Water Damage & Flooded Basement Restoration Services

Recipe for Homemade Detergent

By the RestorationSOS Educational Staff

Buying laundry detergent can sometimes be confusing with all of the options – liquid, powder, scented, cold-water detergents, and more. Many laundry detergents may contain ingredients that are harsh on sensitive skin. Also, detergent ranges in price, and you may not get your money's worth.

The good news, especially for those of us on a budget, is that there is a homemade alternative to expensive laundry detergent. You can make it yourself and it works even better than typical store-bought detergent. The formula will make enough to fill a large cookie jar, and at the rate of one tablespoon per use, you can rest assured that it will last for a good long while. In fact, you may end up with six to twelve months' worth at a cost of less than $20.

What you will need for this project is:

• A 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
• A 55 oz box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
• A 4 lb 12 oz box of Borax detergent
• 3 bars of Fels-Naptha Soap or 2 bars of pink Zote Soap
• 2 small containers of Oxy Clean or equivalent (3.5 lbs total)
• Optional: Fabric softener or laundry crystals

All of these items may be found at your local supermarket.

Start out by grating the soap. You can use a food processor or a cheese grater. Then put all ingredients into a 5 gallon bucket lined with a garbage bag. Mix everything together evenly. Store the soap wherever you like and use a small scoop for measuring it out.

Remember to use the detergent sparingly, only 1 or 2 tablespoons, depending upon the size of the load involved. It may seem like much less than what you are used to, but this formula avoids the fillers found in so many store bought detergents.

In an economy where more of us are trying to wring every last dime we can out of our limited budgets, this is an excellent formula for making your laundry detergent go as far as it possibly will. This homemade solution is the perfect alternative to expensive, store bought detergents, works every bit as well, and allows you to save money for more important things.

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