Something New

Welcome to 2017! 

Although I am always curious and excited to see what adventures a new year will bring, I have been in a bit of slump lately. Getting back to "real life" following Christmas break is not an easy task. One thing that does help is to get creative and try something new! If you are thinking "I would like to know how to make my own laundry detergent" then today is your lucky day! What follows is a recipe--if you can call it that--for low cost, natural laundry detergent. 

Here is what you will need: Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, 20 Mule Team Borax, a grater, a bar of soap, a measuring cup (I used 1 Cup), and an airtight container to store your finished product! 

I found many of these things at Wal-Mart so I hope you are able to find them easily. To begin, you will need to roll up your sleeves and get ready to grate! 

I ended up using a soap that had both ingredients and a smell that I liked!

Step 1: Grate the entire bar of soap. Although you will most likely not use all of the grated soap for this recipe, you will be glad you put in the time/effort ahead of time when you need to whip up a new batch of detergent! I like to do this over a large plate or something that will catch the soap.

This "alli-grater" is pretty much my favorite kitchen tool ever! If I am ever cooking when guests come over, they get introduced to the "alli-grater" whether I am using it to cook or not!

Step 2: Measure out your ingredients into your airtight container (this could also be assembled in a large bowl if you prefer). The ratio of this recipe is 2 parts Borax, 2 parts Super Washing Soda, 1 part grated soap. So when I used my 1 Cup measuring cup, I put in 2 cups Borax, 2 cups Super Washing Soda, and 1 cup grated soap. Please note: this process will need to be repeated until you have filled your container! 

This is my container in the process of being filled. As you can see, I still need to mix in the grated soap with the Super Washing Soda and Borax!

Step 3: Mix all of your ingredients together and enjoy! 

I use a 1/4 cup of this mix for each load of laundry. I have used this for about a year with my HE machine and have not encountered any problems. 

Please know this may not remove intense stains as it is meant to be a gentle, natural detergent. Borax is a naturally occurring mineral/salt, Super Washing Soda is a natural detergent booster, and the type of soap you pick lets the world know if you care about natural stuff or not.....just kidding, soap is soap :) 

I hope you enjoyed this small tutorial on making your own laundry detergent! Let me know if you make it :)

Until next time,

~Formally Inspired~