laundry soap recipe for

over a year now, and our clothes look and smell so clean! I won’t be

going back to the store-bought stuff any time soon.

Conclusion

About the Author: Heather is a high school teacher/coach turned stay-at-home-mom who lives in Texas with her husband and two young children. During naptime she blogs about life at anothertenmiles.blogspot.com and sews fun baby accessories for her Etsy shop, HeatherAileen.

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