How To Make Laundry Detergent

Most washing machines inhale soap! They require a lot of detergent for the clothes to turn out looking clean. This is not the most cost effective way of laundering your clothes. You can probably make twice the amount of detergent at half the price at home with the same results. Thus, it is time to shift to the new handmade detergents and thus cutting some of the costs and avoiding the ever increasing prices! Homemade detergents are easy to make if you keep in mind the right mix of ingredients. The function of laundry detergents is to remove dirt, grease and sometimes even stains from clothes. Some advantages of these homemade laundry detergents, apart from cost saving, are that they are environment friendly because there is no toxic wastage. It is not some sort of medical science that takes ages to make, in fact, these detergents are quite simple and quick to make! Read on to find out how you can implement this in your daily clothes washing regimen.

Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipes

Soap Based Detergent:

Ingredients:

1 Soap Bar
½ cup Borax
½ cup Sodium Carbonate
Plastic Container
Mixing Bowl
Grater
Knife

Method:

Buy any soap from the local store, preferably a Naphtha soap or Ivory.
Cut the soap into small pieces and then grate them finely.
Put the Borax, washing soda and soap shavings into a mixing bowl and stir thoroughly.
Add 1 tbsp of soap per washing for a normal load and 2 tbsp of soap powder for a heavy load.
Don’t overload as the ingredients contain foaming properties.
Come out with clean looking laundry!
Store the rest in a plastic bowl in a cool, dry place.

Water Softener Based Detergent

½ cup Water Softener
1½ cups Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
2 drops Essential Oil
Mixing Bowl
Plastic Container

Method:

Add the water softener to all the other ingredients – washing soda and borax. Take this in a mixing bowl and stir until you see blending.
Add 2 drops of the essential oil to this mixture and stir once again.
Add about 1 tbsp per washing and maybe 1½ tbsp for tougher stains.
Store the rest in a plastic container.

Eco Friendly Detergent

Ingredients:

2 oz. Natural Soap
½ cup Washing Soda
3 pints Tap Water
1 bucket Hot Water
½ cup Borax
Grater
Saucepan
Water Bucket
Oven
Container

Method:

Grate the soap and place it in a saucepan.
Add tap water to this soap and switch on to low heat. Wait until the soap melts and forms a solution.
To the above, add the washing soda (sodium bicarbonate) and borax. The solution will now thicken.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the solution cool for some time.
Pour the contents of the saucepan into an empty bucket and mix the solution well.
Add hot water to the bucket and let it settle for a while before you mix it (it is hot water, don’t put your fingers in!)
After this, leave it for 24hours.
Use a small quantity for washing and store the rest in containers with lids.

These are some of the few recipes to make homemade laundry detergents that can make your clothes look as fresh as new!

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