How to Make Homemade Laundry Detergent

I'm notoriously a tightwad thrifty, so when my husband was in grad school [for the second time] and I heard my friends talking about making their own laundry detergent, I was all in. I researched all my options and then researched all the recipes on the internet until I finally hit on one that worked for me. Remember my priorities pretty much stopped at saving money! You may want to make more adjustments or do further research if your priority is battling allergies or skin sensitivities or something else.

I prefer liquid detergent - I worry about powdered versions caking and building up and generally having trouble dissolving (maybe my fears are unfounded - just explaining my choice). I now have a high-efficiency washer, for which this detergent is perfect since it is low-sudsing. It also worked great in my regular old washing machine when I first started. (Don't get me started on the washing machine discussion!)

The Cast of Characters:

1. A bar of soap 

2. Borax

3. Washing Soda

4. Glycerin [inexplicably not pictured]

And now for a few words on each: (Of course I have more to say about each individual ingredient!)
1 - Soap - traditional recipes call for the Fels Naptha bar of laundry lore, which is usually readily available wherever you buy laundry detergent. However, you can use any bar of soap that lists "sodium cocoate" as an ingredient and is not primarily glycerin-based. I love the Yardley soaps for the hint of scent, which leaves my laundry not smelling like plain ol' soap without being overwhelming.
2 - Borax - not to be confused with boric acid! I researched this extensively as well. Many recipes warn against the toxicity of borax. Boric acid, a different but related composition, is the dangerous one and we are not using it here. Yes, borax is toxic in large amounts, comparable to baking soda. Obviously you do not want to be consuming baking soda by the cupful. That said, it has about the same potency as baking soda and therefore you do not need to be afraid of handling it with your bare hands. Still keep the large box away from children.
3 - Washing Soda - some internet sources tell me you can make "washing soda" by... baking baking soda? I honestly don't know what exactly this is. I haven't tried making it out of baking soda. Just buy the big box and be done with it.
4 - Glycerin - I don't really know what this does but maybe keeps the consistency more viscous? I left it out accidentally once and didn't notice. Although in hindsight that batch may have been more paste-like...?

INSTRUCTIONS:

I usually make a small batch at a time and pour it into my reclaimed 196-oz detergent dispenser.

This recipe will make approximately 1 gallon.

1/4 bar of soap, grated

1/4 cup borax

1/4 cup washing soda

1/2 Tbsp. glycerin

3 quarts hot water

1 - Grate or finely chop the soap into the finest pieces possible. Taking your time on this will save you lots of time at the melting stage. I have been told that you can also put the bar of soap in the microwave, and it will fluff up into a light foam you can dump right into your pan, but the one time I tried this I think I just made a scorched mess!

2 - Put the grated soap into a large pot and pour in just enough water to cover it. Stir over low heat until all the soap is melted.

3 - Add hot water, borax, and washing soda. Stir over low heat until everything is evenly dissolved. Remove from heat and add glycerin.

4 - Allow to cool. If cooled completely, it will separate into a thick layer of gel with a layer of water below. I like to wait until it just starts to gel but not separate and then pour it into my detergent container. It will still separate, so SHAKE WELL before each use.

5 - Use 1/2 cup per full load.