DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent

Okay, people. What's a chore that nearly every human has to (or should) be doing on a regular basis? You got it! Laundry. Everyone needs clean clothes and washes laundry. (If you're not, well I'm sure we can find a blog for you too.) How much do you spend a month on detergent to wash all of those clothes? $15? $20? $30? I suppose it depends on how clean you like your clothes and  how big of a family you have. What if I told you that you could wash the same amount of laundry for just $1 or $2?

*Gasp*!!!!! What?!

Yup. Think of the money you'll save! Last minute trips to the store begone! And as an added perk (like most homemade products) it's even healthier for you and your machine and the environment. Alright, so are you ready to hear this amazing news? Homemade Laundry Detergent. I know, I know, it sounds daunting; but it's not I promise. It just takes a few minutes and you can adjust the recipe to however you'd like. Have a soccer player with some really questionable jerseys? Make your detergent a bit stronger. Two year old with a night terror problem? Now you can actually afford to wash those sheets everyday. Single and mellow? Cut the recipe down to fit your needs.

I have researched and researched to find you guys the best possible recipes there are. And as a bonus. . . I have options for you. :)  So, whether you're a powdered or liquid detergent type person. Check out below to see if one here will fit your needs.

Homemade Liquid Detergent #1
1/2c-1c per load
This one of the most popular versions that I was able to find.

Ingredients:
1 bar Fels Naptha (or other soap) grated
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda
5 gal water
Large canister(5 gallon bucket)

Instructions:

1. Boil 6 cups of water on the stove. Turn heat down and add grated soap gradually. Stir until all of the soap has been dissolved into the water. (Do NOT let water boil while soap is in it.)
2. Pour hot soapy water into your canister. Add the Borax and Washing Soda and additional 6 cups warm water. Stir until dissolved.
3. Add remaining amount of water. Stir until it is thoroughly mixed.
4. Put lid on container and let sit for 24 hours.
5. After this time it should be "set."

***Look for tips at the bottom of the page***

Homemade Liquid Detergent #2
1/2c-1c per load

This recipe popped up at the last minute and I decided variety and options are always a good thing.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp liquid dish soap (i.e. Dawn)
3 Tbsp Borax
3 Tbsp Washing Soda
1 Gal Water
Gal sized container

Instructions:

1. Add the Borax and Washing soda to the container.
2. Pour in a small amount of boiling/extremely hot water. Swirl until borax and soda are dissolved completely.
3. Add in the dish soap.
4. Fill the container the rest of the way with cool water.


Homemade Powdered Detergent
1Tbsp - 3Tbsp per load (yes that says Tbsp)

This is the only recipe I was able to find, worth anything, for powdered detergent.

Ingredients:

1 bar Fels Naptha grated
2 cup Borax
2 cup Washing Soda
Container

1. Mix all ingredients together and put in container.

Well that one was ridiculously easy. But one thing that is not easy is grating soap, so below I have some tips on how to complete that successfully(because who wants to do something difficult?) and some other handy tricks for making your laundry efforts. . . effortless.




*** TIPS***
- These recipes call for Fels Naptha soap. It can be found in the laundry isle near the washing soda and borax. However, you can use whichever type of soap you prefer. There's several different kinds, I would not recommend using one with a moisturizer though, they tend to leave a residue on your clothes and machines.
- There are a couple different ways to grate the soap. You can A.) Use a cheese grater. B.) Cut into smaller chunks and put in a food processor or my favorite C.) Cut into smaller chunks and microwave for a minute. It will puff up and just crush into fine particles beneath your fingers.
- Most of these ingredients can be found in your laundry isle at your nearest super market however.
- To me 5 gallons of liquid detergent is seems a bit much so I cut the recipe down to 1 gal and divide the other ingredients accordingly, this is where individual preferences come in.
- Yes, these are all natural ingredients so these detergents are safe for HE washers. At least, no one has said otherwise.
- The powdered detergent should have no problem dissolving in cold water washes. If you have a problem though, add the detergent to your machine first with a little bit of hot water to dissolve it then add your clothes and cold water.
- Adding a small amount of vinegar(1/4c-1/2c) to your rinse cycle with neutralize any remaining detergent so there is absolutely no chance of residue and will help keep your washer from getting that "funk" smell that machines tend to get occasionally
- Most people with skin sensitivities are able to use these recipes because there are no extra additives or perfumes. If still receiving a small reaction, try the vinegar tip above.
- You can still use your stain boosters/removers for particularly tough stains just like you would with any other detergent. I would suggest trying baking soda as a more natural substitute to all the chemicals.


So, there you have it my homemaking mommas (and dads.) DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent. All the benefits of store bought detergent (clean clothes) with less money spent and less chemicals exposed to your family.

Give it a try. Let us know below in the comments how your experiences have went or if you have any of your own tricks!

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Homemade Honey Wheat Bread Recipe

A few months ago I was thinking, which never leads to anything easy, and I wondered what do they put in store bought bread. Have you ever looked at the ingredients in the bread you buy? Well, you should. I couldn't tell you what at least three of the ingredients were.

So, I got even more curious. What's the point of these mystery ingredients? Can't you just make bread with some simple ingredients in your fridge? People seem to have managed just fine before we had all these big words that nobody, except people with a bachelor's in science, really knows what it is. As a result of my curiosity I left the bread in the cabinet to see what it would do. I left it for two weeks.

If we all think back to lower levels in school what do they teach you will happen to bread, or food in general, if you let it sit for a long period of time? It will get stale and grow mold, right? Wrong.

I checked that loaf of bread two weeks later and it was still the exact same bread as when I bought it at the store. How utterly UNNATURAL is that? Gross. To me that is more disgusting than if I had found a unidentifiable green loaf. And I'm eating this? I'm feeding this to my family?

No. No way, this has to change. If I can't pronounce it, it doesn't have a place in my food.

So, as a consequence of that horrifying experiment, I now make my own bread; which is not as difficult as one would imagine. Below is my favorite recipe for honey wheat bread, all natural. I make it by hand but you can just as easily use a bread-maker.

Honey Wheat Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water

1 Tbsp milk

2 Tbsp oil

2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tsp salt

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp instant active dry yeast

1. Combine the first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
2. Add flours and yeast to mixture. Lightly flour surface to knead dough on.
3. Knead the mixture until dough is smooth and elastic (about 10-15 min)
4. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled. (about 40 min)
5. Punch dough down and knead for a few minutes until it is smooth. Then, form into a loaf shape. 
6. Place in greased loaf pan and cover. Let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size (about 30 min)
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 min.
8. If the loaf starts to brown too so, lightly layer a piece of foil on top of the bread to prevent too much darkening.
9. Remove bread from oven and allow to rest in pan for a few minutes.
10. Remove to wire rack and cover with a cloth.

**TIP: For a warm place to let the dough rise you can use where the sun is shining in through a window or place in an oven on the WARM setting**

Bug and Tig LOVE this bread. If I'm not careful, the bread will be completely gone in just a few minutes because they sneak into the kitchen to eat it. But of all the things they could be sneaking to eat, I'm not going to complain about homemade bread. 

Be prepared for your house to smell like the wonderful aroma of baking bread. Another thing I will add is that this honey wheat bread is delicious when it's warm with some honey butter. To make honey butter just whip/mix together equal parts honey and equal parts butter. I use a 1/4c to1/4c mixture.

So there you have it. A completely homemade and natural bread for you and your family. With an added bonus of being half wheat you get some yummy grain nutrition in your diet! Go ahead give it a try! Everything is better when it's HOMEMADE!