Glowing Gladdens -Domestic Diva Makes Her Own Laundry Detergent (Baby Safe, too!)

I knew before I ever met my husband, Eric, that when I switched careers leaving the OR to become a homemaker in God's timing that I would do all that I could to best serve my family--- save us money, (and not sit around all day)- one of those ways being to make my own laundry detergent! I want being a house wife and mother to be truly beneficial to my family and a loving job full of service, commitment, and selflessness. I truly take this position on as the dream career that never ends - not even for a weekend!


I have always LOVED the idea of making my own laundry detergent! I mean, what's not to love? There are SO many benefits! It is SO much less expensive than even buying discount detergent, healthier, safer, cleaner- LASTS LONGER- and only takes slightly more time to make than to pick something up at the store! I'm sold! Why wouldn't you do this?! I did a lot of research and created my own successful concoction!

Interested?? Here's how! :)

First, assemble your SUPPLIES:

             * 2-5 gallon bucket (2 is all that is necessary- I just happen to have a 5)
                                       
             * 2 Gallons of water

             * 1/2 cup of Baking Soda  ($0.73 a box)

             * 1/2 cup of A&H Super Washing Soda ($4.08 a box)

             * 3/4 cup of Dr. Bronner's castile soap ($14.50 / 16 oz - lasts > a year)

             * 30 drops of desired essential oil ( Opt. for scent. I use lemon. $6.99)

             * Stirring stick ( I use a yard stick- does not have to be that big)

             * 2- 1 Gallon containers (I use old laundry detergent containers washed out.)
                                   (My containers actually equal 2.5 gallons)

*** MATH & MONEY BENEFIT***:

My family does roughly 2 loads of laundry a week. With 52 weeks in a year, we  roughly perform 104 loads a year. (Give or take a few loads for bed sheets and other special miscellaneous washes).

Personally, I am using 2 containers for this one concoction of laundry detergent - one container is 1 gallon and the second is just over 1.5 gallons. They together literally equal 344 fl. oz. I use 1/3 cup per load of laundry. These containers will give me 114.5 loads of laundry. This means-  2.5 gallons of detergent should last my small family roughly a year. Again, remembering the occasional unexpected load cannot be factored. I am also about to start laundering loads of cloth diapers for Ellie. So again.. roughly a year for my family. Which is still a super long time and of much value!

For $26.30, I bought the supplies I needed. However, just to outline this a little further, one batch (at 2.5 gallons) lasting roughly a year costs:

 Baking Soda                - $0.18
                                                               
Super Washing Soda    - $0.30
                                                                 
Castile Soap                 - $5.43
                                                             
Essential Oil(optional) -$0.35

                                                         
 Grand Total/ 2.5 gallons   -$6.26 for a year's worth of laundry

$6.26 for a year's worth of laundry & 5 minutes of my life VS. ~$40 or more a year for laundry....

I'll let that sink in.......

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Based on my research and carefully choosing my ingredients knowing their purposes, here is what each product does:

Baking Soda: It is no shocker that baking soda is used as a deodorizer and cleaning agent for many household items. It is safe, mild, and effective. It also brightens the laundry and keeps it soft!

Super Washing Soda: This substance is highly alkaline making it quite compatible with hard tap water. I am not certain how "hard" our tap water is personally- a question for my husband- but this substance is a great laundry washing enhancer!

Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap: As I will mention later, it is not necessary to buy this brand. It is my preference based on reviews of it's effectiveness as well as it is not made in a soap bar form. This means there is no grating of soap involved in this process. However; a bar of castile soap is certainly permissible. Just make sure if you go that route to grate it with a cheese grater, and then finely mince it in a food processor (especially for HE washing machines). This is a gentle substance made of plant oils which is great for sensitive skin, babies, and keeping clothes soft as well. I'd never heard of it before my research to be honest!

Essential Oil: As noted below, the essential oils are optional and are excellent for scent boosting. I would have skipped this step altogether- not personally concerned with a scent besides, "clean," but my research proved that Lemon essential oil is an excellent degreaser. I was sold. Plus, it really does smell good. You can use whichever scent of essential oil you prefer if you are more scent focused.



LET'S MAKE IT!

First: Pour the 1/2 cup of A&H super washing soda into your big bucket. Add enough HOT water to the super wash soda to allow dissolving as you stir (About 2 cups).

Second: Add the 1/2 cup of the baking soda to this mix and stir until it is dissolved.

Third: Pour 2 gallons of HOT water into the bucket. This is insanely important to do before adding your castile soap...unless you want a bubble party!! :)

Fourth: AFTER having poured the 2 gallons of water, you may now add the 3/4 cup of Dr. Bronner's castile soap. I liked this best because it was honestly highly recommended in all research as well as it does not require grating of the soap bar. I chose to mix essential oils in with my batch for scent so it is not necessary to get scented castile soap. However, you certainly may get scented- there are many kinds! I actually got a castile soap that is made to be gentle for baby's clothing and skin.

Fifth: Add 30 drops of your desired essential oil if you wish. This is great for scent. I chose Lemon because it has a fresh clean scent; however, it also aides as a wonderful degreasing agent for the laundry!

Sixth: Now, mix and stir all of these ingredients together very well in your bucket. Stirring my 5 gallon bucket with my big long yard stick led me to feel like a cross between a witch making a brew in a cauldron, and Granny Clampet as she concocted her own things, too! :)

Seventh: Once stirred well, pour into your 2 -1 Gallon containers. For me, I used a funnel since the mouths on the containers were so small- and scooped the detergent out of the bucket with my large measuring cups.

Voila! You have made your own laundry detergent! Only took 5 minutes of your life!

Now- When washing clothes- Use 1/3 cup per load. It won't take much- trust me- I am always using too much of soap, detergent, and even paint. But this formula is sufficient with 1/3 cup per load at cleaning and removing odors from your clothes.

Side Notes:
 * Safe for baby's skin
 * Safe for HE washers
* Cost effective ( see math above).

I am beyond pleased with this Laundry Detergent and thankful for the money I am saving my family daily and yearly! This is one DIY that is well worth the very minimal effort!