Homemade Laundry Detergent

The ladies in my bible study have been raving about a new recipe for homemade laundry detergent.  Easy to make, economical, "green," and a little goes a long way. So....I finally gathered the ingredients and made a batch this afternoon.  
 

• 1 cup Borax
• 1 cup Washing Soda
• 1 bar Laundry Soap (I used Fels Naptha)

The most difficult task was grating the bar soap. It was time consuming and a little more work than I expected.  AND, I was surprised at how fragrant the Fels Naptha was. Overwhelmingly fragrant, actually.

Once finished, the bar soap ended up looking a bit like grated cheddar cheese. Kinda strange when you put it all together, as the consistency is so different. 

In any case, because the fragrance was so strong, I decided to start with one load of towels.  If the perfumey smell was too much, at least I wouldn't have to wear it!

So, I just pulled the towels out of the dryer and there is no perfumey smell at all!  As a matter of fact, I wonder if I should go back and add the optional essential oil for fragrance.  All in all, it made nearly 4 cups of detergent and it only takes 2 TBSP for a standard load.   Looks like I'm in business with my own homemade laundry detergent!! 

Thanks to Savvy Brown for the recipe and instructions!  Click here for more info:  Savvy Brown's homemade laundry detergent

Winter

It's been a delightfully mild winter in NE Ohio, just a couple of dustings so far.  And we're almost through January!!  Here's hoping it continues...only 61 days til Spring!!