Homemade Laundry Detergent - UPDATE

This is an update to the post from here, which I wrote way back in 2010.

I STILL use this detergent, guys. Still love it. HOWEVER, I accidentally discovered one day that there is an easier way to do it. It is much quicker than all that stirring I used to do before. The ingredients are the same, but the order in which you mix them is what has changed.

Here are the ingredients you'll need:

1. Baking soda

2. Liquid castile soap  (I use Dr. Bronner's and purchase it wherever I can find it on sale at the time. Sometimes Drug Emporium, sometimes Whole Foods, sometimes Azure Standard, sometimes Amazon, etc.)

3. White vinegar

4. Washing Soda (made by Arm & Hammer, or you can just buy soda ash; I can get this at both Wal-Mart and Kroger where I live)

Measure 1 cup of baking soda and 1/4 cup of castile soap and mix together using a pastry cutter in a large bowl. 

Mix well.

Then, add 1 cup of vinegar. Pause a moment while it foams up. It is MUCH foamier doing it this way than the way I used to do it! Sort of swish/mix it around with your pastry cutter. It should feel like the baking soda has turned into bubbles.

I will have to add a picture here later so you can see all that foam.


NOW add 1 cup of washing soda. This will begin to calm that foam right down. Work the soda into the mixture using your pastry cutter. It will begin to take on a pasty consistency. Stir until thoroughly incorporated and then give yourself about a three-minute break. 

Maybe wipe the counters. Put away all your ingredients, etc. And then chop and mix a little more with the pastry cutter. 

Eventually (and not long at all!) it will begin to dry out and break up into a powder. Just repeat the wait-a-few, mix-and-chop pattern until you are ready to transfer it into your container. (By the way, this does not need to be kept in an air-tight container.)

 
I don't worry about clumps, but you can if you want to. 

Y'all, I think it works great! And it is low/no-sudsing, so it is perfect for HE washers. 

Use anywhere between 1/8 to 1/2 cup per load. Depends on your washer and how large/how dirty your load. I tend to use about 1/4 cup. I have a friend who uses much, much less than this! So far, I've been too chicken to try it. I so hate doing laundry. I sure don't want to RE-do any of it! 

Here's the recipe one more time:

1 cup Baking Soda

1/4 cup Liquid Castile Soap

1 cup Vinegar

1 cup Washing Soda

That's it!!